The Foundations of Buddhism

TABLE 2. The thirty-one realms of existence according to the Pali sources

WORLD
(dhiitu)

FORMLESS
WORLD
(arilpa-dhiitu)

WORLD OF

PURE FORM

(rilpa-dhiitu)

1l

destruction

by wind

COSMOLOGY

REALM (bhiimi)

Neither Consciousness nor

Unconsciousness

( nevasaiiiiiiniisaiifu'iyatana)

Nothingness

( akiiicaiiiidyatana)

Infinite Consciousness

( viiiiiiiiJaiicdyatana)

Infinite Space

( iikiisdnaiicayatana)

The Supreme (akani{!ha)

The Clear-sighted (sudassin)

The Lovely (sudassa)

The Serene (atappa)

The Durable (aviha)

Unconscious Beings

( asaiiiia-satta)

Great Reward ( vehapplzala)

Complete Beauty

(subha-kiiJha)

Boundless Beauty

(appamiiiJa-subha)

L'

PURE

ABODES

(suddhaviisa)

PSYCHOLOGY

LIFE SPAN KARMA

(leading to rebirth in corresponding realm)

84,000 aeons

6o,ooo aeons

40,000 aeons

2o,ooo aeons

Formless

attainments

(arilpa-samiipatti)

I6,ooo aeons l Path of non-return

8,ooo aeons (aniigiimi-magga)

4,000 aeons or transcendent

2,ooo r,ooo aeons aeons 4 th jhiina r Fourth jhiina

sao aeons asaiiiia-samiipatti

sao aeons Ordinary 4th jhiina

64 aeons

32 aeons r Third jhiina

FORMLESS-

SPHERE

MIND

(arilpiivacara)

FORM-

SPHERE

MIND

(rupavacara)