The Noble Truth of Suffering : 13. Clinging to the Five Aggregates

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The Noble Truth of Suffering : 13. Clinging to the

Five Aggregates [pancupadanakkhandha dukkha]

 

 

The reason that attachment to the Five Aggregates causes suffering is that they belong to the mundane world

 

Our psychophysical constituents or aggregates comprise five categories: corporeality [rupakhanda], feelings [uedanakhanda], perception [rupakhanda], feelings [vedanakhanda], perception [sannakhandha], mental formations [sankhara-khandha] and consciousness [uinnanakhandha]. The first aggregate is always physical, the remaining four are mind-based. All five can be prey to attachment and can therefore lead to suffering. The reason that attachment to the Five Aggregates causes suffering is that they belong to the mundane world [lokiya] and are therefore referred to as’ Aggregates of Clinging’ [upadanakkhandha].

 

 

The Buddha pointed to the ‘Aggregates of Clinging’ as the origin of all other sorts of suffering

 

The aggregates of anyone who has attained any of the four levels of Buddhist sainthood are worldly [lokiya] only for their physical aggregates (i.e. his or her body). The other four aggregates feelings, perception, mental formations and consciousness are all of transcendental [lokuttara] purity and are no longer subject to clinging (which is why they are referred to as Pure Aggregates [dhammakhandha]). The Buddha pointed to the ‘Aggregates of Clinging’ as the origin of all other sorts of suffering (from the suffering of birth all the way to disapponintment). Thus anyone wishing to enlighten themselves as to the Noble Truth of Suffering needs to pay particular attention to the Aggregates of Clinging as explained by the commentarians of the Atthakathavibhanga and The Path of Purity:

 

 

from the suffering of birth all the way to disappointment

 

to be continued...

 

 

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