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Numbered Discourses · AN 3.116

  • Numbered Discourses 3.116Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.116
  • 12. Bound for Loss12. Āpāyikavagga

ImperturbableĀneñjasutta

“Mendicants, these three individuals are found in the world.“Tayome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What three?Katame tayo?

First, an individual, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite space.Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. They enjoy it and like it and find it rewarding. If they’re set on that, committed to it, and meditate on it often without losing it, when they die they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the dimension of infinite space.So tadassādeti taṁ nikāmeti tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati, tatra ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno ākāsānañcāyatanūpagānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. The lifespan of the gods of infinite space is twenty thousand eons.Ākāsānañcāyatanūpagānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ vīsati kappasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ. An ordinary person stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they go to hell or the animal realm or the ghost realm.Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati. But a disciple of the Buddha stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they’re extinguished in that very life.Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā tasmiṁyeva bhave parinibbāyati. This is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an unlearned ordinary person as regards their place of rebirth.Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso ayaṁ adhippayāso idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṁ gatiyā upapattiyā.

Furthermore, an individual, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite consciousness.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco puggalo sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. They enjoy it and like it and find it rewarding. If they’re set on that, committed to it, and meditate on it often without losing it, when they die they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the dimension of infinite consciousness.So tadassādeti taṁ nikāmeti tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati, tatra ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno viññāṇañcāyatanūpagānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. The lifespan of the gods of infinite consciousness is forty thousand eons.Viññāṇañcāyatanūpagānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ cattārīsaṁ kappasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ. An ordinary person stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they go to hell or the animal realm or the ghost realm.Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati. But a disciple of the Buddha stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they’re extinguished in that very life.Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā tasmiṁyeva bhave parinibbāyati. This is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an unlearned ordinary person as regards their place of rebirth.Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso ayaṁ adhippayāso idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṁ gatiyā upapattiyā.

Furthermore, an individual, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, enters and remains in the dimension of nothingness.Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco puggalo sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. They enjoy it and like it and find it rewarding. If they’re set on that, committed to it, and meditate on it often without losing it, when they die they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the dimension of nothingness.So tadassādeti taṁ nikāmeti tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati, tatra ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno ākiñcaññāyatanūpagānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. The lifespan of the gods of nothingness is sixty thousand eons.Ākiñcaññāyatanūpagānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ saṭṭhi kappasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ. An ordinary person stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they go to hell or the animal realm or the ghost realm.Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati. But a disciple of the Buddha stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they’re extinguished in that very life.Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā tasmiṁyeva bhave parinibbāyati. This is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an unlearned ordinary person as regards their place of rebirth.Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso, ayaṁ adhippayāso idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṁ gatiyā upapattiyā.

These are the three individuals found in the world.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

Similar passages elsewhere

Found by meaning, not by citation: the passages in other texts whose wording sits closest to a passage here.

  1. AN 4.123 Difference (1st) 0.81near 3.5An ordinary person stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they go to hell or the animal realm or the ghost realm. But a disciple of the Buddha stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, t…
  2. AN 4.125 Love (1st) 0.56near 2.2Furthermore, an individual meditates spreading a heart full of rejoicing … They’re reborn in the company of the gods of universal beauty. The lifespan of the gods of universal beauty is four eons. Furthermore, an individ…
  3. AN 6.10 With Mahānāma 0.51near 3.5This is called a noble disciple who lives in balance among people who are unbalanced, and lives untroubled among people who are troubled. They’ve entered the stream of the teaching and develop the recollection of the dei…
  4. AN 4.190 Sabbath 0.51near 0.1And how has a mendicant attained to the imperturbable? It’s when a mendicant, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that…