ANALYSIS OF PHENOMENA AND MAPPING OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Profound Theravada Wisdom on Phenomena

Sariputra, all phenomena are emptied of characteris¬tics. (3)


While the hallmark of Theravada Buddhism is the practice of moral purity, and its followers such as in Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand and Cambodia, despite their comparatively frugal living, are well known to be amongst the most cheerful and peaceloving people in the world, the depth and scope of Theravadin knowledge regarding phenomena as recorded in their scriptures are astonishing. Modern physicists, cosmologists, psychologists and other scientists can benefit much if they care to investigate into what Buddhist masters have taught about man, mind, and the universe Their knowledge, it is significant to note, is not obtained from vigorous reasoning or speculative intellectualization as has been the norm in both classical and modern western philosophy, but derived directly from personal experience in deep meditation.

Long before scientists classified the stuff of the world into elements, Buddhist masters of the Sarvastivada school, which was closely related to the present day Theravada school, classified dharmas into seventy five types. The term dharma is usually translated as "element", which is, in my opinion, quite incorrect, because the Buddhist concept of dharma is not only much finer than the modern scientific concept of element, but it also includes non-physical units. As a rough working definition, dharma may be regarded as sub-atomic particles and forces.

According to the Sarvastivada school, which drew much inspiration from the great Indian Buddhist master, Vasubhandu (CE 420-500) and his Abhidharma-kosa, or the Higher Knowledge on Dharma, the 75 dharmas of the universe can be divided into two major categories: samskrta-dharma or dharmas that are caused, and asamskrta-dharmas or dharmas that are non-caused. Samskrta-dharmas are of 4 major groups: rupani (form), citta (mind), caitsika (mental faculties), and citta-viprayukta-samskrta (neither forms nor mental functions) .

Rupani or form is sub-divided into 11 types, namely forms that are perceived through the eye, ear, nose, tongue and body, or manifested as substance, sound, smell, taste and touch, and forms without manifestation. In this scheme of analysis there is no division for the dharma of mind; but mind is studied and analysed in Buddhism in such depth and scope that may astound our modern psychologists. Some examples of Buddhist psychology will be described later.

Caitasika or mental faculties are divided into 6 main classes, which are further analysed into sub-classes. The five main classes are mahabhumika or main functions, such as perception, idea and remembrance; kusala-mahabhumika or good main functions, such as confidence, non-injury and exertion; klesa-mahabhumika or defiled main functions, such as ignorance, idleness and indolence; akusala-mahabhumika or evil main functions, such as shamelessness and non-bashfulness; upaklesa-bhumika or minor defiled functions, such as anger, envy and deceit; and aniyata-bhumika or indeterminate functions, such as repentance, drowsiness and investigation.

Citta-viprayukta-samskrta or neither forms nor mental functions are of 14 types, namely acquisition, non-acquisition, communionship, fruition in non-thought heaven, non-thought ecstasy, meditation, life, birth, attachment, decay, impermanence, modality, description, and words..

All these four main groups with a total of 72 different types of dharmas belong to the category called samskrta-dharma, or dharmas that are caused. The 3 other types of dharmas in this scheme of 75 dharmas belong to the category called asamskrta-dharma, or dharmas that are not caused. These three asamskrta-dharma types are akasa or space, pratisamkhya-nirodha or extinction (i.e. nirvana) by means of knowledge, and apratisamkhya-nirodha or extinction (i.e. nirvana) through non-knowledge.

Later when Vasubandhu was eventually converted from Hinayana to Mahayana, and founded the Vijnaptimatrata (or Mere-Ideation) school, he refined his analysis of phenomena and increased the 75 types of dharmas to 100. The increase was made in dharmas that pertain to mind. For example in the scheme of 100 dharmas of the Vijnaptimatrata school, there are 8 types of citta-dharma and 6 types of asamskrta-dharma, compared to only 1 and 3 respectively in the Sarvastivada school. The 8 mind dharmas refer to the 8 types of consciousness, namely caksur-vijnana or eye-consciousness, srotra-vijnana or ear-consciousness, ghrana-vijnana or nose-consciousness, jihva-vijnana or tongue-consciousness, kaya-vijnana or body-consciousness, mano-vijnana or intellect-consciousness, manas or subconsciousness, and alaya-vijnana or collective consciousness. The 6 non-cause dharmas are akasa or space, pratisamkhaya-nirodha or extinction through knowledge, apratisamkhaya-nirodha or extinction through non-knowledge, aninjya or extinction through meditation, samjna-vedayita-nirodha or extinction through stoppage of idea and sensation, and tathata or suchness.

