The five skandhas (Skt. pañcaskandha, “aggregates”) are the Buddhist analysis of what constitutes the experience of a sentient being – and what we mistakenly identify as a “self.” They comprise:
- Form (rūpa) – the physical body and the phenomenal world as perceived through the senses.
- Feeling/Sensation (vedanā) – pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral sensations arising from contact with phenomena.
- Perception (saṃjñā) – the process of recognizing and labeling objects of experience.
- Mental formations (saṃskāra) – volitional impulses, habits, emotions, and intentions that shape action.
- Consciousness (vijñāna) – the basic discriminating awareness accompanying every experience.
What we call “self” is in fact a collection of impermanent, interdependent processes – rather than a fixed, unchanging essence. Understanding this underlies the Buddhist teaching of anatta (non-self) and serves as a key starting point for insight (lhagtong) practice.