Formation of Aggregates (Khandha)

Eye-consciousness process:

When visible form strikes the eye-sensitivity, eye-consciousness (cakkhuviññāṇa) arises. Can eye-consciousness arise alone? No, it cannot. Along with eye-consciousness, three mental factors arise simultaneously (sahajāta): feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), and volition (cetanā). These together form four mental aggregates (nāmakkhandha). The eye-sensitivity and visible form constitute the material aggregate (rūpakkhandha). These four mental aggregates combined with the material aggregate form the five aggregates (pañcakkhandha).

The same process can be analyzed in three ways:

1. As Five Aggregates:
- Four Mental Aggregates (eye-consciousness, feeling, perception, volition)
- One Material Aggregate (eye-sensitivity and visible form)

2. As Mind, Mental Factors, and Matter:
- Mind (seeing consciousness)
- Mental Factors (feeling, perception, volition)
- Matter (eye-sensitivity and visible form)

3. As Name and Form (Nāma-Rūpa):
- Name (the knowing of visible form)
- Form (eye-sensitivity and visible form)

When visible form strikes eye-sensitivity, seeing consciousness arises. The knowing of the visible form is mind. Feeling, perception, and volition are mental factors. Together they are mind and mental factors. Eye-sensitivity and visible form are matter. Thus we have mind, mental factors, and matter.

When visible form strikes eye-sensitivity, seeing consciousness arises. The knowing of the visible form is mental phenomena (nāma). Eye-sensitivity and visible form are material phenomena (rūpa). Thus we have the two aspects: mental and material phenomena.

Ear-consciousness process:

When sound strikes the ear-sensitivity, ear-consciousness (sotaviññāṇa) arises. Can ear-consciousness arise alone? No, it cannot. Along with ear-consciousness, three mental factors arise simultaneously (sahajāta): feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), and volition (cetanā). These together form four mental aggregates (nāmakkhandha). The ear-sensitivity and sound constitute the material aggregate (rūpakkhandha). These four mental aggregates combined with the material aggregate form the five aggregates (pañcakkhandha).

The same process can be analyzed in three ways:

1. As Five Aggregates:
- Four Mental Aggregates (ear-consciousness, feeling, perception, volition)
- One Material Aggregate (ear-sensitivity and sound)

2. As Mind, Mental Factors, and Matter:
- Mind (hearing consciousness)
- Mental Factors (feeling, perception, volition)
- Matter (ear-sensitivity and sound)

3. As Name and Form (Nāma-Rūpa):
- Name (the knowing of sound)
- Form (ear-sensitivity and sound)

When sound strikes ear-sensitivity, hearing consciousness arises. The knowing of the sound is mind. Feeling, perception, and volition are mental factors. Together they are mind and mental factors. Ear-sensitivity and sound are matter. Thus we have mind, mental factors, and matter.

When sound strikes ear-sensitivity, hearing consciousness arises. The knowing of the sound is mental phenomena (nāma). Ear-sensitivity and sound are material phenomena (rūpa). Thus we have the two aspects: mental and material phenomena.

Nose-consciousness process:

When odor strikes the nose-sensitivity, nose-consciousness (ghānaviññāṇa) arises. Can nose-consciousness arise alone? No, it cannot. Along with nose-consciousness, three mental factors arise simultaneously (sahajāta): feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), and volition (cetanā). These together form four mental aggregates (nāmakkhandha). The nose-sensitivity and odor constitute the material aggregate (rūpakkhandha). These four mental aggregates combined with the material aggregate form the five aggregates (pañcakkhandha).

The same process can be analyzed in three ways:

1. As Five Aggregates:
- Four Mental Aggregates (nose-consciousness, feeling, perception, volition)
- One Material Aggregate (nose-sensitivity and odor)

2. As Mind, Mental Factors, and Matter:
- Mind (smelling consciousness)
- Mental Factors (feeling, perception, volition)
- Matter (nose-sensitivity and odor)

3. As Name and Form (Nāma-Rūpa):
- Name (the knowing of odor)
- Form (nose-sensitivity and odor)

When odor strikes nose-sensitivity, smelling consciousness arises. The knowing of the odor is mind. Feeling, perception, and volition are mental factors. Together they are mind and mental factors. Nose-sensitivity and odor are matter. Thus we have mind, mental factors, and matter.

