A Stream-Enterer Understands The Five Aggregates

When, Monks, a Noble Disciple understands as they really are the cause and the disappearance, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of these five aggregates subject to clinging.

Monks, then he is called a Noble Disciple who is a Stream-Enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destination, with Enlightenment as his destination.

(Reference: SN 22.109)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how a Stream-Enterer will understand “the cause and the disappearance, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of” The Five Aggregates. The Five Aggregates are introduced in The Four Noble Truths, a central Teaching of The Buddha and then explained in more detail within other Teachings. A Stream-Enterer will deeply understand and be practicing The Four Noble Truths with the wisdom of The Five Aggregates.

The Five Aggregates are form, feelings, perceptions, volitional formations, and consciousness.

The Five Aggregates are what makes “a being, a being”. A living being will have all five aggregates, also known as “elements” or “collections”.

The Five Aggregates

Form: the physical body.

Feelings: results of experiences in the mind through The Six Sense Bases.

Perceptions: a belief or opinion based on how things seem.

Volitional Formations: choices or decisions that are made.

Consciousness: the mind.

It is when the mind “clings” or “holds on” to The Five Aggregates that the mind experiences continued discontentedness. Observing the impermanent nature of The Five Aggregates, a human being can “let go” no longer experiencing discontentedness due to “holding on” to The Five Aggregates experiencing constant rebirth in The Cycle of Rebirth.

Due to clinging to The Five Aggregates and a being coming into existence, the mind will experience discontentedness.

All unEnlightened beings will experience discontentedness.

Discontentedness: Gotama Buddha describes three feelings as discontent. The goal of these Teachings is to eliminate discontentedness of mind providing the mind a permanent place to reside in Enlightenment.

• A pleasant feeling (happiness, excitement, elation, thrill, exhilaration, euphoria, etc.)

• A painful feeling (sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fear, stress, etc.)

• A feeling that is neither painful-nor-pleasant (boredom, loneliness, shyness, displeased, uncomfortable, unsatisfied, etc.)

Cause: craving/desire/attachment

Disappearance: The Universal Truth of Impermanence

Gratification: The unEnlightened mind’s fetter/taint/pollution of “sensual desire”

Danger: The Universal Truth of Discontentedness

Escape: The Eight Fold Path

Detailed explanation of The Four Noble Truths is available in this same book series found in Chapter 4 of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1) and in Chapter 7 of the book “Walking The Path with The Buddha” (Volume 2).