It is obvious that the Buddhist analysis of phenomena, classifying their finest constituents into 75 or 100 dharmas or sub-atomic particles and forces, is more encompassing than the modern scientific classification of matter into the periodic system. One should also note that the Buddhist classification, unlike in western science, is not rigid or exclusive. It is not that Buddhist masters have discovered the universe is made up of 75 or 100 different types of dharmas, but that a useful way to understand phenomena is to analyse them according to these 75 or 100 dharma types, or any other reliable scheme. This concept, together with the cosmic truth that phenomena are a creation of mind, may suggest to us that if you are a scientist and work out a theory according to the conventional rules of science, you have a good chance that experiments will prove your theory right in due time.


External World as a Creation of Consciousness

Of the numerous schools of Buddhist philosophy he studied, Xuan Zang, the great translator of the Heart Sutra we use in this book, was most impressed by Vijnaptimatrata. When he returned to China, Xuan Zang founded the Fa Xiang (Characteristics of Cosmic Reality), also known as the Wei Shih (Solely Consciousness), school which is actually a Chinese continuation of the Indian Vijnaptimatrata tradition.

According to Wei Shih philosophy, the so-called external world, considered by Newtonian science as objective, is unreal; it is created by consciousness. While many people may still be unaware of it, our latest scientists are saying the same thing, many centuries after the Buddhist masters. The Cambridge physicist, Alastair Rae, says:

    Quantum theory tells us that nothing can be measured or observed without disturbing it, so that the role of the observer is crucial in understanding any physical process. So crucial in fact that some people have been led to believe that it is the observer's mind that is the only reality -- that everything else including the whole physical universe is illusion.
Another modern physicist, Michael Talbot, citing the well known psychologist Pribram, says:
    Even the world we know may not be composed of objects. We may only be sensing mechanisms moving through a vibration dance of frequencies. Pribram suggests that the reason we translate this vibrating dance of frequencies into the solidity and objectivity of the universe as we know it is that our brains operate on the same holographiclike principles as the dance of frequencies and is able to convert them into a picture much the same as a television converts the frequencies it receives into a more coherent image.
But modern physicists and other scientists are at a loss as to why different people with their different minds still see the same external world if the external world is actually a creation of mind. In other words, why do you and I and every other person see a tree as a tree, and not as something else? The Buddhist masters have given satisfactory answers centuries ago. This is because we all have the same set of eye-con¬sci¬ousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, intellect-con¬scious¬ness, and collective consciousness. Not only our sense organs and intellect interpret dharmas (sub-atomic particles and forces) in similar manner, but we also share the same collective consciousness throughout the millennia. Should any person for any reasons has a different set of eyes or nose or any sense organ, he would perceive what we call a tree differently. If his intellect is affected by drugs, for example, he may not perceive a tree as a tree. A different sentient being, like a sparrow or a god, having different sets of consciousness from us, will perceive the external world very differently from what we do.


Theravada Wisdom on Consciousness

Besides providing a rich source of knowledge concerning phenomena, Theravada scriptures also explain deeply on consciousness. The Abhidhammattha Sangaha (A Manual on the Higher Teaching of the Buddha), for example, first classifies consciousness into four principal groups, namely kamavacara cittani or consciousness pertaining to the sensual sphere of existence, rupavacara cittani or consciousness pertaining to the form sphere, arupavacara cittani or consciousness pertaining to the formless sphere, and lokuttara cittani or consciousness pertaining to the supramundane sphere.

