Abhidhammattha Sangaha - Fourfold Rebirth

Abhidhammattha Sangaha ( A Manual of Abhidhamma )

Translated by Narada Maha Thera
Published By the Buddhist Missionary Society

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ii.Patisandhicatukkam
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§4.Apayapatisandhi, Kamasugatipatisandhi.
Rupavacarapatisandhi, âruppapatisandhi c’ati-catubbidha
hoti patisandhi nama.
Tattha akusalavipakopekkhasahagata-santiranam

apayabhumiyam okkantikkhane patisandhi hutva vocchi-
jjati. Ayam’ eka’ v’ apayapatisandhi nama.
Kusalavipak’ opekkhasahagatasantiranam pana kama-
sugatiyam manussanam jaccandhadi hinasattanam c’eva
bhummanissitanan ca vinipatikasuranan ca patisandhi
bhavaïgacutivasena pavattati.
Mahavipakani pan’attha sabbattha pi kamasugatiyam
patisandhibhavaïgacutivasena pavattanti.
Ima nava kamasugatipatisandhiyo nama.
Sa pan’ayam dasavidha’ pi kamavacarapatisandhic-
c’eva saïkham gacchati.
Tesu catunnam apayanam manussanam vinipatika-
suranan ca ayuppamanaganaya niyamo natthi.
Catummaharajikanam pana devanam dibbani panca-
vassasatani ayuppamanam. Manussagananaya navuti-
vassasatasahassappamanam hoti.
Tato catuggunam tavatimsanam, tato catuggunam
Yamanam, tato catuggunam Tusitanam, tato catuggunam
Nimmanaratinam, tato catuggunam Paranimnutavasa-
vattinam devanam ayuppamanam.
Nava satan c’ekavisa vassanam kotiyo tatha
Vassasatasahassani satthi ca vasavattisu.
§5.Pathamajjhanavipakam pathamajjhanabhu-
miyam patisandhibhavaïgacutivasena pavattati.
Tatha dutiyajjhanavipakam tatiyajjhanavipa-
kan ca dutiyajjhanabhumiyam. Catutthaj-

jhanavipakam tatiyajjhanabhumiyam. Pan-
camajjhanavipakan ca catutthajjhanabhumi-
yam. Asannasattanam pana rupam’ eva pati-
sandhi hoti. Tatha tato param pavattiyam
cavanakale ca rupam’ eva pavattitva nirujjhati.
Ima cha rupavacarapatisandhiyo nama.
Tesu brahmaparisajjanam devanam kappassa
tatiyo bhago ayuppamanam.
Brahmapurohitanam upaóóhakappo, Mahabra-
hmanam eko kappo, Parittabhanam dve kap-
pani. Appamanabhanam cattari kappani.
âbhassaranam attha kappani. Parittasubha-
nam soëasa kappani. Appamanasubhanam
dvattimsa kappani. Subhakinhanam catusat-
thi kappani. Vehapphalanam asannasatta-
nan ca pancakappasatani. Avihanam kappa-
sahassani. Atappanam dve kappasahassani.
Sudassanam cattari kappasahassani. Sudas-
sinam atthakappasahassani. Akanitthanam
soëasa kappa sahassani ayuppamanam.
Patham’ aruppadi vipakani pathama-
ruppadi bhumisu yathakkamam patisandhi
bhavaïgacutivasena pavattanti
Ima catasso aruppapatisandhiyo nama.
Tesu pana akasanancayatanupaganam devanam
visati kappasahassani ayuppamanam. Vinnan-

ancayatanupaganam devanam cattaëisakappa-
sahassani. âkincannayatanupaganam devanam
satthikappasahassani. N’eva sanna Nasanna-
yatanupaganam devanam caturasitikappasaha-
ssani ayuppamanam.
§6.Patisandhi bhavaïgan ca tatha cavanamanasam
Ekam’ eva tatha v’eka visayam c’ ekajatiyam.
Idam’ ettha patisandhi-catukkam.
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ii.Fourfold Rebirth
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§4.Rebirth is fourfold — namely, (i) rebirth in a woeful
state, (ii) rebirth in a blissful sense-sphere, (iii) rebirth in a
rupavacara plane, and (iv) rebirth in an arupavacara plane.
Therein the immoral resultant investigating con-
sciousness, accompanied by indifference, (21) becomes the
relinking (consciousness) at the moment of descent into a
woeful state. Then it lapses into bhavaïga and finally it
becomes the decease (consciousness) and is cut off.
This is the one single woeful rebirth.
The moral resultant investigating consciousness,
accompanied by indifference, persists as the relinking, life-
continuum and decease (consciousness) of degraded
human beings of the blissful sense-sphere such as those
born blind and so forth (22) and also of earth-bound fallen
(23) asuras.

