<p>One may speak of the <strong>skandhas</strong> (Sanskrit), <strong>khandhas</strong> (Pāḷi) or <strong>aggregates</strong> (English) named as <em>matter, sensation, perception, mental formations</em> and <em>consciousness</em>. The <strong><em>Sutta Pitaka</em></strong> of the Pali Canon contains the teachings of the Buddha, as preserved by the Theravada tradition. In the <strong><em>Dhammacakkappavattana</em></strong> Sutta the Buddha explains how the five aggregates subject to grasping are suffering. A diagram based on the <strong><em>Majjhima Nikaya</em></strong> sutta #109 is presented here [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:PancaKhandha]" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:PancaKhandha]</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-21T19:04:47.090Z
yes, this answer doesn't appear to answer the question.
Anthony
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-10T21:58:34.340Z
2015-03-10T21:58:34.340Z
cuddlyable3
<p><strong>The <a href="http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Eighteen_dhatus">18 Dhatus</a></strong> </p>

<p>Which is a breakdown or ultimate-categorization of Experience utilizing the </p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Six_consciousnesses">six (sense-)consciousnesses</a></li>
<li>six sense faculties / sense organs</li>
<li><a href="http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Six_types_of_object">six types of object</a> or "focality" </li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p>If you enjoy thinking about [the world/scene/experience] in terms of 
<strong>vibrations</strong>, you might consider <em>harmonic spots</em> or <em>resonant lengths</em> along a wave as being able to build up and "accumulate"</p>

<p>Have also heard of the aggregates spoken of as "heaps" </p>

<hr>

<p>There is also the <strong>Three kayas</strong> or "Buddha bodies" which might be of interest</p>

<p><a href="http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Three_kayas">http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Three_kayas</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-09T21:16:10.023Z
2015-03-09T21:16:10.023Z
sova
<p>Here is a fairly comprehensive list of alternatives:</p>

<p><strong>Onefold:</strong> <em>saṅkhāra</em></p>

<ul>
<li>formations; everything that arises and ceases </li>
<li>all five aggregates fit in this category.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Twofold:</strong> <em>nāmarūpa</em> </p>

<ul>
<li>name and form (body and mind); divided into material (rūpa) and immaterial (arūpa) </li>
<li>the first aggregate is rūpa, the rest are nāma.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Threefold:</strong> <em>paramattha-dhamma</em> </p>

<ul>
<li>ultimate reality; divided into citta, cetasika and rūpa (excluding nibbāna, which is <em>khandha-vimutti</em> - liberated from the khandas) </li>
<li>the first aggregate is rūpa, the fifth is citta, the other three are cetasika.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Fourfold:</strong> <em>satipaṭṭhāna</em></p>

<ul>
<li><p>objects of the establishing of remembrance; body, feelings, mind, dhammas</p></li>
<li><p>body is first aggregate, feelings is second, mind is fifth, dhammas is all five.</p></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Fourfold:</strong> <em>ariyasacca</em></p>

<ul>
<li><p>noble truths</p></li>
<li><p>all five fall under the first noble truth, besides tanha (under the fourth aggregate), which constitutes the second noble truth.</p></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Twelvefold:</strong> <em>āyatana</em></p>

<ul>
<li><p>bases; the six internal (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind) and six external (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, thoughts)</p></li>
<li><p>all five aggregates arise based on the contact between each of the first five internal bases with their external counterpart. As for the sixth, rūpa is excluded (but still present as <em>hadayavatthu</em>) since thoughts are not physical, nor is the mind.</p></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Twelvefold:</strong> <em>paticcasamupāda</em></p>

<ul>
<li><p>dependent origination; ignorance, mental formations, consciousness, body and mind, six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, suffering.</p></li>
<li><p>ignorance and mental formations are part of the fourth aggregate; consciousness is the fifth; body and mind are all five; six sense bases as above; contact is fourth; feeling is second; craving, clinging, and becoming are fourth; birth is probably fifth?; suffering is all five except tanha.</p></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Eighteenfold:</strong> <em>dhatu</em></p>

<ul>
<li><p>elements; as with the āyatana, adding the six viññāṇa</p></li>
<li><p>as with āyatana, but described as contact between the three.</p></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Twentytwofold:</strong> <em>indriya</em></p>

<ul>
<li><p>faculties; the six sense faculties, the two genders and the life faculty, the five feeling faculties, the five mental faculties, and three enlightenment faculties (see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indriya#22_phenomenological_faculties">here</a> for details)</p></li>
<li><p>the first group involves all five aggregates, the second is part of the first aggregate,, the third is equivalent to the second aggregate, the fourth falls under the fourth aggregate, and the fifth may be khandha-vimutti, but I'm not sure.</p></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-28T21:20:47.090Z
'Birth' is the 4th aggregate. It is a 'formation'. Refer to: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.081.than.html
Dhamma Dhatu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-21T18:54:45.770Z
2015-03-21T18:54:45.770Z
yuttadhammo
<p>Considering the 5 skandas of</p>

