Is there a sutta where the Buddha says saṅkhāra = all five aggregates?

Q & A
1

I vaguely recall encountering a sutta in which saṅkhārā are described as being the five aggregates, giving the pañcakkhandhā a bit of a recursive feel. I’ve been searching quite hard and can’t find it. “Katame ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā” is not revealing it to me.

Does this sutta even exist or have I dreamed/imagined it in my head?

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2

What is the assumed meaning of sankhara in the question?

3

What do you mean? Like the translation that was used for it? It would be in a similar format to that of the Cūlavedallasutta (which may actually be the source of my confusion if no such sutta exists)

4

In MN28, we read:

MN28:3.3: And what are the five grasping aggregates?
MN28:3.4: Seyyathidaṁ—rūpupādānakkhandho, vedanupādānakkhandho, saññupādānakkhandho, saṅkhārupādānakkhandho, viññāṇupādānakkhandho.
MN28:3.4: They are as follows: the grasping aggregates of form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.

And in MN38, Bhante Sujato translates saṅkhārā as “choices” as well:

MN38:17.1: Iti kho, bhikkhave, avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā,
MN38:17.1: So, ignorance is a condition for choices.

For the recursion of the aggregates we have:

DN15:3.1: So: name and form are conditions for consciousness. Consciousness is a condition for name and form. Name and form are conditions for contact. Contact is a condition for feeling. Feeling is a condition for craving. Craving is a condition for grasping. Grasping is a condition for continued existence. Continued existence is a condition for rebirth. Rebirth is a condition for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be.

5

Nope, I think your memory is leading you astray. Perhaps it was that the five aggregates are “conditioned” (saṅkhata)?

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6

Ah yes, thank you for the clarification, Bhante. I think this stemmed from a… “creative” interpretation on my part of Sn 22.79. Namely:

And what, monks, do you say is matter?..
And what, monks, do you say is feeling?..
And what, monks, do you say is perception?..
And what, monks, do you say are determinations? ‘They determine the determined’: that, monks, is why they are called ‘determinations’.
And what is the determined that they determine?
Matter as matter is the determined that they determine,
Feeling as feeling is the determined that they determine,
Perception as perception is the determined that they determine,
Determinations as determinations are the determined that they determine,
Consciousness as consciousness is the determined that they determine.
‘They determine the determined’: that indeed, monks, is why they are called ‘determinations’.
And what, monks, do you say is consciousness?..

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