Samjñā

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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]

Samjñā (Sanskrit; Devanagiri: सम्ज्ना) and sañña (Pāli; Devanagiri: सना) can be translated as "perception" or "cognition."

1 In the Pali literature
2 See also
3 Notes
4 Source

[edit] In the Pali literature

In Buddhism, sañña is the third of the Five Aggregate (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 (samadhi) on the passing and rising (vipassana) of sañña can lead to mindfulness (sati), clear comprehension (sampajanna) and even 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]

[edit] See also

Buddhist meditation
Skandha (Five Aggregates)
Vedana (Feelings/Sensations)

[edit] Notes

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

[edit] 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.