Abhidhammattha Sangaha - Four Kinds of Planes

Abhidhammattha Sangaha ( A Manual of Abhidhamma )

Translated by Narada Maha Thera
Published By the Buddhist Missionary Society

Chapter V
Vithimutta — Sangaha — Vibhago
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(Bhumi—Catukka)
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§1.Vithicittavasen’ evam pavattiyam udirito
Pavattisangaho nama sandhiyam’ dani vuccati.
§2.Catasso bhumiyo, Catubbidha patisandhi,
Cattari kammani, Catuddha maranuppatti c’ati vithimut-
tasangahe cattari catukkani veditabbani.
Tattha apayabhumi, kamasugatibhumi, rupavacara-
bhumi, arupavacarabhumi, c’ati catasso bhumiyo nama.
Tasu nirayo, tiracchanayoni, pettivisayo, asurakayo
c’ati apayabhumi catubbidha hoti.
Manussa, Catummaharajika, Tavatimsa, Yama, Tusita,
Nimmanarati, Paranimmitavasavatti c’ati Kamasugati
bhumi sattavidha hoti.
Sa pan’ayam ’ekadasavidha’ pi kamavacarabhumicc’
eva sankham gacchati.
Brahmaparisajja, Brahmapurohita, Mahabrahma
c’ati pathamajjhanabhumi.
Parittabha, Appamanabha, âbhassara, c’ati
dutiyajjhanabhumi.
Parittasubha, Appamanasubha, Subhakinna, c’ati
tatiyajjhanabhumi.
Vehapphala, Asannasatta, Suddhavasa c’ati catutthaj-
jhanabhumi’ ti Rupavacarabhumi soëasavidha hoti.

Aviha, Atappa, Sudassi, Suddassa, Akanittha c’ati
Suddhavasabhumi pancavidha hoti.
âkasanancayatanabhumi, Vinnanancayatanabhumi,
Akincannayatanabhumi, N’evasanna Nasannayatanabhumi
cati Arupabhumi catubbidha hoti.
§3.Puthujjana na labbhanti suddhavasesu sabbatha
Sotapanna ca sakadagamino c’api puggala.
Ariya n’opalabbhanti asannapayabhumisu
Sesatthanesu labbhanti Ariya’ nariya pi ca.
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Idam’ ettha Bhumi–Catukkam.
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Chapter V
Process-Freed Section
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i.Four Kinds of Planes
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§ l.Thus, according to thought-processes, the life’s
course (extending from birth to decease) has been
explained. Now the summary of the procedure at rebirth
will be told.
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Planes of Existence
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§ 2.In the summary of process-freed consciousness four
sets of four should be understood as follows:—

(i)four planes of life (l);
(ii)four modes of rebirth;
(iii)four kinds of actions;
(iv)fourfold advent of death.
Of these, the four planes of life114 are:—
1.unhappy plane (2);
2.sensuous blissful plane (3);
3.rupavacara plane (4);
4.arupavacara plane (5).
Among these the unhappy plane is fourfold—namely,
(i)woeful state (6), (ii) animal kingdom (7), (iii) Peta
sphere (8), and (iv) the host of Asuras (9).
The Sensuous blissful plane is sevenfold—namely,
(i)human realm (10), (ii) the realm of the Four Kings
(11), (iii) the realm of the Thirty-three gods (12), (iv) the
realm of the Yama gods (13), (v) the Delightful realm
(14), (vi) the realm of the gods who rejoice in (their own)
creations (15), and (vii) the realm of the gods who lord
over the creation of others (16).
These eleven kinds of spheres constitute the Kama-
vacara planer
Rupavacara plane is sixteenfold—namely,
(i)the first jhana plane, to wit, 1. the realm of
Brahma’s retinue, 2. the realm of Brahma’s Ministers, and
3. the Maha Brahma realm (17);
114.For details see The Buddha and His Teachings, pp. 435–444

(ii)the second jhana plane, to wit, 4. the realm of
Minor Lustre, 5. the realm of Infinite Lustre, and 6. the
realm of Radiant Lustre;
(iii)the third jhana plane, to wit, 7. the realm of
Minor Aura, 8, the realm of Infinite Aura, and 9. the realm
of Steady Aura;
(iv)the fourth jhana plane, to wit, 10. the realm of
of Great Reward, 11. the realm of mindless beings (18),
and 12. the Pure Abodes (19).
The Pure Abodes are fivefold—namely,
i. the Durable realm, ii. the Serene realm, iii. the
Beautiful realm, iv. the Clear-sighted realm, and v. the
Highest realm.
The Arupa plane (20) is fourfold—namely,
(i)the Realm of Infinite Space,
(ii)the Realm of Infinite Consciousness,
(iii)the Realm of Nothingness,
(iv)the Realm of Neither Perception nor
Non-Perception.
§3.In the Pure Abodes no worldlings, Stream-Winners
115
or Once-Returners116 are born in any way.
The Ariyas
117 are not born in mindless realms and
woeful states. In other planes are born both Ariyas and
Non-Ariyas.
115. See p. 87.
116. See p. 88.
117.Those who have attained the four stages of Sainthood.
All worldlings are called Non-Ariyas.

