1. “‘Self-identification, self-identification,’ it is said, lady. Which self-identification is described by the Blessed One?”
“There are these five clinging-aggregates, friend Visakha: form as a clinging-aggregate, feeling as a clinging-aggregate, perception as a clinging-aggregate, fabrications as a clinging-aggregate, consciousness as a clinging-aggregate. These five clinging-aggregates are the self-identification described by the Blessed One.”
2. “‘The origination of self-identification, the origination of self-identification,’ it is said, lady. Which origination of self-identification is described by the Blessed One?”
“The craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e., craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming: This, friend Visakha, is the origination of self-identification described by the Blessed One.”
3. “‘The cessation of self-identification, the cessation of self-identification,’ it is said, lady. Which cessation of self-identification is described by the Blessed One?”
“The remainderless fading & cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release, & letting go of that very craving: This, friend Visakha, is the cessation of self-identification described by the Blessed One.”
4. “‘The way of practice leading to the cessation of self-identification, the way of practice leading to the cessation of self-identification,’ it is said, lady. Which way of practice leading to the cessation of self-identification is described by the Blessed One?”
“Precisely this noble eightfold path — right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration: This, friend Visakha, is the way of practice leading to the cessation of self-identification described by the Blessed One.”
5. “But, lady, how does self-identification come about?”
“There is the case, friend Visakha, where 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 men of integrity, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma — assumes form (the body) 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 (mental) 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. This is how self-identification comes about.” (MN 44)
5.1 “Well then — knowing in what way, seeing in what way, does one without delay put an end to the effluents?
There is the case where 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 men of integrity, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma — assumes form (feeling, perception, fabrications, consciousness) to be the self. That assumption is a fabrication.
5.2 Now what is the cause, what is the origination, what is the birth, what is the coming-into-existence of that fabrication?
To an uninstructed, run-of-the-mill person, touched by that which is felt born of contact with ignorance, craving arises. That fabrication is born of that. And that fabrication is inconstant, fabricated, dependently co-arisen. That craving… That feeling… That contact… That ignorance is inconstant, fabricated, dependently co-arisen. It is by knowing & seeing in this way that one without delay puts an end to the effluents. (SN 22.81)
6. “But, lady, how does self-identification not come about?”
“There is the case where a well-instructed disciple of the noble ones — who has regard for noble ones, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma; who has regard for men of integrity, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma — does not assume form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as in form.
“He does not assume feeling to be the self…
“He does not assume perception to be the self…
“He does not assume fabrications to be the self…
“He does not assume consciousness to be the self, or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the self as in consciousness. This is how self-identification does not come about.” (MN 44)