The Long Āgama Sūtra 13.69

13.69

「阿難！彼計我者，作是言：『受非我，我非受，受法非我，但愛是我。』者，當語彼言：『一切無受，云何有愛？汝是愛耶？』對曰：『非也。』是故，阿難！彼計我者，言：『受非我，我非受，受法非我，愛是我。』者，彼則為非。阿難！齊是為語，齊是為應，齊是為限，齊是為演說，齊是為智觀，齊是為眾生。阿難！諸比丘於此法中如實正觀，於無漏心解脫。阿難！此比丘當名為慧解脫，如是解脫心比丘，有我亦知，無我亦知，有我無我亦知，非有我非無我亦知。何以故？阿難！齊是為語，齊是為應，齊是為限，齊是為演說，齊是為智觀，齊是為眾生；如是盡知已，無漏心解脫比丘不知不見如是知見。」

“Ānanda, some postulate a self and make this claim, ‘Feel is not self, the self is not feeling, and what feels is not self. Only the craving is the self.’ They should be told, ‘If everything is without feeling, how would there be craving? Are you this craving?’ The answer would be, ‘No.’

“Therefore, Ānanda, some postulate a self and say feeling is not self, the self is not feeling, and what feels is not self, but craving is self. They are incorrect.

“Ānanda, this is the extent of language, the extent of answers, the extent of limits, the extent of explanations, the extent of wise observation, and the extent of sentient beings.

“Ānanda, when monks truly and correctly observe this [series of] principles, their minds will be uncontaminated and liberated. Ānanda, these monks should be called ‘those liberated by wisdom.’ Such a liberated monk will know the existence of the self, the non-existence of the self, both the existence and non-existence of the self, and neither the existence nor non-existence of the self. Why?

“Ānanda, this is the extent of language, the extent of answers, the extent of limits, the extent of explanations, the extent of wise observation, and the extent of sentient beings. Thus, having fully known it, a liberated monk whose mind is uncontaminated doesn’t know or see such knowing and seeing [of those four alternatives].”