The Five Aggregates (The five focuses of a mind that clings to a sense of self)
Sutra Again, one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five aggregates affected by clinging. And how does one dwell contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five aggregates affected by clinging?
Here, one knows: 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 mental formations, such their origin, such their disappearance; such is consciousness, such its origin, such its disappearance.
“In this way, one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects internally, or one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects externally, or one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind both internally and externally.
Or else one dwells contemplating in mind-objects their arising factors, or dwells contemplating in mind-objects their vanishing factors, or dwells contemplating in mind-objects both their arising and vanishing factors.
Or else mindfulness that “there are mind-objects” is simply established to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and continuous mindfulness. And one abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world.
That is how one abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five aggregates affected by clinging.
Consciousness The Fifth Aggregate
Consciousness is the selfless moment-to-moment awareness of a sense object. In one classification, there are six types of consciousness: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness. It is the aspect of mind that “knows” the presence of a sense object. It is dependent on a sense object and the corresponding sense organ that encounters the object.
Whatever we may be conscious of, the quality of consciousness always remains the same. It is a bare or simple knowing of an object. This knowing does not change by virtue of what is being known or experienced. Although consciousness may be colored by greed, hatred, delusion, generosity, loving-kindness, or wisdom, the quality of knowing is never altered.
Consciousness is mirror-like awareness. Like a mirror it just reflects what is there without being affected by it.
Sutra Such is consciousness, such its origin, such its disappearance…
Commentary
When something is seen, there is “seeing consciousness.” This is because the causes and conditions for seeing have arisen (i.e., the eye, sense object, and attention). When something is heard, seeing consciousness disappears and “hearing consciousness” arises due to new causes and conditions. Consciousness is momentary and “dependently arisen;” it is not an ever-present experience merely waiting for an object to cross its path.
This is the process for each of the six types of consciousness. Thus, we know how the different kinds of consciousness come into being and also how the different kinds of consciousness disappear. Consciousness, or a mind-moment, has an incredibly quick life span. It is said that in the blink of an eye, there are billions of mind moments.
Practice #1
To assist in breaking our identification with consciousness, to reinforce that consciousness is merely an objective awareness of a sense object, we can work with how we linguistically frame our experiences. We do this by removing “I, me, or mine” from our sentences and using a more passive voice instead.
For example, instead of saying “I see a book,” we would say to ourselves “a book is being seen.” Instead of saying “I am hearing music,” we would say to ourselves “music is being heard”. Instead of saying that “I am thinking,” we would say to ourselves “a thought is being known.” You will be able to come up with many more examples.
This new way of communicating to ourselves can help break our habit of thinking that “I am the one who is conscious”. Try this for a while. Doesn’t it sound strange? But is it strange or is it accurate?
Sutra “In this way, one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects internally, or one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects externally, or one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind both internally and externally
Commentary
When we watch the rising and falling of the five aggregates within our self, we are said to be contemplating the mind-objects as mind-objects internally. We can also contemplate the five aggregates of other individuals. This is contemplating mind-objects externally. When you contemplate back and forth your five aggregates and the five aggregates of others, you are contemplating both internally and externally.
Practice #2
Spend short periods of time observing other people. While observing their presence and intuiting what they are experiencing, repeat to yourself, “Just as material form, feelings, perception, mental formations and consciousness is the totality of my experience, so it is with the person I am observing.”
Sutra Or else mindfulness that “there are mind-objects” is simply established to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and continuous mindfulness. And one abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world.
Commentary As we deeply penetrate the five aggregates and recognize that they rise and fall away through various causes and conditions, we will not find anything on which to cling or grasp. The aggregates are not I, me, mine, or myself. The simply arise with a sense organ, a sense object and contact.
In the Khandhasamyutta (part of The Connected Discourses of the Buddha), a person who is being carried downstream by the strong current of a river grasps the grasses overhanging the river, but they give him no support since they are easily uprooted. Similarly, the person who has not penetrated the true nature of five aggregates grasps at them in an attempt to support his or her sense of self. However, since they are impermanent, unstable, and selfless, depending upon them leads to feelings of instability, grief, and to further delusion.
