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Sakhra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sakhra (Pali; Devanagari: ) orsaskra (Sanskrit; Devanagari: ) is a term figuring prominently in the teaching of theBuddha. The word means 'that which has been put together' and 'that which puts together'. In the first (passive) sense, sak hra refers to conditioned phenomena generally but specifically to all mental "dispositions".[1] These are called 'volitional formations' both because they are formed as a result of volition and because they are causes for the arising of future volitional actions. In the second (active) sense of the word, sak hra refers to that faculty of the mind/brain apparatus (sank hara-k handha) that puts together those formations.[2] English translations for sak hra in the first sense of the word include 'conditioned things,'[3]'determinations,'[4] 'fabrications'[5] and 'formations' (or, particularly when referring to mental processes, 'volitional formations').[6]
Contents [hide] 1 Conditioned things 2 Sankhara-khandha: The builder of lives 3 Mental factors 4 Nibbana 5 English translations for the term Sankhara 6 See also 7 Notes 8 Sources

Conditioned things

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In the first (passive) sense sak hra can refer to any compound form in the universe whether a tree, a cloud, a human being, a thought or a molecule. All these are sakhras. The Buddha taught that all such things are impermanent, arising and passing away, subject to change, and that understanding the significance of this reality is wisdom. Sakhra is often used in this first sense to describe the psychological conditioning (particularly the habit patterns of the unconscious mind) that gives any individual human being his or her unique character and make-up at any given time. The last words of the Buddha, according to the Mahparinibbna Sutta (in English and Pali), were "Disciples, this I declare to you: All conditioned things are subject to disintegration strive on untiringly for your liberation." (Pali: "handa'dni bhik k have mantaymi vo, vayadhamm sak hr appamdena sampdeth ti.")

Sankhara-khandha: The builder of lives

The 12 Nidnas: Ignorance Formations Consciousness Name & Form Six Sense Bases Contact Feeling Craving Clinging

[edit source] The Five Aggregates (paca k handha)

according to the Pali Canon.

In the second (active) sense, sak hra (orsak hra-k handha) refers to the form-creating faculty of mind, often described as "volitional" or "intentional."[7] States the Buddha: 'And why do you call them 'fabrications'? Because they fabricate fabricated things, thus they are called 'fabrications.' What do they fabricate as a fabricated thing? For the sake of form-ness, they fabricate form as a fabricated thing. For the sake of feelingness, they fabricate feeling as a fabricated thing. For the sake of perception-hood... For the sake of fabrication-hood... For the sake ofconsciousnesshood, they fabricate consciousness as a fabricated

form ( rpa)
4 elements (mahbhta)

mental f actors (cetasika)

feeling ( vedan)

contact (phassa)

perception ( saa)

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Becoming Birth Old Age & Death

Sakhra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

thing. Because they fabricate fabricated things, they are called fabrications.'[8]

consciousness ( vina)

form ation ( sakhra)

In the doctrine of conditioned arising or dependent origination (paiccasamuppda), sak hrak handha is understood to be that which propels human (and other sentient) beings along the process of becoming (bhava) by means of actions of body and speech (k amma).[9] The Buddha stated that all volitional constructs are conditioned by ignorance (avijja) of the reality (sacca) behind appearance.[10] It is this ignorance that ultimately causes human suffering (duk k ha). The calming of all such fabrications (sabba-sak hra-nirodha) is synonymous with Enlightenment (bodhi), the achieving of arahantship.

Form is derived from the Four Great Elements. Consciousness arises from other aggregates. Mental Factors arise from the Contact of Consciousness and other aggregates.
Source: MN 109 (Thanissaro, 2001)

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As ignorance conditions volitional formations, these formations in turn condition consciousness (vina). The Buddha elaborated: 'What one intends, what one arranges, and what one obsesses about: This is a support for the stationing of consciousness. There being a support, there is a landing [or: an establishing] of consciousness. When that consciousness lands and grows, there is the production of renewed becoming in the future. When there is the production of renewed becoming in the future, there is future birth, aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair. Such is the origination of this entire mass of suffering & stress.'[11] Tradition relates that after the Buddha's complete enlightenment he uttered the following words (English and Pali): 'Seeking but not finding the housebuilder, I have traveled through the round of countless births. How painful is birth over and over again. Oh housebuilder! You have now been caught! You shall not build a house again. Your rafters have been broken. Your ridgepole demolished. The unconditioned consciousness has been attained. And every kind of craving has been uprooted and destroyed.' (Dhammapda, verses 153,154) Anek a jti samsra sandha vissam anibhissam Gahak arak a gavesanto duk k hajti punappunam Gahak arak a ditthosi puna geham nak ahasi Sabba te phasuk a bagga gahak utam visamk hatam Visamk hragatam cittam tanhanam k hayamajjhaga.

The 'housebuilder' to which the Buddha refers is just this mental faculty of sank hra-k handhawhose products, the volitional formations, are conditioned by ignorance.

Mental factors

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Main article: Mental factors (Buddhism) Mental factors (Sanskrit: caitasik a; Pali: cetasik a; Tibetan Wylie: sems byung) are formations (Sanskrit: sak hra) concurrent with mind (Sanskrit: citta).[12][13][14] They can be described as aspects of the mind that apprehend the quality of an object, and that have the ability to color the mind.[15]

Nibbana

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The Buddha emphasized the need to purify dispositions rather than eliminate them completely.[16] Kalupahana states that "the elimination of dispositions is epistemological suicide," as dispositions determine our perspectives. The development of one's personality in the direction of perfection or imperfection rests with one's dispositions.[17] When preliminary nibbana with substrate occurs (that is, nibbana of a living being),constructive consciousness, that is, the house-builder, is completely destroyed and no new formations will be constructed. However, sankharas in the sense of constructedconsciousness, which exists as a 'karmically-resultant-consciousness' (vipk a vina), continue to exist.[18] Each liberated individual produces no new karma, but preserves a particular individual personality which is the result of the traces of his or her karmic heritage. The very fact that there is a psycho-physical substrate during the remainder of an arahant'slifetime shows the continuing effect of karma.[18] See also: Nibbana#Transcendent k nowing

English translations for the term Sankhara

Activities (Ajahn Sucitto) Conditions Conditioned things [19] Determinations [4][20] Fabrications [5] Formations (Bhikkhu Bodhi)[21] Karmic formations Volitional activities (Gethin, p. 136) Volitional formations (Bhikkhu Bodhi)

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