Kamaacara cittani are divided into 12 tupes of akusala cittani or immoral types of consciousness, 18 types of ahetula cittani or rootless consciousness, and 24 types of sobhana cittani or beautiful consciousness. Rupavacara cittani are dovoded omtp 5 types of kusala cittani or moral consciousness, 5 types of vipaka cittani or resultant consciousness, and 5 types of kriya cittani or functional consciousness. Arupavacara cittani are divided into 4 types of kusala cittani or moral consciousness, 4 types of vipala cittani or resultant consciousness, and 4 types of kriya cittani or functional consciousness. Lokutara cittani are divided into 4 types of magga cittani or seed consciousness, and 4 types of phala cittani or fruit consciousness. There are, therefore, altogether 89 types of consciousness. It is significant to note that, as in the case of studying phenomena above, this classification of consciousness into 89 types is not rigid or exclusive, but represents one effective way to study the mind. There are also other ways of classification which are equally efficiaeous, such as classifying consciousness into 121 types.

Unlike in western psychology where the study of consciousness is geared towards mundane needs, including solving psychological problems, Buddhist psychology is directed towards attaining enlightenment. Interestingly, although Buddhist psychology has never been bothered with such topics like conditioning, stress and psychoanalysis which are essential topics in western psychology, Buddhists in general are relatively free from psychological disorders prevalent in western societies. How is this possible? Why is it that a psychology which does not even study stress or psychoanalysis in any systematic fashion appears to handle situations related to stress and psychoanalysis better than another psychology that does? This type of thinking is what Buddhists would call dualistic or restrictive reasoning, i.e. since the psycholgogical disorders are caused by stress and can be relieved through psychoanalysis, a study of stree and psychoanalysis will necessarily improve the methods of overcoming these problems, and, tacitly, nothing else can do better. Even if we assume that the two premisses that the psychological problems are caused by stress, and that psychoanalysis (or any other methods) can overcome the problems, are true, it is still restrictive to think that studying stress and psychoanalysis can enhance overcoming the problems.

There are many reasons why Buddhists are generally not inflicted with psychological disorders as many non-Buddhists in modern societies zre. From the philosophical viewpoint, the Buddha's teaching on avoiding all evil and doing good effectively eliminate many causes of the psychological disorders; from the practical perspective, the Buddha's teaching on purifying the mind provides Buddhbist with better psychic ability to deal with stress or other causes should they arise.

Hence, in the Buddhist psychological make-up. having a mind free from psychological problems is a prerequisite for spiritual cultivtion, and much of Buddhist psychology is concerned with providing a detailed mental map for this spiritual training.


Buddhist Metaphysics on the Spheres of Existence

According to Buddhist philosophy, in the Saha world where we live, which probably corresponds to our solar system, there are three spheres of existence, namely the sphere of sensual desire, the sphere of form, and the sphere of non-form. All these three spheres are of the phenomenal dimension. The ultimate aim of Buddhism is to go beyond these three phenomenal spheres to actualize transcendental cosmic reality, known variously in Buddhism as enlightenment, nirvana, bodi, Zen, Tathagata or Buddhahood. The sphere of sensual desire, or kamaloka, consists of 11 realms of existence, ranging from the lowest realm of hells to the highest sensual realm of the Paranimmita-Vasavatti gods. We humans are at the fifth realm from below, with four realms of asuras (or titians), animals, ghosts and hell denizens beneath, and 6 heavenly realms of deva gods above us.

Hence in this sphere of desire there are six categories of beings, namely gods, humans, assuras, animals, ghosts and hell denizens. Depending on their karma, as well as state of consciousness and rebirth thought, all beings, with the exception of those who have reached a very high spiritual level to be explained later, will be reborn in one of these six categories; this is known as the wheel of six ways of reincarnation.

Should you think that all these are the result of rich imagination, please humbly admit that your eyes, as well as the eyes of the greatest scientists, can only perceive an unimaginably minute portion of reality. Even at the physical dimension which scientists know best, the physical universe perceivable to them and their sophisticated instruments constitutes less than 1 percent of what they believe is in existence, the remaining 99 percent is conveniently called shadow-matter. Then how do the Buddha and the other masters know of these "invisible" realms? They know through direct experience!

