Notice that the Five Skandhas and the Compounded Phenomena (Skt. Samskrta) have the same extension, which means it includes both contaminated impermanent phenomena (e.g. ordinary consciousness) and pure inpermanent phenomena (e.g. a Buddha's consciousness). The former could be considered as burden in terms of serving as basis for suffering while the latter is not a "burden".
Generally speaking, there are two explanations of the etymology of Skandha. 1. "pile", since any entity which is belongs to the five Skandhas is compounded by parts. The differences among Buddhist schools is focus on the way of "compounding", for example, spacial (e.g. a desk), temporal (e.g. continuum of consciousness) or epistemological (e.g., a partless partical, as an entity, it is "compounded" by its various knowable characteristics which differentiates itself from other categories of phenomena in our knowledge, also called "isolations" ).
2. "shoulder", as shoulders can carry things, a entity belongs to the five Skandhas can perform telic functions. The differences among Buddhist schools is based on what can be counted as "function", for example, producing a result in external world (seed-tree), causing a mental image(a actual tree cause a mental image of tree), solely cause effect in internal world (a mental image of tree in dream cause the feeling of pleasant), or solely effect in voidness (space have the function of not obstructing).
I am looking forward to it. I just got my book and I should be getting it on Monday or Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteCan the Skandhas be perceived as burdens?
ReplyDeleteNotice that the Five Skandhas and the Compounded Phenomena (Skt. Samskrta) have the same extension, which means it includes both contaminated impermanent phenomena (e.g. ordinary consciousness) and pure inpermanent phenomena (e.g. a Buddha's consciousness). The former could be considered as burden in terms of serving as basis for suffering while the latter is not a "burden".
DeleteGenerally speaking, there are two explanations of the etymology of Skandha.
1. "pile", since any entity which is belongs to the five Skandhas is compounded by parts. The differences among Buddhist schools is focus on the way of "compounding", for example, spacial (e.g. a desk), temporal (e.g. continuum of consciousness) or epistemological (e.g., a partless partical, as an entity, it is "compounded" by its various knowable characteristics which differentiates itself from other categories of phenomena in our knowledge, also called "isolations" ).
2. "shoulder", as shoulders can carry things, a entity belongs to the five Skandhas can perform telic functions. The differences among Buddhist schools is based on what can be counted as "function", for example, producing a result in external world (seed-tree), causing a mental image(a actual tree cause a mental image of tree), solely cause effect in internal world (a mental image of tree in dream cause the feeling of pleasant), or solely effect in voidness (space have the function of not obstructing).