Difference between revisions of "Skandha" - New World Encyclopedia
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<blockquote>Prior to the Buddha, the Pali word khandha had very ordinary meanings: A khandha could be a pile, a bundle, a heap, a mass. It could also be the trunk of a tree. In his first sermon, though, the Buddha gave it a new, psychological meaning, introducing the term "clinging-khandhas" to summarize his analysis of the truth of stress and suffering. Throughout the remainder of his teaching career, he referred to these psychological khandhas time and again.<ref> [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/khandha.html].''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008.</ref></blockquote> | <blockquote>Prior to the Buddha, the Pali word khandha had very ordinary meanings: A khandha could be a pile, a bundle, a heap, a mass. It could also be the trunk of a tree. In his first sermon, though, the Buddha gave it a new, psychological meaning, introducing the term "clinging-khandhas" to summarize his analysis of the truth of stress and suffering. Throughout the remainder of his teaching career, he referred to these psychological khandhas time and again.<ref> [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/khandha.html].''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008.</ref></blockquote> | ||
− | The Buddha taught that self-identifying with an aggregate would, by necessity, lead to clinging ''(upadana)''<ref>Note that, in Buddhism, one ''clings'' to (guards) something they have (or mistakenly believe they have), whereas one ''craves'' (searches) for that which they lack. (See the articles on [[upadana]] and [[tanha]] for references.) Thus, the notion of the "''clinging'' aggregates" refers to things with which we identify or which we think we can possess. When, instead, one ''desires'' such things, it is technically ''craving,'' not clinging.</ref> to that element; and, given that all aggregates are impermanent ''(anicca),'' it is invariable that this attachment would eventually yield agitation ''(paritassati),'' loss, grief, stress or suffering. Therefore, to be free of suffering required the wisdom to experience the aggregates clearly, without clinging or craving ''([[tanha]]),'' and without associating them with any notion of self ''(anatta).'' | + | The Buddha taught that self-identifying with an aggregate would, by necessity, lead to clinging ''(upadana)''<ref>Note that, in Buddhism, one ''clings'' to (guards) something they have (or mistakenly believe they have), whereas one ''craves'' (searches) for that which they lack. (See the articles on [[upadana]] and [[tanha]] for references.) Thus, the notion of the "''clinging'' aggregates" refers to things with which we identify or which we think we can possess. When, instead, one ''desires'' such things, it is technically ''craving,'' not clinging.</ref> to that element; and, given that all aggregates are impermanent ''(anicca),'' it is invariable that this attachment would eventually yield agitation ''(paritassati),'' loss, grief, stress, or suffering. Therefore, to be free of suffering required the wisdom to experience the aggregates clearly, without clinging or craving ''([[tanha]]),'' and without associating them with any notion of self ''(anatta).'' For example, if one believes "this body is mine" or "I exist within this body," then as their body ages, becomes ill, and approaches death, such a person will likely experience longing for youth or health or eternal life, will likely dread aging, sickness, and death, and will likely spend much time and energy lost in fears, fantasies, and ultimately futile activities. |
− | For example, if one believes "this body is mine" or "I exist within this body," then as their body ages, becomes ill and approaches death, such a person will likely experience longing for youth or health or eternal life, will likely dread | ||
− | In the Nikayas, such is likened to shooting oneself with a second arrow, where the first arrow is a physical phenomenon (such as, in this case, a bodily manifestation associated with aging or illness or dying) and the second is the mental anguish of the undisciplined mind associated with the physical phenomenon (see the Sallatha Sutta<ref>On-line translations of the Sallatha Sutta ("The Arrow" or "The Dart," SN 36.6) include [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.006.than.html Thanissaro (1997c)]. ''accesstoinsight.org'' | + | In the Nikayas, such is likened to shooting oneself with a second arrow, where the first arrow is a physical phenomenon (such as, in this case, a bodily manifestation associated with aging or illness or dying) and the second is the mental anguish of the undisciplined mind associated with the physical phenomenon (see the Sallatha Sutta<ref>On-line translations of the Sallatha Sutta ("The Arrow" or "The Dart," SN 36.6) include [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.006.than.html Thanissaro (1997c)]. ''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008; and [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.006.nypo.html Nyanaponika (1998)].''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008</ref>). Conversely, it is said that one with a disciplined mind, who is able to see this body as a set of aggregates, will be free of such fear, frustration, and time-consuming escapism. |
− | The way in which one becomes aware of one's own identification with (thus clinging to) the aggregates is found in Buddhist mindfulness practices that are said to awaken understanding, release and wisdom. | + | The way in which one becomes aware of one's own identification with (thus clinging to) the aggregates is found in Buddhist mindfulness practices that are said to awaken understanding, release, and wisdom. |