The types of consciousness described above, and will be further explained later, supply the mental maps to reach these realms if you devote time and effort for spiritual cultivation. It is heartening to note that the chance of going to heaven is very high in Buddhism. Even in the sphere of desire in our Saha world, there are 6 realms of heaven, known as the six sensual heavens, compared to 5 realms of non-heavens. Statistically speaking you have 54.5% chance of going to heaven in your next life. Actually your chance is much, much higher because besides these six sensual heavens, there are 16 dhyana heavens in our Saha world, and literally countless heavens in other stars and galaxies. If you have a proper understanding of the relevant Buddhist teaching on going to heaven and cultivate good karma, your chance of going to heaven, if you so wish, is virtually 100%!

The dhyana or meditation heavens are above the sensual heavens and are located in the sphere of form, or rupaloka. They are known as meditation heavens because unlike in the lower heavens, rebirth to these dhyana heavens is not through the wheel of six ways of reincarnation, but through high levels of meditation. There are four dhyana or meditation states; hence these heavens are called "four dhyana heavens", but there are 16 heavens, not 4, ranging from Parisajja Heaven, or Heaven of Brahma Retinue, at the 12th realm to Akanittha Heaven, or Heaven of Supreme Brahmas, at the 27th realm. Beings in these dhyana heavens are known as brahma gods, distinguished from the deva gods of the sensual heavens. While devas, like us humans, still have form and desires, brahmas have only form but no desires. Their forms, however, are too fine for our human eyes to see.

Above the sphere of form is the sphere of non-form, or arupaloka, consisting of four realms inhabited by very highly spiritual beings such as sravakas (beings enlightened as a result of listening to the Buddha's teaching), pratyekabuddhas (those enlightened on their own effort), arahants (those enlightened through the Theravada path), and bodhisattvas (those enlightened through the Mahayana or the Vajrayana paths). These enlightened beings have neither desire nor form, and exist as pure consciousness. They can, however, manifest into any forms at any realm, if they so desire.. While they are enlightened, they are not perfectly enlightened, i.e. they are not yet buddhas. To attain Buddhahood is to actualize transcendental cosmic reality where all forms of individuality or entitiy are broken down; a bodhisattva or an arahant is stll an individual or an entity. A bodhisattva chooses to remain an entity so as to save other sentient beings; an arahant remains as an entity because although he has no form he still believes consciousness is real.

The three sphere of existence with their various realms are listed below in descending order:

Sphere of Non-Form:

31. Nevasannanasanna Yatana. Sphere of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception. 30. Akincanna Yatana. Sphere of Nothingness. 29. Vinnananca Yatana. Sphere of Infinite Consciousness. 28. Akasananca Yatana. Sphere of Infinite Space.

Sphere of Form:

27. Akanittha Heaven. Heaven of Supreme Brahmas. 26. Sudassi Heaven. Heaven of Clear-Sighted Brahmas. 25. Sudassa Heaven. Heaven of Beautiful Brahmas. 24. Atappa Heaven. Heaven of Serene Brahmas. 23. Aviha Heaven. Heaven of Immobile Brahmas. 22. Asanna-Satta Heaven. Heaven of Sensationless Brahmas. 21. Vehapphala Heaven. Heaven of Greatly Rewarded Brahmas. 20. Subha Kinha Heaven. Heaven of Brahmas with Steady Aura. 19. Appamana Heaven. Heaven of Brahmas with Infinite Aura. 18. Paritta Subha Heaven. Heaven of Brahmas with Minor Aura. 17. Abhassara Heaven. Heaven of Radiant Brahmas. 16. Appamanabha Heaven. Heaven of Brahmas with Infinite Lustre. 15. Parittabha Heaven. Heaven of Brahmas with Minor Lustre. 14. Maha-Brahma Heaven Heaven of Great Brahmas. 13. Purohita Heaven. Heaven of Brahma Ministers. 12. Parisajja Heaven. Heaven of Brahma Retinue.

