Question: How do the 5 khandhas relate to the four foundations of mindfulness?
Than Ajahn: The four foundation of mindfulness is the study of the 5 khandhas. In order to understand the 5 khandhas, you need to study the teaching on the four foundation of mindfulness. You need mindfulness in order for you to be able to get to the 5 khandhas.
Without mindfulness, you can only get to one khandha, which is the rūpa khandha (the body).
Without mindfulness, you can see the body, but you can’t see the other four khandhas. So, you need to develop mindfulness.
Once you have mindfulness and you can calm your mind, then you can see how the four khandhas are functioning and how they stop functioning.
When the mind becomes calm, the four khandhas will stop functioning. And when the mind comes out of samadhi, the four khandhas will start to function again. The viññāṇa will start to reconnect to the body, then the mind can see what the body sees, hear what the body hears.
When the mind is in samādhi, it doesn’t hear or see anything that the body sees or hears. So, the four foundations of mindfulness is the study of the 5 khandhas.
Dhamma in English, Sep 19, 2018.
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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