Bhikkhu Bodhi (2000b, 840) states that an examination of the aggregates has a "critical role" in understanding the Buddha's teachings: The five aggregates are the "ultimate referent" in the Buddha's elaboration on suffering ''(dukkha).'' Thus, "since all four truths revolve around suffering, understanding the aggregates is essential for understanding the [[Four Noble Truths]] as a whole." Understanding the Nature of Release ''([[nirvana]])'' can only be achieved once an individual ceases clinging to the five aggregates. | Bhikkhu Bodhi (2000b, 840) states that an examination of the aggregates has a "critical role" in understanding the Buddha's teachings: The five aggregates are the "ultimate referent" in the Buddha's elaboration on suffering ''(dukkha).'' Thus, "since all four truths revolve around suffering, understanding the aggregates is essential for understanding the [[Four Noble Truths]] as a whole." Understanding the Nature of Release ''([[nirvana]])'' can only be achieved once an individual ceases clinging to the five aggregates. | ||
According to the ''Mahasunnata Sutta'' ("The Greater Discourse on Emptiness," MN 122): | According to the ''Mahasunnata Sutta'' ("The Greater Discourse on Emptiness," MN 122): | ||
− | <blockquote> | + | <blockquote>When he [a monk] abides contemplating rise and fall in these five aggregates affected by clinging, the conceit "I am" based on these five aggregates affected by clinging is abandoned in him….<ref>Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, (trans.) and Bhikkhu Bodhi, (ed.) (2001). ''The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya.'' (Boston: Wisdom Publications), p. 975.</ref></blockquote> |
− | ==Theravada and Mahayana | + | ==Theravada and Mahayana perspectives== |
− | In [[Theravada]] Buddhism, the [[Pāli Canon]] bears out the importance of the doctrine of the | + | In [[Theravada]] Buddhism, the [[Pāli Canon]] bears out the importance of the doctrine of the skandhas. In regards to how Theravada practitioners view the aggregates, Thanissaro Bhikkhu (2002) argues: |
− | <blockquote> | + | <blockquote>The [Pāli] canon depicts the Buddha as saying that he taught only two topics: suffering and the end of suffering ([[SN]] 22.86<ref>[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.086.than.html]</ref>). A survey of the Pali discourses shows him using the concept of the khandhas to answer the primary questions related to those topics: What is suffering? How is it caused? What can be done to bring those causes to an end?</blockquote> |
− | In other words, Theravada practitioners do not see the notion of the aggregates as providing an absolute truth about ultimate reality or as a map of the mind, but instead as providing a tool for understanding how our method of apprehending sensory experiences and the self can lead to either our own suffering or to our own liberation. It is through the five skandhas that clinging ''(upadana)'' occurs.<ref>''Samadhi Sutta'' (SN 22:5).[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.005.than.html]. </ref> | + | In other words, Theravada practitioners do not see the notion of the aggregates as providing an absolute truth about ultimate reality or as a map of the mind, but instead as providing a tool for understanding how our method of apprehending sensory experiences and the self can lead to either our own suffering or to our own liberation. It is through the five skandhas that clinging ''(upadana)'' occurs.<ref>''Samadhi Sutta'' (SN 22:5).[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.005.than.html].</ref> |
Additionally, the Samyutta Nikaya contains a book entitled the "Khandhavagga" ("The Book of Aggregates"), which compiles over a hundred suttas related to the five aggregates. Typical of the materials in this collection is the ''Upadaparitassana Sutta'' ("Agitation through Clinging Discourse," SN 22:7), which states in part: | Additionally, the Samyutta Nikaya contains a book entitled the "Khandhavagga" ("The Book of Aggregates"), which compiles over a hundred suttas related to the five aggregates. Typical of the materials in this collection is the ''Upadaparitassana Sutta'' ("Agitation through Clinging Discourse," SN 22:7), which states in part: | ||
− | <blockquote> | + | <blockquote>…The instructed noble disciple … does not regard form [or other aggregates] as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form. That form of his changes and alters. Despite the change and alteration of form, his consciousness does not become preoccupied with the change of form…. [T]hrough non-clinging he does not become agitated.<ref>Trans. by Bodhi, 2000b, 865-866.</ref></blockquote> |
Many of the suttas in the Khandhavagga express the aggregates in the context of the following sequence: | Many of the suttas in the Khandhavagga express the aggregates in the context of the following sequence: | ||
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#An instructed noble disciple ''(sutavā ariyasāvaka)'' does ''not'' regard form as self, etc., and thus, when form changes, ''dukkha'' does not arise.<ref>Note that, in each of the suttas where the above formula is used, subsequent verses replace "form" with each of the other aggregates: sensation, perception, mental formations and consciousness.</ref> | #An instructed noble disciple ''(sutavā ariyasāvaka)'' does ''not'' regard form as self, etc., and thus, when form changes, ''dukkha'' does not arise.<ref>Note that, in each of the suttas where the above formula is used, subsequent verses replace "form" with each of the other aggregates: sensation, perception, mental formations and consciousness.</ref> | ||
