རྣམ་པར་ཤེས་པ་ལ་གནས་པ་བདུན། | Glossary of Terms

Seven categories that describe living beings in the higher realms, from humans up to the formless realm: 1) those different in body and different in perception; 2) those different in body and equal in perception; 3) those equal in body but different in perception; 4) those equal in body and equal in perception; 5) those reborn in the sphere of boundless space; 6) those reborn in the sphere of boundless consciousness; and 7) those reborn in the sphere of nothingness.

Seven categories that describe living beings in the higher realms, from humans up to the formless realm: (1) those different in body and different in perception; (2) those different in body and equal in perception; (3) those equal in body but different in perception; (4) those equal in body and equal in perception; (5) those reborn in the sphere of boundless space; (6) those reborn in the sphere of boundless consciousness; and (7) those reborn in the sphere of nothingness.

This refers to the seven categories of living beings, as enumerated in the Abhi­dharma­kośa, III, v. 5-6a. The seven abodes of consciousness consist of beings who differ physically and intellectually; beings who differ physically but are similar intellectually; beings similar physically but who differ intellectually; beings similar physically and intellectually; and three types of immaterial beings (nānātvakāya­saṃjñāś ca nānākāyaika­saṃjñinaḥ / viparyayāc caikakāya­saṃjñāś cārūpiṇas trayaḥ // vijñāna­sthitayaḥ sapta…). According to Vasubandhu the first category consists of men, the six types of gods of the desire-realm, and the gods of the first realm of contemplation (brahma­vihāra) except those fallen from higher realms (prathamābhinivṛta); the second category consists of those fallen (prathamābhiniṛvṛta) gods who have different bodies but whose intellects are single-mindedly aware of the idea of being created by Brahmā; the third category consists of the gods of the second realm of contemplation‍—the abhāsvara (clear-light) gods, the parīṭṭābha (radiant) gods, and the apramāṇābha (immeasurably luminous) gods‍—who have similar luminous bodies but differ in their thoughts, which are bent on the experiences of pleasure and numbness; the fourth category consists of the śubhakṛtsna (pure-wholeness) gods, whose intellects are united in concentration on bliss; the fifth category consists of the immaterial beings who reside in the realm of infinite space; the sixth category consists of the immaterial beings who reside in the realm of infinite consciousness; and the seventh category consists of the immaterial beings who reside in the realm of nothingness. (See also Mvy, Nos. 2289-2295.)