A Discussion
of the Five Aggregates (PancaSkandhaka-Prakarana) (ebook) With my warmest thanks to Vasubandhu and Stefan Anacker!
1. The five aggregates are the aggregate of materialities, the aggregate of feelings, the aggregate of cognitions, the aggregate of motivational dispositions, and the aggregate of consciousnesses. What is materiality! Materiality is whatever has dimensionality, and consists of all of the four great elements, and everything that is derived from the four great elements. And what are the four great elements? The earth-element, water-element, fire-element, and wind-element. Among these, what is the earth-element? It is solidity. What is the water-element? It is liquidity. What is the fire-element? It is heat. What is the wind-element? It is gaseousness.[2] What is derived from them? The sense-organ of the eye, the sense-organ of the ear, the sense-organ of the nose, the sense-organ of the tongue, the sense-organ of the body, visibles, sounds, smells, tastes, everything that can be subsumed under tactile sensations, and un-manifest action.[3] And among these, what is the sense-organ of the eye? It is sentient materiality which has colour as its sense-object. What is the sense-organ of the ear? It is sentient materiality which has sounds as its sense-object. What is the sense-organ of the nose? It is sentient materiality which has smells as its sense-object. What is the sense-organ, of the tongue? It is sentient materiality which has tastes as its sense-object. What is the sense-organ of the body? It is sentient materiality which has tactile sensations as its sense-object. And what are visibles? They are the sense-objects of the eye: colour, configuration, and manifest action.[4] And what are sounds? They are the sense-objects of the ear, having as their causes great elements appropriated by the body, or great elements unappropriated. And what are smells? They are the sense-objects of the nose: pleasant smells, unpleasant smells, and those which are neither. And what are tastes? They are the sense-objects of the tongue: sweet, sour, salty, sharp, bitter, and astringent. What is everything that can be subsumed under tactile sensations? They are the sense-objects of the, body: the great elements themselves, softness, hardness, heaviness, lightness, coldness, hunger, and thirst. What is unmanifest action? It is materiality which has arisen from manifest action or meditational concentration: it is invisible and exercises no resistance.[5] 2. And what are feelings? They are experiences, and are of three kinds: pleasure, suffering, and that which is neither pleasure nor suffering. Pleasure is whatever there arises a desire to be connected with again, once it has stopped. Suffering is whatever there arises a desire to be separated from, once it has arisen. That which is neither pleasure nor suffering is what ever towards which neither desire arises, once it has arisen. 3. And what are cognitions? They are the grasping of signs in a sense-object.[6] They are of three kinds: indefinite, definite, and inmeasurable. 4. And what are motivational dispositions 1 They are events associated with cittas, [7] other than feelings and cognitions, and those that are disassociated from cittas. Among these, what are the events associated with cittas? They are whatever events are associated with cittas. And what are they? They are contact, mental attention, feelings, cognitions, volitions, zest, confidence, memory or mindfulness, meditational concentration, insight, faith, inner shame, dread of blame, the root- of-the-beneficial of lack of greed, the root-of-the-beneficial of lack of hostility, the root-of-the-beneficial of lack of confusion, vigour, tranquillity, carefulness, equanimity, attitude of non- harming, attachment, aversion, pride, ignorance, views, doubt, anger, malice, hypocrisy, maliciousness, envy, selfishness, deceitfulness, guile, mischievous exuberance, desire to harm, lack of shame, lack of dread of blame, mental fogginess, excited- ness, lack of faith, sloth, carelessness, loss of mindfulness, distractedness, lack of recognition, regret, torpor, initial mental application, and subsequent discursive thought. Among these, the first five occur in every citta. The next five are certain only with specific objects-of-sense. The next eleven are beneficial. The next six are afflictions. The rest are secondary afflictions. The last four also become different (i.e. they are capable of being either afflictions or beneficial). And what is contact? It is the distinguishing which comes after the three (sense-organ, object-of-sense, and corresponding consciousness) have met together. And what is mental attention? It is the entering into done by a citta. What is volition! It is mental action, which impels a citta towards good qualities, flaws, and that which is neither. And what is zest? It is desire towards a range of events of which there is consciousness. And what is confidence? It is holding to certainty in regard to a range of events of which there is certainty. What is memory! It is the non-forgetting of a range of events towards which there is acquaintance, and is a certain kind of discourse of citta. What is meditational concentration? It is one-pointed-ness of citta towards an examined range of events.