The Fifth Lesson

Pañca Nama Kim? What is Five?

What five concepts, when seen to the root with penetrating knowledge, and understood to the broadest limits, such that their repellant nature is seen as it really is and one has released them in their entirety, can bring one to the uttermost Freedom of Detachment?

 

Pañc'upādāna-Kkhandha — The 5 Stockpiles

 

Pañca+Upādāna+Kkhandha Pañc'upādānakkhandha

The Five Bound-up Stockpiled K-Kha Piles,
elsewhere translated:
The Grasping Groups, or
The Groups of Existence, or
The Factors of existence.

1. Rūpa: Forms, Matter, an existing thing.

A thing having taken form, the having-become-a-thingness of a thing, including sounds and ideas.

2. Vedanā: Sensation.

The pleasant, unpleasant, or not-unpleasant-but-not-pleasant sensation experienced as a consequence of the contact of the eye and sights, the ear and sounds, the nose and scents, the tongue and tastes, the body and touch, and the mind and ideas together with consciousness.

3. Saññā: Once-knowing, perception.

4. Sankharā: Own-making.

The making into one's own of, or the identification with existing things, sensations, perceptions, and consciousness.

The creation of one's own world.
The gestalt.
Identification with the world.

Sankhara like kamma is both the act of creating
(by identification with the intent behind acts of body, speech and mind)
and the identified with rebounding consequence.

5. Viññāṇā: Consciousness.

Re-knowing knowing knowledge. Self awareness, consciousness, cognition, knowing awareness, awareness as an individual, individualized consciousness.

"That which is feeling, your reverence, and that which is perception and that which is discriminative consciousness — these states are associated, not dissociated, and it is not possible to lay down a difference between these states, having analysed them again and again. Your reverence, whatever one feels, that one perceives; whatever one perceives that one discriminates; therefore these states are associated, not dissociated, and it is not possible to lay down a difference between these states, having analysed them again and again." — Horner, (Middle Length Sayings, I #43, PTS ed. pp 352).

 

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It is only when an individual injects "ownership" into the process, or "identifies" with the process that an individual or any thing is said to come into being or exist and it is only then that the individual becomes subject to kamma and destined to suffer dukkha.

The 5 Stockpiles are one of several ways of describing every conceivable thing that exists. When it is said that 'This' is Pain, as in the first truth, it is in reference to this group or one of it's equivalents.

It is one or another or a combination of these factors that is what is erroneously identified with as the self or as belonging to one's self.

It is with regard to this group that desire to be or to have experience arises.

And it is with regard to this group that desire, when ended, ends pain.

It is this group that is the nama/rupa together with consciousness that arises as a result of the identification with the intent to produce experience through acts of mind, speech and body, and it is by not injecting identification with intent to experience this group by not taking action with mind speech and body that is the breaking apart of consciousness and nama/rupa that by that breaking apart gives no opportunity for the arising of pain.

It is said that this group encompasses that which exists and it is said that there is no existence outside of this group and it is said that Nibbāna or the Arahant is not defined by this group. How is this reconciled?

To understand this it is necessary to understand the idea stated above that what is meant by 'existing' or 'being' or 'living' is 'identified-with consciousness of named form'. Where there has been no creation caused by identified with action, there is no thing there that is said to exist. No thing. No being. No 'I.' No arahant. No Nibbāna. No Bodhi Mind. Not having come into existence, it is not subject to death or pain.

The consciousness of that is not the consciousness of an identified-with named form, but consciousness of freedom from identified-with named form. That is the consciousness of the Arahant or what is called Nibbāna, being unbound, free, not subject to rebirth, aging, or death, grief and lamentation, pain and misery and despair.

This is not just semantics. This is not saying that what comes after is the same as what came before.

 

§

 

Tissa

Sanyutta Nikaya
Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Sanyutta

Sutta 84

[An example of how Lesson 5 is used. Also included are some of the repetitions and formal dialogue so as to give a flavor of how the originals appear and of how people in those days behaved.]

I HEAR TELL:

Once Upon a Time, the Lucky Man, Savatthi Town, Anāthapiṇḍika Park came-a ReVisiting,
and at that time BrokeTooth [Bhadante > Bhante] Tissa, Gotama's cousin
said this to a number of beggars:

"Truth is, my friends,
it's like my body is drugged,
the four directions are dim,
and the Dhamma is confusing to me.

Lazy Ways and Inertia overpower my mind
and I am without enthusiasm for the life.

I fear I am falling away."