When odor strikes nose-sensitivity, smelling consciousness arises. The knowing of the odor is mental phenomena (nāma). Nose-sensitivity and odor are material phenomena (rūpa). Thus we have the two aspects: mental and material phenomena.

Tongue-consciousness process:

When taste (six flavors: sweet, sour, spicy, salty, bitter, astringent) strikes the tongue-sensitivity, tongue-consciousness (jivhāviññāṇa) arises. Can tongue-consciousness arise alone? No, it cannot. Along with tongue-consciousness, three mental factors arise simultaneously (sahajāta): feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), and volition (cetanā). These together form four mental aggregates (nāmakkhandha). The tongue-sensitivity and the six tastes constitute the material aggregate (rūpakkhandha). These four mental aggregates combined with the material aggregate form the five aggregates (pañcakkhandha).

The same process can be analyzed in three ways:

1. As Five Aggregates:
- Four Mental Aggregates (tongue-consciousness, feeling, perception, volition)
- One Material Aggregate (tongue-sensitivity and six tastes)

2. As Mind, Mental Factors, and Matter:
- Mind (tasting consciousness)
- Mental Factors (feeling, perception, volition)
- Matter (tongue-sensitivity and six tastes)

3. As Name and Form (Nāma-Rūpa):
- Name (the knowing of taste)
- Form (tongue-sensitivity and six tastes)

When taste strikes tongue-sensitivity, tasting consciousness arises. The knowing of the taste is mind. Feeling, perception, and volition are mental factors. Together they are mind and mental factors. Tongue-sensitivity and six tastes are matter. Thus we have mind, mental factors, and matter.

When taste strikes tongue-sensitivity, tasting consciousness arises. The knowing of the taste is mental phenomena (nāma). Tongue-sensitivity and six tastes are material phenomena (rūpa). Thus we have the two aspects: mental and material phenomena.

Body-consciousness process:

This process involves three types of tangible objects (phoṭṭhabba):
1. Earth element (pathavī) - hardness/softness
2. Fire element (tejo) - hot/cold
3. Air element (vāyo) - pushing/movement

When these tangible objects strike body-sensitivity, body-consciousness (kāyaviññāṇa) arises. Can body-consciousness arise alone? No, it cannot. Along with body-consciousness, three mental factors arise simultaneously (sahajāta): feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), and volition (cetanā). These together form four mental aggregates (nāmakkhandha). The body-sensitivity and tangible objects constitute the material aggregate (rūpakkhandha). These four mental aggregates combined with the material aggregate form the five aggregates (pañcakkhandha).

The same process can be analyzed in three ways:

1. As Five Aggregates:
- Four Mental Aggregates (body-consciousness, feeling, perception, volition)
- One Material Aggregate (body-sensitivity and tangible objects)

2. As Mind, Mental Factors, and Matter:
- Mind (touching consciousness)
- Mental Factors (feeling, perception, volition)
- Matter (body-sensitivity and tangible objects)

3. As Name and Form (Nāma-Rūpa):
- Name (the knowing of touch)
- Form (body-sensitivity and tangible objects)

When tangible objects strike body-sensitivity, touching consciousness arises. The knowing of the touch is mind. Feeling, perception, and volition are mental factors. Together they are mind and mental factors. Body-sensitivity and tangible objects are matter. Thus we have mind, mental factors, and matter.

When tangible objects strike body-sensitivity, touching consciousness arises. The knowing of the touch is mental phenomena (nāma). Body-sensitivity and tangible objects are material phenomena (rūpa). Thus we have the two aspects: mental and material phenomena.

Mind-consciousness process:

When mental objects (dhammārammaṇa) strike mind-sensitivity, mind-consciousness (manoviññāṇa) arises. Can mind-consciousness arise alone? No, it cannot. Along with mind-consciousness, three mental factors arise simultaneously (sahajāta):
- Feeling aggregate (vedanākkhandha)
- Perception aggregate (saññākkhandha)
- Formations aggregate (saṅkhārakkhandha)

These together form four mental aggregates (nāmakkhandha). The heart-base (hadayavatthu) and mental objects constitute the material aggregate (rūpakkhandha). These four mental aggregates combined with the material aggregate form the five aggregates (pañcakkhandha).