− | In contrast, [[Mahayana]] Buddhism emphasizes the intrinsic emptiness of all things including | + | In contrast, [[Mahayana]] Buddhism emphasizes the intrinsic emptiness of all things including skandhas. The classic "Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra" ("[[Heart Sutra]]") begins: |
:''The [[Bodhisattva]] [[Avalokitesvara|Avalokita]],'' | :''The [[Bodhisattva]] [[Avalokitesvara|Avalokita]],'' | ||
:''while moving in the deep course of [[Prajnaparamita|Perfect Understanding]],'' | :''while moving in the deep course of [[Prajnaparamita|Perfect Understanding]],'' | ||
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:''After this penetration, he overcame all pain.''<ref>Thich Nhat Hanh (1988). ''The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra.'' (Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press), 1; See also Red Pine (2004). ''The Heart Sutra.'' (Emeryville, CA: Shoemaker & Hoard), 2; and Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki (1960). ''Manual of Zen Buddhism.'' (NY: Grove Press), 26.</ref><ref>Suzuki (1960), 29, notes that the last sentence of this first stanza ("After this penetration, he overcame all pain") is unique to Hsuan-chuang's translation and is omitted in other versions of the Heart Sutra.</ref> | :''After this penetration, he overcame all pain.''<ref>Thich Nhat Hanh (1988). ''The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra.'' (Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press), 1; See also Red Pine (2004). ''The Heart Sutra.'' (Emeryville, CA: Shoemaker & Hoard), 2; and Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki (1960). ''Manual of Zen Buddhism.'' (NY: Grove Press), 26.</ref><ref>Suzuki (1960), 29, notes that the last sentence of this first stanza ("After this penetration, he overcame all pain") is unique to Hsuan-chuang's translation and is omitted in other versions of the Heart Sutra.</ref> | ||
− | From its very first verse, the Heart Sutra introduces an alternative to the practice and view of the Theravada school with respect to the aggregates. First, whereas Theravada meditation practice generally uses change-penetrating ''(vipassana)'' meditation, in Mahayana the non-dualistic [[prajnaparamita]] practice is invoked. Second, when "emptiness of self" is mentioned in Theravada texts, the English word "self" is a translation of the Pali word ''"atta"'' (Sanskrit, ''"[[atman]]"''); in the Heart Sutra, the English word "self" is a translation of the Sanskrit word ''"sva-[[bhava]]" | + | From its very first verse, the Heart Sutra introduces an alternative to the practice and view of the Theravada school with respect to the aggregates. First, whereas Theravada meditation practice generally uses change-penetrating ''(vipassana)'' meditation, in Mahayana the non-dualistic [[prajnaparamita]] practice is invoked. Second, when "emptiness of self" is mentioned in Theravada texts, the English word "self" is a translation of the Pali word ''"atta"'' (Sanskrit, ''"[[atman]]"''); in the Heart Sutra, the English word "self" is a translation of the Sanskrit word ''"sva-[[bhava]]."''<ref>''"Svabhava"'' has also been translated as "self-nature" (Suzuki, 1960, 26), "separate self" (Nhat Hanh, 1988, 16) and "self-existence" (Red Pine, 2004, 67).</ref> According to Red Pine, "the 'self' ''(sva)'' … was more generalized in its application than 'ego' ''([[atman (Buddhism)|atman]])'' and referred not only to ''beings'' but to ''any inherent substance'' that could be identified as existing in time or space as a permanent or independent entity"<ref>Red Pine, 2004, 68.</ref> [Italics added]. |
In other words, whereas the ''Sutta Pitaka'' typically instructs one to apprehend the aggregates ''without clinging or self-identification,'' [[Prajnaparamita]] leads one to apprehend the aggregates as having ''no intrinsic reality.''<ref>While Red Pine (2004) contextualizes the Prajnaparamita texts as a historical ''reaction'' to some early Buddhist Abhidhammas, some interpretations of the Theravada Abhidhamma are actually ''consistent'' with the prajnaparamita notion of "emptiness."</ref> | In other words, whereas the ''Sutta Pitaka'' typically instructs one to apprehend the aggregates ''without clinging or self-identification,'' [[Prajnaparamita]] leads one to apprehend the aggregates as having ''no intrinsic reality.''<ref>While Red Pine (2004) contextualizes the Prajnaparamita texts as a historical ''reaction'' to some early Buddhist Abhidhammas, some interpretations of the Theravada Abhidhamma are actually ''consistent'' with the prajnaparamita notion of "emptiness."</ref> | ||
In the Heart Sutra's second verse, after rising from his meditation on the aggregates, Avalokiteshvara (the [[bodhisattva]] of compassion) declares: | In the Heart Sutra's second verse, after rising from his meditation on the aggregates, Avalokiteshvara (the [[bodhisattva]] of compassion) declares: | ||
− | :'' | + | :''Form is [[Shunyata|emptiness]], emptiness is form,'' |
:''form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form.'' | :''form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form.'' | ||
− | :''The same is true with feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness. | + | :''The same is true with feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness.''<ref>Nhat Hanh, 1988, 1. Again, also see Red Pine, 2004, 2, and Suzuki, 1960, 26.</ref> |
