[MD] aggregates of grasping

[MarshaV]

According to the teachings of the Buddha the human personality comprises five “aggregates of grasping,”.  They are also called the skandhas in Sanskrit or khandhas in Pali.  They are: 

     the aggregate of body (rupa); 
     the aggregate of feelings or sensation (vedana); 
     the aggregate of perception (samjna); 
     the aggregate of volitional activities (samskara); 
     the aggregate of consciousness (vinnana)


It's interesting to see what Buddhism's perspective might be and how it might relate to the MoQ.  So what does Buddhism have to say about feelings (vedana):  


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The aggregate of feelings 

Feelings demarcate the body from the rest of the environment and give the body the sense of self. The Khandhasaµyutta (SN XXII.47; S iii.46) says that the uninstructed man, being impressed by feelings which are produced through contact with ignorance, thinks “I am this (body).” The body is strewn with an intricately woven network of nerve fibers, and there is no part of the body which is not sensitive to touch. The entire sensitive volume constitutes the I, the self, the ego. 

When we say: “I am comfortable or happy or sad,” we identify ourselves with feelings. Statements such as: “He does not care for my happiness, he hurt my feelings,” also show how we establish a sense of possession for our feelings. There are three kinds of feelings, namely, pleasurable or happy feelings, unpleasant or painful feelings, and neutral feelings. No two types ever occur concurrently at any single moment. When pleasurable feelings are present the other two are absent; when painful feelings are there pleasant and neutral feelings are absent; similarly with neutral feelings. The Mahånidåna Sutta asks the question: when feelings are so complex in this manner, which feeling would one accept as one’s self? 

According to the Vedanåsaµyutta, innumerable feelings arise in the body just as all kinds of winds blow in different directions in the atmosphere. We are hardly aware of these feelings for the simple reason that we do not pay enough attention to them. If we observe, for a couple of minutes, how often we adjust our bodies and change the position of our limbs, we will be surprised to note that we hardly keep still even for a few seconds. What is the reason for this constant change of position and posture? Monotony of position causes discomfort and we change position and posture in search for comfort. We react to feelings, yearning for more and more pleasurable feelings, revolting against unpleasant feelings, and being generally unaware of neutral feelings. Therefore pleasurable feelings have desire as their latent tendency, unpleasant feelings have aversion as their latent tendency, and neutral feelings have ignorance as their latent tendency (MN 44; M i.303). Thus all feelings generate unskillful motivational roots and they partake of the nature of suffering (yaµ kiñci vedayitaµ taµ dukkhasmiµ, SN XXXVI.11; S iv.216). Though the search for comfort and pleasure goes on constantly throughout life, pleasure always eludes us like a mirage. 

Our feelings are extremely private and personal. One may have a splitting headache, but the one next to him may not know anything about his painful sensations. We only infer the pain of another by his facial expressions, behavior, and words, but we certainly do not know the feelings of another. We are so unique in the experiences of feelings: one may be sensitive to heat; another to cold, mosquitoes, or fleas; another to certain kinds of pollen. One may have a low threshold for pain, another a high threshold. Thus each one is so unique in the totality of his sensitivity that we are utterly and absolutely alone in our private prison of feelings. 

The Buddha defines feeling as the act of feeling. There is no “thing” called feeling apart from the act of feeling. Therefore feelings are dynamic, ever-changing, impermanent. They do not remain within our control either, for we cannot say: “Let me have or not have such and such feelings.” They come and go as they please, we have no control or right of ownership over them. Therefore the Buddha exhorts us: “Give up that which does not belong to you.” Trying to possess that which is fleeting and defies ownership causes grief. Giving up spells the end of sorrow.



 
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