Understanding The Five Aggregates July 18 2018
As exploring the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness continues, the importance of understanding how the Five Aggregates functions in organizing an experience of “selfing” conceptually integrates with the ability to mindfully investigate the experience of form, feelings, perceptions, mind conditioners and consciousness as mental phenomena without identifying with their interactive functioning as a self that is autonomous and enduring. During the talk, the 52 mental conditioners called cetasikas were described categorically as Universal, Occasional, Unwholesome and Wholesome (with the addition of feelings and perceptions on the list). Peter used the example of jealousy (listed as envy among the cetasikas) as a category that all people experience, then talking about the jealousy experienced as a memory of a favored sibling getting the “best” piece of cake as an explicit and personalized manifestation of craving and clinging to clarify how to investigate mind conditioners through vipassana practice.
This was followed by discussion of how mindful and non-attached investigation of the presence or absence of awareness of one of the five aggregates affects one’s lived experience in the process of Awakening.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: UNDERSTANDING THE FIVE AGGREGATES
Here is the cetasikas poster that is posted in the meditation room that was referred to in the talk: CETASIKAS POSTER
Next week’s talk will explore how mindfulness of the “six sense bases” furthers the process of Awakening.
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