Red Pine interprets this statement as follows: | Red Pine interprets this statement as follows: | ||
− | <blockquote> | + | <blockquote>That form is empty was one of the Buddha's earliest and most frequent pronouncements. But in the light of Prajnaparamita, form is not simply empty, it is so completely empty, it is emptiness itself, which turns out to be the same as form itself…. All separations are delusions. But if each of the skandhas is one with emptiness, and emptiness is one with each of the skandhas, then everything occupies the same indivisible space, which is emptiness…. Everything is empty, and empty is everything.<ref>Red Pine, 2004, 75, 77.</ref></blockquote> |
− | ==Vajrayana | + | ==Vajrayana perspectives== |
The [[Vajrayana]] tradition of Buddhism further develops the Buddhist understanding of the skandhas in terms of [[mahamudra]] epistemology and tantric reifications. | The [[Vajrayana]] tradition of Buddhism further develops the Buddhist understanding of the skandhas in terms of [[mahamudra]] epistemology and tantric reifications. | ||
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Referring to mahamudra teachings, Chogyam Trungpa identifies the form aggregate as the "solidification" of ignorance (Pali, ''avijja''; Sanskrit, ''avidya''), allowing one to have the illusion of "possessing" ever dynamic and spacious wisdom (Pali, ''vijja''; Skt. ''vidya''), and thus being the basis for the creation of a dualistic relationship between "self" and "other."<ref>Chögyam Trungpa (2001). ''Glimpses of Abhidharma.'' (Boston: Shambhala), 10-12; and, Chögyam Trungpa, (2002). ''Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism.'' (Boston: Shambhala), 124, 133-134.</ref> | Referring to mahamudra teachings, Chogyam Trungpa identifies the form aggregate as the "solidification" of ignorance (Pali, ''avijja''; Sanskrit, ''avidya''), allowing one to have the illusion of "possessing" ever dynamic and spacious wisdom (Pali, ''vijja''; Skt. ''vidya''), and thus being the basis for the creation of a dualistic relationship between "self" and "other."<ref>Chögyam Trungpa (2001). ''Glimpses of Abhidharma.'' (Boston: Shambhala), 10-12; and, Chögyam Trungpa, (2002). ''Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism.'' (Boston: Shambhala), 124, 133-134.</ref> | ||
− | According to Trungpa Rinpoche<ref>Trungpa Rinpoche | + | According to Trungpa Rinpoche,<ref>Trungpa Rinpoche (1976, pp. 20-22)</ref> the five skandhas are "a set of Buddhist concepts which describe experience as a five-step process" and that "the whole development of the five skandhas… is an attempt on our part to shield ourselves from the truth of our insubstantiality," while "the practice of meditation is to see the transparency of this shield."<ref>Trungpa Rinpoche (1976, p. 23)</ref> |
In this way, the illusory (or at least impermanent) nature of the all bodily experiences, and the means of penetrating these illusions (tantric meditation) are emphasized. | In this way, the illusory (or at least impermanent) nature of the all bodily experiences, and the means of penetrating these illusions (tantric meditation) are emphasized. | ||
===Bardo deity manifestations=== | ===Bardo deity manifestations=== | ||
− | One of the major developments of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition was a profound exploration of the metaphysical and cosmological nature of reincarnation ''([[samsara]]).'' One element of these discoveries was the description of various deities and interim states ''([[bardo]]s)'' that exist between incarnations, all of which came to be depicted in their unique iconographic tradition. Intriguingly, some Tibetan Lamas postulate a connection between this iconography and their particular perspective on the aggregates. It is in this sense that the [[Tibetan Book of the Dead]] (Fremantle | + | One of the major developments of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition was a profound exploration of the metaphysical and cosmological nature of reincarnation ''([[samsara]]).'' One element of these discoveries was the description of various deities and interim states ''([[bardo]]s)'' that exist between incarnations, all of which came to be depicted in their unique iconographic tradition. Intriguingly, some Tibetan Lamas postulate a connection between this iconography and their particular perspective on the aggregates. It is in this sense that the ''[[Tibetan Book of the Dead]]'' (Fremantle and Trungpa, 2003) makes the following associations between the aggregates and tantric deities during the bardo after death: |
* "The blue light of the skandha of '''consciousness''' in its basic purity, the wisdom of the [[dharmadhatu|dharmadhātu]], luminous, clear, sharp and brilliant, will come towards you from the heart of [[Vairocana]] and his consort, and pierce you so that your eyes cannot bear it." (p. 63) | * "The blue light of the skandha of '''consciousness''' in its basic purity, the wisdom of the [[dharmadhatu|dharmadhātu]], luminous, clear, sharp and brilliant, will come towards you from the heart of [[Vairocana]] and his consort, and pierce you so that your eyes cannot bear it." (p. 63) | ||
* "The white light of the skandha of '''form''' in its basic purity, the mirror-like wisdom, dazzling white, luminous and clear, will come towards you from the heart of [[Vajrasattva]] and his consort and pierce you so that your eyes cannot bear to look at it." (p. 66) | * "The white light of the skandha of '''form''' in its basic purity, the mirror-like wisdom, dazzling white, luminous and clear, will come towards you from the heart of [[Vajrasattva]] and his consort and pierce you so that your eyes cannot bear to look at it." (p. 66) | ||
