Rādha asks the Buddha about a the term “being”, and the Buddha explains in terms of craving for the five aggregates. He compares such craving to a child playing with sandcastles.

Rādha asks the Buddha about a the term “being”, and the Buddha explains in terms of craving for the five aggregates. He compares such craving to a child playing with sandcastles.

At Sāvatthi.

Seated to one side, Venerable Rādha addressed the Blessed One:

“Venerable sir, it is said ‘being, being.’ To what extent, venerable sir, is one called a being?”

The Blessed One replied:

1. "Rādha, in form, wherever there is desire, passion, delight, and craving, there one is a being, there one is bound, therefore, one is called a being.

2. In feeling, wherever there is desire, passion, delight, and craving, there one is a being, there one is bound, therefore, one is called a being.

3. In perception, wherever there is desire, passion, delight, and craving, there one is a being, there one is bound, therefore, one is called a being.

4. In formations (meaning formed together or concoctions: that which volitions are informed by), wherever there is desire, passion, delight, and craving, there one is a being, there one is bound, therefore, one is called a being.

5. In consciousness, wherever there is desire, passion, delight, and craving, there one is a being, there one is bound, therefore, one is called a being.

Just as, Rādha, young boys or girls play with sandcastles: as long as they possess passion, desire, affection, thirst, fervor, and craving for those sandcastles, they cling to them, engage playfully, hold them dear, and consider them as their own. But when, Rādha, the young boys or girls lose their passion, desire, affection, thirst, fervor, and craving towards those sandcastles, then they scatter them with their hands and feet, demolish and destroy them, rendering them unplayable."

1. In just this way, Rādha, you too should scatter, demolish, and destroy form, and make it unplayable by practicing for the wearing away of craving.

2. You should scatter, demolish, and destroy feeling, and make it unplayable by practicing for the wearing away of craving.

3. You should scatter, demolish, and destroy perception, and make it unplayable by practicing for the wearing away of craving.

4. You should scatter, demolish, and destroy volitional formations, and make it unplayable by practicing for the wearing away of craving.

5. You should scatter, demolish, and destroy consciousness, and make it unplayable by practicing for the wearing away of craving.

Indeed, Rādha, the complete wearing away of craving is Nibbāna."

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Subjective experience (the cognizing) is what living beings are uniquely capable of. It is through subjective experience that living beings have diverse feelings, perceptions and formations of:

1. Pleasant types such as of happiness, excitement, joy, elation, thrill, exhilaration, euphoria.

2. Painful types such as of sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fear, stress.

3. Neither painful-nor-pleasant types such as of boredom, loneliness, melancholy, shyness, displeased, uncomfortable, unsatisfactoriness.

All of these types of feelings, perceptions and formations are ever changing (i.e. they are not permanent), have the characteristic of discontentment (the longer one stays with them, the more noticeable this becomes), and are prone to being perceived through a me/mine/myself.

Per the Buddha, as long as a living being is bound in the cycle of birth, aging, and death and has not awakened to the truth of enlightenment; the living being is bound to experience only one of these three classes of feelings, leading to perceptions and formations of one of these three types. There is no permanent form, feeling, perception, formation or consciousness that living being has experienced nor will they experience such while being bound in the cycle of birth, aging, and death.

Understanding and independently verifying the five aggregates subject to craving/desire/attachment through one’s experiences, and then practicing per the gradual training guidelines to gradually letting go of operating through craving/desire/attachment to the aggregates, observing for:

• Growth in contentment with what is

• Growth in diligence (reduction of laziness)

• Reduction in new desires

• Improvements in personal and professional relationships

is how one gradually awakens to the truth of enlightenment (stream-entry).

Related Teachings:

Consciousness stands dependent on the other four aggregates (SN 22.53) - Consciousness stands dependent on the other four aggregates, and this attachment is what fuels the continuation of the cycle of birth, aging and death.

A lump of foam (SN 22.95) - The Buddha gives a series of similes for the aggregates: physical form is like foam, feeling is like a bubble, perception is like a mirage, choices are like a coreless tree, and consciousness is like an illusion.

Buddha answers 10 questions on the aggregates (SN 22.82) - On a full moon night with the Sangha at Sāvatthi, the Buddha answers a series of ten questions on the aggregates.