From Naming to Action: The Wisdom of the Khajjaneeya Sutta
A discussion by Venerable Alawwe Anomadassi Thero This reflection explores the Khajjaneeya Sutta (SN 22.79) and the radical shift it demands: moving from seeing "things" (nouns) to seeing "processes" (verbs). By understanding how the mind constructs a "self" out of simple occurrences, we can dismantle the duality of internal/external. 1. The Nature of Naming: "Tasmā" (Therefore) In the Khajjaneeya Sutta , the Buddha defines the Five Aggregates through their function. For example: “Ruppatīti kho bhikkhave, tasmā rūpanti vuccathi” (It is afflicted, monks; therefore, it is called ‘form’.) The word Tasmā is the key. It tells us that a "Name" (like Form or Rupa) is only a label for an action that is already happening. We cannot have a name without a Siduweema (occurrence); we cannot say "cold" without a sensation. A name is never independent; i...