According to various Indian schools of philosophy, tattvas (Sanskrit: तत्त्व) are the elements or aspects of reality that constitute human experience

In some traditions, they are conceived as an aspect of deity

Although the number of tattvas varies depending on the philosophical school, together they are thought to form the basis of all our experience

The Samkhya philosophy uses a system of 25 tattvas, while Shaivism recognises 36 tattvas

In Buddhism, the equivalent is the list of dhammas which constitute reality, as in Nama-rupa