Five Aggregates
(Illustration № 1, «Five Aggregates»)
I think it is not wrong to say that each of us has asked ourselves the question «who am I?» at least once in our lives. But have we ever found the answer? Am I this physical body? Am I my sensations, thoughts or emotions? Or am I something else? The teachings of the Five Aggregates bring us closer to understanding such questions. After all, the Five Aggregates are all that we have, all that we mistakenly believe we are, our true selves.
These five components of our false «self» are as follows:
1. Physical body – Pāli and Sanskrit: rūpa (literally: «form»).
2. Sensations (Feelings) – Pali and Sanskrit: vēdanā.
3. Perceptions – Pāli: saññā, Sanskrit: saṃjñā
4. Formed experience – Pāli: sankhāra, Sanskrit: saṃskāra.
5. Distinguishing consciousness – Pāli: viññāṇa, Sanskrit: vijñāna.
Unfortunately, neither mere enumeration nor arguments about what and how it should be translated from Pali and Sanskrit will bring us any closer to understanding these five components.
1. Physical body
The word «rupa» itself literally means «form». That is, all forms or, in normal modern language, objects, things, animate and inanimate objects that we can see or perceive, such as houses and trees, other people and cars driving down the street. Of course, all such external objects influence our lives and us. However, the greatest influence on us comes from the closest of all «forms» – our physical body. It is the one that imposes so many limitations on us and brings us not only fleeting joys but also inevitable suffering such as illness, old age, and death. Therefore, when we talk about the first of the Five Aggregates, we are referring first of all to our physical body.
So, each of us has a physical body, it serves as a carrier of our consciousness.
Two problems arise in the ordinary consciousness's perception of the physical body.
First, we are captured, attached to our body: «I am beautiful, slender, tall and statuesque». Or, conversely, «Why am I so ugly (ugly), low in stature, why do I have a bad figure!» and so on. Exactly the same wrong consideration we make about other people: «How beautiful she is, how slender he is, what wonderful muscles he has!» or, on the contrary: «How ugly, unattractive, fat he (she) is» and so on.
Secondly – complete identification of oneself with the physical body.
In order to change this wrong view, which leads to suffering, one should consider one's physical body impartially. There are two types of consideration of the physical body: Buddhist and yogic.
The first is to consider our physical body anatomically, just as we were taught in anatomy classes at school. There is the skin, deeper – the fat layer, then – muscles, tendons, and finally – the bones, the skeleton. Everywhere passes numerous blood vessels and nerves. There are internal organs belonging to different systems. Observing our bodies this way, we see that the physical body can be very beautiful and attractive outside, but things are quite different inside. Indeed, both the insides of our body are unpleasant to look at and smell. However, we recognize this anatomical fact rather than engage in a meditation of disgust. For example, if we consider our own or someone else's body beautiful, what exactly do we like: muscles, tendons, bones, or perhaps internal organs? Here we really begin to realize that the definition of «the body is beautiful» and attachment to the physical body looks very strange, if not foolish.
The yogic view is to consider the physical body as a collection of the Five Elements. The Earth Element is the solid components (e.g., bones), the Water Element is the liquid components (e.g., blood), the Fire Element is our body temperature, the Wind Element is breathing and energy movement and the Space Element is the voids and cavities in our body.
The meaning of observing both types is to realize that this physical body is not our true essence, but is simply a matter formed by gross substance, which controls various physiological processes without reference to ourselves. Our physical body is born, becomes sick, grows old, and dies. It restricts our freedom and binds us tightly to the gross material world. Besides, we cannot fully control our bodies – we cannot, for example, stop the aging process, and we cannot make our bodies immortal. That means that the physical body is not the True «Self». The body is the illusion that we experience with our senses. Therefore, as stated in the «Shiva Samhita»[4 - An ancient Sanskrit text explaining the Teachings of Yoga. Written by an unknown author on behalf of God Shiva. It is generally believed that God Shiva passed on all the teachings and ways of practicing yoga to his wife Goddess Parvati, and she in turn passed on the knowledge to God Ganesha. Therefore, it is believed that the text of «Shiva Samhita» was written down by a yogi from the words of God Ganesha.], «The only worthy use of this body is as a tool for attaining Nirvana».
