Saṃjñā

The Five Aggregates (pañca khandha) according to the Pali Canon.     form (rūpa)   4 elements (mahābhūta)         ↓     contact (phassa)     ↓ ↑   consciousness (viññāna)           → ←       ←   mental factors (cetasika)     feeling (vedanā)       perception (sañña)       formation (saṅkhāra)         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)  |  diagram details

Table: Uses of samādhi (based on AN IV.41) object of concentration development four jhānas pleasant abiding (sukha-vihārāya) in this life (diţţhadhamma) perception (sañña) of light (āloka) knowing (ñāṇa) and seeing (dassana) arising, passing, fading of feelings (vedanā), perceptions (saññā) and thoughts (vitakkā) mindfulness (sati) and clear comprehension (sampajaññā) arising and fading of the five aggregates of clinging (pañc'upādāna-khandha) extinction (khaya) of the taints (āsava) [Arahantship]

Saṃjñā (Sanskrit; Devanagiri: संज्ञा) and sañña (Pāli; Devanagiri: सञ्ञा) can be translated as "perception" or "cognition."

In the Early Buddhist literature

In the early Buddhism Theravadin texts of the Nikayas/Āgamas, saṃjñā/sañña is the third of the Five Aggregates (Skt.: skandha; Pali: khandha) which can be used to skillfully delineate phenomenological experiences during meditation.^[1] Whether as one of the Five Aggregates, meditative concentration (samādhi) on the passing and rising (P. vipassana, S. vipaśyanā) of sañña can lead to mindfulness (P.sati, S. smṛti), clear comprehension (P. sampajanna, S. samprajaña) enlightenment and Arhantship (see Table).

In the Pali Canon, sañña is frequently defined as:

"It perceives blue, it perceives yellow, it perceives red, it perceives white."^[2]

In post-canonical Pali commentaries, the Visuddhimagga likens sañña to "a child without discretion."^[3]

See also

• Buddhist meditation
• Siddhas (Mahasiddas)
• Skandha (Five Aggregates)
• Vedana (Feelings/Sensations)

Notes

1. ^ See, for instance, the Satipatthana Sutta.
2. ^ Thanissaro (2001).
3. ^ Buddhaghosa (1999), p. 436.

Source

• Buddhaghosa, Bhadantācariya (trans. from Pāli by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli) (1999). The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga. Seattle, WA: BPS Pariyatti Editions. ISBN 1-928706-00-2.

• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2001). Khajjaniya Sutta: Chewed Up (SN 22.79). Retrieved 2006-06-22 from "Access to Insight" at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.079.than.html.