Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu encourages us to truly understand the burden of life so that we will be able to let go of it – toss it away – and be free of it. He tells us about the things on which this burden is established – the pañca-khandha (five groups of clinging) – rūpa (body aggregate), vedanā (feeling aggregate), saññā (perception aggregate), saṅkhāra (thinking aggregate), and viññāṇa (consciousness or sense awareness aggregate). These include every aspect of human life, and if we study them fully, then we will have studied all of Buddhism. He introduces the five khandhas by illustrating how they arise in a newly born infant.

This Dhamma teaching was offered by Tan Ajahn on 4th December 1986.
Live English translation by Santikaro Bhikkhu; 25:50 minutes

The Five Khandhas series:

8612 – [1 of 6] The Burden of Life

8612 – [2 of 6] The Problem of Every One of Us

8612 – [3 of 6] TheThings Called ‘The Five Khandhas’

8612 – [4 of 6] TheThings Called ‘The Five Khandhas’ (continued)

8612 – [5 of 6] Originating Causes That Turn Life into Dukkha

8612 – [6 of 6] Fruits of Removing Self from the Five Khandhas