3.
The Discourse on Difference (First)
123.
"Monks, there are these four persons found existing in the world.
Which four?
Here, monks, a certain person, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome mental states, enters upon and dwells in the first meditative absorption, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture and bliss born of seclusion.
He enjoys it, desires it, and finds happiness on account of it.
Established therein, inclined to it, dwelling in it frequently, not fallen away from it, when dying he is reborn in the company of the gods of Brahmā's company.
Monks, for the gods of Brahmā's company, one cosmic cycle is the life-span.
There a worldling, having stayed as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, goes to hell, goes to the animal realm, goes to the sphere of ghosts.
But a disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, attains final nibbāna in that very existence.
This, monks, is the distinction, this is the disparity, this is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an ignorant worldling, that is to say, regarding destination and rebirth.
"Furthermore, monks, here a certain person, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, enters upon and dwells in the second meditative absorption, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without applied thought and without sustained thought, with rapture and bliss born of concentration. He enjoys it, desires it, and finds happiness on account of it. Established therein, inclined to it, dwelling in it frequently, not fallen away from it, when dying he is reborn in the company of the Radiant gods. Monks, for the Radiant gods, two cosmic cycles is the life-span. There a worldling, having stayed as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, goes to hell, goes to the animal realm, goes to the sphere of ghosts. But a disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, attains final nibbāna in that very existence. This, monks, is the distinction, this is the disparity, this is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an ignorant worldling, that is to say, regarding destination and rebirth.
"Furthermore, monks, here a certain person, with the fading away of rapture, dwells equanimous, mindful and fully aware, and experiences bliss with the body - that which the noble ones declare: 'He who is equanimous and mindful dwells in bliss' - he enters upon and dwells in the third meditative absorption. He enjoys it, desires it, and finds happiness on account of it. Established therein, inclined to it, dwelling in it frequently, not fallen away from it, when dying he is reborn in the company of the gods of Streaming Radiance. Monks, for the gods of Streaming Radiance, four cosmic cycles is the life-span. There a worldling, having stayed as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, goes to hell, goes to the animal realm, goes to the sphere of ghosts. But a disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, attains final nibbāna in that very existence. This, monks, is the distinction, this is the disparity, this is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an ignorant worldling, that is to say, regarding destination and rebirth.
"Furthermore, monks, here a certain person, with the abandoning of bliss and pain, and with the prior disappearance of pleasure and displeasure, enters upon and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption, which has neither-pain-nor-bliss and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. He enjoys it, desires it, and finds happiness on account of it. Established therein, inclined to it, dwelling in it frequently, not fallen away from it, when dying he is reborn in the company of the gods of Great Fruit. Monks, for the gods of Great Fruit, five hundred cosmic cycles is the life-span. There a worldling, having stayed as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, goes to hell, goes to the animal realm, goes to the sphere of ghosts. But a disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, attains final nibbāna in that very existence. This, monks, is the distinction, this is the disparity, this is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an ignorant worldling, that is to say, regarding destination and rebirth. These, monks, are the four persons found existing in the world." The third.