The Long Āgama Sūtra 13.67

13.67

「阿難！彼見我者，言受是我，當語彼言：『如來說三受，樂受、苦受、不苦不樂受。當有樂受時，無有苦受、不苦不樂受；有苦受時，無有樂受、不苦不樂受；有不苦不樂受時，無有苦受、樂受。』所以然者？阿難！樂觸緣生樂受，若樂觸滅受亦滅。阿難！苦觸緣生苦受，若苦觸滅受亦滅；不苦不樂觸緣生不苦不樂受，若不苦不樂觸滅受亦滅。阿難！如兩木相攢則有火生，各置異處則無有火。此亦如是，因樂觸緣故生樂受，若樂觸滅受亦俱滅；因苦觸緣故生苦受，若苦觸滅受亦俱滅；因不苦不樂觸緣生不苦不樂受，若不苦不樂觸滅受亦俱滅。阿難！此三受有為無常，從因緣生，盡法、滅法，為朽壞法。彼非我有，我非彼有，當以正智如實觀之。阿難！彼見我者，以受為我，彼則為非。

“Ānanda, someone who has a view of self and says that feeling is self should be told, ‘The Tathāgata teaches that there are three feelings: Pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that are neither pleasant nor painful. When there’s pleasant feeling, there isn’t any feeling that’s painful or neither pleasant nor painful. When there’s painful feeling, there isn’t any feeling that’s pleasant or neither pleasant nor painful. When there’s feeling that’s neither pleasant nor painful, there isn’t any feeling that’s painful or pleasant.’

“Why is that? Ānanda, pleasant contact is the condition that gives rise to pleasant feeling. If pleasant contact ceases, the feeling also ceases. Ānanda, painful contact is the condition that gives rise to painful feeling. If painful contact ceases, the feeling also ceases. Contact that’s neither pleasant nor painful is the condition that gives rise to feeling that’s neither pleasant nor painful. If contact that’s neither pleasant nor painful ceases, the feeling also ceases.

“Ānanda, it’s like rubbing a pair of sticks together to start a fire. When each stick is put in a different place, there won’t be any fire. This is likewise. Because of the condition of pleasant contact, pleasant feeling arises. If pleasant contact ceases, both it and the feeling cease. Because of the condition of painful contact, painful feeling arises. If painful contact ceases, both it and the feeling cease. Because of the condition of contact that’s neither pleasant nor painful, feeling that’s neither pleasant nor painful arises. If contact that’s neither pleasant nor painful ceases, both it and the feeling cease.

“Ānanda, these three feelings are created and impermanent. They are things that arise from causes and conditions, that end, that cease, and that disintegrate. When truly examined with right knowledge, they are not possessed by self, and the self isn’t possessed by them. Ānanda, the view that takes feeling to be the self is incorrect.