DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - What are the five aggregates? Why did Buddha mention them?

**Les Allen** · 08-18-2012, 02:31 PM

Do you think the ignorant mind can actually discern the five aggregates, let alone 'create' them? For example, how many human beings actually intimately know what the five aggregates actually are? It seems unusual that the mind can create something it is not overtly aware of. For example, when the ordinary mind creates love or anger, the ordinary mind is generally aware of its love or anger. But when the aggregates function, is the ordinary mind of the ordinary person actually aware of each aggregate both distinctly & interrelatedly operating? Or are the aggregates things, for the most, that are generally a mystery to the ordinary person?

I think it is possible to get both an intellectual as well as an experiential understanding that rupa is not mind-made with an ordinary, ignorant mind given that the person is instructed of Dhamma before hand. For example, the observation that the body breathes on its own irrespective of your awareness of it, as Andy said, is one example most meditators perceive during breath meditation.

08-18-2012, 02:31 PM	#5
Les Allen Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 407 Senior Member	Do you think the ignorant mind can actually discern the five aggregates, let alone 'create' them? For example, how many human beings actually intimately know what the five aggregates actually are? It seems unusual that the mind can create something it is not overtly aware of. For example, when the ordinary mind creates love or anger, the ordinary mind is generally aware of its love or anger. But when the aggregates function, is the ordinary mind of the ordinary person actually aware of each aggregate both distinctly & interrelatedly operating? Or are the aggregates things, for the most, that are generally a mystery to the ordinary person? I think it is possible to get both an intellectual as well as an experiential understanding that rupa is not mind-made with an ordinary, ignorant mind given that the person is instructed of Dhamma before hand. For example, the observation that the body breathes on its own irrespective of your awareness of it, as Andy said, is one example most meditators perceive during breath meditation.
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