[229] Then the Venerable Khemaka, leaning on his staff, approached the elder bhikkhus; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the elder bhikkhus, and when the courteous and memorable talk was concluded, he sat down to one side. As the Venerable Khemaka was sitting to one side, the elder bhikkhus said this to him: "Friend Khemaka, when you say 'I am,' what is it that you speak of as 'I am'? Do you speak of form (rūpa) as 'I am'? Or do you speak of 'I am' apart from form? Feeling (vedanā)… Perception… Volitional formations… Do you speak of consciousness as 'I am'? Or do you speak of 'I am' apart from consciousness? Friend Khemaka, when you say 'I am,' what is it that you speak of as 'I am'?"
"Friends, I do not say 'I am' with reference to form, nor do I say 'I am' apart from form; not feeling… not perception… not volitional formations… I do not say 'I am' with reference to consciousness, nor do I say 'I am' apart from consciousness. And yet, friends, in regard to the five aggregates subject to clinging (upādānakkhandha) the notion 'I am' has come to me, but I do not regard anything as 'This I am.'
"Suppose, friends, there is the scent of a blue lotus, or a red lotus, or a white lotus. Would one who said, 'The scent belongs to the petal,' or 'The scent belongs to the color,' or 'The scent belongs to the filaments' — would he be speaking rightly?"
"Certainly not, friend."
"Then how, friends, would one answering rightly answer?"
"Friend, answering rightly one would answer: 'The scent belongs to the flower.'"
"Even so, friends, I do not say 'I am' with reference to form, nor do I say 'I am' apart from form; not feeling… not perception… not volitional formations… I do not say 'I am' with reference to consciousness, nor do I say 'I am' apart from consciousness. And yet, friends, in regard to the five aggregates subject to clinging the notion 'I am' has come to me, but I do not regard anything as 'This I am.'
"Friends, although the five lower fetters (saṃyojana) have been abandoned by a noble disciple, still there remains in him, in regard to the five aggregates subject to clinging, a residual conceit 'I am,' a desire 'I am,' an underlying tendency 'I am' that has not been uprooted. At a later time he dwells contemplating arising and passing away in the five aggregates subject to clinging: 'Such is form, such the origin of form, such the passing away of form; such is feeling…; such is perception…; such are volitional formations…; such is consciousness, such the origin of consciousness, such the passing away of consciousness.' As he dwells contemplating arising and passing away in these five aggregates subject to clinging, that residual conceit 'I am,' desire 'I am,' underlying tendency 'I am' that had not been uprooted in regard to the five aggregates subject to clinging — that too comes to be eradicated.
"Suppose, friends, a cloth were soiled and stained, and its owners gave it to a washerman; the washerman, having scoured it in salt-earth lye, or in alkali, or in cow dung, would rinse it in clear water. Although that cloth would become clean and bright, still there would remain in it a residual smell of salt-earth lye, or of alkali, or of cow dung not yet removed. The washerman would return it to the owners, and the owners would deposit it in a scent-infused chest; and that residual smell of salt-earth lye, or of alkali, or of cow dung not yet removed — that too would be eliminated.
"Even so, friends, although the five lower fetters have been abandoned by a noble disciple, still there remains in him, in regard to the five aggregates subject to clinging, a residual conceit 'I am,' a desire 'I am,' an underlying tendency 'I am' that has not been uprooted. At a later time he dwells contemplating arising and passing away in the five aggregates subject to clinging: 'Such is form, such the origin of form, such the passing away of form; such is feeling…; such is perception…; such are volitional formations…; such is consciousness, such the origin of consciousness, such the passing away of consciousness.' As he dwells contemplating arising and passing away in these five aggregates subject to clinging, that residual conceit 'I am,' desire 'I am,' underlying tendency 'I am' that had not been uprooted in regard to the five aggregates subject to clinging — that too comes to be eradicated."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.