At that, a number of those beggars
went to The Lucky Man [Bhaggava],
greeted him with closed palms,
and sitting to one side, said:

"Bhaggava, BrokeTooth Tissa,
the Bhaggava's cousin
has said this:

'Truth is, my friends,
it's like my body is drugged,
the four directions are dim,
and the Dhamma is confusing to me.
Lazy ways and inertia overpower my mind
and I am without enthusiasm for the life.
I fear I am falling away.'"

So then the Lucky Man motioned
to a certain beggar:

"Come, beggar,
go to Beggar Tissa
and ask him to come,
saying:

'Friend Tissa, The Master
wishes to speak with you.'"

"Yes BrokeTooth!" replied the beggar,
and going to BrokeTooth Tissa, he said:

"Friend Tissa, the Master wishes to speak with you."

"So be it, Beggar!" said Tissa,
and coming to the Lucky Man,
greeted him with closed palms
and sat to one side.

So sitting, the Lucky Man said this to Tissa:

"Is it true, Tissa?
They say you said:
'Truth is, my friends,
it's like my body is drugged,
the four directions are dim,
and the Dhamma is confusing to me.
Lazy ways and inertia overpower my mind
and I am without enthusiasm for the life.
I fear I am falling away.'"

"It is true, Bhaggava."

"In that case, Tissa,
what do you think?

In material [rūpa] associated with lust
[rāga = rage "it's all the rage"],
associated with wanting,
associated with love,
associated with thirst,
associated with passion,
associated with hunger [taṇhā] —
is such Material subject to setbacks and reversals,
grief and lamentation,
pain and misery?"

"It is that, Bhaggava."

"Well said, well said, Tissa!

And is it not the same with perception,
sensation,
the personal world,
and consciousness?"

"It is that, Bhaggava."

"Well said, well said, Tissa!

So then, Tissa, what do you think?

Is material free from lust,
free from wanting,
free from love,
free from thirst,
free from passion,
free from hunger,
is such material
subject to setbacks and reversals,
grief and lamentation,
pain and misery?"

"It is not, Bhaggava."

"Well said, well said, Tissa!

And is it not the same with perception,
sensation,
the personal world,
and consciousness?"

"It is that, Bhaggava."

"Well said, well said, Tissa!

So then, Tissa, what do you think?

Is material inconsistent [nicca] or consistent [anicca]?

"Inconsistent, Bhaggava."

"And how is it with perception,
sensation,
the personal world
and consciousness?
Consistent or inconsistent?"

"Inconsistent, Bhaggava."

"So seeing, Tissa,
the well tamed,
well trained,
well educated
student of the aristocrats
disassociates from material,
disassociates from perception,
disassociates from sensation,
disassociates from a world of his own,
disassociates from consciousness.

Disassociated, he does not lust after it.

Not lusting after it, he is freed.

In freedom he sees freedom.

In freedom seeing freedom he knows:

"I am free!"
and has penetrating knowledge that:
"Rebirth has been left behind.
Lived is the best life.
Done is duty's doing.
No more it'n-n-at'n
[being any kind of an "it" at any place of being "at']
for me!"

Imagine, Tissa, two men:
one unskilled about the way,
and the other skilled as to The Way.

The one who is unskilled asks directions
of the one who is skilled.

The one skilled as to the way answers:

'This is the way, good man:
Go on a little further on this way,
and when you see the way divide,
leave the left hand way and take the right hand way.

Go on a little further on this way,
and you will come to a deep forest.

Keep going on a little further on this way
and you will come to a swamp.

Keep going on a little further on this way
and you will come to a cliff.

Keep going on a little further on this way
and you will reach a pleasant patch of high ground.

This, Tissa, is the meaning
of the parable I have devised:

By "one unskilled about the way" is meant,
the untamed, untrained, uneducated common man.

By "one skilled as to the way" is meant
the Tathāgata.

By "seeing the way divide" is meant
Doubt.

"The left hand way" means
the way contrary to the way.

"The right hand way"
is a name for The Aristocratic Multidimensional Way,
that is:
High Views,
High Principles,
High Talk,
High Works,
High Lifestyle,
High Self Control,
High Memory,
and High Serenity.

The "Deep Forest" is a name for blindness [not seeing, ignorance].

The "Swamp" is a name for desire.

The "Cliff" is a name for dashed-hope-anger.

"A pleasant patch of high ground,"
is a name for Nibbāna.

Be well, Tissa! Be well, Tissa!
I have instructed you.
I have assisted you.
I have spoken to you.

Thus spake the Bhaggava
and the BrokeTooth Tissa
was given peace of mind
and made happy
as a consequence of what the Bhaggava said.

