Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.116
Translators: sujato
Numbered Discourses 3.116
12. Āpāyikavagga
12. Bound for Loss
Āneñjasutta
Imperturbable
“Tayome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
“Mendicants, these three people are found in the world.
Katame tayo?
What three?
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati.
First, a person, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite space.
So tadassādeti taṁ nikāmeti tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati, tatra ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno ākāsānañcāyatanūpagānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
They enjoy it and like it and find it satisfying. 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.
Ākāsānañcāyatanūpagānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ vīsati kappasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ.
The lifespan of the gods of infinite space is twenty thousand eons.
Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati.
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.
Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā tasmiṁyeva bhave parinibbāyati.
But a disciple of the Buddha stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they’re extinguished in that very life.
Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso ayaṁ adhippayāso idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṁ gatiyā upapattiyā.
This is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an unlearned ordinary person as regards their place of rebirth.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco puggalo sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Furthermore, a person, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite consciousness.
So tadassādeti taṁ nikāmeti tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati, tatra ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno viññāṇañcāyatanūpagānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
They enjoy it and like it and find it satisfying. 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.
Viññāṇañcāyatanūpagānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ cattārīsaṁ kappasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ.
The lifespan of the gods of infinite consciousness is forty thousand eons.
Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati.
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.
Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā tasmiṁyeva bhave parinibbāyati.
But a disciple of the Buddha stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they’re extinguished in that very life.
Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso ayaṁ adhippayāso idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṁ gatiyā upapattiyā.
This is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an unlearned ordinary person as regards their place of rebirth.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco puggalo sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Furthermore, a person, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, enters and remains in the dimension of nothingness.
So tadassādeti taṁ nikāmeti tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati, tatra ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno ākiñcaññāyatanūpagānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
They enjoy it and like it and find it satisfying. 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.
Ākiñcaññāyatanūpagānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ saṭṭhi kappasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ.
The lifespan of the gods of nothingness is sixty thousand eons.
Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati.
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.
Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā tasmiṁyeva bhave parinibbāyati.
But a disciple of the Buddha stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they’re extinguished in that very life.
Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso, ayaṁ adhippayāso idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṁ gatiyā upapattiyā.
This is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an unlearned ordinary person as regards their place of rebirth.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.
These are the three people found in the world.”
Catutthaṁ.