In the same discourse there is a poem that further describes the aggregates and how one should relate to them. :
Form is like a lump of foam,
Feeling like a water bubble;
Perception is like a mirage,
Volitions like a plantain* trunk,
And consciousness like an illusion.
* A plantain tree is hollow without heartwood
Twenty Views of Self. The Buddha isolated twenty potential views of self. He specified four possible perspectives we may have identified with in relation to each of the five aggregates (4X5=20); these perspectives comprise the twenty views. Do you have one or more of these perspectives?
Perspective #1: We are one of the five aggregates – that we are the body, we are the feelings, we are the one that perceives or makes distinctions, we are the thoughts that are conceived, or we are that which is conscious of everything that is experienced.
Perspective #2: We are not one of the aggregates, but our self is contained somewhere within the five aggregates – for example, within the brain or within consciousness, thoughts, volitions etc.
Perspective #3: Although we are not one of the aggregates or within any of the aggregates, there is a self or soul that exists outside of the aggregates and is in control of them.
Perspective #4: We are not one of the aggregates, in one of the aggregates, nor are we outside one of the aggregates. However, in this view our self is some huge universal entity that contains the five aggregates – for example, we are one with God or Universal Consciousness, Universal Form etc. In this last view there is still a belief in the existence of an independent self, which is considered part of everything else.
However, when we thoroughly investigate our experiences, we discover no independent self as part of, in control of, within, or behind the five aggregates. We see nothing more than these five aggregates operating interdependently, rising and falling from moment to moment due to specific causes and conditions.
Practice #3 The next contemplation will help to illuminate the truth of these statements.
We want to thoroughly investigate each of our experiences throughout the day to discover that they are nothing more than manifestations of the five aggregates.
We do this by first observing and then labeling whatever arises. We identify the breath or the corresponding tactile sensation, for example, as being material form. When a feeling arises, we classify it as a manifestation of the feeling aggregate. When the mind recognizes a sense object, we realize that a perception has arisen. When there is intention to act, we label it as a volitional or mental formation. When we experience a sense object, we recognize the awareness of the object to be the aggregate of consciousness.
We continue to perform this contemplation until it becomes clear to us that each and every one of our experiences can be accounted for within the framework of the five aggregates, without the necessity of a self behind, as part of, or in control of what is occurring.
Practice #4
We want to recognize how the aggregates rise and fall based upon causes and conditions. In other words, they are conditioned and do not need a self to perpetuate their appearance and disappearance.
As much as possible, when one of the aggregates arise, immediately look back to see what causes and conditions were responsible for the arising of that experience. For example, when a feeling arises recognize the sense contact that preceded the feeling; when a thought arises, recognize what may have stimulated that thought to arise at that time; and so on. Directly see that no self was necessary for the experience to occur.
Similarly, when one of the aggregates disappear, immediately look to see that it occurred by virtue of causes and conditions (which may include the arising of volition) and without the necessity of a self controlling what occurred.
Practice #4
Spend time during this day reflecting on the fact that each of us lives in his or her own universe created by the five aggregates. No one shares another person’s world. There is no objective world that exists outside of the five aggregates, which are perpetually rising and falling away.
Our experience of every situation and person is unique to us. The world of our experience is just the rising and falling of consciousness along with its corresponding objects. Because of delusion we believe that there is a self behind, as part of, or in control of our aggregates or those of “others.”
Please reflect on the words of Buddhadasa the masterful Thai teacher:
One sees without doubt that there is no self or anything belonging to a self. There is just the feeling of “I” and “mine” arising due to our delusion and by the beguiling nature of sense experience. With ultimate understanding, one knows that, because there is no one born, there is no one who dies and is reborn . Therefore, the whole question of rebirth is quite foolish and has nothing to do with Buddhism at all. Buddhadasa Bhikkhu