The eight great resultants (24) act as the relinking,
life-continuum, and decease (consciousness) everywhere
in the blissful sense-sphere.
These nine comprise rebirth in the blissful sense-
sphere.
The (foregoing) ten modes are reckoned as rebirth in
the Kamavacara plane.
There is no definite limit to the duration of life of
beings born in woeful states, amongst humans and fallen
Asuras (25).
The age-limit of gods of the realm of Four Kings is
500 celestial years (26), that is, according to human reck-
oning 9,000,000.
The age-limit of the Thirty-three gods is four times
this amount. The age-limit of Delightful gods is four times
that of the Thirty-three. Four times that amount is the age-
limit of the gods who delight in their creations. Four times
that amount is the age-limit of those who lord over the cre-
ation of others.
In the plane of those who lord over others’ creation
the age-limit, according to human reckoning, is nine hun-
dred and twenty million sixty thousand years.
§5.The first jhana resultant occurs in the first jhana
plane as relinking, life-continuum, and decease (con-
sciousness); similarly the second jhana resultant and the
third jhana resultant in the second jhana plane; the fourth
jhana resultant in the third jhana plane; the fifth jhana

resultant in the fourth jhana plane. But for mindless beings
material form itself occurs as rebirth. Similarly thereafter,
during lifetime and at the moment of decease, only mate-
rial form exists and perishes.
These six are the modes of rebirth on the rupavacara
plane.
Among these the age-limit of the gods of ‘Brahma’s
Retinue’ is one-third of an aeon (27); of ‘Brahma’s Ministers’
is half an aeon; of ‘Maha Brahama’ is one aeon; of ‘Minor
Lustre’ two aeons (28); of ‘Infinite Lustre’ four aeons;
of‘Radiant gods’ eight aeons; of ‘Minor Aura’ 16aeons; of
‘Infinite Aura’ 32 aeons; of ‘Steady Aura’ 64aeons;
of‘Great Reward’ and ‘Mindless Beings’ 500aeons; of
‘Durable gods’ 1,000 aeons; of ‘Serene gods’ 2,000 aeons;
‘Beautiful gods’ 4,000 aeons; of ‘Clear-sighted gods’
8,000 aeons; of ‘The Highest gods’ 16,000 aeons.
♦ ♦ ♦
The first arupa jhana resultant and others occur respec-
tively on the first and other arupa planes as relinking, life-
continuum and decease (consciousness).
These are the four modes of Rebirth on the arupa
plane.
Among them the age-limit of gods who have attained
to the “Realm of Infinity of Space” is 20,000 aeons; of
those who have attained to the “Realm of Infinity of Con-
sciousness” is 40,000 aeons; of those who have attained to
the “Realm of Nothingness” is 60,000 aeons; of those who

have attained to the “Realm of neither Perception nor non-
Perception” is 84,000 aeons.
119
§6.The Relinking consciousness, life-continuum conscious-
ness, and the decease consciousness in one (particular) birth
are similar
120 and have an identical object.
Herein this is the Fourfold Rebirth.
Notes:—
23. i. e., fallen from happiness.
24. These are the eight sobhana vipaka cittas. See
Chapter I. p. 56.
25. Beings suffer in woeful states in accordance with
their Kamma. Their age-limit differs according to the grav-
ity of the evil deed. Some are short-lived, and some are
long-lived. Mallika. the Queen of King Kosala, for instance,
had to suffer in a woeful state only for seven days. Deva-
datta, on the other hand, is destined to suffer for an aeon.
At times, earth-bound deities live only for seven days.
26. Books state that 50 human years equal one
celestial day. Thirty such days amount to one month, and
twelve such months constitute one year.
27.Kappa—That which is thought of in accord-
ance with the analogy of mustard seeds and the rock
(-kappiyati sasapapabbatopamahi’ ti kappo.)
119. See diagram X, p. 313.
120.Here eka does not mean one.

There are three kinds of kappas—namely, antara
kappa, asaïkheyya kappa, and maha kappa. The interim
period when the age-limit of human beings rises from ten
to an indefinite time and then falls to ten again, is known
as an antara kappa. Twenty such antara kappas equal one
asaïkheyya kappa, literally — an incalculable cycle. Four
asaïkheyya kappas equal one maha kappa. This exceeds
the time required to exhaust an area, a yojana in length,
breadth, and height, filled with mustard seeds, by throw-
ing away a seed once in every hundred years.
28. By kappa here and in the following cases is
meant a maha kappa.