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Saturday, February 22, 2020

DN 15: 7 planes of existence, what does it mean to have unified body and unified perception?


DN 15: 7 planes of existence, what does it mean to have unified body and unified perception?
I had a similar question to OP, so I ask in here instead of starting a new thread. I'm also curious as to how it corresponds to 4 jhanas and their rebirth in brahma kayika realm on up.
It seems like being "unified in body" would probably mean they all look like clones of each other? From some other source, perhaps commentary, they say in brahma realm there's no gender, and no breathing (as humans, animals, devas have).
But what does it mean to be unified in perception? For brahma kayika, it could mean they're only interested in 4 jhanas and 4 brahmaiharas (rather than the diversity in deva realms where they could have differences in liking various divine pleasures of music, sex, food, etc). But then why is the next realm above Brahma kayika have diversity of perception?
Also Brahma kayika beings, some could be Buddhists, some Hindu, etc, so that seems like quite a diversity of perception right there.

✴️DN 15 Mahā-nidāna : The Great Discourse on Causation: 1. Dependent Origination 2. Describing the Self 3. Not Describing the Self 4. Regarding a Self 5. Planes of Consciousness 6. The Eight Liberations
5. SattaviƱƱāį¹‡aį¹­į¹­hiti
5. Planes of Consciousness
Satta kho, ānanda, viƱƱāį¹‡aį¹­į¹­hitiyo, dve āyatanāni.
Ānanda, there are seven planes of consciousness and two dimensions.
Katamā satta?
What seven?
Santānanda, sattā nānattakāyā nānattasaƱƱino, seyyathāpi manussā, ekacce ca devā, ekacce ca vinipātikā.
There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and diverse in perception, such as human beings, some gods, and some beings in the underworld.
Ayaį¹ƒ paį¹­hamā viƱƱāį¹‡aį¹­į¹­hiti.
This is the first plane of consciousness.
Santānanda, sattā nānattakāyā ekattasaƱƱino, seyyathāpi devā brahmakāyikā paį¹­hamābhinibbattā.
There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and unified in perception, such as the gods reborn in Brahmā’s Group through the first jhāna.
Ayaį¹ƒ dutiyā viƱƱāį¹‡aį¹­į¹­hiti.
This is the second plane of consciousness.
Santānanda, sattā ekattakāyā nānattasaƱƱino, seyyathāpi devā ābhassarā.
There are sentient beings that are unified in body and diverse in perception, such as the gods of streaming radiance.
Ayaį¹ƒ tatiyā viƱƱāį¹‡aį¹­į¹­hiti.
This is the third plane of consciousness.
Santānanda, sattā ekattakāyā ekattasaƱƱino, seyyathāpi devā subhakiį¹‡hā.
There are sentient beings that are unified in body and unified in perception, such as the gods replete with glory.
Ayaį¹ƒ catutthÄ« viƱƱāį¹‡aį¹­į¹­hiti.
This is the fourth plane of consciousness.
Santānanda, sattā sabbaso rÅ«pasaƱƱānaį¹ƒ samatikkamā paį¹­ighasaƱƱānaį¹ƒ atthaį¹…gamā nānattasaƱƱānaį¹ƒ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānaƱcāyatanÅ«pagā.
There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond perceptions of form. With the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, they have been reborn in the dimension of infinite space.
Ayaį¹ƒ paƱcamÄ« viƱƱāį¹‡aį¹­į¹­hiti.
This is the fifth plane of consciousness.
Santānanda, sattā sabbaso ākāsānaƱcāyatanaį¹ƒ samatikkamma ‘anantaį¹ƒ viƱƱāį¹‡an’ti viƱƱāį¹‡aƱcāyatanÅ«pagā.
There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite space. Aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they have been reborn in the dimension of infinite consciousness.
Ayaį¹ƒ chaį¹­į¹­hÄ« viƱƱāį¹‡aį¹­į¹­hiti.
This is the sixth plane of consciousness.
Santānanda, sattā sabbaso viƱƱāį¹‡aƱcāyatanaį¹ƒ samatikkamma ‘natthi kiƱcÄ«’ti ākiƱcaƱƱāyatanÅ«pagā.
There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness. Aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they have been reborn in the dimension of nothingness.
Ayaį¹ƒ sattamÄ« viƱƱāį¹‡aį¹­į¹­hiti.
This is the seventh plane of consciousness.
AsaƱƱasattāyatanaį¹ƒ nevasaƱƱānāsaƱƱāyatanameva dutiyaį¹ƒ.
Then there’s the dimension of non-percipient beings, and secondly, the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.
Tatrānanda, yāyaį¹ƒ paį¹­hamā viƱƱāį¹‡aį¹­į¹­hiti nānattakāyā nānattasaƱƱino, seyyathāpi manussā, ekacce ca devā, ekacce ca vinipātikā.
Now, regarding these seven planes of consciousness and two dimensions,
Yo nu kho, ānanda, taƱca pajānāti, tassā ca samudayaį¹ƒ pajānāti, tassā ca atthaį¹…gamaį¹ƒ pajānāti, tassā ca assādaį¹ƒ pajānāti, tassā ca ādÄ«navaį¹ƒ pajānāti, tassā ca nissaraį¹‡aį¹ƒ pajānāti, kallaį¹ƒ nu tena tadabhinanditun”ti?
is it appropriate for someone who understands them—and their origin, ending, gratification, drawback, and escape—to take pleasure in them?”
“No hetaį¹ƒ, bhante” … pe …
“No, sir.”

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