An Analytical Study of the Five Aggregates (Khandha) In Buddhist Scripture in Scientific Perspective

Abstract

This article was a part of thesis entitled ‘An Analytical Study of the Five Aggregates (Khandha) in Buddhist Scripture in Scientific Perspective’ aiming at studying the teaching of 5 aggregates, aggregates in perspective of science, and analysis of 5 aggregates in the view of science. It was a documentary type of qualitative research. Its findings revealed that according to Buddhism, Khandha or aggregates consist of five main components of body, combining between mater and mental conditions; they are, 1) Rūpakhandha or various parts of physical body, 2) Vedanākhandha or feeling, sensation which occurs from six sensual contacts,
3) Saññākhandha or perception or remembering the objects’ contents, 4) Sankhāra or mental formations referring to volition of bodily, verbal and mental acts with good, bad and neutral state, 5) Viññāṇakhandha or consciousness occurring from outside factors, eyes, ears, tongue, body and mind contact then linking to other aggregate. Khandha in the view of science was explained from evolution of human origin in ovum, the growth and change of human body starting from fertilization, cell forming called Zygote and amitosis up to being embryo traveling through the fallopian tubes into the uterus wall. These five aggregates in Buddhist texts and scientific views appears consistent in the same way and scientific process of physical explanation can be implied to clarify these five aggregates in both of their components and functioning process including their state of non-self.