The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [425]
“The four great elements, bhikkhu, are the cause and condition for the manifestation of the material form aggregate. Contact is the cause and condition for the manifestation of the feeling aggregate. Contact is the cause and the condition for the manifestation of the perception aggregate. Contact is the cause and condition for the manifestation of the formations aggregate. Mentality-materiality is the cause and condition for the manifestation of the consciousness aggregate.”1040
10. “Venerable sir, how does identity view come to be?”1041
“Here, bhikkhu, an untaught ordinary person, who has no regard for noble ones and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, who has no regard for true men and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, regards material form as self, or self as possessed of material form, or material form as in self, or self as in material form. He regards feeling as self…perception as self…formations as self…consciousness as self, or self as possessed of consciousness, [18] or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. That is how identity view comes to be.”
11. “But, venerable sir, how does identity view not come to be?”
“Here, bhikkhu, a well-taught noble disciple, who has regard for noble ones and is skilled and disciplined in their Dhamma, who has regard for true men and is skilled and disciplined in their Dhamma, does not regard material form as self, or self as possessed of material form, or material form as in self, or self as in material form. He does not regard feeling as self…perception as self…formations as self…consciousness as self, or self as possessed of consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. That is how identity view does not come to be.”
12. “What, venerable sir, is the gratification, what is the danger, and what is the escape in the case of material form? What is the gratification, what is the danger, and what is the escape in the case of feeling…in the case of perception…in the case of formations…in the case of consciousness?”
“The pleasure and joy, bhikkhu, that arise in dependence on material form—this is the gratification in the case of material form. Material form is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change—this is the danger in the case of material form. The removal of desire and lust, the abandonment of desire and lust for material form—this is the escape in the case of material form.
“The pleasure and joy that arise in dependence on feeling…in dependence on perception…in dependence on formations…in dependence on consciousness—this is the gratification in the case of consciousness. Consciousness is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change—this is the danger in the case of consciousness. The removal of desire and lust, the abandonment of desire and lust for consciousness—this is the escape in the case of consciousness.”
13. “Venerable sir, how does one know, how does one see, so that in regard to this body with its consciousness and all external signs, there is no I-making, mine-making, and underlying tendency to conceit?”
“Bhikkhu, any kind of material form whatever, whether past or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior [19] or superior, far or near—one sees all material form as it actually is with proper wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’ Any kind of feeling whatever…Any kind of perception whatever…Any kind of formations whatever…Any kind of consciousness whatever…one sees all consciousness as it actually is with proper wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’ It is when one knows and sees thus that in regard to this body with its consciousness and all external signs there is no I-making, mine-making, or underlying tendency to conceit.”
14. Then, in the mind of a certain bhikkhu this thought arose: “So, it seems, material form is not self, feeling is not self,