AN 7 The Book of the Sevens – Sattakanipāta > AN 7.44 Planes of Consciousness

Numbered Discourses 7.44 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 7.44

5. A Great Sacrifice – 5. Mahāyaññavagga

AN 7.44 Planes of Consciousness – Sattaviññāṇaṭṭhitisutta

1.1

“Bhikkhū, there are these seven planes of consciousness.

“Sattimā, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṭṭhitiyo.

1.2

What seven?

Katamā satta?

1.3

There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and diverse in perception, such as human beings, some gods, and some beings in the underworld.

Santi, bhikkhave, sattā nānattakāyā nānattasaññino, seyyathāpi manussā, ekacce ca devā, ekacce ca vinipātikā.

1.4

This is the first plane of consciousness.

Ayaṁ paṭhamā viññāṇaṭṭhiti.

2.1

There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and unified in perception, such as the gods reborn in Brahmā’s Host through the first absorption.

Santi, bhikkhave, sattā nānattakāyā ekattasaññino, seyyathāpi devā brahmakāyikā paṭhamābhinibbattā.

2.2

This is the second plane of consciousness.

Ayaṁ dutiyā viññāṇaṭṭhiti.

3.1

There are sentient beings that are unified in body and diverse in perception, such as the gods of streaming radiance.

Santi, bhikkhave, sattā ekattakāyā nānattasaññino, seyyathāpi devā ābhassarā.

3.2

This is the third plane of consciousness.

Ayaṁ tatiyā viññāṇaṭṭhiti.

4.1

There are sentient beings that are unified in body and unified in perception, such as the gods replete with glory.

Santi, bhikkhave, sattā ekattakāyā ekattasaññino, seyyathāpi devā subhakiṇhā.

4.2

This is the fourth plane of consciousness.

Ayaṁ catutthā viññāṇaṭṭhiti.

5.1

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond perceptions of form. With the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, they have been reborn in the dimension of infinite space.

Santi, bhikkhave, sattā sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanūpagā.

5.2

This is the fifth plane of consciousness.

Ayaṁ pañcamā viññāṇaṭṭhiti.

6.1

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite space. Aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they have been reborn in the dimension of infinite consciousness.

Santi, bhikkhave, sattā sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanūpagā.

6.2

This is the sixth plane of consciousness.

Ayaṁ chaṭṭhā viññāṇaṭṭhiti.

7.1

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness. Aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they have been reborn in the dimension of nothingness.

Santi, bhikkhave, sattā sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanūpagā.

7.2

This is the seventh plane of consciousness.

Ayaṁ sattamā viññāṇaṭṭhiti.

8.1

These are the seven planes of consciousness.”

Imā kho, bhikkhave, satta viññāṇaṭṭhitiyo”ti.

8.2

Paṭhamaṁ.