(1) "Here, bhikkhus, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of forms, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, perceiving ‘space is infinite,’ some person enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of space. He relishes it, desires it, and finds satisfaction in it. If he is firm in it, focused on it, often dwells in it, and has not lost it when he dies, he is reborn in companionship with the devas of the base of the infinity of space. The life span of the devas of the base of the infinity of space is 20,000 eons. The worldling remains there all his life, and when he has completed the entire life span of those devas, he goes to hell, to the animal realm, or to the sphere of afflicted spirits.[n.580] According to the Theravāda Abhidhamma, on passing away from the formless realm, a worldling may be reborn on the same formless plane, on a higher formless plane, or in the sense sphere with a three-rooted rebirth consciousness. This means that they will be reborn either as an intelligent human being or as a deva. Rebirth into the lower planes can occur in later rebirths, but not in the rebirth immediately following the fall from the formless realm. See CMA 226–27. But the Blessed One's disciple remains there all his life, and when he has completed the entire life span of those devas, he attains final nibbāna in that very same state of existence. This is the distinction, the disparity, the difference between the instructed noble disciple and the uninstructed worldling, that is, when there is future destination and rebirth.[n.581] I read with Ce and Ee: yadidaṃ gatiyā upapattiyā sati. Be omits sati here (and in the next two paragraphs), but includes it in the parallels at 4:123 and 4:125. Mp, commenting on 4:123, explains: “When there is future destination and rebirth, the noble disciple who is a trainee does not descend to a lower rebirth but attains final nibbāna in the same form-sphere existence [or] in a higher realm.” The same applies, with the appropriate modification, to those reborn in formless-sphere existence.
Mp-ṭ to 4:123 sheds light on the question how noble disciples can be reborn in the formless realm: “When the Buddha speaks of the life spans of humans and devas, he does not give specific figures for the life span [of those] in the four planes of misery and earth-bound devas. Why not? Because in hell, kamma alone determines [the life span]; one suffers there until one’s kamma is exhausted. The same holds for the other planes of misery. Kamma also determines the life span for earth-bound devas. For some reborn there remain there only for a week, some for two weeks, and some for an eon.
“Among humans, some laypeople become stream-enterers and attain the fruit of once-returning, the fruit of non-returning, and even arahantship. Of these, stream-enterers, etc., can remain [in the lay life] their entire lives, but arahants either attain final nibbāna or go forth [into homelessness]. Why? Because arahantship is the most virtuous state and the lay life is inferior. It isn’t possible for arahants to sustain the most virtuous state in an inferior condition, so they either attain final nibbāna [i.e., pass away] or go forth. But when earth-bound devas attain arahantship they remain their entire lives; stream-enterers and once-returners among the six classes of sense-sphere devas remain their entire lives. For a non-returner it is suitable to go to a form-sphere existence, and for arahants to attain final nibbāna. Why? Because there is no chance that they might regress. In the form and formless realms, all remain for their entire life spans. Stream-enterers and once-returners reborn in the form realm do not return to this world, but attain final nibbāna there. They are called ‘jhāna non-returners.’
"But what determines (rebirth) for those who gain the eight meditative attainments? The jhāna in which they are proficient does, for they are reborn in accordance with whatever they are proficient in. If they are proficient in all, what determines (their rebirth)? The attainment of the base of neither-perceptionnor-non-perception, for they are definitely reborn in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. For noble disciples reborn among the nine brahma worlds, rebirth may occur there (in the same plane) or in a higher one, but not in a lower one. But worldlings may be reborn in the same plane, in a higher one, or in a lower one. Noble disciples in the five pure abodes and the four formless planes may be reborn in the same plane or in a higher one. A non-returner reborn in the plane of the first jhāna purifies the nine brahma worlds and attains final nibbāna while dwelling at the peak. Three deva worlds are called the ‘best states of existence’: the plane of great fruit (vehapphala), Akaniṭṭha, and the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Non-returners reborn in these three states do not go higher, nor lower, but attain final nibbāna right there." | Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. So tadassādeti taṁ nikāmeti tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati, tatra ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno ākāsānañcāyatanūpagānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. Ākāsānañcāyatanūpagānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ vīsati kappasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ. Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati. Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā tasmiṁyeva bhave parinibbāyati. Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso ayaṁ adhippayāso idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṁ gatiyā upapattiyā. |
2(2) "Again, by completely surmounting the base of the infinity of space, perceiving ‘consciousness is infinite,’ someone here enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of consciousness. He relishes it, desires it, and finds satisfaction in it. If he is firm in it, focused on it, often dwells in it, and has not lost it when he dies, he is reborn in companionship with the devas of the base of the infinity of consciousness. The life span of the devas of the base of the infinity of consciousness is 40,000 eons. The worldling remains there all his life, and when he has completed the entire life span of those devas, he goes to hell, to the animal realm, or to the sphere of afflicted spirits. But the Blessed One's disciple remains there all his life, and when he has completed the entire life span of those devas, he attains final nibbāna in that very same state of existence. This is the distinction, the disparity, the difference between the instructed noble disciple and the uninstructed worldling, that is, when there is future destination and rebirth. | 2Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco puggalo sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. So tadassādeti taṁ nikāmeti tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati, tatra ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno viññāṇañcāyatanūpagānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. Viññāṇañcāyatanūpagānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ cattārīsaṁ kappasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ. Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati. Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā tasmiṁyeva bhave parinibbāyati. Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso ayaṁ adhippayāso idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṁ gatiyā upapattiyā. |
3(3) "Again, bhikkhus, by completely surmounting the base of the infinity of consciousness perceiving ‘there is nothing,’ some person here enters and dwells in the base of nothingness. He relishes it, desires it, and finds satisfaction in it. If he is firm in it, focused on it, often dwells in it, and has not lost it when he dies, he is reborn in companionship with the devas of the base of nothingness. The life span of the devas of the base of nothingness is 60,000 eons. The worldling remains there all his life, and when he has completed the entire life span of those devas, he goes to hell, to the animal realm, or to the sphere of afflicted spirits. But the Blessed One's disciple remains there all his life, and when he has completed the entire life span of those devas, he attains final nibbāna in that very same state of existence. This is the distinction, the disparity, the difference between the instructed noble disciple and the uninstructed worldling, that is, when there is future destination and rebirth. | 3Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco puggalo sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘Natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. So tadassādeti taṁ nikāmeti tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati, tatra ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno ākiñcaññāyatanūpagānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. Ākiñcaññāyatanūpagānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ saṭṭhi kappasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ. Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati. Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā tasmiṁyeva bhave parinibbāyati. Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso, ayaṁ adhippayāso idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṁ gatiyā upapattiyā. |
