Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University

Faculty of Buddhism, International English Programme,

Wangnoi, Ayutthaya, Thailand

An Examination of the Five Khandhas in Sutta and Modern Texts

Submittde by: Indacakka

Tipitaka Studies 000147

Phra Pandit Cittasamvaro

ID: 5701201073

First year, first semester

September 2014
1. Preface

2. Introduction

3. The Meaning of Khandha

4. What Constitutes the Five Khandhas

5. The Differences of Khandha and Upadanakkhandha

6. Why Should We the Five Khandhas

7. Conclusion

8. Bibliography
Preface

This assignment “An Examination of the Five Khandhas in Suttas and Modern
texts” is an assignment in the first semester of first year Buddhist Faculty at MCU
under the subject title “Tipitaka Studies” lectured by Phra Pandit Cittasamvaro.

I am Indacakka (student ID 5701201073) studying at first year Buddhism English

program. I am very grateful to our most respected teacher Phra Pandit
Cittasamvaro for his carefully prepared lectures and useful and minutely analyzed
guides to all students.
Introduction

In Buddhism the meaning of the five Khandhas is given much definition and
taught almost in every teaching that related to Vipassana meditatiom practice
and analyzation of so-called being (ie) the combination of mind and matter. So I
would like to search and present how khandhas are taught and defined referring
to some suttas and also today’s books. In my paper I would like to enumerate the
five khandhas and what constitute in them and their meaning from the Pitaka and
other Pitaka-related books.
The Meaning of Khandha

The first thing that done in this paper is looking for the definitions and exploring
what the Pali word Khandha means. As every Pali word in the Tipitaka, Khandha
also has several meanings.

“Khandha, m.1.bulk; 2.the trunk of the body or of a tree;3.mass;

heap; 4.a section or chapter”1

Here the word “aggregate” is going to be used for the Pali word Khandha
throughout this paper for it is the most accepted and commonly used as an
equivalent by most Pali and Buddhist scholars.

The Origin of Khandha

The Buddha used the word Khandha in many of his teachings and Suttas. Among
them where we hear the first usage of expounding Khandha is in the
Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta, his very first sermon.

“In short, these aggregates of attachment are Dukkha. Samkhittena

pancupadanakkhandha dukkha.”2

Most of the usages of the word of Khandha may be in the Khandha Samyutta,
Connected Discourses of the Buddha. Khandha Samyutta, as the name implies,
Suttas are mostly related to the realization aggregates and their nature.

What Constitutes the 5 Khandhas

After introducing Khandhas the second thing that is going to be presented in here
is innumeration or classification of Khandhas one by one and searching what
constitutes in them.

“And what are the five aggregates affected by clinging? They are:
The material form aggregate affected by clinging, the feeling
aggregate affected by clinging, the perception aggregate affected by

1
Buddhadatta, A.P. Concise Pali-English Dictionary, The Colombo Apothecaries’ Co.Ltd., Colombo, 1968, p.91
2
Rahula, Walpola, What the Buddha Taught, The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, Taipie,
1978, p.20
 clinging, the formation aggregate affected by clinging and
consciousness aggregate affected by clinging.”3

These are the five aggregates according to Suttas and they are mostly counted as
clinging base or attachment base. Because clinging is the main theme for
attachment or the base of or the cause of the five Khandhas. For that sometimes
some bhikkhus used to pose the questions to the Buddha directly whether the
clinging and the five Khandhas affected by clinging are the same or not.

“Bhikkhus, that clinging is neither the same as these five aggregates

affected by clinging, nor is the clinging something apart from the five
aggregates affected by clinging. It is the desire and lust in regard to
these five aggregates affected by clinging that is the clinging here.”4

This is the Buddha’s answer to the question on the difference between the
clinging and the clinging affected five Khandhas.

In these five Khandhas the first one is matter (Rupa) and the remaining four are
mind (Nama). Whatever a being, man or deva or dog is just the composition of
the five Khandhas or combination of mind and matter.

“According to Buddhism, life is a combination of mind (Nama) and

matter (Rupa). Mind consists of the combination of sensations,
perceptions, volitional activities and consciousness. Matter consists
of the combination of the four elements of solidity, fluidity, motion
and heat.”5

This is the teaching and explanation of an eminent bhikkhu from Sri Lanka given in
his popular book “What Buddhtsts Believe”.

The Differences of Khandhas and Upadanakkhandhas

"And what, bhikkhus, are the five aggregates? Whatever kind of

form there is, whether past, future, or present, internal or external,

3
MN,28.4 (Mahahatthikhandhopama Sutta)
4
MN,109.6 (Mahapunnama Sutta)
5
Dhammananda, K.Sri, What Buddhists Believe, The Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre, Singapore, 2006, p.89
 gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near: this is called the
form aggregate. Whatever kind of feeling there is .. . this is called
the feeling aggregate. Whatever kind of perception there is ... this is
called the perception aggregate. Whatever kind of volitional
formations there are ... these are called the volitional formations
aggregate. Whatever kind of consciousness there is, whether past,
future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or
superior, far or near: this is called the consciousness aggregate.
These, bhikkhus, are called the five aggregates.”6

This is the direct teaching of the Buddha about the five aggregates in the
Connected Discourses . And there the Buddha also gave about the five aggregates
affected by clinging as follow;

"And what, bhikkhus, are the five aggregates subject to clinging?

