Five Collections (`pañcupādānakkhandhā`)

The Five Collections acting as fuel (pañcupādānakkhandhā) breaks our sense of identity down into components, and show that the sum total of who we believe we are are nothing more than a impermanent and ever shifting collection of processed phenomena experienced through our senses. It is clearly a refinement of the dependent origination framework. The Buddha uses it to disprove prevailing Brahmanical and Jain ideas of an eternal self that can be “purified” in order to attain “enlightenment”.

The collections are not an “eternal self”

298.

“Rūpaṃ (shape/form/matter/body), bhikkhave, is not atta (the Bramanical concept of an eternal self, not necessarily our identity as a “self”).

If form, bhikkhave, were self, it would not lead to affliction, and one could say of form: ‘Let my form be thus, let my form not be thus.’

But because form, bhikkhave, is not self, therefore form leads to affliction, and one cannot say of form: ‘Let my form be thus, let my form not be thus.’

299. Vedanā (feelings) is not self …

300. Saññā (apperceptions) is not self …

Saṅkhārā (mental constructions) are not self …

301. Viññāṇaṃ (consciousness) is not self …

The collections are impermanent

302.

“What do you think, bhikkhave, is form permanent or impermanent?”

“Aniccaṃ (impermanent), Bhante.”

“Now, what is impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”

“Suffering, Bhante.”

“Now, what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, is it fit to regard as: etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā (This is mine, this I am, this is my self)?”

“No, Bhante.”

“Feelings …

apperceptions …

mental constructions …

consciousness …

303. “Therefore, bhikkhave, whatever form:

whether past, present, or future,

internal or external,

gross or subtle,

inferior or superior,

far or near

— all form should be yathābhūtaṃ (seen as it actually is) with sammappaññā (correct understanding): ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

304. Whatever feelings …

305. Whatever apperceptions …

Whatever mental constructions …

306. Whatever consciousness …

Letting go of the collections is the key to liberation

307. “Seeing thus, bhikkhave, the well-instructed ariyasāvako becomes disenchanted with

form,

feeling,

apperception,

mental constructions,

consciousness.

Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate.
Through dispassion, he is liberated.
When liberated, there is the knowledge: ‘Liberated!’
He understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the optimal life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’”

308. This is what the Bhagavā said. Glad at heart, the group of five bhikkhū delighted in the Bhagavā’s words. And while this explanation was being delivered, the minds of the group of five bhikkhū were liberated from the āsavā (non optimal mental flows), without clinging.

Diagrams

graph
R["`*Rūpa*
(shape/form/matter/body)`"]
V["`*Vedanā*
(feeling)`"]
S["`*Saññā*
(apperception)`"]
S2["`*Saṅkhārā*
(mental constructions)`"]
V2["`*Viññāṇa*
(consciousness)`"]
PFP["`*atītānāgatapaccuppanna*
(past, future, or present)`"]
IE["`*ajjhatta* (internal)
*bahiddha* (external)`"]
CF["`*oḷārika* (coarse)
*sukhuma* (fine)`"]
FN["`dūra* (far)
*santika* (near)`"]
Y["`*yathābhūtaṃ*
(in reality)`"]
SP["`*sammappaññā*
(correct understanding)`"]
R & V & S & S2 & V2 --> PFP & IE & CF & FN --> Y & SP --> E1 & E2 & E3
E1["`*netaṃ mama*
(This is not mine)`"]
E2["`*nesohamasmi*
(This I am not)`"]
E3["`*na meso atta*
(This is not my self)`"]

graph
  A["`*ariyasāvaka*
  (disciples)`"] --> P
  P["`*passanta*
  (understanding)`"] --> A0
  A0["`*sutavant*
  (having heard)`"] --> A1
subgraph A1["nibbindati (give up)"]
    R["`*Rūpa*
    (shape/form/matter/body)`"]
    V["`*Vedanā*
    (feeling)`"]
    S["`*Saññā*
    (apperception)`"]
    S2["`*Saṅkhārā*
    (mental constructions)`"]
    V2["`*Viññāṇa*
    (consciousness)`"]
  end
A1 --> A2["`*virajjati*
(become detached)`"] -->
A3["`*vimuccati*
(become liberated)`"] -->
A4["`*ñāṇa*
(have knowledge and understanding)`"] -->
A5["`*pajānāti*
(know clearly)`"] -->
A6["`*khīṇā jāti,
vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ,
kataṃ karaṇīyaṃ,
nāparaṃ itthattāya*
((Re-)Birth is finished,
the optimal life is lived,
what had to be done is done,
there is nothing further for this life.)`"]

Five Collections (`pañcupādānakkhandhā`)

The collections are not an “eternal self”

The collections are impermanent

Letting go of the collections is the key to liberation

Diagrams

References