Hi Frank Kuan:

> WHat do you believe is the reason for the canon using
> nama-rupa in some cases and 5 khandas in others if they
> are expressing the same thing?

If you have a cake (ALL phenomenology) you can Cut Up
& divide the very same cake in:

2 pieces = 2 classifications (Nama-rupa) for those with
sharp ability to generalization & abstract thinking

5 pieces = 5 classifications (khandha), clusters-of-clinging for
those with little lesser broad mental imaging.

6 pieces = 6 classifications (salayatana) as the six senses for
those with have to get it pointed out more in detail.

12 pieces = 12 classifications as the 12 sources (ayatana) for
those who have a for prefence is such.

18 pieces = 18 classifications as the 18 elements (dhatu) for
those who have a for prefence is such.


The cake remains the same & so do the conclusions about it:


All is Transient, Miserable & Impersonal.


Note that there is not One single phenomena
(Except Nibbana) which cannot be classified
in all these above 5 schemes. Perfect IMHO!

Try ! You may test me on that if you find one!

Basicly is any classification (Naming) arbitrary & free to choose.
Language is one big connected web of notations of meanings so when
one uses a 'name' used before one also gets all the conotations of
the 'name' which may not fit for the particular object at all!
This makes translation so spurious sometimes.

Buddhas was of classification is VERY elegant:
Always Exhaustive = leaving no phenomena out!
This ensures Absoluteness of the inferred relations.

>> The same all including object pointed to, is just formulated
>> at different levels of differentiation, since the individuals,
>> who here is targetted, is of different abilities, preferences
>> & tendencies.

In short: Because Buddha out of compassion wished to reach most
listerners he formulated the same aspect of Dhamma in
different ways!


A detail is the '-OneStepUp-' pedagogical rule Mahakaccayana
uses whenever Buddha has stated something in brief and the
Bhikkhus is perplexed:

If Buddha explains at the 2class (Nama-Rupa) level,
Mahakaccayana increases detail to 5 class (Khandha)

If Buddha explains at the 5 class (Khandha) level,
Mahakaccayana increases detail to 6 class (Salayatana)

and so on ...
Then they will pick it up & comprehend the meaning.



Friendship is the Greatest !
The entire Motivation behind
the whole of the Noble Life.

Ven. Samahita
Cypress Kuti, Gangamulla
Bambarella, Thawalantenna 20838.
Central Province. SRI LANKA.
Email: monomuni@...
WWW: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Buddha-Direct

: - ]



--
A saying of the Buddha from http://metta.lk/
He who delights in subduing (evil) thoughts, who meditates on "the
loathsomeness" (of the body), who is ever mindful, - it is he who will make
an end (of craving). He will sever Mara's bond.
Random Dhammapada Verse 350