[8] What is insight? It is discernment as regards the same, and is either understanding, that which has arisen from not having understood, or that which is different from these two. What is faith! It is firm conviction, desire, and serenity of citta towards action, its results, the beneficial, and the Gems.[9] What is inner shame l It is a shame coming about through a committed offence, in which the self, or rather the (psychological) event responsible, is predominant. And what is dread of blame? It is that shame towards others that comes about through a committed offence, in which the outer world is predominant. What is lack of greed? It is the antidote to greed, a non-attachment to that which is arising in manas.[10] What is lack of hostility! It is the antidote to hostility, and is loving kindness. What is lack of confusion? It is the antidote to confusion, and is right recognition. And what is vigour! It is the antidote to sloth, and is enthusiasm of citta towards the beneficial. And what is tranquillity? It is the antidote to a situation of susceptibility to harm, and is a skill in bodily and mental action. And what is carefulness! It is the antidote to carelessness, a cultivation of those beneficial events which are antidotes, and abandoning unbeneficial events through continuing in those beneficial factors: lack of greed, up to vigour. What is equanimity! It is whatever evenness of citta, remaining in a tranquil state of citta, total tranquillity in citta continuing in those factors-lack of greed up to vigour, through which there is continuity in a state without afflictions through the clearing away of afflicted events. And what is an attitude of non-harming! It is the antidote to an attitude of harming, and is compassion. And what is attachment! It is adherence to any fixed intent in appropriating aggregates.[11] And what is aversion 1 It is a tormented volition towards sentient beings. And what is pride! There are seven kinds of pride: basic pride, greater pride, the pride that is more than pride, the pride of thinking "I am", conceit, the pride of thinking deficiency, and false pride. Basic pride is any inflation of citta which considers, through a smallness, either "I am greater", or "I am equal". What is greater pride? Greater pride is any inflation of citta which considers, through an equality, that "I am greater" or "I am endowed with greatness." And what is pride that is more than pride? It is any inflation of citta which considers, through a greatness, that "I am great". And what is the pride of thinking "I am"? It is any inflation of citta which is connected with the view of either "I am" or "mine" in regard to appropriating aggregates. And what is conceit? It is any inflation of citta which considers, in regard to an excellence which was previously obtained in another moment, but is no longer, "I've attained it." And what is the pride of thinking deficiency? It is any inflation of citta which considers, "I am only a little bit inferior to those of greatly excellent qualities." And what is false pride? It is any inflation of citta which considers "I am endowed with good qualities" when good qualities have not been acquired. And what is ignorance? It is lack of knowledge regarding action, results of action, the Truths, and the Gems, and also the mentally constructed that rises together with it. In the realm of desires[12], there are three roots-of-the-unbeneficial: attachment, aversion, and ignorance, and these are the same as the roots-of-the-unbeneficial greed, hostility, and confusion. And what are views? These views are generally of five kinds: the view of a fixed self in the body, views regarding the permanence or impermanence of the elements constituting personality, false views, adherence to particular views, and adherence to mere rule and ritual. And what is the view of a fixed self in the body? It is an afflicted judgment viewing either an "I" or "mine" in the appropriating aggregates. And what are views regarding the permanence or the impermanence of the elements constituting personality? They relate to these same elements (the appropriating aggregates), and are afflicted judgments viewing them as either lasting or discontinuous. And what are false views? They are any afflicted judgments which involve fear towards the elements of existence, and which cast aspersions on the efficacy of cause and effect. What is adherence to particular views? It is any afflicted judgment viewing these same three views, and the aggregates which continue in them, as being the best, the most excellent, attained, and most exalted. And what is attachment to mere rules and rituals? It is any afflicted judgment seeing in rules and rituals, and in the aggregates continuing in them, purity, liberation, and a leading to Nirvana. And what is doubt! It is any two-mindedness as regards the Truths, etc. The latter three of those afflicted views mentioned above, and doubt, are the basic mentally constructed. The rest of these views are the mentally constructed that often arise together with those.