It is to be reconsidered how to study Early Buddhism. I stress the importance of the text-critical investigations and demonstrations.
It seems peculiar to Buddhism from early on that our human existence is analytically grasped as consisting of five aggregates (khandha), i. e. the sensible (rupa), sensation (vedana), conceptual image (sañña), mental and physical latent forces (samkhara) and cognition (viññana). But there are other orders of aggregates. According to the traditions of the Vedanta, i. e., Sankara and others (ad Brahma-sutra 2.2.18) the order is rupa-vijñana-vedana-samjña-samskara, and according to Jaina-tradition, i. e., Haribhadra-suri (Saddarsana-samuccaya 1.5) it is vijñanam vedana samjña samskaro rupam. Harivarman's Chengshi lun 成実論 (vol. 3, T. 32, No. 1646, 261a7-) which was translated by Kumarajiva in 412 enumerates rupa-vijñana-samjña-vedana-samskara. In the fifth century Buddhaghosa in his Visuddhimagga (PTS ed. 45215-) explained the five aggregates in the same order as that of Sankara's enumeration. So Sankara and others must have had some credible Buddhist sources.
I investigate original and developed meanings of each of the five aggregates, and lastly consider the original and developed meaning of nama-rupa (name and form) which is looked upon as the cause (samudaya) of cognition (viññana) It means originally name and personal looks, then mind and body, and is explained as being composed of five aggregates or four aggregates except cognition.