 

§

 

Self-Illuminated

Sanyutta Nikaya
Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Sanyutta

Sutta 43

Attadipa^[1]

"Do ye abide, brethren,
islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves:
taking refuge in none other;
islanded by the Norm, taking refuge in the Norm,
seeking refuge in none other."

— PTS: Kindred Sayings on Elements, V:43:
On Being an Island to Self, F.L. Woodward translation.

 

Evam Me Sutam

I HEAR TELL:

Ekam Samayam

Once upon a time, the Lucky Man, Savatthi Town, Anāthapiṇḍika Park, came-a ReVisiting.

There he said:

Self-illuminated^[2], beggars,
live self-protected,
by not else protected;
Dhamma-illuminated,
Dhamma-protected,
by not else protected.

Self-illuminated, beggars,
living self-protected,
by not else protected;
Dhamma-illuminated,
Dhamma-protected,
by not else protected
studiously examine things
to their point of origin [womb]^[3]
this way:

"What is the birth,
what is the beginning
of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair?"

What is the birth,
what is the beginning
of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair?

Here, beggars, the common man,
not seeing Aristocrats,
unwise to the Aristocratic Dhamma,
untrained in the Aristocratic Dhamma,
not seeing real men,
unwise to the Dhamma of real men,
untrained in the Dhamma of real men^[4],
holds the view:
material^[5] is self,
or self has material,
or material is in self,
or self is in material.

For such a one
that material changes
and becomes something else.

For such a one,
that material changing
and becoming something else
is the appearance of the birth
of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair.

Or he holds the view:
sensation is self,
or self has sensation,
or sensation is in self,
or self is in sensation.

For such a one
that sensation changes
and becomes something else.

For such a one,
that sensation changing
and becoming something else
is the appearance of the birth
of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair.

Or he holds the view:
perception is self,
or self has perception,
or perception is in self,
or self is in perception.

For such a one
that perception changes
and becomes something else.

For such a one,
that perception changing
and becoming something else
is the appearance of the birth
of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair.

Or he holds the view:
personalization is self,
or self has personalization,
or personalization is in self,
or self is in personalization.

For such a one
that personalization changes
and becomes something else.

For such a one,
that personalization changing
and becoming something else
is the appearance of the birth
of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair."

Or he holds the view:
consciousness is self,
or self has consciousness,
or consciousness is in self,
or self is in consciousness.

For such a one
that consciousness changes
and becomes something else.

For such a one,
that consciousness changing
and becoming something else
is the appearance of the birth
of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair."

But viewing material, beggars,
as changing,
corrupt,
dying out,
ending,
thinking:

"Before, as well as in the here and now,
material was a changeable,
painful phenomena
subject to dying out,"
and thus with penetrating knowledge
seeing it as it really is,
he lets go of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair,
and letting go
is not dissatisfied,
and not dissatisfied,
lives pleasantly,
and living pleasantly,
they say "This beggar is cool."

Or viewing sensation, beggars,
as changing,
corrupt,
dying out,
ending,
thinking:

"Before, as well as in the here and now,
sensation was a changeable,
painful phenomena
subject to dying out,"
and thus with penetrating knowledge
seeing it as it really is,
he lets go of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair,
and letting go is not dissatisfied,
and not dissatisfied,
lives pleasantly,
and living pleasantly,
they say "This beggar is cool."

Or viewing perception, beggars,
as changing,
corrupt,
dying out,
ending,
thinking:

"Before, as well as in the here and now,
perception was a changeable,
painful phenomena
subject to dying out,"
and thus with penetrating knowledge
seeing it as it really is,
he lets go of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair,
and letting go is not dissatisfied,
and not dissatisfied,
lives pleasantly,
and living pleasantly,
they say "This beggar is cool."

Or viewing personalization, beggars, as changing,
corrupt,
dying out,
ending,
thinking:

"Before, as well as in the here and now,
personalization was a changeable, painful phenomena
painful phenomena
subject to dying out,"
and thus with penetrating knowledge
seeing it as it really is,
he lets go of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair,
and letting go is not dissatisfied,
and not dissatisfied,
lives pleasantly,
and living pleasantly,
they say "This beggar is cool."

Or viewing consciousness, beggars, as changing,
corrupt,
dying out,
ending,
thinking:

"Before, as well as in the here and now,
consciousness was a changeable, painful phenomena
painful phenomena
subject to dying out,"
and thus with penetrating knowledge
seeing it as it really is,
he lets go of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair,
and letting go is not dissatisfied,
and not dissatisfied,
lives pleasantly,
and living pleasantly,
they say "This beggar is cool."