[13] What is anger! It is any tormented volition of citta which all of a sudden becomes intent on doing harm. What is malice! It is taking hold of a hostility. What is hypocrisy! It is unwillingness to recognize one's own faults. What is maliciousness. It is being enslaved by unpleasant speech. What is envy! It is an agitation of citta at the attainments of another. What is selfishness! It is a holding fast to a citta which is not in accord with giving. What is deceitfulness! It is attempting to show forth to another an unreal object through an action of decoying. What is guile! It is a deceitfulness of citta which seizes an opportunity for making secret one's own flaws. What is mischievous exuberance! It is holding fast to a delighted citta unconnected with internal good qualities. What is an attitude of harming! It is an intention unbeneficial towards sentient beings. And what is lack of shame! It is a lack of internal shame at offences one has committed. And what is lack of dread of blame! It is a lack of dread towards others at offences one has committed. What is mental fogginess! It is a lack of skill in mental action, and is thickheadedness. What is excitedness! It is lack of calm in citta. What is lack of faith! It is a lack of trust in a citta, which is not in accord with faith, towards action and its results, the Truths and the Gems. What is sloth! It is a lack of enthusiasm towards the beneficial in a citta, and is that which is not in accord with vigour. What is carelessness! It is any non-guarding of citta from afflictions, and non-cultivation of the beneficial, which comes about by being linked with greed, hostility, confusion, or sloth. What is loss of mindfulness! It is an afflicted mindfulness, an un-clarity as to the beneficial. What is distractedness! It is any diffusion of citta, which partakes of greed, hostility, or confusion on the five sense-qualities of the realm of desires. What is lack of recognition! It is a judgment connected with afflictions, by which there is entry into not knowing what has been done by body, voice, or manas. What is regret! It is remorse, a piercing sensation in manas. What is torpor! It is a contraction of citta which is without capacity for entering down into anything. What is initial mental application! A discourse of inquiry by manas, a certain kind of volition and discernment, which can be characterized as an indistinct state of citta. What is (subsequent) discursive thought! A discourse of examination by manas, which in the same way can be characterized as a more precise state of citta.[14] And what are the motivating dispositions disassociated from cittas! These are pure designations for situations in materialities, cittas, and events associated with cittas, and are designations only for these, and not for anything else.[15] And what are they? Prapti, the attainment without cognitions, the attainment of the cessation of cognitions and feelings, any non-meditative state without cognitions, life-force, taking part in an organism, birth, decrepitude, continuity, lack of duration, the collection of words, the collection of phrases, the collection of syllables, the state of being separate from Dharma, and other factors like these. Among these, what is prapti! It is becoming connected with something attained.[16] Actually, it is a "seed"[17], a capacity, an approachment, and an adjustment to circumstances.[18] And what is an attainment free from cognitions! It is any cessation of non-stable events: cittas and events associated with cittas, which is totally clear and separate from attainments, and which comes about through a mental attention dispensing with cognitions about to arise, where former cognitions do not exist. And what is the attainment of the cessation of cognitions and feelings! It is any cessation of non-stable and more stable events, cittas and events associated with cittas, which comes about through a mental attention dispensing with cognitions, continuing in which comes after the summits of existence have been practised, and which is separate even from those attainments present in the stage-of-nothing-whatever.[19] And what is a non-meditative state without cognitions? It is the cessation of non-stable events: cittas and events associated with cittas, which- takes place, for instance, within those groups of gods which are sentient, but do not have cognitions. What is life-force! It is, as regards any events taking part in an organism, any continuity, for a certain time, of motivating dispositions which have been projected by past action. And what is taking part in an organism? It is any close interrelationship of bodily parts as regards sentient beings.