[132] "Venerable sir, what now are volitional formations (saṅkhārā), and whose are these volitional formations?"
"That is not a fitting question," the Blessed One said. "Bhikkhu, whether one should say, 'What are volitional formations, and whose are these volitional formations?' or whether one should say, 'Volitional formations are one thing, and these volitional formations belong to another' — both these amount to the same in meaning, differing only in the phrasing. Bhikkhu, when there is the view (diṭṭhi) 'the soul and the body are the same,' there is no living of the holy life; and when there is the view 'the soul is one thing, the body another,' there is no living of the holy life. Bhikkhu, without veering toward either of these two extremes, the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma by the middle: with ignorance as condition, volitional formations [come to be]."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.