[Anonymous]

Hello,

What do the following words mean in the post “Nibbāna “Exists”, but Not in This World“, point #4:

• ākāsānañ­cāyata­na
• viñ­ñā­ṇañ­cāyata­na
• ākiñ­cañ­ñā­yatana
• neva­saññā­nā­sañ­ñāyata­na

With metta!

[Lal]

Those are the realms #28 through #31, the arupavacara realms:
“31 Realms of Existence“.

Only a trace is matter (rupa) exists there: the hadaya vatthu of those beings. Not even a single pasada rupa exists for that living being, who is called an arupavacara brahma; they can only think.

If a human cultivates arupavacara jhana, he/she would experience that too, i.e., no other sense faculty will function in those jhana. Of course his/her whole body will be kept alive.

[SengKiat]

Hi inflib,
The following are the consciousness of the arupavacara (immaterial plane or formless plane) where the jhana are attained:

ākāsānañ­cāyata­na means sphere of infinite space
viñ­ñā­ṇañ­cāyata­na means sphere of infinity of consciousness
ākiñ­cañ­ñā­yatana means sphere of nothingness
neva­saññā­nā­sañ­ñāyata­na means sphere of neither perception nor non perception

See bottom for the meaning of āyata­na.

In the sutta definition, the following jhana applies:
5th jhana is ākāsānañ­cāyata­na
6th jhana is viñ­ñā­ṇañ­cāyata­na
7th jhana is ākiñ­cañ­ñā­yatana
8th jhana is neva­saññā­nā­sañ­ñāyata­na

The 7th jhana is where the bodhisatta Siddhartha attained under Alara Kalama guidance and the 8th jhana is achieved under Uddaka Ramaputta during his search for Enlightenment.

With metta Seng Kiat

āyatana：1．’spheres’，is a name for the four immaterial absorptions; s．jhāna （5-8）．2．The 12 ‘bases’ or ‘sources’ on which depend the mental processes，consist of five physical sense-organs and consciousness，being the six personal （ajjhattika） bases; and the six objects，the so-called external （bāhira） bases – namely：

eye，or visual organ visible object
ear，or auditory organ sound，or audible object
nose，or olfactory organ odour，or olfactive object
tongue，or gustatory organ taste，or gustative object
body，or tactile organ body-impression，or tactile object
mind-base，or consciousness mind-object

[Anonymous]

I’m very grateful for the information! Thank you!

Infinite space, nothingness, perception and non-perception is comprehendible, but viñ­ñā­ṇañ­cāyata­na, infinity of consciousness, is not. How is viñ­ñā­ṇañ­cāyata­na perceived in meditation? If this is possible to put into words, if not, I understand.

Much metta!

[y not]

Lal said:

“Only a trace is matter (rupa) exists there: the hadaya vatthu OF those beings” (Capitals mine)

So the beings are not the hadaya vatthu. They only have it. Is that what is meant? In that case, by what other names or descriptions are the beings themselves, as distinct from and beyond the hadaya vatthu, refered to in Buddhadhamma?

y not

[Lal]

Y not said: “So the beings are not the hadaya vatthu. They only have it. Is that what is meant? In that case, by what other names or descriptions are the beings themselves, as distinct from and beyond the hadaya vatthu, refered to in Buddhadhamma?”

How can a being be its hadaya vatthu? Hadaya vatthu is just a suddhashtaka, which is even smaller than an atom in modern science.
A human has an inert body that weighs tens of kg or hundreds of pounds.
Obviously that body is not the human, because at death it becomes inert and the gandhabba comes out. So, is gandhabba the “person”?

But a gandhabba essentially has a hadaya vatthu and five pasada rupa, where those pasada rupa are also suddhashtaka. So, in essence, that human can also be reduced a set of six rupa smaller than an atom.

That set of hadaya vatthu and five pasada rupa are NOT fixed or NOT unchanging. They decay and a new set arises due to kammic energy at a very fast rate.

This is why it cannot be said that there is a “self”.

However, one’s pancakkhandha (and panca upadanakkhandha and gati) remains accessible with that hadaya vatthu; of course there are NOT fixed and keep changing too. That is why it cannot be said that there is “no self”.

I am re-stating this basic picture because it is critical to understand. See, “What Reincarnates? – Concept of a Lifestream“.

[SengKiat]

From the Book Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana.

The Second Arupa:
The Base of Boundless Consciousness
To attain the second arupa, you must achieve full mastery over the first and then see its defects. It is still close to the material jhanas and it is less peaceful than the attainments above it. You reflect on these defects until they are real to you. Then the mind naturally develops indifference toward the first arupa and you turn your attention toward the second.
By completely surmounting the base consisting of boundless space,
aware of “unbounded consciousness” he enters and dwells in the base consisting of boundless consciousness.
You focus upon the consciousness that is aware of that boundless space. This consciousness is also boundless and even more refined. You advert to it as “boundless consciousness” or “simply as awareness, awareness.” Your object is awareness but you always keep that boundless, infinite nature in mind.
These are normal conscious thoughts and you turn to them again and again. You repeat to yourself over and over “awareness, awareness.” The hindrances are restrained and the mind enters access concentration. You continue to cultivate the counterpart sign that results. There follows a moment of complete engagement in the “base of boundless consciousness.”

[Anonymous]

Ah, “you focus upon the consciousness that is aware of that boundless space”, that makes sense.

Thank you, thank you!

[Author]

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