Skandha

Translations of
skandha
Englishaggregate, mass, heap, cluster
Sanskritस्कन्ध (skandha)
Palikhandha
Bengaliস্কন্ধ (skawndhaw)
Burmeseခန္ဓာ (ငါးပါး)။
(MLCTS: kʰàɰ̃dà)
Chinese(T) / (S)
(Pinyin: yùn)
Indonesiangugusan, gugus, agregat
Japanese
(Rōmaji: un)
Khmerបញ្ចក្ខន្ធ
(UNGEGN: pănhchăkkhăn)
Korean
(RR: on)
Mongolianᠴᠣᠭᠴᠠᠰ
(tsogtsas)
Shanၶၼ်ႇထႃႇ
([khan2 thaa2])
Sinhalaස්කන්ධ (skandha)
Tibetanཕུང་པོ་
(phung po)
Tagalogskandha
Thaiขันธ์
VietnameseNgũ uẩn
Glossary of Buddhism

Skandhas (Sanskrit) or khandhas (Pāḷi) means "heaps, aggregates, collections, groupings, clusters".[1][note 1] In Buddhism, it refers to the five aggregates of clinging (Pañcupādānakkhandhā), the five material and mental factors that take part in the rise of craving and clinging.

They are also explained as the five factors that constitute and explain a sentient being's person and personality,[4][5][6] but this is a later interpretation in response to Sarvāstivādin essentialism. The 14th Dalai Lama subscribes to this interpretation.[7]

The five aggregates or heaps of clinging are:

  1. form (or material image, impression) (rupa)
  2. sensations (or feelings, received from form) (vedana)
  3. perceptions (samjna)
  4. mental activity or formations or influences of a previous life (sanskara)
  5. discernment (vijnana).[8][9][10]

In the Theravada tradition, suffering arises when one identifies with or clings to the aggregates. This suffering is extinguished by relinquishing attachments to aggregates. Both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions assert that the nature of all aggregates is intrinsically empty of independent existence and that these aggregates do not constitute a "self" of any kind.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference DavidsStede1921p232 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Bronkhorst 2009, p. 28–31.
  3. ^ Harvey 2013, p. 57.
  4. ^ Robert E. Buswell Jr.; Donald S. Lopez Jr. (2013). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. pp. 708, 721–723, 827–828. ISBN 978-1-4008-4805-8.
  5. ^ Harvey 2013, p. 55.
  6. ^ Steven M. Emmanuel (2015). A Companion to Buddhist Philosophy. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 193, 232–233, 421–425. ISBN 978-1-119-14466-3.
  7. ^ The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Translated by Dorje, Gyurnme; Coleman, Graham; Jinpa, Thupten. Introductory commentary by the 14th Dalai Lama (First American ed.). New York: Viking Press. 2005. pp. xiii. ISBN 0-670-85886-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. ^ Steven M. Emmanuel (2015). A Companion to Buddhist Philosophy. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 587–588. ISBN 978-1-119-14466-3.
  9. ^ Skandha Encyclopædia Britannica (2013)
  10. ^ Karunamuni ND (May 2015). "The Five-Aggregate Model of the Mind". SAGE Open. 5 (2): 215824401558386. doi:10.1177/2158244015583860.


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