[20] What is birth? It is any arising of a stream of motivating dispositions which has not already arisen, as regards any collection of events taking part in an organism. And what is decrepitude! It is an alteration in the stream of those like that (i.e. events taking part in an organism). What is continuity! It is the serial propagation in the stream of those like that. What is lack of duration! It is the discontinuity in the stream of those like that. What is the collection of words! It is denotations for the own-beings of events. What is the collection of phrases! It is denotations for the particularities of events.[21] What is the collection of syllables! They are the syllables of actual sound through which the other two are disclosed. Though these all refer to speech, meanings are communicated dependent on words and phrases. For the same syllable does not arise with another synonym.[22] And what is the state of being separate from Dharma! It is the non-attainment of noble psychological events. These all are called "the aggregate of motivational dispositions". 5. And what is consciousness! It is awareness of an object-of-consciousness, visibles, etc. "Citta" and "manas" are the same as consciousness. They are so designated because of their variety, and because of their providing a mental basis, respectively.[23] Actually, the store consciousness is also citta, as it accumulates the seeds for all motivating dispositions.[24] Its objects-of-consciousness and aspects are undiscerned.[25] It joins an assemblage pertaining to an organism into a felt relationship, and continues as a series of moment-events. Thus, though there is awareness of a sense-object immediately upon emerging from the attainment of cessation of cognitions and feelings, the attainment free from cognitions, or a non-meditative state without cognitions, it arises as the consciousness of the attainments themselves; it is the state of evolvement into another aspect once there has been perception dependent upon any object-of-consciousness; it is the state of citta's arising again even after the consciousness-stream has been severed; it is entry into Samsara [The world of change] and transmigration in it.[26] This same store-consciousness is the support of all the seeds, the basis and causality for the body, and the state of continuance in a body. It is also called "the appropriating consciousness", because it appropriates a body. Used in the sense of a specific entity, manas is an object-of-consciousness, within the store-consciousness, a consciousness always connected with confusion of self, the view of a self, pride of self, love of self, etc. It also joins an assemblage pertaining to an organism into a felt relationship, and continues as a series of moment-events, but does not exist in a saint, the Noble Path, or at the time of the attainment of cessation. Why are the aggregates thus designated? It is through their collectivity, i.e. various kinds of materialities, etc., being heaped up together that "times", "series", "aspects", "developments", and "sense-objects" seem to occur.[27] The twelve sense-fields are the sense-field of the eye and the sense-field of visibles, the sense-field of the ear and the sense-field of sounds, the sense-field of the nose and the sense-field of smells, the sense-field of the tongue and the sense-field of tastes, the sense-field of the body and the sense-field of tactile sensations, the sense-field of manas and the sense-field of mentally cognizables. The eye, visibles, the ear, sounds, the nose, smells, the tongue, tastes have all been discussed previously. The sense-field of the tactile is the four great elements and everything (all the incredibly numerous various sensations) which can be subsumed under tactile sensations. The sense-field of manas is any aggregate of consciousness. The sense-field of mentally cognizables is feelings, cognitions, motivating dispositions, unmanifest action, and the uncompounded. And what is the uncompounded? Space, the cessation not through contemplation, the cessation through contemplation, and Such-ness. Among these, what is space? It is any interval separating materialities.[28] What is a cessation not through contemplation? It is any non-separation from cessation without antidotes to afflictions figuring in.[29] And what is cessation through contemplation? It is any non-separation from cessation, any constant non-arising of aggregates through antidotes to afflictions. What is Suchness? It is the "inherent nature (dhar-mata) of any event", and is the selflessness of events.[30] Why are these called "sense-fields"? Because they are the doors to the rising of consciousness. The eighteen sensory domains are the domain of the eye, the domain of the visible, the domain of the visual consciousness; the domain of the ear, the domain of sounds, the domain of audial consciousness; the domain of the nose, the domain of smells, the domain of olfactory consciousness; the domain of the tongue, the domain of tastes, the domain of gustatory consciousness; the domain of the body, the domain of the tactile, the domain of tactile consciousness, the domain of the manas, the domain of mentally cognizables, and the domain of the mental consciousness. The domains of the eye, etc., and the domains of visibles, etc., are the same as the sense-fields. The domains of the six consciousnesses are awarenesses with objects-of-consciousness in visibles, etc., and which are dependent on the eye, etc. The domain of manas is any of these consciousness-moments which are past immediately afterwards, because of the continuity of the sixth consciousness.