The Buddha uses an example of grass, wood, branches, and leaves in Jeta’s Grove to illustrate the nature of the five aggregates.

SN 22.33 Natumhāka sutta - Not Yours

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthi.

“Yaṁ, bhikkhave, na tumhākaṁ, taṁ pajahatha. Taṁ vo pahīnaṁ hitāya sukhāya bhavissati. Kiñca, bhikkhave, na tumhākaṁ? Rūpaṁ, bhikkhave, na tumhākaṁ, taṁ pajahatha. Taṁ vo pahīnaṁ hitāya sukhāya bhavissati.

“Whatever|, bhikkhus,::::| is not yours, abandon [grasping at] it. When you have abandoned it, that will lead to your |benefit::good, welfare [hitāya]| and |ease::comfort, contentment [sukhāya]|. And what|, bhikkhus,::::| is not yours? |Form::materiality, material existence, experience of the material world, i.e. encompassing both one’s body and external objects, whether near or far, gross or subtle, deficient or refined; first of the five aggregates [rūpa]||, bhikkhus,::::| is not yours; abandon grasping at it. Abandoning it will lead to your benefit and happiness.

Vedanā na tumhākaṁ, taṁ pajahatha. vo pahīnā hitāya sukhāya bhavissati.

|Feeling::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, the experience felt on contact through eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; second of the five aggregates [vedanā]| is not yours; abandon grasping at it. Abandoning it will lead to your benefit and happiness.

Saññā na tumhākaṁ, taṁ pajahatha. vo pahīnā hitāya sukhāya bhavissati.

|Perception::The mental process of recognizing and giving meaning to experience. It marks sensory information by signs, labels, or associations drawn from memory and the field of contact. Perception shapes how one experiences the world; third of the five aggregates [sañña]| is not yours; abandon grasping at it. Abandoning it will lead to your benefit and happiness.

saṅkhārā na tumhākaṁ, te pajahatha. Te vo pahīnā hitāya sukhāya bhavissanti.

|Intentional constructs::the constructive activity that shapes each moment of experience, expressed as bodily, verbal, and mental formations; the accumulated conditioning — patterns, tendencies, and habits — produced by prior action [saṅkhārā]| are not yours; abandon grasping at them. Abandoning them will lead to your benefit and happiness.

Viññāṇaṁ na tumhākaṁ, taṁ pajahatha. Taṁ vo pahīnaṁ hitāya sukhāya bhavissati.

|Consciousness::quality of awareness — distinctive knowing that arises in dependence on the meeting of eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and tangible object, mind and mind object; fifth of the five aggregates [viññāṇa]| is not yours; abandon grasping at it. Abandoning it will lead to your benefit and happiness.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yaṁ imasmiṁ jetavane tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ taṁ jano hareyya ḍaheyya yathāpaccayaṁ kareyya. Api nu tumhākaṁ evamassa: ‘amhe jano harati ḍahati yathāpaccayaṁ karotī’”ti?

Suppose, |bhikkhus,::::| whatever grass, wood, branches, and leaves there are in this Jeta’s Grove, people might take it away, burn it, or use it as they wish. Would it occur to you thus: ‘People are taking us away, burning us, or using us as they wish?’”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Indeed not, venerable sir.”

“Taṁ kissa hetu”?

“For what reason?”

“Na hi no etaṁ, bhante, attā attaniyaṁ vā”ti.

“Because, venerable sir, this is neither our self nor what belongs to our self.”

“Evameva kho, bhikkhave, rūpaṁ na tumhākaṁ, taṁ pajahatha. Taṁ vo pahīnaṁ hitāya sukhāya bhavissati.

“So too, |bhikkhus,::::| form is not yours; abandon grasping at it. Abandoning it will lead to your benefit and happiness.

Vedanā na tumhākaṁ, taṁ pajahatha. vo pahīnā hitāya sukhāya bhavissati.

Feeling is not yours; abandon grasping at it. Abandoning it will lead to your benefit and happiness.

Saññā na tumhākaṁ, taṁ pajahatha. vo pahīnā hitāya sukhāya bhavissati.

Perception is not yours; abandon grasping at it. Abandoning it will lead to your benefit and happiness.

saṅkhārā na tumhākaṁ, te pajahatha. Te vo pahīnā hitāya sukhāya bhavissanti.

Intentional constructs are not yours; abandon grasping at them. Abandoning it will lead to your benefit and happiness.

viññāṇaṁ na tumhākaṁ, taṁ pajahatha. Taṁ vo pahīnaṁ hitāya sukhāya bhavissatī”ti.

Consciousness is not yours; abandon grasping at it. Abandoning it will lead to your benefit and happiness.

Topics & Qualities:

Consciousness

Consciousness

Consciousness, the fifth aggregate, has two key meanings in the discourses: 1.) The distinctive quality of awareness which knows and arises in dependence on the meeting of eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and tangible object, mind and mind object. 2.) A seed that finds a footing in a realm, established by ignorance and intention, leading to renewed existence.

Also known as: awareness, the faculty that distinguishes
Pāli: viññāṇa
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Felt Experience

Felt Experience

Pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation—the experience felt on contact. Sometimes translated as “feeling.” Distinct from an emotional state or reaction, it refers to the affective tone of experience, the bare sensation of pleasure, pain, or neutrality before mental responses arise. It is the second of the five aggregates.

Also known as: feeling
Pāli: vedanā
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Free from attachment

Free from attachment

Release from grasping, not taking anything as “me” or “mine,” ceasing to appropriate or identify with people, things, views, or experiences.

Also known as: free from grasping, not appropriating, not taking as mine, without acquisitions, not clinging, not grasping, not holding onto
Pāli: nirūpadhi, nānupādāya, asita, anuggaha
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Intentional Constructs

Intentional Constructs

Intentional constructs are intentions, volitions, and choices expressed through body, speech, and mind. These are the kamma-producing processes that ‘fabricate’ experience. It is the fourth of the five aggregates.

Also known as: volitional formations, fabrications
Pāli: saṅkhāra
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Perception

Perception

The mental process of recognizing and giving meaning to experience. It marks sensory information by signs, labels, or associations drawn from memory and the field of contact. Perception shapes how one experiences the world. It is the third of the five aggregates.

Also known as: recognition, conception
Pāli: sañña
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Recognition of not-self

Recognition of not-self

Seeing that no phenomenon can rightly be taken as “I” or “mine.” It reveals the impersonal, dependently arisen nature of all experience, undermining conceit and attachment to identity.

Also known as: perception of not being suitable to identify with, realization of being subject to change, recognition of alteration and changing nature
Pāli: anattasaññā
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Last updated on July 11, 2026