Constructing a Self
§ 22. “Monks, I will teach you the burden, the carrier of the burden, the taking up of the burden, and the casting off of the burden. Listen & pay close attention. I will speak.”
“As you say, lord,” the monks responded.
The Blessed One said, “And which is the burden? ‘The five clinging-aggregates,’ it should be said. Which five? The form clinging-aggregate, the feeling clinging-aggregate, the perception clinging-aggregate, the fabrications clinging-aggregate, the consciousness clinging-aggregate: This, monks, is called the burden.
“And which is the carrier of the burden? ‘The person,’ it should be said. This venerable one with such a name, such a clan-name: This is called the carrier of the burden.
“And which is the taking up of the burden? The craving that makes for further becoming—accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there—i.e., craving for sensuality, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming: This is called the taking up of the burden.
“And which is the casting off of the burden? The remainderless dispassion-cessation, renunciation, relinquishing, release, & letting go of that very craving: This is called the casting off of the burden.” — SN 22:22
§ 23. “Monks, there are four (modes of) clinging. Which four? Sensuality-clinging, view-clinging, habit-&-practice-clinging, and doctrines-of-the-self-clinging.” — MN 11
§ 24. “An uninstructed, run-of-the-mill person—who has no regard for noble ones, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma; who has no regard for people of integrity, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma—assumes form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as in form.
“He assumes feeling to be the self…
“He assumes perception to be the self…
“He assumes fabrications to be the self…
“He assumes consciousness to be the self, or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the self as in consciousness.” — SN 22:85
§ 25. “To what extent, Ānanda, does one delineate when delineating a self? Either delineating a self possessed of form & finite, one delineates that ‘My self is possessed of form & finite.’ Or, delineating a self possessed of form & infinite, one delineates that ‘My self is possessed of form & infinite.’ Or, delineating a self formless & finite, one delineates that ‘My self is formless & finite.’ Or, delineating a self formless & infinite, one delineates that ‘My self is formless & infinite.’
“Now, the one who, when delineating a self, delineates it as possessed of form & finite, either delineates it as possessed of form & finite in the present, or of such a nature that it will [naturally] become possessed of form & finite [when asleep/ after death], or he believes that ‘Although it is not yet that way, I will convert it into being that way.’ This being the case, it is proper to say that a fixed view of a self possessed of form & finite obsesses him.”
[Similarly with the other three delineations.] — DN 15
§ 26. “If one stays obsessed with form, monk, that’s what one is measured by/limited by. Whatever one is measured by/limited by, that’s how one is classified.
“If one stays obsessed with feeling… perception… fabrications…
“If one stays obsessed with consciousness, that’s what one is measured by/limited by. Whatever one is measured by/limited by, that’s how one is classified.
“But if one doesn’t stay obsessed with form, monk, that’s not what one is measured by/limited by. Whatever one isn’t measured by/limited by, that’s not how one is classified.
“If one doesn’t stay obsessed with feeling… perception… fabrications…
“If one doesn’t stay obsessed with consciousness, that’s not what one is measured by/limited by. Whatever one isn’t measured by/limited by, that’s not how one is classified.” — SN 22:36
§ 27. [Ven. Rādha:] “‘A being,’ lord. ‘A being,’ it’s said. To what extent is one said to be ‘a being’?”
[The Buddha:] “Any desire, passion, delight, or craving for form, Rādha: when one is caught up [satta] there, tied up [visatta] there, one is said to be ‘a being [satta].’
“Any desire, passion, delight, or craving for feeling… perception… fabrications…
“Any desire, passion, delight, or craving for consciousness, Rādha: when one is caught up there, tied up there, one is said to be ‘a being.’” — SN 23:2
§ 28. Māra:
“By whom was this being created?
Where is the living being’s maker?
Where has the living being originated?
Where does the living being
cease?”
Sister Vajirā:
“What? Do you assume a ‘being,’ Māra?
Do you take a position?
This is purely a pile of fabrications.
Here no living being
can be pinned down.
Just as when, with an assemblage of parts,
there’s the word,
chariot,
even so when aggregates are present,
there’s the convention of
a being.
For only stress is what comes to be;
stress, what remains & falls away.
Nothing but stress comes to be.
Nothing ceases but stress.”
Then Māra the Evil One—sad & dejected at realizing, “Vajirā the nun knows me”— SN 5:10