Sphere of Desire:

11. Paranimmita-Vasavatti Heaven. Heaven of Enjoying Others' Creation. 10. Nimmana-Rati Heaven. Heaven of Enjoying Own Creation. 9. Tusita Heaven. Heaven of Enjoying Bliss. 8. Yama Heaven. Heaven of Yama. 7. Tavatimsa Heaven. Heaven of Thirty Three Deva Kings. 6. Catumaharajika Heaven. Heaven of Four Great Kings. 5. Manussa Loka. Realm of Humans. 4. Asura Nikaya. Realm of Titans. 3. Tiracchana Yoni. Realm of Animals. 2. Peta Loka. Realm of Ghosts and Spirits. 1. Niraya. Realms of Hells.


Mental Maps for Spiritual Cultivation

The 54 types of consciousness pertaining to the sensual sphere are classified into three groups: immoral consciousness, rootless consciousness, and beautiful consciousness.

There are 12 types of immoral consciousness, and are divided into three sub-groups: 8 types of consciousness rooted in attachment, 2 types of consciousness rooted in ill will, and 2 types of consciousness rooted in ignorance. Because of these three "poisons" -- attachment (lobha), ill will (dosa) and ignorance (moha) -- a person with any one of the 12 types of consciousness rooted in them will be unable to progress spiritually. His task, therefore, is to eliminate these three "poisons", and this can be effectively achieved through meditation.

These 12 types of akusala or immoral consciousness are as follows:

  1. unprompted, accompanied by pleasure and connected with wrong views.
  2. prompted, accompanied by pleasure and connected with wrong view.
  3. unprompted, accompanied by pleasure and disconnected with wrong view.
  4. prompted, accompanied by pleasure and disconnected with wrong view.
  5. unprompted, accompanied by indifference and connected with wrong view.
  6. Prompted, accompanied by indifference and connected with wrong view.
  7. unprompted, unaccompanied by indifference and disconnected with wrong view.
  8. prompted, accompanied by indifference and disconnected with wrong view.
  9. unprompted, accompanied by disopleasure and connected with ill will.
  10. prompted, accompanied by displeasure and connected with ill will.
  11. accompanied by indifference and connected with doubt.
  12. accompanied by indifference, and connected with restlessness.
After having unrooted the poisons of attachment, ill will and ignorance, the cultivator is ready to proceed to the ahetuka or rootless consciousness in his meditation. There are divided into three sub-groups: 7 types of ahetuka akusala vipaka cittani or immoral resultant consciousness without roots, 8 types of ahetuka kusala vipaka cittani or moral resultant consciousness without roots, and 3 types of ahetuka kriya cittani or functional consciousness without roots, making a total of 18 types of rootless consciousness as follows:
  1. eye-consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  2. ear-consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  3. nose-consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  4. tongue-consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  5. body-consciousness accompanied by pain.
  6. receiving-consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  7. investigating-consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  8. moral resultant eye-consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  9. moral resultant ear-consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  10. moral resultant nose-consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  11. moral resultant tongue-consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  12. moral resultant body-consciousness accompanied by happiness.
  13. moral resultant receiving-consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  14. moral resultant investigating-consciousness accompanied by pleasure.
  15. moral resultant investigating-consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  16. five-sense-door adverting consciousness accompanied by indifference.
  17. mind-door adverting consciousness.
  18. smile-producing consciousness accompanied by pleasure.
Next the meditator progress to sobhana or beautiful consciousness, which is classified into three sub-groups as follows, 8 types of kusala or moral consciousness, 8 types of vipaka or resultant consciousness, and 8 types of kriya or functional consciousness:
  1. moral consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by pleasure and associated with knowledge.
  2. moral consciousness, prompted, accompanied by pleasure and associated with knowledge.
  3. moral consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by pleasure, dissociated with knowledge.
  4. moral consciousness, prompted, accompanied by pleasure, dissociated with knowledge.
  5. moral consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by equanimity and associated with knowledge.
  6. moral consciousness, prompted, accompanied by equanimity and associated with knowledge.
  7. moral consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by equanimity and dissociated with knowledge.
  8. moral consciousness, prompted, accompanied by equanimity and dissociated with knowledge.

