Abstract:
The doctrine of five aggregates (pancakkhandha) should be examined comprehensively
to understand its significance as follows: Consciousness (vinndna) arises every moment
when sense organ, corresponding object, and attention (samannahara) meet together,
forming a kind of stream (vinndnasota). When consciousness arises, the five aggregates
always arise together. Therefore, the "stream of consciousness" is nothing but the
"stream of the five aggregates". This "stream of the five aggregates" constitutes an
individual's "subjective experiential world" (lokd) which is identified as "reality" in
Buddhism. If ego-consciousness is involved in the arising of the five aggregates, they
become the five aggregates of clinging (pancupadanakkhandha) in the sense that they
are constructed (or conditioned) by craving (tanha), conceit (mdna), wrong view
(ditthi). The "subjective experiential world" consisted of the five aggregates of clinging
is dukkha for an individual who has constructed (abhisamkharoti) it as "I" or "mine",
due to its inherent impermanent (anicca) nature. The constructed "world" is samkhata
in the sense that it is constructed (or conditioned) by "I-ness" ignorance and craving.
And the stream of the "world" is samsara. The way to end the "subjective experiential
world" consisted of the five aggregates of clinging is to understand the true nature of
this "world", and not to cling to it. That is, by contemplating on the five aggregates
which constitute the "world" as impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and nonself
(anatta), the practitioner deconstructs (visamkhara) "his world" through the
process of disenchantment (nibbidd), dispassion (viraga), and liberation (vimutti).
When a practitioner completely removes ignorance and craving toward "his world"
consisted of the five aggregates of clinging, he achieves complete extinction of the
defilements {kilesa-parinibbana) and becomes arahant. And the arahant, at his death,
achieves complete extinction of the personality-factors (khandha-parinibbdna) in
which the conditionality of the five aggregates itself is eliminated. ThujiTit can be
observed that the five aggregates are not only a theoretical basis but also a practical
basis to understand the Buddhist concept of reality.
