The distinction between “five aggregates” and “five grasping aggregates”.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I will teach you the five aggregates and the five grasping aggregates. Listen … And what are the five aggregates? Any kind of form at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; inferior or superior; far or near: this is called the aggregate of form. Any kind of feeling at all … Any kind of perception at all … Any kind of choices at all … Any kind of consciousness at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; inferior or superior; far or near: this is called the aggregate of consciousness. [Read More]

When you identify anything as self, you always identify one or other of the five aggregates.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, whatever ascetics and brahmins regard various kinds of things as self, all regard the five grasping aggregates, or one of them. What five? It’s when an uneducated ordinary person has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen good persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the good persons. [Read More]

Seeing the five aggregates as impermanent, etc., leads to letting go of views and ultimately to freedom.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, form is impermanent. What’s impermanent is suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ Feeling is impermanent … Perception is impermanent … Choices are impermanent … Consciousness is impermanent. What’s impermanent is suffering. [Read More]

Seeing the five aggregates as impermanent, etc., leads to freedom.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, form is impermanent. What’s impermanent is suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ Seeing truly with right understanding like this, the mind becomes dispassionate and freed from defilements by not grasping. Feeling is impermanent … Perception … Choices … Consciousness is impermanent. [Read More]

Contemplation of the five aggregates as not-self is the path to the end of identity.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I will teach you the practice that leads to the origin of identity and the practice that leads to the cessation of identity. Listen … And what is the practice that leads to the origin of identity? It’s when an uneducated ordinary person has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. [Read More]