One Called a Being

‘Venerable Sir, it is said, ‘a being, a being’. In what way, Venerable Sir, is one called a being?’

One is stuck, Rādha, tightly stuck, in desire, longing, excitement, and craving for form; therefore one is called ‘a being’.

One is stuck, tightly stuck, in desire, longing, excitement, and craving for feelings; therefore one is called ‘a being’.

One is stuck, tightly stuck, in desire, longing, excitement, and craving for perceptions; therefore one is called ‘a being’.

One is stuck, tightly stuck, in desire, longing, excitement, and craving for volitional formations (choices/decisions); therefore one is called ‘a being’.

One is stuck, tightly stuck, in desire, longing, excitement, craving for consciousness: therefore one is called ‘a being’.

(Reference: SA 122)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how craving for The Five Aggregates of form, feelings, perceptions, volitional formations (choices/decisions), or consciousness (the mind) makes one “stuck” and “therefore one is called a being”.

It is The Five Aggregates that identifies a living being. Holding on to The Five Aggregates with craving/desire/attachment will cause the mind to continue to experience discontentedness and continuous rebirth in The Cycle of Rebirth.