[398] "What do you think, Aggivessana? When you say thus: 'Form (rūpa) is my self' — does your power extend over that form thus: 'Let my form be thus; let my form not be thus'?"
"Certainly not, Master Gotama."
"Attend, Aggivessana; having attended, Aggivessana, answer. For what you say later does not cohere with what you said before, nor what you said before with what you say later. What do you think, Aggivessana? When you say thus: 'Feeling (vedanā) is my self' — does your power extend over that feeling thus: 'Let my feeling be thus; let my feeling not be thus'?"
"Certainly not, Master Gotama."
"Attend, Aggivessana; having attended, Aggivessana, answer. For what you say later does not cohere with what you said before, nor what you said before with what you say later. What do you think, Aggivessana? When you say thus: 'Perception (saññā) is my self' — does your power extend over that perception thus: 'Let my perception be thus; let my perception not be thus'?"
"Certainly not, Master Gotama."
"Attend, Aggivessana; having attended, Aggivessana, answer. For what you say later does not cohere with what you said before, nor what you said before with what you say later. What do you think, Aggivessana? When you say thus: 'Volitional formations (saṅkhārā) are my self' — does your power extend over those volitional formations thus: 'Let my volitional formations be thus; let my volitional formations not be thus'?"
"Certainly not, Master Gotama."
"Attend, Aggivessana; having attended, Aggivessana, answer. For what you say later does not cohere with what you said before, nor what you said before with what you say later. What do you think, Aggivessana? When you say thus: 'Consciousness (viññāṇa) is my self' — does your power extend over that consciousness thus: 'Let my consciousness be thus; let my consciousness not be thus'?"
"Certainly not, Master Gotama."
"Attend, Aggivessana; having attended, Aggivessana, answer. For what you say later does not cohere with what you said before, nor what you said before with what you say later. What do you think, Aggivessana? Is form permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Master Gotama."
"And that which is impermanent — is it suffering (dukkha) or happiness?"
"It is suffering, Master Gotama."
"And that which is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change — is it fitting to regard it thus: 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?"
"Certainly not, Master Gotama."
"What do you think, Aggivessana? Is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Master Gotama."
"And that which is impermanent — is it suffering or happiness?"
"It is suffering, Master Gotama."
"And that which is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change — is it fitting to regard it thus: 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?"
"Certainly not, Master Gotama."
"What do you think, Aggivessana? One who adheres to suffering, has entered upon suffering, cleaves to suffering, and regards suffering thus: 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self' — could he ever himself fully understand suffering, or dwell having worn suffering away?"
"How could that be, Master Gotama? Certainly not, Master Gotama."
"What do you think, Aggivessana? This being so, is it not you who adhere to suffering, have entered upon suffering, cleave to suffering, and regard suffering thus: 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?"
"How could it not be so, Master Gotama? It is just so, Master Gotama."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.