Sattadhātu Sutta
Staying at Sāvatthi.
“Monks, there are these seven elements.”
What seven?
(1) The Light element,[1]
(2) The Beautiful element,[2]
(3) The plane of Endless Spaciousness element,
(4) The plane of Endless Consciousness element,
(5) The plane of Bare Awareness element,
(6) The plane between awareness and its end element,
(7) The Release from Experiential Awareness element. [3]
These are the seven elements.”
This being said, a certain monk asked:
“Bhante,
how can each of these elements can be discerned?”[4]
Monks,
(1) The Light element
is discerned because of
(2) The Beautiful element
can be discerned because of
the disagreeable element.
(3) The plane of Endless Spaciousness element
can be discerned because of
the materiality element. [7]
(4) The plane of Endless Consciousness element
can be discerned because of
the plane of Endless Spaciousness element.
(5) The plane of Bare Awareness element
can be discerned because of
the plane of Endless Consciousness element.
(6) The plane between awareness and its release element
can be discerned because of
the plane of Bare Awareness element.
(7) The Release from Experiential Awareness
can be discerned because of
complete mental release. [8]
[The Monk]
“Bhante,
how can each of these elements be experienced?”
[The Buddha]
“Monks, as for
(1) The Light element,
(2) The Beautiful element,
(3) The plane of endless spaciousness element,
(4) The plane of endless consciousness element,
(5) And The plane of bare awareness element;
These elements are experienced
via perceptive awareness. [9]
As for
(6) The plane between awareness and its end element;
This element can be attained
by the experience of traces [10] of mental activity.[11]
(7) The complete release from experiential awareness;
This element can be attained
by experiencing complete mental release.[12]
[1] Ābhādhātu. Or Clarity.
[2] Subhadhātu. State equivalent to the 3rd and 4th jhāna. The pleasant abiding of the Ariyas, the awakened people where the bliss of steady awareness prevails over scattered mental grossness.
[3] Ābhādhātu, Subhadhātu, Ākāsānañcāyatana-dhātu, Viññāṇañcāyatana-dhātu, Ākiñcaññāyatana-dhātu, Nevasaññā-nāsaññāyatana-dhātu, Saññāvedayitanirodha-dhātu
[4] imā nu kho, bhante, dhātuyo kiṃ paṭicca paññāyantī”ti?
[5] Light here is meant more as ‘clarity’, like ‘mental clarity. A mind that sees. Darkness here is probably meant as ‘mental darkness’ ie. Ignorance. Not seeing, not discerning between wholesome states and unwholesome states. ‘Darkness’ is what blinds the mind: the hindrances of the mind.
[6] “Yāyaṃ ābhādhātu—ayaṃ dhātu andhakāraṃ paṭicca paññāyati.
[7] Rūpadhātu. Physicality.
[8] Nirodha: Cessation.
[9] imā dhātuyo saññāsamāpatti pattabbā.
[10] Avasesa1 [Sk. avaśeṣa, fr. ava + śiṣ, cp. avasissati] remainder, remaining part; only in cpds. an° (adj.) without any remainder, i. e. fully, completely
[11] ayaṃ dhātu saṅkhārāvasesasamāpatti pattabbā”ti.
[12] ayaṃ dhātu nirodhasamāpatti pattabbā”ti.