The same process can be analyzed in three ways:

1. As Five Aggregates:
- Four Mental Aggregates (mind-consciousness, feeling, perception, formations)
- One Material Aggregate (heart-base and mental objects)

2. As Mind, Mental Factors, and Matter:
- Mind (thinking consciousness perceiving beings and persons)
- Mental Factors (feeling, perception, volition)
- Matter (heart-base and mental objects)

3. As Name and Form (Nāma-Rūpa):
- Name (the cognition of mental objects as beings and persons)
- Form (heart-base and mental objects)

When mental objects strike mind-sensitivity, thinking consciousness arises. The cognition of mental objects as beings and persons is mind. Feeling, perception, and volition are mental factors. Together they are mind and mental factors. Heart-base and mental objects are matter. Thus we have mind, mental factors, and matter.

When mental objects strike mind-sensitivity, thinking consciousness arises. The cognition of mental objects as beings and persons is mental phenomena (nāma). Heart-base and mental objects are material phenomena (rūpa). Thus we have the two aspects: mental and material phenomena.

When examining the six sense-doors, do we find various kinds of humans, devas, brahmas, animals, petas, and asuras, or do we find the five aggregates? Are beings like humans, devas, and brahmas not found because they don't exist? If they don't exist, is there any need to cling to concepts of humans, devas, and brahmas? What we actually find are the five aggregates, not humans, devas, or brahmas.

Isn't it worth examining how these five aggregates exist?
- What is the nature of the material aggregate? (It is a group of phenomena that changes and deteriorates)
- What is the nature of the feeling aggregate? (It is a group of phenomena that experiences)
- What is the nature of the perception aggregate? (It is a group of phenomena that recognizes)
- What is the nature of the formations aggregate? (It is a group of phenomena that motivates and conditions)
- What is the nature of the consciousness aggregate? (It is a group of phenomena that knows)

These five aggregates cease after seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and knowing - so do we find the five aggregates or do we find non-existence? If they don't exist, how can we cling to them? Since beings like humans, devas, and brahmas never existed in the first place, is there any need to cling to them? Even the existing aggregates - don't they arise and pass away? Can they be objects of clinging? In this way, doesn't identity-view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi) fall away?

For one who has eliminated identity-view, will they still commit unwholesome actions through body, speech, and mind? No, they won't. That's why the ancient teachers said that Stream-enterers are free from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and wrong views. When one becomes a Stream-enterer, they gain true happiness. If one continues to strive, like Dhammadinnā and Lady Paṭācārā, can't they complete the holy life in one lifetime? Yes, they can. This is what needs to be examined.

Don't we need to understand the material aggregate (rūpakkhandha)? Within this material aggregate, aren't there the four great elements - earth, water, fire, and air? Earth element means the quality of hardness, or alternatively softness. Are these qualities of hardness and softness persons, or just earth element? Water element refers to cohesion, the binding quality. Fire element represents heat and cold qualities. Air element represents supporting and moving qualities. Don't we find these four great elements?

Are these four great elements humans, devas, or brahmas? We find just the four elements, right? When we find the four great elements, aren't there also four derived elements? There's the visible form element for the eye, the odor element for the nose, the six tastes element for the tongue (sweet, sour, spicy, salty, bitter, astringent), and the nutritive essence element that sustains bodily growth. So there are four great elements and four derived elements, making eight elements in total. Do we find humans, devas, and brahmas, or just these eight elements?

When these eight elements contact each other, doesn't sound arise? Isn't this taught as the nine types of material phenomena (navakkalāpa)? Are these nine elements humans, devas, and brahmas? When we analyze the aggregates, don't we find the material aggregate? Is it humans, devas, and brahmas, or just the material aggregate?

Whenever two material elements contact, doesn't the corresponding consciousness arise? For the eye, eye-consciousness arises. Can consciousness arise alone? If not, aren't feeling, perception, and volition also present? Think about it - is it humans, devas, or brahmas that experience forms, or is it feeling? Is it persons that perceive forms, or perception? Is it persons that motivate experiencing and perceiving, or volition? When we combine feeling, perception, and volition with consciousness, don't we get four mental aggregates?

Are these four mental aggregates humans, devas, or brahmas? Do these four mental aggregates arise by themselves or due to causes? Looking for causes, we find sense objects and sense doors - two material elements. For example, the sensitive eye matter and visible form. Only when these two meet do the four mental aggregates arise. Are these humans, devas, or brahmas, or just four mental aggregates? Is the sensitive eye matter humans, devas, or brahmas? Is visible form humans, devas, or brahmas? When we analyze the aggregates, don't we find the material aggregate? Combined with the four mental aggregates, don't we get the five aggregates in total?