<ol>
<li>Form</li>
<li>Feeling</li>
<li>Perception</li>
<li>Volition</li>
<li>Consciousness</li>
</ol>

<p>I was told during a study group once that this was only one of many possible formulations of the skandas and other groupings and numbers of skandas were possible and used. However I have never come across any variation in this scheme. Is anyone aware of any alternative formulations of the five skandas?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-21T20:00:32.740Z
If you want to go outside of Buddhism, you can look into Bundle Theory.
R. Barzell
<philosophy><reference-request><five-skandas>
Are there any alternative formulations of the five skandas?
# Are there any alternative formulations of the five skandas?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-03-09)

Considering the 5 skandas of

1. Form
2. Feeling
3. Perception
4. Volition
5. Consciousness

I was told during a study group once that this was only one of many possible formulations of the skandas and other groupings and numbers of skandas were possible and used. However I have never come across any variation in this scheme. Is anyone aware of any alternative formulations of the five skandas?

**Tags:** philosophy, reference-request, five-skandas

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If you want to go outside of Buddhism, you can look into Bundle Theory.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-03-09. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

**The [18 Dhatus](http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Eighteen_dhatus)**

Which is a breakdown or ultimate-categorization of Experience utilizing the

* [six (sense-)consciousnesses](http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Six_consciousnesses)
* six sense faculties / sense organs
* [six types of object](http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Six_types_of_object) or "focality"

---

If you enjoy thinking about [the world/scene/experience] in terms of
**vibrations**, you might consider *harmonic spots* or *resonant lengths* along a wave as being able to build up and "accumulate"

Have also heard of the aggregates spoken of as "heaps"

---

There is also the **Three kayas** or "Buddha bodies" which might be of interest

<http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Three_kayas>


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-03-21. Score: 14

Here is a fairly comprehensive list of alternatives:

**Onefold:** *saṅkhāra*

* formations; everything that arises and ceases
* all five aggregates fit in this category.

**Twofold:** *nāmarūpa*

* name and form (body and mind); divided into material (rūpa) and immaterial (arūpa)
* the first aggregate is rūpa, the rest are nāma.

**Threefold:** *paramattha-dhamma*

* ultimate reality; divided into citta, cetasika and rūpa (excluding nibbāna, which is *khandha-vimutti* - liberated from the khandas)
* the first aggregate is rūpa, the fifth is citta, the other three are cetasika.

**Fourfold:** *satipaṭṭhāna*

* objects of the establishing of remembrance; body, feelings, mind, dhammas
* body is first aggregate, feelings is second, mind is fifth, dhammas is all five.

**Fourfold:** *ariyasacca*

* noble truths
* all five fall under the first noble truth, besides tanha (under the fourth aggregate), which constitutes the second noble truth.

**Twelvefold:** *āyatana*

* bases; the six internal (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind) and six external (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, thoughts)
* all five aggregates arise based on the contact between each of the first five internal bases with their external counterpart. As for the sixth, rūpa is excluded (but still present as *hadayavatthu*) since thoughts are not physical, nor is the mind.

**Twelvefold:** *paticcasamupāda*

* dependent origination; ignorance, mental formations, consciousness, body and mind, six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, suffering.
* ignorance and mental formations are part of the fourth aggregate; consciousness is the fifth; body and mind are all five; six sense bases as above; contact is fourth; feeling is second; craving, clinging, and becoming are fourth; birth is probably fifth?; suffering is all five except tanha.

**Eighteenfold:** *dhatu*

* elements; as with the āyatana, adding the six viññāṇa
* as with āyatana, but described as contact between the three.

**Twentytwofold:** *indriya*

* faculties; the six sense faculties, the two genders and the life faculty, the five feeling faculties, the five mental faculties, and three enlightenment faculties (see [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indriya#22_phenomenological_faculties) for details)
* the first group involves all five aggregates, the second is part of the first aggregate,, the third is equivalent to the second aggregate, the fourth falls under the fourth aggregate, and the fifth may be khandha-vimutti, but I'm not sure.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: 'Birth' is the 4th aggregate. It is a 'formation'. Refer to: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.081.than.html  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-03-10. Score: 0

One may speak of the **skandhas** (Sanskrit), **khandhas** (Pāḷi) or **aggregates** (English) named as *matter, sensation, perception, mental formations* and *consciousness*. The ***Sutta Pitaka*** of the Pali Canon contains the teachings of the Buddha, as preserved by the Theravada tradition. In the ***Dhammacakkappavattana*** Sutta the Buddha explains how the five aggregates subject to grasping are suffering. A diagram based on the ***Majjhima Nikaya*** sutta #109 is presented here [<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:PancaKhandha]>.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: yes, this answer doesn't appear to answer the question.  

---