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* "The green light of the skandha of '''concept''' [samskara] in its basic purity, the action-accomplishing wisdom, brilliant green, luminous and clear, sharp and terrifying, adorned with discs of light, will come from the heart of [[Five Dhyani Buddhas|Amoghasiddhi]] and his consort and pierce your heart so that your eyes cannot bear to look at it. Do not be afraid of it. It is the spontaneous play of your own mind, so rest in the supreme state free from activity and care, in which there is no near or far, love or hate." (p. 73) | * "The green light of the skandha of '''concept''' [samskara] in its basic purity, the action-accomplishing wisdom, brilliant green, luminous and clear, sharp and terrifying, adorned with discs of light, will come from the heart of [[Five Dhyani Buddhas|Amoghasiddhi]] and his consort and pierce your heart so that your eyes cannot bear to look at it. Do not be afraid of it. It is the spontaneous play of your own mind, so rest in the supreme state free from activity and care, in which there is no near or far, love or hate." (p. 73) | ||
− | ==References in Buddhist | + | ==References in Buddhist literature== |
The table below briefly cites Buddhist primary sources that characterize different aspects of the aggregates. This table is by no means exhaustive. | The table below briefly cites Buddhist primary sources that characterize different aspects of the aggregates. This table is by no means exhaustive. | ||
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<tr> | <tr> | ||
<td></td> | <td></td> | ||
− | <td>The cause, the condition and the delineation are the four Great Elements.<ref>Bodhi, (2000b, 743-744, n. 58; 1064-1065, n. 81) refers to MN 109's identification of the aggregates' causes/conditions as "proximate" or "synchronic" conditions, while the causes/conditions identified in other suttas, such as [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.005.than.html SN 22.5].accesstoinsight.org. Retrieved October 19, 2008. | + | <td>The cause, the condition, and the delineation are the four Great Elements.<ref>Bodhi, (2000b, 743-744, n. 58; 1064-1065, n. 81) refers to MN 109's identification of the aggregates' causes/conditions as "proximate" or "synchronic" conditions, while the causes/conditions identified in other suttas, such as [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.005.than.html SN 22.5].accesstoinsight.org. Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
, are "collective distal" or "diachronic" conditions.</ref></td> | , are "collective distal" or "diachronic" conditions.</ref></td> | ||
<td>MN 109<ref>Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.109.than.html Thanissaro (2001b)].accesstoinsight.org. Retrieved October 19, 2008. | <td>MN 109<ref>Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.109.than.html Thanissaro (2001b)].accesstoinsight.org. Retrieved October 19, 2008. | ||
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<tr> | <tr> | ||
<td></td> | <td></td> | ||
− | <td>The cause, the condition and the delineation are contact ''(phassa).''</td> | + | <td>The cause, the condition, and the delineation are contact ''(phassa).''</td> |
<td>MN 109</td> | <td>MN 109</td> | ||
</tr> | </tr> | ||
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<tr> | <tr> | ||
<td></td> | <td></td> | ||
− | <td>The cause, the condition and the delineation are contact ''(phassa)''.</td> | + | <td>The cause, the condition, and the delineation are contact ''(phassa)''.</td> |
<td>MN 109</td> | <td>MN 109</td> | ||
</tr> | </tr> | ||
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<tr> | <tr> | ||
<td></td> | <td></td> | ||
− | <td>The cause, the condition and the delineation are name-and-form ''(nāmarūpa).''<ref>Consistent with MN 109's distinguishing between ''vinnāna'' and ''nāmarūpa,'' Bodhi, (2000b, 48; also see Bodhi, 2005, 447, n.19) states: "''Nāma'' is the assemblage of mental factors involved in cognition: feeling, perception, volition, contact and attention (''vedanā, sanna, cetanā, phassa, manasikāra''…) … In the Nikāyas, ''nāmarūpa'' does not include consciousness ''(vinnāna).'' Consciousness is its condition, and the two are mutually dependent…."</ref></td> | + | <td>The cause, the condition, and the delineation are name-and-form ''(nāmarūpa).''<ref>Consistent with MN 109's distinguishing between ''vinnāna'' and ''nāmarūpa,'' Bodhi, (2000b, 48; also see Bodhi, 2005, 447, n.19) states: "''Nāma'' is the assemblage of mental factors involved in cognition: feeling, perception, volition, contact and attention (''vedanā, sanna, cetanā, phassa, manasikāra''…) … In the Nikāyas, ''nāmarūpa'' does not include consciousness ''(vinnāna).'' Consciousness is its condition, and the two are mutually dependent…."</ref></td> |
<td>MN 109</td> | <td>MN 109</td> | ||
</tr> | </tr> | ||
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</tr> | </tr> | ||
</table> | </table> | ||
− | |||
− | |||
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===References=== | ===References=== | ||
− | *Bodhi, Bhikkhu, ed. | + | *Bodhi, Bhikkhu, ed. 2000a. ''A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma: The Abhidhammattha Sangaha of Ācariya Anuruddha.'' Seattle, WA: BPS Pariyatti Editions. ISBN 1928706029 |
− | *Bodhi, Bhikkhu, | + | *Bodhi, Bhikkhu, trans. 2000b. ''The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya.'' Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0861713311 |
