The so-called five aggregates (tib.: skandhas) describe the whole variety of aspects that make up a person. Knowing these single facets, works against the strong inner habit of reducing a person to a constant, unchanging self. In fact, this is the main reason for the ongoing reincarnation in the cycle of existence and the suffering connected to it.

Since we believe in a real unity of our personality, this belief binds us to a certain picture of ourselves. From this arise further wrong ideas and disturbances. Realizing the idea of such a unity of personality being a habitual simplification, enables us to recognize the various facets as an enormous wealth in ourselves and others.

1. The Aggregate of Form: The term „form“ is used to name all things that can be perceived via the sensory organs.Within it, we distinguish “causal form” – the four elements (earth, water, fire, wind) – and the “resultant form” – the five sensory abilities with their corresponding five sensory objects (visible forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangible objects) as well as forms for mind consciousness (see aggregate of consciousness). Sensory abilities are the sensory organs, as for example the eyes.  Sensory objects are divided into eight kinds of shapes and twelve kinds of colours, eight kinds of sounds, four kinds of smells, six kinds of tastes, and eleven kinds of bodily sensations. In addition, there are five different forms for mind consciousness, for example all kinds of imagined forms.
2. The Aggregate of Sensation: The characteristic of sensations in general is experience.  We distinguish three kinds of sensations – pleasant, unpleasant and indifferent. They correspond either to body or mind. Most of all, the mental sensations, for example as they are experienced in meditation, can be split into innumerable further facets. Fearlessness, joy and compassion are called absolute sensations, since they correspond to the nature of mind. All other sensations are relative, since they arise from conditions. The aggregate of sensation is at the same time one of the mental formations (see aggregate of mental formation).
3. The Aggregate of Recognition: This skandha is especially emphasized, since recognition, in the sense of understanding something clearly and distinctly, is very important for the development of  world views and attitudes.  There is recognition without names – for example, if you do not know the name of something, or in the way babies perceive the world. Recognition by name is helpful in judging something as good or bad or to rename things differently. Humans can only recognize the realm of animals, whereas beings of other realms, as for example form and formless realms, can also recognize humans. Recognition is also one of the mental formations.
4. The Aggregate of Mental Formation:It consists of six different groups of mental events. The Vehicle of the Elders counts 47 formations, the Great Vehicle 51 formations, which all can be subdivided further. Mental formation designates all positive, negative and unchangeable states of mind. There are five “pervasive formations”, which accompany all mental experiences, intention and contact are two of those.  There are five “determinative formations”, which orient mind towards certain objects, like pursuance, esteem, or mindfulness; eleven “positive formations”, as for example trust, decency, or respect; six main disturbances like ignorance, desire or hatred, 20 secondary disturbances like hostility, being unforgiving, or resentment; four “variable formations”, that can be either positive or negative, like sleep or regret. There are also mental formations like birth, vitality, terms or words, which are neither unequivocally mental or unequivocally material.
5. The Aggregate of Consciousness: Consciousness is divided into conceptual aspects and those free from concepts. In this case, consciousness is, what perceives objects, is clear, and recognizes things. The Vehicle of the Elders, partly also the Great Vehicle, divide consciousness into six aspects – five kinds of consciousness corresponding to the sensory organs and the mind consciousness.  In other schools of the Great Vehicle, the so-called “Mind-Only School” and the “Shentong-Madhyamaka School”, it is divided into eight aspects, the five kinds of sensory consciousness, the mind consciousness, the veiled consciousness and the basic consciousness.

Looking at these aggregates, a large variety of most different parts of personality, the firm concept of a real unity dissolves. Explanations on the five aggregates work against the illusion of mind consisting of a unity, since there are four non-material aggregates and only one material aggregate (form). Once this illusion dissolves, one reaches liberation from all suffering, liberation from the cycle of existence.

In the Diamond Way, the essence of the five aggregates is expressed through the male Buddhas of the five Buddha families. The aggregate of form in its pure essence is Buddha Akshobya, of sensation is Buddha Ratnasambhava, of recognition is Buddha Amitabha, of mental formation is Buddha Amoghasiddhi, and the pure essence of consciousness is Buddha Vairocana. Besides, any identification with a Buddha aspect removes clinging to the five aggregates and therefore works as a remedy against all disturbances in mind.