In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Pali Kanon: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines

'abodes or supports of consciousness'. The texts describe 7 such abodes (e.g. A.VII.41):

• (1) "There are beings who are different in body and different in perception, such as men, some heavenly beings, and some beings living in states of suffering (s. apāya). This is the 1st abode of consciousness.

• (2) "There are beings who are different in body but equal in perception, such as the first-born gods of the Brahmaworld (s. deva II). This is the 2nd abode of consciousness.

• (3) "There are beings who are equal in body but different in perception, such as the Radiant Gods (ābhassara-deva). This is the 3rd abode of consciousness.

• (4) ''There are beings who are equal in body and equal in perception, such as the All-illuminating Gods (subhakinha-deva). This is the 4th abode of consciousness.

• (5) "There are beings ... reborn in the sphere of boundless space. This is the 5th abode of consciousness.

• (6) "There are beings ... reborn in the sphere of boundless consciousness. This is the 6th abode of consciousness.

• (7) There are beings... reborn in the sphere of nothingness. This is the 7th abode of consciousness"

About the 3 last-named spheres, s. jhāna (5-7). Cf. sattāvāsa.

In D.33 there are mentioned 4 viññāna-tthiti, apparently in the sense of 'bases' of consciousness, namely: corporeality, feeling, perception, mental formations, which in S. XXII, 53 are further explained.

context information

Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

viññāṇaṭṭhiti : (f.) stages of sentient beings.

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Viññāṇaṭṭhiti refers to: viññāṇa-duration, phase of mental life. The emphasis is on duration or continuation rather than place, which would be ṭṭhāna. There are (a) 4 v. -durations with regard to their “storing” (abhisaṅkhāra) quality, viz. combinations of v. (as the governing, mind-principle) with each of the 4 other khandhas or aggregates of material life (rūpa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā), v. animating or bringing them to consciousness in any kind of life-appearance; and (b) 7 v. -durations with regard to their “regenerating” (new-life combination or rebirth=paṭisandhi) quality, viz. the 4 planes of var. beings (from men to devas), followed by the 3 super-dimensional stages (the ānañc’āyatanas) of ākāsa-infinitude, viññāṇa-infin. & ākiñ-cañña-infin.—Passages in the Canon: (a) as 4: D 1 I. 262 sq.; S. III, 53 sq. (“standing for consciousness” & “platform, ” °patiṭṭhā S. III, 54; K. S. III, 45) ‹-› (b) the 7: D. II, 68 sq.; III, 253 (translation “station of consciousness”), 282; =A. IV, 39. Both the 4 and the 7 at Nd² 570. Cp. under a slightly diff. view S. II, 65 (yaṃ ceteti ... ārammaṇaṃ ... hoti viññāṇassa ṭhitiyā).—See also Ps. I, 22, 122; Sn. 1114; Nett 31, 83 sq.; Vism. 552; VbhA. 169.

Note: viññāṇaṭṭhiti is a Pali compound consisting of the words viññāṇa and ṭṭhiti.

context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Vinnana, Thiti.

Full-text: Thiti Sutta, Mahanidana Sutta, Abhassara.

Relevant text

Search found 1 books and stories containing Vinnanatthiti, Viññāṇaṭṭhiti, Vinnana-thiti, Viññāṇa-ṭṭhiti, Vinnana-tthiti, Viññāṇa-ṭhiti; (plurals include: Vinnanatthitis, Viññāṇaṭṭhitis, thitis, ṭṭhitis, tthitis, ṭhitis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

The Great Chronicle of Buddhas (by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw)

Part 5 - The Week at Ajapāla Banyan Tree < [Chapter 8 - The Buddha’s stay at the Seven Places]

show preview