Aṅguttara Nikāya
Sattaka Nipāta
5. Mahāyaññā Vaggo
Sutta 41
Viññāṇa-ṭ-Ṭhiti Suttaṃ
Stands for Consciousness[1]
Translated from the Pali
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time, Bhagava, Sāvatthi-town revisiting.
There then he said this to the beggars:
"There are these seven stands for consciousness.[2]
What seven?
2. There are, beggars, beings diverse in body
diverse in perception:[3]
such as man,
some gods,
and some who have fallen.
This is the first state of consciousness.
■
3. There are, beggars, beings diverse in body,
uniform in perception,
such as the gods of the Brahma group,
first reborn there[4].
This is the second state of consciousness.
■
4. There are, beggars, beings uniform in body,
diverse in perception,
such as the Radiant gods.[5]
This is the third state of consciousness.
■
5. There are, beggars, beings uniform in body,
uniform in perception,
such as the Luminous Gods.[6]
This is the fourth state of consciousness.
■
6. There are, beggars, beings,
all perception of form transcending,
perception of reaction having gone home,
without mental study of perception of diversity,
thinking:
'Unending Space'
who reach The Sphere of Unending Space.
This is the fifth state of consciousness.
■
7. There are, beggars, beings,
all perception of The Sphere of Unending Space transcending,
thinking:
'Unending Consciousness'
who reach The Sphere of Unending Consciousness.
This is the sixth state of consciousness.
■
8. There are, beggars, beings,
all perception of The Sphere of Unending Consciousness transcending,
thinking:
'There are No Things Had'
who reach The Sphere of No Things Had.
This is the seventh state of consciousness.
These then, beggars, are the seven stands for consciousness."
[1] Note The Ninth Lesson: Nava Satta Vassa and AN 9 24 where the state of Non-Perception and the state of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception are included.
[2] Viññāṇa-ṭ-ṭhitiyo. Viññāṇa-ṭ-ṭhitiya consciousness-states. Here this is individualized consciousness; consciousness with a form of existence as it's object.
[3]Saññā. Perception. Not 'mind', but note that perception is being equated to consciousness.
[4] Paṭhamā-bhini-b-battā. Paṭhama abhini-b-battā. First reborn there. Hare glosses "by reason of first (musing)" which is a common commentarial understanding of the requirement for rebirth in the Brahma realms but is not what is said in the Pali.
[5] Ābhassarā.
[6] Subakiṇhā.
References:
The Ninth Lesson: Nava Satta Vassa
AN 9 24