− | *Bodhi, Bhikkhu, ed. | + | *Bodhi, Bhikkhu, ed. 2005. ''In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pāli Canon.'' Boston: Wisdom Pubs. ISBN 0861714911 |
− | *Buddhaghosa, Bhadantācariya | + | *Buddhaghosa, Bhadantācariya (trans. from Pāli by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli). 1999. ''The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga.'' Seattle, WA: BPS Pariyatti Editions. ISBN 1928706002 |
− | *Fremantle, Francesca | + | *Fremantle, Francesca and Chõgyam Trungpa. 2003. ''The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation through Hearing in the Bardo.'' Boston: Shambhala Publications. ISBN 1590300599 |
− | *Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu, trans. | + | *Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu, trans. 1998. ''Mindfulness of Breathing (Ānāpānasati): Buddhist Texts from the Pāli Canon and Extracts from the Pāli Commentaries.'' Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society. ISBN 9552401674 |
− | *Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu, | + | *Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu, trans. and Bhikkhu Bodhi, ed. 2001. ''The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya.'' Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 086171072X |
− | *Nhât Hanh, Thich | + | *Nhât Hanh, Thich. 1988. ''The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra.'' Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press. ISBN 0938077112 |
− | *Nhât Hanh, Thich | + | *Nhât Hanh, Thich. 1999. ''The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching.'' NY: Broadway Books. ISBN 0767903692 |
− | *Nyanaponika Thera, trans. | + | *Nyanaponika Thera, trans. 1998. ''Sallatha Sutta: The Dart.'' Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.006.nypo.html]. ''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
− | *Nyanasatta Thera, trans. | + | *Nyanasatta Thera, trans. 1994. ''Satipatthana Sutta: The Foundations of Mindfulness.'' Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.nysa.html].''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
− | *Piyadassi Thera, trans. | + | *Piyadassi Thera, trans. 1999. ''Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting in Motion the Wheel of Truth.'' Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.piya.html]. ''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
− | *Rawson, Philip | + | *Rawson, Philip. 1991. ''Sacred Tibet.'' London, Thames and Hudson Ltd. ISBN 050081032X |
− | *Red Pine | + | *Red Pine. 2004. ''The Heart Sutra.'' Emeryville, CA: Shoemaker and Hoard. ISBN 1593760094 |
− | *Soma Thera, trans. | + | *Soma Thera, trans. 2003. ''The Way of Mindfulness.'' Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society. ISBN 9552402565 |
− | *Suzuki, Daisetz Teitaro | + | *Suzuki, Daisetz Teitaro. 1960. ''Manual of Zen Buddhism.'' NY: Grove Press. ISBN 0802130658 |
− | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu | + | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans. 1997a. ''Nagara Sutta: The City.'' Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.065.than.html]. ''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
− | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu | + | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans. 1997b. ''Parivatta Sutta: The (Fourfold) Round'' [SN 22.56]. Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.056.than.html]. ''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
− | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu | + | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans. 1997c. ''Sallatha Sutta: The Arrow'' [SN 36.6]. Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.006.than.html]. ''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
− | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu | + | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans. 1998. ''Culavedalla Sutta: The Shorter Set of Questions-and-Answers" [MN 44]. Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.044.than.html]. ''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
− | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu | + | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans. 2001a. ''Khajjaniya Sutta: Chewed Up'' [SN 22.79]. Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.079.than.html]. ''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
− | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu | + | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans. 2001b. ''Maha-punnama Sutta: The Great Full-moon Night Discourse'' [MN 109]. Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.109.than.html]. ''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
− | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu | + | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu. 2002. ''Five Piles of Bricks: The Khandhas as Burden and Path.'' Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/khandha.html]. ''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
− | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu | + | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans. 2005. ''Maha-dukkhakkhandha Sutta: The Great Mass of Stress'' [MN 13]. Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.013.than.html]. ''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
− | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu | + | *Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans. 2006. ''Anapanasati Sutta: Mindfulness of Breathing'' [MN 118]. Available on-line at [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html]. ''accesstoinsight.org.'' Retrieved October 19, 2008. |
