Madhyama Āgama: Mahānidāna Sūtra (The Great Causes Sūtra)

(2) Original text: 阿难。乐受实是无常有为。缘起之法。灭尽之法。败坏之法。离欲之法。灭法也。阿难。苦受亦实是无常有为。缘起之法。灭尽之法。败坏之法。离欲之法。灭法也。阿难。不苦不乐受亦实是无常有为。缘起之法。灭尽之法。败坏之法。离欲之法。灭法也。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Ānanda, pleasant feeling is indeed impermanent and conditioned; it is a dharma that arises from various causes and conditions, a dharma that can cease entirely, a dharma subject to decay, a dharma from which one can depart through the cessation of craving for such feeling, a dharma that will perish. Ānanda, painful feeling is also indeed impermanent and conditioned; it is a dharma that arises from causes and conditions, a dharma that can cease entirely, a dharma subject to decay, a dharma from which one can depart through the cessation of craving, a dharma that will perish. Ānanda, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling is also indeed impermanent and conditioned; it is a dharma that arises from causes and conditions, a dharma that can cease entirely, a dharma subject to decay, a dharma from which one can depart through the cessation of craving for such feeling, a dharma that can perish.

Original text: 若领纳乐受。还是思惟。此是我之我者。彼又依于乐受之灭。实应不得思惟。我之我灭。若领纳苦受。还是思惟。此是我之我者。彼又依于苦受之灭。实应不得思惟。我之我灭。若领纳不苦不乐受。还是思惟。此是我之我者，彼又依于不苦不乐受之灭。实应不得思惟。我之我灭。

Explanation: If, while experiencing pleasant feeling, one still thinks that this which experiences the pleasant feeling is my self, then when one further sees the pleasant feeling cease, one indeed can no longer hold that the self which experiences pleasant feeling has perished. If, while experiencing painful feeling, one still thinks that this which experiences the painful feeling is my self, then when one sees the painful feeling cease, one indeed can no longer hold that the self which experiences painful feeling has perished. If, while experiencing neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one still thinks that this which experiences the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling is my self, then when one sees the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling cease, one indeed can no longer contemplate and observe that the self which experiences neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling has perished.

Original text: 对如是言。受是我之我者。要于现见之法。观察我是无常。乐苦皆归于消灭之生灭法。阿难。是故依此。不可能观察。受是我之我。阿难。此中又言。受实非我之我。不得感受者。即是我之我。对彼应如是言。友。无一切所受之处。于其处。还得思惟有我耶。世尊。实不然。阿难。是故依此。不可能观察。受实非我之我。不得感受者，即是我之我。

Explanation: Regarding the claim that feeling is my self, one should, among the dharmas directly encountered in the present, observe that this self is impermanent, and that both pleasant and painful feelings belong to arising-and-ceasing dharmas that are subject to annihilation. Ānanda, therefore, based on the fact that feeling is an impermanent, arising-and-ceasing phenomenon, it is impossible to observe that feeling is my self. Ānanda, here it is further said that feeling is truly not my self, but rather that which does not feel—the aggregates apart from feeling—is my self. To a person holding such a wrong view, one should ask as follows: Good friend, in a place where there is no feeling of any kind—that is, where form, perception, formations, and consciousness are—would you still hold that there is a self? Ānanda replied: Truly, one should no longer hold that form, perception, formations, and consciousness are the self. The Buddha said: Ānanda, therefore, according to this reasoning, it is impossible to observe that feeling is truly not my self while the form, perception, formations, and consciousness apart from feeling are my self.