 

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^[1] This Sutta [instruction, teaching, story, spell, literally 'yarn', 'string' or 'thread'; always more than a story, it must be educational as well] discusses one of the handful of central ideas which are absolutely unique to the teachings of Gotama: the idea of anatta: not-self.
Please carefully register the idea that this is not the idea of 'No Self'.
This is one of the most difficult of Buddhist concepts to grasp, but it is essential for making any sense of the system, so give it your best shot:
The idea is that there is no thing there that can accurately be called the self of one. (And 'thing' includes everything conceivable.) And yet there is no denial of Self.
The notion of "self" is dependent on point of view: One man holds that the self is there based on conventional common sense — he calls what he sees the self;
another looks at the atomic structure and dig as he might can find no atom that is the self and concludes that there is no self. The Buddha avoids this debate as fruitless.
The Buddha's instruction is that whether or not the self exists, Pain exists, and it does so dependent upon the holding of any view of self — because we "personalize" the world, we identify with one thing or another as the self, and suffer with it; completely unnecessary — so let go of the view.

^[2] Is it a light or is it an island? The word "dipa" means both.
attadipa can mean Self-Island, or Self-lit so: "Live as a light unto yourself" is, at the least, heard.
attasarana Self surrounded, in the sense of "protected" and, also, self-recollected
anaññasarana [añña>an=not; ya=whatsoever; Latin alius, Gothic aljis, Old Anglo Saxon elles>English else] Not Other-Surrounded or protected
So we can contrast atta with anañña and be relatively sure the idea is Self/Not Other or Else
So we can contrast attasarana with anaññasarana and be relatively sure the idea isn't Self-recollected and Other-recollected.
On the other hand, there is an old link in the word "sarana" to sarangsa, The Sun's Rays. "Bathed in Light" comes to mind as a root idea of surrounded and protected.
And then we have the second set of three terms:
DhammaDipa which would mean Dhamma-Islanded as with Woodward, or Dhamma-lit or illuminated
DhammaSarana taking refuge in the Dhamma or Surrounded by or Protected by Dhamma
And anaññasarana again.
So I am saying: While 'Be an Island unto one's self' is nice, 'be the Dhamma unto one's self' doesn't fit, and there is the underlying theme of light, so mine.

^[3] Yoni yeva upaparikkhitabbo. [see also: Yonisomanasikāro] A phrase which seems to have undergone some 'reconstruction.' It means "thoroughly examine to the womb." However it's use broadened out into 'studious examination' period, and even out into just 'giving thorough attention'. The reader should note the difference which is made to the mental picture when translating "yoni" [womb] as "origin" versus leaving it as "womb." [indicated by square brackets below]:
Pali [with apologies for the lack of diacritical marks]:

Attadipanam bhikkhave viharatam attasarananam anannasarananam dhammadipanam dhammasarananam anannasarananam [yoni] yeva upaparikkhitabbo . . . kiṃjatika sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupayasa kimpahotika ti . . .

Woodward:
By them who are islands unto themselves, brethren, who are a refuge unto themselves, who take refuge in none other who are islanded by the Norm, take refuge in the Norm, seek refuge in none other — by them the very [source] of things is to be searched for: thus — "What is the source of sorrow and grief, of woe, lamentation and despair? What is their origin?"

^[4]Please note the way this is translated compared to the way it is usually presented here:
Here, beggars, the common man, not seeing Aristocrats, unwise to the Aristocratic Dhamma, untrained in the Aristocratic Dhamma, not seeing real men, unwise to the Dhamma of real men, untrained in the Dhamma of real men
Vs:
In the case of this case, beggars, we have the case of the untamed, untrained, uneducated common man. Untamed to the discipline of the aristocrats, untrained in the manners of the aristocrats, uneducated in the teachings of the aristocrats; untamed to the ways of the sappurisa, untrained in the craft of the sappurisa, uneducated to the lore of the sappurisa,
The first adheres closely to the Pali, the second shows the variety of meanings of Dhamma. We could use a good translation for the term "Sappurisa." Some others are "puremen" "superman" "worthy ones."
"purisa" is a term meaning "male" [pass up sun one], and "sapp-" means "clairified" as in butter, or gold. Interesting that our culture does not have a good word for a good man.

^[5]Rupa is translated by Woodward as "Body", which is a fairly standard interpretation. Here "material" is used because the meaning is broader and because there is another closer Pali word for body in "kaya" The broader meaning was likely intended because the discussion is of that which individuals consider their own or themselves. Some individuals conception of what material constitutes the self of them extends beyond (some beings out there think the whole world is their own!), or is less than the body [while it is in you, does excrement constitute a part of your idea of yourself or not? Is it a part of the body or not?].