4.
The Discourse on Abodes of Beings
24.
"Monks, there are these nine abodes of beings.
Which nine?
There are, monks, beings different in body and different in perception, just as human beings, some gods, and some beings in states of misfortune.
This is the first abode of beings.
"There are, monks, beings different in body and identical in perception, just as the gods of Brahmā's retinue who are first reborn. This is the second abode of beings.
"There are, monks, beings identical in body and different in perception, just as the radiant gods. This is the third abode of beings.
"There are, monks, beings identical in body and identical in perception, just as the gods of streaming radiance. This is the fourth abode of beings.
"There are, monks, beings without perception and without experience, just as the non-percipient beings. This is the fifth abode of beings.
"There are, monks, beings who, with the complete transcendence of perceptions of form, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with inattention to perceptions of diversity, aware that 'space is infinite,' have reached the plane of infinite space. This is the sixth abode of beings.
"There are, monks, beings who, having completely transcended the plane of infinite space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite,' have reached the plane of infinite consciousness. This is the seventh abode of beings.
"There are, monks, beings who, having completely transcended the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing,' have reached the plane of nothingness. This is the eighth abode of beings.
"There are, monks, beings who, having completely transcended the plane of nothingness, have reached the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. This is the ninth abode of beings. These, monks, are the nine abodes of beings." The fourth.