[31] In this way, the sensory domains have been determined as eighteen. Ten of those sense-fields and domains (the sensory organs and their objects) and that part of the sense-field of mentally cognizables which may be subsumed under it (unmanifest action) constitute whatever is the aggregate of materiality. The sense-field of manas and the seven domains of citta (the visual, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, and mental consciousnesses, and the domain of mentally cognizables) constitute whatever is the aggregate of consciousness. The sense-fields and domains of mentally cognizables also constitute whatever are the other three aggregates (feelings, cognitions, and motivating dispositions), one part of the aggregate of materiality which may be subsumed under it (unmanifest action), and the uncompounded. Why are these called "domains"? Because they grasp an "own-characteristic", though without a "doer".[32] As to why they are called "aggregates", etc., this serves as an antidote to the three kinds of grasping after self, in order. The three kinds of grasping after self are grasping for one central entity, grasping for an "enjoyer", and grasping for a "doer". Among these eighteen sensory domains, which contain materiality? Whatever has the own-being of the aggregate of materiality. Which do not contain materiality? The rest of them. Which can be seen? Only the sensory domain of visibles is an object-of-sense which can be seen.[33] Which are invisible? The rest of them. Which exercise resistance? The ten which contain materiality, which exercise resistance on each other. Which do not exercise resistance? The rest of them. Which are liable to be connected with afflictions?[34] Fifteen (i.e. the sensory domains of the eye to tactile consciousness), and part of the last three (manas, mentally cognizables, and mental consciousness). Which are unliable to be connected with afflictions? Part of the last three. Those because of having a scope allowing for the direct perception of the arising of afflictions.[35] Which are without afflictions? Part of the last three. Which occur in the realm of desires? All of them. Which occur in the realm of simple images? Fourteen : all' of them except smells, tastes, olfactory-consciousness, and gustatory-consciousness. Which occur in the imageless sphere?" Part of the last three. Which are included within the aggregates? All of them except the uncompounded. Which are-included within the appropriating aggregates? Those constituting a "personality". Which are beneficial, which unbeneficial, and which indeterminate? Ten may belong to any of the three categories: the seven sensory domains of citta, and the sensory domains[35a] of visibles, sounds and mentally cognizables. The rest of them are all indeterminate. Which are "internal"? Twelve of them: all of them except visibles, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations and mentally cognizables. Which are "external"? Six of them: those not included in the preceding. Which have an object-of-conscious-ness? The seven sensory domains of citta, and one part of the sensory domain of mentally cognizables, namely, whatever events are associated with cittas. Which are without an object-of-consciousness? The ten others and most of the sensory domains of mentally cognizables. Which contain discrimination? The sensory domains of manas, mental consciousness, and mentally cognizables. Which do not contain discrimination? The rest of them [This seems in contradiction with note 14, but Yasomitra explains: Though the sensory consciousnesses do have basic discrimination, they lack the discrimination of definition (abhinirupana-vikalpa), i.e. "This is this, that is that", and hence are called non-discriminatory. (Abhidharmakosavyakhya, ad 133)] Which are appropriated? Five of the "internal" (organs I-V) and part of the "external" (i.e. part of visibles, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations). Which are unappropriated? Part of the four (all visibles, smells, tastes and tactile sensations not integral parts of the sensory organism)[36] which are functional (sabhaga)! The five internal material ones (organs I-V) because there is a correspondence between the specific consciousness and its sensory domain. Which are non-functional (tat-sabhaga)? The same when they are empty in relation to their specific consciousness, because of a conformity of each to its own knowledge. [37] [1] On the Bodhisattva Manjusri "who
has become a prince", see Introduction to this text, p 58. |