Herein these are the fourfold planes.
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Notes:—
1.Bhumi, derived from
√ bhu, to be, lit.,
means a place where beings exist.
According to Buddhism the earth, an almost insig-
nificant speck in the universe, is not the only habitable
world118 and humans are not the only living beings.
Infinite are world systems and so are living beings. Nor is
“the impregnated ovum the only route to rebirth”. “By tra-
versing one cannot reach the end of the world” says the
Buddha.
2.Apaya = apa + aya. That which is devoid of
happiness is apaya. It is viewed both as a mental state and
as a place.
3. States where sense-pleasures abound. See p. 25.
4. See p. 26.
5. See p. 26.
6.Niraya = ni + aya; devoid of happiness.
According to Buddhism there are several woeful states
where beings atone for their evil Kamma. They are not
eternal hells where beings are subject to endless suffering.
Upon the exhaustion of the evil Kamma there is a possibil-
118.“There are about 1,000,000 planetary systems in the Milky Way in which life
exists.”
See Fred Hoyle, The Nature of the Universe, pp. 87–89.

ty for beings born in such states to be reborn in good
states as the result of their past good actions.
7.Tiracchana = tiro, across; acchana, going. Ani-
mals are so called because as a rule quadrupeds walk hor-
izontally. Buddhist belief is that beings are born as animals
on account of evil Kamma. There is, however, the possibil-
ity for animals to be born as human beings. Strictly speak-
ing, it should be said that an animal may manifest itself in
the form of a human being, or vice versa just as an electric
current can be manifested in the forms of light, heat, and
motion successively—one not necessarily being evolved
from the other. An animal may be born in a blissful state
as a result of the good Kamma accumulated in the past.
There are at times certain animals, particularly dogs and
cats, who live a more comfortable life than even human
beings. It is also due to their past good Kamma.
It is one’s Kamma that determines the nature of one’s
material form which varies according to the skill or unskil-
fulness of one’s actions. And this again depends entirely on
the evolution of one’s understanding of reality.
8.Peta = pa + ita: lit., departed beings, or
(those) absolutely devoid of happiness. They are not dis-
embodied spirits or ghosts. Although they possess material
forms generally they are invisible to the physical eye. They
have no plane of their own, but live in forests, dirty sur-
roundings, etc.
9.Asura—lit., those who do not sport or those
who do not shine. These Asuras should be distinguished

from another class of Asuras who are opposed to Devas
and who live in the Tavatimsa plane.
10.Manussa—lit., those who have an uplifted or
developed mind (mano ussannam etesam). Its Samskrt
equivalent is Manushya which means the sons of Manu.
They are so called because they became civilized after
Manu the seer.
The human realm is a mixture of both pain and
happiness. Bodhisattas prefer the human realm as they
get a better opportunity to serve the world and perfect
the requisites for Buddhahood. Buddhas are always born
as human beings.
11.Catummaharajika—This is the lowest of the
heavenly realms where the four Guardian Deities reside
with their followers.
12.Tavatimsa—lit., thirty-three. Sakka, the king
of the gods, resides in this celestial plane. The origin of the
name is attributed to a story which states that thirty-three
selfless volunteers led by Magha, having performed chari-
table deeds, were born in this heavenly realm.
13.Yama—derived from
√ yam, to destroy.
That which destroys pain is yama.
14.Tusita—lit., happy-dwellers. Traditional belief
is that the future Bodhisatta dwells at present in this celes-
tial plane, awaiting the right opportunity to be born as a
human being and become a Buddha.

15.Nimmanarati—Those who delight in the
created mansions.
16.Paranimmitavasavatti—lit., those who bring
under their sway things created by others.
These are the six Celestial planes — all temporary
blissful abodes — where beings are supposed to live happily
enjoying fleeting pleasures of sense. Superior to these Sen-
suous planes are the Brahma realms where beings delight
in jhanic bliss, achieved by renouncing sense-desires.
17. These are the three Brahma realms where
beings who have developed the first jhana are born. The
lowest of these three is Brahma Parisajja, which, literally,
means ‘Those who are born amongst the attendants of
Maha Brahmas’. The second is Brahma Purohita which
means Brahma’s Ministers. The highest of the first three is
Maha Brahma. It is so called because they exceed others in
happiness, beauty, and age-limit owing to the intrinsic
merit of their mental development.
Those who develop the first Jhana to a normal extent
are born in the first plane; those who have developed to a
medium degree are born in the second; and those who
have perfect control of the first jhana are born amongst the
Maha Brahmas in the third plane. The three divisions of
the other jhanic planes should be similarly understood.
18.Asannasatta—This is supposed to be a plane
where beings are born without a consciousness. Here only

a material flux exists. Normally both mind and matter are
inseparable. By the power of meditation it is possible, at
times, to separate matter from mind as in this particular
case. When an Arahant attains the Nirodha Samapatti his
consciousness ceases to exist temporarily. Such a state is
almost inconceivable to us. But there may be many incon-
ceivable things which are actual facts.
19.Suddhavasa—Only Anagamis and Arahants are
found in these planes. Those who attain Anagami in other
planes are born in these Pure Abodes. Later, they attain
Arahantship and live in those planes till their life-term is
over.
20. See p. 26. All these four are immaterial planes.
It should be remarked that the Buddha did not
attempt to expound any cosmological theory.
The essence of the Buddha’s teaching is not affected
by the existence or non-existence of these planes. No one is
bound to believe anything if it does not appeal to his reason.
Nor is it right to reject anything just because it cannot be
conceived by one’s limited knowledge.