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Five Aggregates and the Self
- The Buddha uses the five aggregates (khanda) to analyze subjective experience and deconstruct the concept of self.
- These aggregates reveal the nature of life, birth, and death as the arising and passing of these aggregates, not a fixed self.
Rupa: Experiencing Physical Sensations
- The first aggregate, Rupa (material form), shifts understanding from concepts (e.g., "my back hurts") to direct experience of sensations.
- This reveals the impermanence of physical sensations, challenging the illusion of a solid, unchanging body.
Contemplating Feelings
- Recognize feelings as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, observing their impermanent nature.
- By acknowledging feelings without clinging, we reduce agitation and move towards liberation (Nirvana).