Dīrgha-āgama, Sūtra No. 9: The Great Discourse on Causes

Original text:阿难。彼见我者。以受为我。彼则为非。阿难。彼见我者。言受非我。我是受者。当语彼言。如来说三受。苦受乐受。不苦不乐受。若乐受是我者。乐受灭时。则有二我。此则为过。若苦受是我者。苦受灭时。则有二我。此则为过。若不苦不乐受是我者。不苦不乐受灭时。则有二我。此则为过。 

Explanation: Ānanda, those who inwardly perceive a self and take feeling to be the self—their view is incorrect. Ānanda, those who hold the view of self say that feeling is not the self, but believe that the self is the one who feels. In order to save these people, one should say to them: the Tathāgata has spoken of three kinds of feeling—painful feeling, pleasant feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. If pleasant feeling were the self, then when the pleasant feeling ceases, there would be two selves—the self of painful feeling and the self of neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling—and of course this would be wrong; if painful feeling were the self, then when the painful feeling ceases, there would be two selves—the self of pleasant feeling and the self of neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling—and this would be wrong; if neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling were the self, then when the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling ceases, there would be two selves—the self of painful feeling and the self of pleasant feeling—and this is erroneous. 

Original text:阿难。彼见我者。言受非我。我是受。彼则为非。阿难。彼计我者。作此说。受非我。我非受。受法是我。当语彼言。一切无受。汝云何言有受法。汝是受法耶。对曰非是。是故阿难。彼计我者。言受非我。我非受。受法是我。彼则为非。 

Explanation: Ānanda, those who hold the view of self say that feeling is not the self, but that the self is feeling—this view is erroneous. Ānanda, those who cling to the existence of a self speak thus: feeling is not the self, the self is not feeling, but the dharma of feeling is the self. To such people, one should say: in all dharmas there is no feeling; why do you say there is a dharma of feeling? Are you the dharma of feeling? That person replies: No. Therefore, Ānanda, those who cling to the existence of a self, who say that feeling is not the self, that the self is not feeling, but that the dharma of feeling is the self—their view is wrong. 

Original text:阿难。彼计我者。作是言。受非我。我非受。受法非我。但爱是我者。当语彼言。一切无受。云何有爱。汝是爱耶。对曰非也。是故阿难。彼计我者。言受非我。我非受。受法非我。爱是我者。彼则为非。阿难。齐是为语。齐是为应。齐是为限。齐是为演说。齐是为智观。齐是为众生。 

Explanation: Ānanda, those who cling to the existence of a self speak thus: feeling is not the self, the self is not feeling, the dharma of feeling is not the self, but craving is the self. To such people, one should say: in all dharmas there is no feeling; how could there be craving? Are you the craving? The other party replies: No. Therefore, Ānanda, those who cling to the existence of a self, who say that feeling is not the self, that the self is not feeling, that the dharma of feeling is not the self, but that craving is the self—their view is wrong. Ānanda, only speaking thus is right speech; only speaking thus corresponds to the Dharma; only speaking thus is most ultimate; only speaking thus is expounding the true Dharma; only speaking thus is observation with wisdom; only speaking thus is delivering sentient beings.