The Remainder of the Conceit "I am" in the Non-Returner "NEW"
[Khemaka:] Friends, it's not that I say 'I am form,' nor do I say 'I am something other than form.' It's not that I say, 'I am feeling... perception... formations... consciousness,' nor do I say, 'I am something other than consciousness.' With regard to these five clinging-aggregates, 'I am' has not been overcome, although I don't assume that 'I am this.'
It's just like the scent of a blue, red, or white lotus: If someone were to call it the scent of a petal or the scent of the color or the scent of a filament, would he be speaking correctly?
- No, friend.
- Then how would he describe it if he were describing it correctly?"
- As the scent of the flower: That's how he would describe it if he were describing it correctly.
- In the same way, friends, it's not that I say 'I am form,' nor do I say 'I am other than form.' It's not that I say, 'I am feeling... perception... formations.. consciousness,' nor do I say, 'I am something other than consciousness.' With regard to these five clinging-aggregates, 'I am' has not been overcome, although I don't assume that 'I am this.'
SN 22.89 Khemaka Sutta: About Khemaka
Na kho'haṃ āvuso rūpaṃ 'asmi'ti vadāmi aññatra rūpaṃ 'asmi'ti vadāmi. Na vedanaṃ 'asmi'ti vadāmi napi aññatra vedanāya 'asmi'ti vadāmi. Na saññaṃ 'asmi'ti vadāmi napi aññatra saññāya 'asmi'ti vadāmi. Na saṃkhāre 'asmi'ti vadāmi napi aññatra saṃkhārehi 'asmi'ti
vadāmi. Na viññāṇaṃ 'asmi'ti vadāmi napi aññatra viññāṇā 'asmi'ti vadāmi.
na rūpaṃ 'asmī'ti vadāmi = I don't say “I am form”
aññatra rūpaṃ = other than form
vedanaṃ (nom. sg.)= feeling
saññaṃ (nom. sg.)= perception
saṃkhāre (nom. pl.) = formations
viññāṇaṃ (nom. sg.) = consciousness
Api ca me āvuso pañcasupādānakkhandhesu 'asmī'ti adhigataṃ "ayamahamasmi"ti na ca samanupassāmi.
pañcas-upādāna-kkhandhesu (loc. pl.) =With regard to these five clinging-aggregates
asmi'ti adhigataṃ='I am' is overcome
ayam-aham-asmī"ti na ca samanupassāmi. =still I don't assume that 'I am this.'
Seyyathāpi āvuso, uppalassa vā padumassa vā puṇḍarīkassa vā gandho yo nu kho evaṃ vadeyya: "pattassa gandhoti vā vaṇṇassa gandhoti vā kiñjakkhassa gandhoti vā sammā nu kho so vadamāno vadeyyā'ti?
uppalassa (gen. sg.) vā padumassa (gen. sg.) vā puṇḍarīkassa (gen. sg.) vā = of a blue, red or white lotus
pattassa (gen. sg.) gandho = the scent of a petal
vaṇṇassa(gen. sg.) gandho= the scent of a colour
kiñjakkhassa gandho = the scent of a filamet
vadeyya = he would speak
sammā= correctly
No hetaṃ āvuso, Yathā kathampanāvuso, sammā khyākaramāno khyākareyyāti?
Pupphassa gandhoti kho āvuso, sammā khyākaramāno khyākareyyāti.
No hetaṃ = not so
khyākareyya = he would describe
Pupphassa (gen. sg.) gandho = the scent of the flower
Evameva khohaṃ āvuso, na rūpaṃ 'asmī'ti vadāmi napi aññatra rūpaṃ 'asmī'ti vadāmi. Na vedanaṃ 'asmī'ti vadāmi napi aññatra vedanāya 'asmi'ti vadāmi. Na saññaṃ 'asmī'ti vadāmi napi aññatra saññā 'asmī'ti vadāmi. Na saṃkhāre 'asmī'ti vadāmi napi aññatra saṃkhārehi 'asmī'ti vadāmi. Na viññāṇaṃ 'asmī'ti vadāmi napi aññatra viññāṇā'asmi'ti vadāmi.
Api ca me āvuso pañcasupādānakkhandhesu 'asmi'ti adhigataṃ "ayamahamasmī"ti na ca samanupassāmi.