  9. resultant consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by pleasure and associated with knowledge.
  10. resultant consciousness, prompted, accompanied by pleasure and associated with knowledge.
  11. resultant consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by pleasure, dissociated with knowledge.
  12. resultant consciousness, prompted, accompanied by pleasure, dissociated with knowledge.
  13. resultant consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by equanimity and associated with knowledge.
  14. resultant consciousness, prompted, accompanied by equanimity and associated with knowledge.
  15. resultant consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by equanimity and dissociated with knowledge.
  16. resultant consciousness, prompted, accompanied by equanimity and dissociated with knowledge.

  17. functional consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by pleasure and associated with knowledge.
  18. functional consciousness, prompted, accompanied by pleasure and associated with knowledge.
  19. functional consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by pleasure, dissociated with knowledge.
  20. functional consciousness, prompted, accompanied by pleasure, dissociated with knowledge.
  21. functional consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by equanimity and associated with knowledge.
  22. functional consciousness, prompted, accompanied by equanimity and associated with knowledge.
  23. functional consciousness, unprompted, accompanied by equanimity and dissociated with knowledge.
  24. functional consciousness, prompted, accompanied by equanimity and dissociated with knowledge.
When a cultivator has attained these types of beautiful consciousness, he will have a deep understanding and direct experience of himself and other phenomena. This is the highest stage of the 54 types of consciousness pertaining to the sphere of sensual desires, the sphere of existence where we as well as spirits and deva gods inhabit. A cultivator with good karma and who has attained this state of consciousness, by intensely focusing his thought on his chosen heaven at the moment of his physical death can decide on which of the 6 deva heavens he wishes to go to in his rebirth.


How to be Reborn in the Higher Heavens

But to attain the dhyana (jhana in Pali) heavens in the sphere of form or rupaloka, the cultivator must reach the level of rupavacara cittani or consciousness pertaining to the sphere of form. Rupavacara consciousness is divided into three sub-groups -- 5 types of moral form-sphere consciousness, 5 types of resultant form-sphere consciousness, and 5 types of functional form-sphere consciousness as follows:

  1. moral first jhana consciousness with initial application, sustained application, happiness, joy and one-pointedness.
  2. moral second jhana consciousness with sustained application, happiness, joy and one-pointedness.
  3. moral third jhana consciousness with happiness, joy and one-pointedness.
  4. moral fourth jhana consciousness with joy and one-pointedness.
  5. moral post-fourth jhana consciousness with equanimity and one-pointedness.
  6. resultant first jhana consciousness with initial application, sustained application, happiness, joy and one-pointedness.
  7. resultant second jhana consciousness with sustained application, happiness, joy and one-pointedness.
  8. resultant third jhana consciousness with happiness, joy and one-pointedness.
  9. resultant fourth jhana consciousness with joy and one-pointedness.
  10. resultant post-fourth jhana consciousness with equanimity and one-pointedness.
  11. functional first jhana consciousness with initial application, sustained application, happiness, joy and one-pointedness.
  12. functional second jhana consciousness with sustained application, happiness, joy and one-pointedness.
  13. functional third jhana consciousness with happiness, joy and one-pointedness.
  14. functional fourth jhana consciousness with joy and one-pointedness.
  15. functional post-fourth jhana consciousness with equanimity and one-pointedness.
The first five types of moral rupavacara consciousness are attained in this life itself. A cultivatior who has attained the high level of consciousness in his jhana or meditation, while his gross physical body is still in this human plane, can experience existence in the brahma heavens of the form sphere. He can return to this physical world as he comes out of his meditation, but if he decides to leave the physical world and remain in the dhyana (or jhana) heavens, he experiences one of the next five types of resultant rupavacara consciousness. Functional rupavacara consciousness is experience by highly developed beings like Arahants in our human realm or in any realms of the desire sphere or form sphere.

