The Meaning of Nama-Rupa

Form refers to the material elements composed of the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—which are visible to the physical eye, such as the aggregate of form. Name refers to phenomena designated by names, which are invisible to the physical eye but possess functions; they can act upon the aggregate of form and can be perceived and observed, such as the aggregates of feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. Name and form constitute the five aggregates of sentient beings, which form the unreal self that transmigrates through countless lifetimes. This self is impermanent, subject to destruction and annihilation, being that which arises, abides, changes, and ceases; thus it is not the self but is provisionally designated as the self. Name includes the mental faculty and its functions, encompassing the six consciousnesses and their functions.