Dighanikaya 1.68-73

1.68-73

Asaññasattāti desanāsīsametaṃ, acittuppādā rūpamattakaattabhāvāti attho. Tesaṃ evaṃ uppatti veditabbā – ekacco hi titthāyatane pabbajitvā vāyokasiṇe parikammaṃ katvā catutthajjhānaṃ nibbattetvā jhānā vuṭṭhāya – ‘‘citte dosaṃ passati, citte sati hatthacchedādidukkhañceva sabbabhayāni ca honti, alaṃ iminā cittena, acittakabhāvova santo’’ti, evaṃ citte dosaṃ passitvā aparihīnajjhāno kālaṃ katvā asaññasattesu nibbattati, cittamassa cuticittanirodhena idheva nivattati, rūpakkhandhamattameva tattha pātubhavati. Te tattha yathā nāma jiyāvegakkhitto saro yattako jiyāvego, tattakameva ākāse gacchati. Evameva jhānavegakkhittā upapajjitvā yattako jhānavego, tattakameva kālaṃ tiṭṭhanti, jhānavege pana parihīne tattha rūpakkhandho antaradhāyati, idha pana paṭisandhisaññā uppajjati. Yasmā pana tāya idha uppannasaññāya tesaṃ tattha cuti paññāyati, tasmā ‘‘saññuppādā ca pana te devā tamhā kāyā cavantī’’ti vuttaṃ. Santatāyāti santabhāvāya. Sesamettha uttānameva. Takkīvādopi vuttanayeneva veditabboti.

"Non-percipient beings": this is a heading of the teaching; the meaning is individual existences consisting merely of form, without the arising of consciousness. Their rebirth is to be understood thus: a certain person, having gone forth into an ascetic sect, develops preparatory work on the wind-kasiṇa, produces the fourth absorption, and upon emerging from the absorption, sees the fault in consciousness: "When consciousness exists, there are sufferings such as the cutting off of hands and all kinds of perils. Enough of this consciousness! The state of being without consciousness is indeed peaceful." Having thus seen the fault in consciousness, dying with unfallen absorption, he is reborn among non-percipient beings. His consciousness ceases right here with the cessation of the death-consciousness; merely the form aggregate appears there. There, just as an arrow shot by the force of a bowstring travels in the air only so far as the force of the bowstring lasts, even so, having been reborn through being shot by the force of absorption, they remain for only as long as the force of the absorption lasts. But when the force of the absorption has waned, the form aggregate disappears there, and rebirth-linking perception arises here. And since their passing away there is known by that perception arising here, it is said: "And with the arising of perception, those deities pass away from that plane." "For the sake of peace": for peacefulness. The rest here is quite clear. The doctrine of the rationalist is also to be understood in the manner already stated.