Some readers may be puzzled that as a cultivator progresses, favourable feelings like happiness and joy (the subtle difference is that happiness is more related to the mundane, and joy to the supramundane) are eliminated. These feelings are favourable from the perspective of ordinary people in the sphere of desire; from the perspective of aspirants cultivating towards nirvana or perfect enlightenment where everything is undifferentiated, these feelings are hindrances as they set on the process of differentiation.


The Formless Sphere Above Heavens

In the highest sphere of existence, the sphere of non-form or arupaloka, there is no form and no feeling as we understand them in the human plane -- a concept that is difficult to many people. This highest sphere is attained through the state of arupavacara cittani or consciousness pertaining to the formless sphere. Arupavacara consciousness is of three sub-groups, divided into 12 types of consciousness as follows:

  1. moral jhana consciousness dwelling on the infinity of space.
  2. moral jhana consciousness dwelling on the infinity of consciousness.
  3. moral jhana consciousness dwelling on nothingness.
  4. moral jhana consciousness wherein perception neither is nor is not.
  5. resultant jhana consciousness dwelling on the infinity of space.
  6. resultant jhana consciousness dwelling on the infinity of consciousness.
  7. resultant jhana consciousness dwelling on nothingness.
  8. resultant jhana consciousness wherein perception neither is nor is not.
  9. functional jhana consciousness dwelling on the infinity of space.
  10. functional jhana consciousness dwelling on the infinity of consciousness.
  11. functional jhana consciousness dwelling on nothingness.
  12. functional jhana consciousness wherein perception neither is nor is not.
Existence in the formless sphere, where very highly developed beings exist as pure consciousness, is the highest attainment in the phenomenal dimension. These four formless realms are not heavens; they are beyond heavens. Yet, the highest aim of Buddhism is to transcend even these formless realms, to attain nirvana or enlightenment. Nirvana is not limited by space or time, it is the actualization of tranquil, undifferentiated infinity and eternality.

Nirvana can be attained through lokuttara cittani or supramundane consciousness, which is of two sub-groups, namely four seeds of moral supramundane consciousness, and four fruits of resultant supramundane consciousness:

  1. sotapatti path seed consciousness.
  2. sakadagami path seed consciousness.
  3. anagami path seed consciousness.
  4. arahatta path seed consciousness.
  5. sotapatti path fruit consciousness.
  6. sakadagami path fruit consciousness.
  7. anagami path fruit consciousness.
  8. arahatta path fruit consciousness.
A sotapanno, meaning a stream-entrant, is one who has entered the stream of Buddhism cultivation towards nirvana. A sakadagami, meaning a once-returner, is a highly developmental cultivator who will return to the human realm only once, after which he will continue in a heavenly realm to cultivate towards nirvana. An anagami, meaning a non-returner, is one who will not return to the sensual sphere but continue his cultivation in the spheres of form or non-form. An arahant, meaning a worthy one because he has destroyed all defilements, is the highest attainment in Theravada Buddhism just below Buddhahood. In fact, Theravadins generally reserve the term "Buddha" for Guatama Buddha, and refer to other beings even though they may have attained nirvana as arahants. An arahant may exist as a human or in any realms.

It should also be noted that one who practises lokuttara consciousness, while it is directed to the highest goal, is not necessarily of a higher spiritual level than another practising arupavacara consciousness. For example, a cultivator who has attained arupavacara consciousness will have reach the developmental stage of an arahant, who is of a higher spiritual level than a sotapanno, a sakadagami or an anagami practising their respecitve types of lokuttara consciousness.

These various types of consciousness attained through the appropriate meditation are practised mainly by Theravadin Buddhists. Mahayanist and Vajrayanist Buddhists, for reasons which will become clear in the next chapter, usually choose other methods of cultivation. Buddhism is extremely rich in cultivation methods; figuratively it is said there are 84,000 different "dharma gates" or expedient means to suit the needs, abilities and curcumstances of different spiritual cultivators.

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