Is the aggregate of form (rūpa-skandha) itself an affliction? No. But it has the potential to trigger it, so as to induce painful sensations. It is like someone pointing a knife at you—does the knife itself constitute a mental defilement? Certainly not. Only when it threatens you does it give rise to distress. But if that same knife is pointed at your enemy, it may not necessarily provoke any disturbance in you.
External forms (rūpa), such as mountains, rivers, the earth, guns, or even a high-performance car, are certainly not afflictions in themselves—but they can trigger afflictions. For example, a luxury car may arouse our greed (rāga). According to our earlier definition, greed itself is not painful sensation (duḥkha-vedanā), so it is not affliction per se; however, it can lead to afflictions within us.
At first, wanting a BMW does not bring about distress. But when it remains out of reach, affliction sets in—this is called the “suffering of not getting what one desires.” Even if you do acquire it, it will eventually grow old or might be stolen, which again gives rise to suffering. Moreover, when you are proudly driving your car and someone next to you pulls up in a Maserati and looks at you with disdain, affliction arises again. In fact, when you had no car at all, this kind of comparison-based suffering might not even have existed.
Therefore, external objects such as mountains, rivers, and the earth have no direct connection with afflictions. The key to the arising of affliction lies in the mind: it is when the mind makes judgments about external objects and develops attachment (upādāna) that suffering is produced.
What is the purpose of making such an analysis? Its value is immense. Once you understand this clearly, you will realize that the mind can completely free itself from the constraints of external material conditions.
At the start of practice, people often tell us to renounce this and give up that—no car, no house—claiming that these things will lead to attachment. But we must understand: even if one possesses material wealth, one can still remain unattached. Conversely, merely discarding belongings does not guarantee liberation from them. It is your inner attachment that creates suffering and affliction—not the external objects themselves. Therefore, as the Buddha once taught that if a bhikṣu is free from greed, he may possess the entire world.
Some people, upon hearing this, may mistakenly conclude: “Since material objects have nothing to do with afflictions, then I can indulge in them without restraint!” That is also incorrect. When the mind still has strong attachment to material things, it is sometimes necessary to distance oneself from their triggers. For instance, some practitioners retreat into mountain caves—why do they renounce most material comforts? Because they recognize these conditions as powerful catalysts for their inner turmoil. They strategically withdraw in order to cultivate the mental strength, until they reach a point where, even when facing such objects again, no affliction arises.
Theoretically, we acknowledge that one could attain liberation from these material constraints without physical renunciation. One can remain free of affliction, since material objects are not afflictions in themselves; it is the mind's clinging that breeds suffering. However, this path is reserved for those of great capacity and realization, at the very least someone of exceptionally sharp faculties. Moreover, attachment encompasses not only “wanting,” but also “not wanting”—craving cars and mansions is attachment, but rejecting garbage or poison is also a form of attachment.
Therefore, as Buddhists, we should avoid the pursuit of excessive material possessions. Having enough for food and clothing is sufficient. The reason is that we are wary of the mind developing attachment toward these things.
——Excerpted and adapted from “The Arising and Remedy of Afflictions”
This article is a preliminary translation draft and has not yet been reviewed or proofread by the speaker.