− | *Trungpa, Chögyam | + | *Trungpa, Chögyam, 1976. ''The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation.'' Boston: Shambhala. ISBN 0877730849 |
− | *Trungpa, Chögyam | + | *Trungpa, Chögyam. 1999. ''The Essential Chögyam Trungpa.'' Boston: Shambhala. ISBN 1570624666 |
− | *Trungpa, Chögyam | + | *Trungpa, Chögyam. 2001. ''Glimpses of Abhidharma.'' Boston: Shambhala. ISBN 1570627649 |
− | *Trungpa, Chögyam | + | *Trungpa, Chögyam. 2002. ''Cutting through Spiritual Materialism.'' Boston: Shambhala. ISBN 1570629579 |
===External links=== | ===External links=== | ||
*<u>Theravada:</u> | *<u>Theravada:</u> | ||
− | **[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/index.html#khandha Khandavagga suttas (a selection)], translated primarily by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. | + | **[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/index.html#khandha Khandavagga suttas (a selection)], translated primarily by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Retrieved November 20, 2008. |
*<u>Mahayana:</u> | *<u>Mahayana:</u> | ||
− | + | **[http://www.udel.edu/Philosophy/afox/PHIL204/five.html The Five Skandhas], table showing the five skandhas, prepared by Alan Fox (Dept. of Philosophy, U. of Delaware). Retrieved November 20, 2008. | |
− | **[http://www.udel.edu/Philosophy/afox/PHIL204/five.html The Five Skandhas], table showing the five skandhas, prepared by Alan Fox (Dept. of Philosophy, U. of Delaware). | ||
*<u>Tantric:</u> | *<u>Tantric:</u> | ||
− | **[http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/mind.html A View on Buddhism: Mind and Mental Factors], web page including description of the Five Aggregates. | + | **[http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/mind.html A View on Buddhism: Mind and Mental Factors], web page including description of the Five Aggregates. Retrieved November 20, 2008. |
[[Category: Philosophy and religion]] | [[Category: Philosophy and religion]] |
Revision as of 14:46, 20 November 2008
The Five Aggregates (pañca khandha) according to the Pali Canon. |
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Source: MN 109 (Thanissaro, 2001) | diagram details |
In Buddhist doctrine and metaphysics, the word skandha (Sanskrit: स्कान्धास) refers to the five "aggregate" elements that are said to comprise the psychophysical personality. These five aggregates are: Form (rūpa),[1] feeling (vedanā),[2] perception (samjñā),[3] consciousness (Skt. visjñāna, Pāli viññāṇa), and reasoning (Skt. vāsanā or samskāra).[4] The term skandha can also mean "compound, mass, heap, bundle, or tree trunk."[5]
According to the teachings of the Buddha, a proper understanding of the Skandhas is an important step towards the attainment of Nirvana (freedom from suffering). In the Theravada tradition of Buddhism, suffering (dukkha) arises when one identifies with, or otherwise clings to, an aggregate; suffering is extinguished therefore by relinquishing attachments to aggregates. In the Mahayana (Madhyamika) tradition of Buddhism, ultimate freedom is said to be realized by deeply penetrating the intrinsically empty nature of all aggregates. These doctrinal developments arose out of Buddhist metaphysics, which denies the existence of any eternal soul (atman) outside of this aggregation.
Enumeration and relationship
In the Pali canon, the aggregates are causally related as follows:[6]
In this scheme, physical form, the mental aggregates,[11] and consciousness are mutually dependent.[12] Other Buddhist literature has described the aggregates as arising in a linear or progressive fashion, from form to feeling to perception to mental formations to consciousness.[13] In regards to these aggregates:
Traditional Buddhist literature (such as the Abhidhamma) speaks of one physical aggregate (form), three mental factors (sensation, perception, and mental formations) and consciousness. Contemporary writers (such as Trungpa Rinpoche and Red Pine) sometimes conceptualize the five aggregates as "one physical and four mental" aggregates. (See Table 1 for examples of definitional references to the aggregates in the Buddhist canon.) Role in Buddhist metaphysics and soteriologyIn the Buddha's first discourse, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta" ("The Setting in Motion the Wheel of Truth Discourse,"[15] he mentions the role of the skandhas as follows:
According to Thanissaro (2002):
The Buddha taught that self-identifying with an aggregate would, by necessity, lead to clinging (upadana)[18] to that element; and, given that all aggregates are impermanent (anicca), it is invariable that this attachment would eventually yield agitation (paritassati), loss, grief, stress, or suffering. Therefore, to be free of suffering required the wisdom to experience the aggregates clearly, without clinging or craving (tanha), and without associating them with any notion of self (anatta). For example, if one believes "this body is mine" or "I exist within this body," then as their body ages, becomes ill, and approaches death, such a person will likely experience longing for youth or health or eternal life, will likely dread aging, sickness, and death, and will likely spend much time and energy lost in fears, fantasies, and ultimately futile activities. In the Nikayas, such is likened to shooting oneself with a second arrow, where the first arrow is a physical phenomenon (such as, in this case, a bodily manifestation associated with aging or illness or dying) and the second is the mental anguish of the undisciplined mind associated with the physical phenomenon (see the Sallatha Sutta[19]). Conversely, it is