What causes us to suffer in an impermanent world is not impermanence itself, but the desire burning within us to attach to things that are not lasting. We harbor this desire (in Sanskirt, trishna, also translated "thirst" or "craving") as long as we cling inappropriately to the ego-oriented notion of self. Such a limited, artificial perspective—distinguishing between self and other, instead of realizing the interpenetration of both—easily gives rise to the so-called three poisons, or defilements, of greed, anger, and ignorance. These poisons, in turn, feed desire: the urge to acquire, to overpower, to win.
In distinct opposition to the Hindu belief in a personal self (atman) that passes in soul-like form from a lifetime in one body to a lifetime in another, Shakyamuni taught the doctrine of no-self (anataman). Individuals, of course, live as such in the real world, and need to think in terms of a self to a certain degree for basic survival purposes. Nevertheless, the self does not exist as a spiritual or metaphysical entity. Instead, it's simply the name given to a temporary combination (or "personality") of impermanent aggregates.
Buddhism posits five groups of aggregates (in Sanskrit, collectively referred to as skandhas):
1. matter. The eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. In Buddhism each of these items is considered a sense organ.
2. sensations. The raw data of sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and mental activity.
3. perception. The recognition and naming of the sensations listed above.
4. mental formation. All mental acts that generate activities—for example, will, judgment, fear, repulsion, pride, and so on. This skandha can manifest the three poisons—greed, anger, and ignorance—or their medicinal counterparts—wisdom, compassion, and enlightenment. Its function links to our karma which explains Shakyamuni's words, "We are what we think."
5 consciousness. The awareness, registration, and ordering of the perceptions listed above.
---Jack Maguire, in Essential Buddhism---
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