Why this word is great
SKANDHA — [Noun] Any of the five attributes that constitute the sentient being in Buddhist philosophy; an aggregate. From Sanskrit स्कन्ध (skandhá, "mass, heap, aggregate"), it is the scaffolding of the self, assembled from fleeting parts. Unlike "dharma" (which speaks to cosmic order or duty) or "ātman" (which posits an eternal soul), "skandha" insists on impermanence—a self built like a sandcastle from form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. It is the way a river appears continuous though its waters never pause, the way a flame persists while consuming itself, or the way a name endures though every cell that bore it has long since shed its skin. To grasp a skandha is to hold smoke.