2. Sensory organs and sensations
We have five external organs of sense located in our physical body: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and touch receptors. Through them, as if through open doors, sensations come to us, that is, we see, hear, smell, taste, and feel touch, respectively. The sensations are the link between the external material world and our deeper consciousness.
We usually think of our sensations as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. But in reality, the sensation itself cannot be pleasant or unpleasant – it can be strong, weak, or absent. «Pleasant» or «unpleasant» is the dual workings of our consciousness based on our past experiences. Thus, the causes of our sufferings and joys are not to be found in the physical body and external sensations, but in our deeper Aggregates.
What do we see if we become calm, conscious observers of our sensations?
First, as long as our dual consciousness is active, there will be unpleasant, painful sensations. I think no one enjoys physical pain, disgusting odors, unpleasant sounds, and the like.
Secondly, of course, there will be pleasant sensations. But they are extremely impermanent and last, in fact, only for a moment. Further: if we want to get some pleasant sensation, and it is impossible, we suffer a great deal of dissatisfaction. How many times in your life have you thought or said, «I would give anything to have this»? Here we see that we are highly dependent on our sensations, we are unfree because of our attachment to pleasant sensations, and we suffer greatly when the pleasant sensations ends, or bores us, or we cannot get what we want.
Third, the more we seek the pleasures of sensations, the more we begin to feel pain and other unpleasant sensations. For example, as delicious and pleasurable for us was eating fresh gourmet food, exactly the same amount of tastelessness and unpleasantness will be experienced the day before yesterday's mediocre food. In other words, if there is a plus (i.e. pleasure), there is necessarily a minus (suffering), and the stronger the plus, the stronger the minus – they are equivalent. This principle applies not only to the sense organs and sensations but also to all experiences obtained through them. Thus, people who exhibit strong positive emotions when they experience pleasure, experience equally strong negative emotions when they encounter suffering.
Fourth, the previous example should lead to the idea that pleasant and unpleasant sensations can only exist at the same time. For example, if a person is anesthetized or given pain relief, both pain and pleasant sensations disappear. Or, for example, in order to not hear a loud unpleasant noise, a person plugs his ears with earplugs. The unpleasant noise disappears, but the pleasant or necessary sounds are no longer heard. In other words, if the joy that the senses bring increases, so also does the suffering. The sense organs are aggravated in two directions at the same time.
Fifth, we experience the joy or suffering of sensations exclusively because of the action of past experiences that are activated by our consciousness. Thus, sensations, as previously stated, can be strong, weak, or absent. «Pleasant» or «unpleasant» is the work of our dual consciousness.
By conducting this kind of consideration, we begin to realize that the senses and sensations are an illusion. The illusory nature of the senses is realized through breathing techniques. First, when the length of inhalations, exhalations, and breath-holding increases, the ability to perceive changes. People who have long inhalation, exhalation, and delay do not feel pain. But people with short breaths are sensitive to pain. This is not only true for pain. The same applies to the senses of sight, hearing, smell, and taste. To realize the existence of a consciousness that just «jumps» on these illusions of sensations, breathing techniques are done. Eventually, we reach a state where the senses and sensations come to a complete stop. In yoga terminology, this is called Pratyahara. When Pratyahara is realized, we are immersed from this material world into the Astral World (World of Forms[5 - For the three worlds of the Universe, see later in this chapter. For a detailed description, see «Dharma – The Way Things Are. Real Experience and Realizations of a Spiritual Practitioner», Volume I.]) in meditation.
Hence, our sense organs and the sensations that come through them are not our true nature. For example, if we are deprived of any sensation due to illness, say smell and taste due to a runny nose, we still continue to exist. If this is the case, then the True «Self» cannot be our sensations – they are illusory and we exist even if we lose all our senses and sensations.
