[193] Dwelling at Sāvatthī. In the Park. There the Venerable Ānanda addressed the bhikkhus: "Friends, bhikkhus!"
"Friend," those bhikkhus replied to the Venerable Ānanda. The Venerable Ānanda said this:
"Friends, the Venerable Puṇṇa Mantānīputta was of great help to us when we were newly ordained. He exhorted us with this exhortation: 'It is by clinging (upādāya), friend Ānanda, that "I am" occurs, not without clinging. And by clinging to what does "I am" occur, not without clinging? It is by clinging to form (rūpa) that "I am" occurs, not without clinging. By clinging to feeling (vedanā)… to perception (saññā)… to volitional formations (saṅkhārā)… it is by clinging to consciousness (viññāṇa) that "I am" occurs, not without clinging.
'Suppose, friend Ānanda, a woman or a man, young, youthful, fond of ornaments, examining the image of her own face in a mirror that is pure and bright, or in a bowl of clear water, would look at it with clinging, not without clinging. Even so, friend Ānanda, it is by clinging to form that "I am" occurs, not without clinging. By clinging to feeling… to perception… to volitional formations… it is by clinging to consciousness that "I am" occurs, not without clinging.
'What do you think, friend Ānanda: is form permanent or impermanent?'
'Impermanent, friend.'
'Is feeling… perception… volitional formations… is consciousness permanent or impermanent?'
'Impermanent, friend.' …
'Therefore… Seeing thus… he understands: "… there is no more for this state of being."'
"Friends, the Venerable Puṇṇa Mantānīputta was of great help to us when we were newly ordained; he exhorted us with this exhortation. And it was upon hearing this Dhamma teaching of the Venerable Puṇṇa Mantānīputta that I made the breakthrough to the Dhamma."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.