Saṅkhāra — Volitional Formations
In Pali, saṅkhāra** means “volitional formations” — mental habits, impulses, and reactions that shape your experience.
They’re not “you”. They’re patterns:
→ “I always get angry in traffic.”
→ “I assume people don’t like me.”
These are saṅkhāra in action.
Role in dependent origination
Saṅkhāra is the second link in the chain:
avijjā → saṅkhāra → viññāṇa → …
“With ignorance as condition, volitional formations arise…”
— Saṃyutta Nikāya 12.1
As long as there’s ignorance, these habits keep running — shaping your thoughts, words, and actions.
Practical meaning
You don’t need to “fix” yourself. Just notice:
→ When you react automatically, that’s saṅkhāra.
→ When you pause and choose, that’s freedom.
Try this now:
→ Feel an impulse (to check your phone, to judge, to worry).
→ Don’t follow it.
→ Watch it pass.
That’s seeing saṅkhāra — and beginning to undo it.