AN 9 The Book of the Nines – Navakanipāta > AN 9.24 Abodes of Sentient Beings

Numbered Discourses 9.24 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 9.24

3. Abodes of Sentient Beings – 3. Sattāvāsavagga

AN 9.24 Abodes of Sentient Beings – Sattāvāsasutta

1.1

“Bhikkhū, there are nine abodes of sentient beings.

“Navayime, bhikkhave, sattāvāsā.

1.2

What nine?

Katame nava?

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 abode of sentient beings.

Ayaṁ paṭhamo sattāvāso.

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 abode of sentient beings.

Ayaṁ dutiyo sattāvāso.

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 abode of sentient beings.

Ayaṁ tatiyo sattāvāso.

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 abode of sentient beings.

Ayaṁ catuttho sattāvāso.

5.1

There are sentient beings that are non-percipient and do not experience anything, such as the gods who are non-percipient beings.

Santi, bhikkhave, sattā asaññino appaṭisaṁvedino, seyyathāpi devā asaññasattā.

5.2

This is the fifth abode of sentient beings.

Ayaṁ pañcamo sattāvāso.

6.1

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.

6.2

This is the sixth abode of sentient beings.

Ayaṁ chaṭṭho sattāvāso.

7.1

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.

7.2

This is the seventh abode of sentient beings.

Ayaṁ sattamo sattāvāso.

8.1

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.

8.2

This is the eighth abode of sentient beings.

Ayaṁ aṭṭhamo sattāvāso.

9.1

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of nothingness. They have been reborn in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

Santi, bhikkhave, sattā sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanūpagā.

9.2

This is the ninth abode of sentient beings.

Ayaṁ navamo sattāvāso.

10.1

These are the nine abodes of sentient beings.”

Ime kho, bhikkhave, nava sattāvāsā”ti.

10.2

Catutthaṁ.