said that one with a disciplined mind, who is able to see this body as a set of aggregates, will be free of such fear, frustration, and time-consuming escapism. The way in which one becomes aware of one's own identification with (thus clinging to) the aggregates is found in Buddhist mindfulness practices that are said to awaken understanding, release, and wisdom. Bhikkhu Bodhi (2000b, 840) states that an examination of the aggregates has a "critical role" in understanding the Buddha's teachings: The five aggregates are the "ultimate referent" in the Buddha's elaboration on suffering (dukkha). Thus, "since all four truths revolve around suffering, understanding the aggregates is essential for understanding the Four Noble Truths as a whole." Understanding the Nature of Release (nirvana) can only be achieved once an individual ceases clinging to the five aggregates. According to the Mahasunnata Sutta ("The Greater Discourse on Emptiness," MN 122):
Theravada and Mahayana perspectivesIn Theravada Buddhism, the Pāli Canon bears out the importance of the doctrine of the skandhas. In regards to how Theravada practitioners view the aggregates, Thanissaro Bhikkhu (2002) argues:
In other words, Theravada practitioners do not see the notion of the aggregates as providing an absolute truth about ultimate reality or as a map of the mind, but instead as providing a tool for understanding how our method of apprehending sensory experiences and the self can lead to either our own suffering or to our own liberation. It is through the five skandhas that clinging (upadana) occurs.[22] Additionally, the Samyutta Nikaya contains a book entitled the "Khandhavagga" ("The Book of Aggregates"), which compiles over a hundred suttas related to the five aggregates. Typical of the materials in this collection is the Upadaparitassana Sutta ("Agitation through Clinging Discourse," SN 22:7), which states in part:
Many of the suttas in the Khandhavagga express the aggregates in the context of the following sequence:
In contrast, Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes the intrinsic emptiness of all things including skandhas. The classic "Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra" ("Heart Sutra") begins:
From its very first verse, the Heart Sutra introduces an alternative to the practice and view of the Theravada school with respect to the aggregates. First, whereas Theravada meditation practice generally uses change-penetrating (vipassana) meditation, in Mahayana the non-dualistic prajnaparamita practice is invoked. Second, when "emptiness of self" is mentioned in Theravada texts, the English word "self" is a translation of the Pali word "atta" (Sanskrit, "atman"); in the Heart Sutra, the English word "self" is a translation of the Sanskrit word "sva-bhava."[27] According to Red Pine, "the 'self' (sva) … was more generalized in its application than 'ego' (atman) and referred not only to beings but to any inherent substance that could be identified as existing in time or space as a permanent or independent entity"[28] [Italics added]. In other words, whereas the Sutta Pitaka typically instructs one to apprehend the aggregates without clinging or self-identification, Prajnaparamita leads one to apprehend the aggregates as having no intrinsic reality.[29] In the Heart Sutra's second verse, after rising from his meditation on the aggregates, Avalokiteshvara (the bodhisattva of compassion) declares:
Red Pine interprets this statement as follows:
Vajrayana perspectivesThe Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism further develops the Buddhist understanding of the skandhas in terms of mahamudra epistemology and tantric reifications. The truth of our insubstantialityReferring to mahamudra teachings, Chogyam Trungpa identifies the form aggregate as the "solidification" of ignorance (Pali, avijja; Sanskrit, avidya), allowing one to have the illusion of "possessing" ever dynamic and spacious wisdom (Pali, vijja; Skt. vidya), and thus being the basis for the creation of a dualistic relationship between "self" and "other."[32] According to Trungpa Rinpoche,[33] the five skandhas are "a set of Buddhist concepts which describe experience as a five-step process" and that "the whole development of the five skandhas… is an attempt on our part to shield ourselves from the truth of our insubstantiality," while "the practice of meditation is to see the transparency of this shield."[34] In this way, the illusory (or at least impermanent) nature of the all bodily experiences, and the means of penetrating these illusions (tantric meditation) are emphasized. Bardo deity manifestationsOne of the major developments of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition was a profound exploration of the metaphysical and cosmological nature of reincarnation (samsara). One element of these discoveries was the description of various deities and interim states (bardos) that exist between incarnations, all of which came to be depicted in their unique iconographic tradition. Intriguingly, some Tibetan Lamas postulate a connection between this iconography and their particular perspective on the aggregates. It is in this sense that the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Fremantle and Trungpa, 2003) makes the following associations between the aggregates and tantric deities during the bardo after death:
References in Buddhist literatureThe table below briefly cites Buddhist primary sources that characterize different aspects of the aggregates. This table is by no means exhaustive.
Notes
References
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