Khandas

The Khandas, also known as the Five Aggregates, are a fundamental concept in Buddhism used to analyze the nature of sentient existence. They describe the various processes that constitute what we perceive as a "self" or a person. These aggregates are not static entities but are constantly arising and passing away. Understanding the khandhas is crucial for comprehending the Buddhist doctrine of anatta, or no-self.

The first skandha is rupa, which refers to physical form, including the body and all material objects. It encompasses all that is seen, heard, smelled, tasted, touched, and cognized as physical. The second is vedana, which is feeling or sensation. This can be pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, arising from contact with sense objects. The third skandha is samjna, often translated as perception or recognition. It is the mental process of identifying and labeling sense impressions.

The fourth skandha is samskara, which are mental formations or volitions. These are habitual tendencies, intentions, and impulses that influence our actions and thoughts. They are the karmic forces that shape our future experiences. The fifth and final skandha is vijnana, or consciousness. This is the awareness of phenomena, the faculty that knows or is aware of the other four aggregates and their objects.

Buddhism teaches that these five aggregates are impermanent, unsatisfactory, and devoid of an independent, unchanging self. By analyzing our experience in terms of the khandhas, practitioners aim to deconstruct the illusion of a solid, permanent ego, leading to the cessation of suffering.