Whatever kind of form there is, whether past, future, or present . ..
far or near, that is tainted, that can be clung to: this is called the
form aggregate subject to clinging. Whatever kind of feeling there is
... that is tainted, that can be clung to: this is called the feeling
aggregate subject to clinging. Whatever kind of perception there is .
.. that is tainted, that can be clung to: this is called the perception
aggregate subject to clinging. Whatever kind of volitional formations
there are ... that are tainted, that can be clung to: these are called
the volitional formations aggregate subject to clinging. Whatever
kind of consciousness there is, whether past, future, or present,
internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near,
that is tainted, that can be clung to: this is called the consciousness
aggregate subject to clinging. These, bhikkhus, are called the five
aggregates subject to clinging.”7

These will make you clear what the five aggregates and what the five aggregates
affected by or subject to clinging.

6
SN,22.48 (Khandhasamyutta)
7
SN,22.48 (Khandhasamyutta)
Why We Should Study the 5 Khandhas

Before the Buddha in India in the 6th century B.C. there appeared many religious
leaders who claim themselves to be Buddhas, Knowers of Truth, Jinas, Conquerors
of the Kilesas, defilements, and Pribbajakas, who wandered here and there
throughout the India and made religious arguments and tried to defeat one
another. One can see many events related to them in the Pitaka such as Kalama
Sutta of Anguttara Nikaya. All the teachers of religion taught their own respective
Dhamma or Vadas or Views. Although they are different from each other, they
seem to have one common view, belief in the existing of Self or Soul or Atman or
Atta. However, when the Buddha appeared and gave his teaching to all, the
Buddha’s view is Anatta, oppose to Atta. To understand the buddha’s anatta
teaching, it is necessary to understand about khandhas.

“According to the doctrine of Conditioned Genesis, as well as

according to the analysis of being into Five Aggregates, the idea of
an abiding, immortal substance in man or outside, whether it is
called Atman, ‘I’, Soul, Self, or Ego, is considered only a false belief, a
mental projection. This is the Buddhist doctrine of Anatta, No-Soul,
or No-Self.”8

So it is clear that the Buddha does not accept the views of Atta.

The sole purpose of Buddhism is to purify the mind with the practice of Samatha
and Vipassana meditation till one realizes the true nature of mind and matter
concentrating on the three charateristics of Anicca, impermanence; Dukkha,
unsatisfactriness, and Anatta, soul-less-ness by dividing a being to maximum five
groups or five aggregates. In vipassana meditation, the five aggregates are the
object of meditation. How is the five khandhas to be the object of meditation is
minutely given in the 10th sutta of Majjima Nikaya, Middle Length Discourses of
the Buddha, that is Satipatthana Sutta.

8
Rahula, Walpola, What the Buddha Taught, The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, Taipie,
1978, p.55
 "Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu abides contemplating mind- objects as
mind-objects in terms of the five aggregates affected by clinging.
And how does a bhikkhu abide contemplating mind-objects as mind-
objects in terms of the five aggregates affected by clinging? Here a
bhikkhu understands: 'Such is material form, such its origin, such its
disappearance; such is feeling, such its origin, such its
disappearance; such is perception, such its origin, such its
disappearance; such are the formations, such their origin, such their
disappearance; such is consciousness, such its origin, such its
disappearance. In this way he abides contemplating mind-objects as
mind-objects internally, externally, and both internally and
externally...And he abides independent, not clinging to anything in
the world. That is how a bhikkhu abides contemplating mind-objects
as mind-objects in terms of the five aggregates affected by
clinging.”9

This is the way how to practice meditation concentrating on the five aggregates
their nature and their arising, being or existing and perishing.

9
MN,10.38 (Satipatthana Sutta)
Conclution

Now an attempt has been made to analize the 5 Khandhas, their definitions, and
contents. In this paper the meaning and origin of Khandhas and ennumerations of
Khandhas are shown. And the differences of Khandhas and clinging originated
Khandhas and how Khandhas should be viewed in the path of meditation have
been given from the stand point of Suttas and modern texts. In the meditation
practice it is important to analyze a being into five aggregates or as a composition
of mind and matter.
Bibliography

Samyutta Nikaya, The Connected Discourses, Suttanta Pitaka

Anguttara Nikaya, The Numerical Discourses, Suttanta Pitaka

Majjhima Nikaya, The Middle Length Discourses, Suttanta Pitaka

Buddhadatta, A. P. Concise Pali-English Dictionary, The Colombo Apothecaries’

Co.Ltd., Colombo, 1968

Davids, T.W.Rhys, Pali English Dictionary, Pali Text Society, London, 1921

Rahula, Walpola, What the Buddha Taught, The Corporate Body of the Buddha
Educational Foundation, Taipie, 1978

Maha Thera, Narada, (Editted by Bhikkhu Bodhi) A Comprehensive Manual of

Abhidhamma, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, 1999

Dhammananda, K. Sri, What Buddhists Believe, The Singapore Buddhist

Meditation Centre, Singapore, 2006

Narada, Thera, Buddhism in a Nutshell, Sukhi Hotu, Selangor, Malaysia, 2007

Jayasaro, Ajahn, Within and Without, Panyaprateep Foundation, Bangkok,

Thailand, 2013