3. Perceptions, images
The third of the Five Aggregates is Perceptions: information accumulated and stored in the form of images. All the information and experience that we accumulate every second through our actions remains in us. Perceptions, or Aggregate No.3, is our first internal storage unit, or reservoir, for the data we receive from the outside world. In Perceptions, these accumulated data are stored in the form of images.
The function of Perceptions is to generate (create) any image from the information we already have. For example, if you have never been to the Himalayas and I tell you about this place, you will be able to draw some pictures (images) in your imagination based on the information you have learned about the Himalayas so far, i.e. to imagine. Thus, the Aggregate itself is information in the form of images, and its function is to create images or figurative Perceptions.
To the function of Perceptions, we can also include such a thing as perception. The fact is that when we perceive any information from the external world, we automatically have a corresponding image, as in the example with the Himalayas just given. On the other hand, in our daily lives, we think about many things, but although we do not always put them into practice, each thought is nevertheless reflected in our Perceptions, i.e. it appears to us in the form of corresponding images.
Although Perceptions, unlike the body and sensations, are closer to our true essence, they are also not the True «Self».
For one thing, images bring us suffering. Of course, we can escape into the world of reverie for a while – immerse ourselves in pleasant memories or dreams in our imagination. However, how many horrifying pictures of the past, how many painful memories, and how many uncontrollable fears are stored in our images? Sometimes it even happens that a person who is haunted by horrifying memories of the past simply goes insane. Thus, if Perceptions cause suffering, they are not our essence – the True «Self» cannot harm or cause suffering to itself.
An important question may arise here. How can one get rid of intrusive or painful images of the past that surface in the mind and make one suffer? The only way is to return the consciousness to the original state of calm, in which any information is stopped and has no influence. This, in fact, is the subject of the book «Dharma – The Way Things Are. The Real Experiences and Realizations of a Spiritual Practitioner», and this short essay is also about it.
Secondly, images have been acquired and accumulated by us. For example, I visited Sri Lanka for the first time in 2004. Before that, I did not know much about this country. Consequently, I did not have images of Sri Lanka either. However, having visited the island many times, I have gained extensive experience and knowledge about Sri Lanka. Therefore, I can now visualize, for example, the first capital of the ancient Sinhalese state, Anuradhapura, and many other places on the island.
As we can see from this example, images are not something inherent to us from the beginning, they are just data received by us, which are not our essence.
4. Formed experience
The fourth component of the false «self» is the Formed Experience. In our lives, we acquire various experiences through actions with our bodies, speech, and thoughts. These experiences are stored as information and become the reason for acquiring new experiences. In other words, we perform actions, experience, and accumulate experiences, further it is these experiences form our likes and dislikes that cause us to act again.
Thus, the fourth Aggregate itself is the Formed Experience, and its function is to want or not to want, in other words, will, or intention. For example, if you have tasted a certain food, you liked it very much, and then you will want this food again. If after eating this food you had an upset stomach, then it is unlikely that you will want to eat it again. This is how the Formed Experience accumulates and then works, predetermining our subsequent actions.
Just like Perceptions, Formed Experience is not something that is inherent in us from the beginning, it is just data that we accumulate as a result of our actions. The problem is that we identify ourselves with our past experiences. As a consequence, experience becomes the driving force that completely controls us. In other words, the Formed Experience becomes the desires and aversions that drive us.
Of course, we can derive pleasure from the fulfilment of our desires, which are a manifestation, or function, of our fourth Aggregate. However, any objects of our desires are illusions: they either change and eventually disappear or simply bore us, because our consciousness, which creates all illusions of joy or suffering, is constantly changing, as a result of which satiety is bound to occur and the object ceases to satisfy us. If we are unable to satisfy our desires, to get what we want, the suffering of dissatisfaction arises. In this case, we begin to hate everything around us. Hatred and, consequently, pain also arise when we have experiences that are the opposite of our desires, that is, when we experience what we do not want to experience. I will talk more about the process of perception and discernment that forms all our suffering in the next chapter.
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