SN 22.43 PTS: S iii 42 CDB i 882
Monks, live as an island to yourself. Be a refuge for yourself, having no other refuge. The Dhamma is an island, the Dhamma is a refuge. There is no other refuge.
The one who lives as an island to himself, who is a refuge for himself, who has no other refuge; who has Dhamma as his island, Dhamma as his refuge, and has no other refuge: he investigates, searches, and looks deep into the heart of things. “Where do pain and suffering come from?”
The ordinary person, who is no student of the noble ones, who has no respect for their teaching, considers the physical body as his self, or considers that his self possesses the body, or considers that there is self in the body, or that there is the body in the self.
That body is inconstant and changing (degrades, deteriorates and breaks down). As that body degrades, deteriorates and breaks down, his mind becomes disturbed and unsettled; and pain, suffering, discomfort, anxiety and despair arise in him.
He considers vedana (feelings of agreeable and disagreeable, and the emotions that are born from them) as his self, or considers that the self possesses vedana, or considers that there is selfhood in vedana, or that there is vedana in the self. Vedana is inconstant and changing, (it goes from high to low, from good to bad, from pleasant to unpleasant; it arises and dies in one instant.) As this change is happening, his mind becomes disturbed and unsettled; and pain, suffering, discomfort, anxiety and despair arise in him.
He sees sanña (perception, or what we call memory card and memory files) as his self, or considers that the self possesses sanña, or considers that there is self-hood in sanña, or that there is sanña in the self. Sanña is inconstant and changing. As this change happens, his mind becomes disturbed and unsettled; and pain, suffering, discomfort, anxiety and despair arise in him.
He sees sankhara (thoughts and intentions) as his self, or considers that the self possesses thoughts and intentions, or considers that there is self-hood in thoughts and intentions, or that there are thoughts and intentions in the self. These thoughts and intentions are inconstant and changing (they arise, decline and die and constantly change; here one moment, gone the next. They move and turn without his own will.) As this change is happening, his mind becomes disturbed and unsettled; and pain, suffering, discomfort, anxiety and despair arise in him.
He sees vinnana (consciousness or awareness at the six sense doors) as his self, or considers that the self possesses consciousness, or considers that there is self-hood in consciousness or that there is consciousness in the self. This consciousness or awareness is inconstant and changing (degrades and dies and changes every moment, here one minute, gone the next.) With this changing, his mind becomes disturbed and unsettled; and pain, suffering, discomfort, anxiety and despair arise in him.
But the good student of the noble ones, who has faith in their teaching and understanding of their teaching: he does not consider the physical body as his self, nor does he consider that his self possesses the body. He does not consider that there is self-hood in the body, nor that there is the body in the self.
That body of his degrades, deteriorates and breaks down. But as that body of his degrades, deteriorates and breaks down, his mind does not become disturbed and unsettled, and pain, suffering, discomfort, anxiety and despair do not arise in him.
He does not consider feelings as his self, nor does he consider that his self possesses feelings. He does not consider that there is self-hood in feelings, nor that there are feelings in the self. Feelings are inconstant -they change and alternate, they go from high to low, from good to bad, from pleasant to unpleasant; they arise and die in one instant. But as this change is happening, his mind does not become disturbed and unsettled; and pain, suffering, discomfort, anxiety and despair do not arise in him.
He does not consider sanña as his self, nor does he consider that his self possesses sanña. He does not consider that there is self-hood in sanña, nor that there is sanña in the self. Sanña changes; it degrades, degenerates and breaks down; it dies all the time. But as this change happens, his mind does not become disturbed and unsettled; and pain, suffering, discomfort, anxiety and despair do not arise in him.
He does not consider thoughts and intentions as his self, nor does he consider that his self possesses thoughts and intentions. He does not consider that there is self-hood in thoughts and intentions, nor that there are thoughts and intentions in the self. These thoughts and intentions arise decline and die and constantly change; here one moment, gone the next. But as this change is happening, his mind does not become disturbed and unsettled; and pain, suffering, discomfort, anxiety and despair do not arise in him.
He does not consider consciousness/awarenss as his self, nor does he consider that his self possesses the consciousness. He does not consider that there is self-hood in consciousness, nor that there is consciousness in the self. This consciousness/ awareness degrades and dies and changes every moment, here one minute, gone the next. But with this changing, his mind does not become disturbed and unsettled; and pain, suffering, discomfort, anxiety and despair do not arise in him.