Planes of Existence - Planes of existence & plane of citta I

There are thirty-one planes of existence in all, namely:

4 woeful planes }

the human plane } 11 sensuous planes

6 deva planes }

16 rūpa-brahma planes

4 arūpa-brahma planes

As we have seen, the fact that beings are born in different planes of existence

is due to their accumulated kamma. Plane of existence is the place

where one is born. It is not plane of citta. What plane of citta a citta

belongs to, depends on the object (ārammana) the citta experiences. We

learnt about different planes of citta, namely:

kāmāvacara cittas (sensuous plane of citta or kama-bhūmi)

rūpāvacara cittas (plane of rūpa-jhānacittas)

arūpāvacara cittas (plane of arūpa-jhānacittas)

lokuttara cittas (plane of cittas experiencing nibbāna)

As regards the kamacara cittas, they can be classified as asobhana cittas (cittas not accompanied by sobhana cetasikas) and kama-sobhana cittas (cittas of the sensuous plane of citta, accompanied by sobhana cetasikas). In which planes of existence do they arise?

Kāmāvacara cittas arise in thirty planes of existence, they do not arise

in the asañña-sattāplane, where there is no nāma, only rupa. Even in the

arupa-brahma planes there are kāmāvacara cittas.

As regards kāma-sobhana cittas, they can arise even in woeful planes.

Furthermore, they arise in the human plane, in the heavenly planes, in the

rūpa-brahma planes and in the arūpa-brahma planes. They arise in thirty

planes of existence, the asañña-sattā plane excepted. Not all types however,

arise in all planes of existence.

Asobhana cittas can arise in thirty planes of existence, but not all types

arise in all planes. Lobha-mūla-cittas (cittas rooted in attachment) can

arise in thirty planes; even in the rūpa-brahma planes and in the arūpa-

brahma planes, lobha-mūla-cittas can arise. Dosa-mūla-cittas (cittas rooted

in aversion) arise in the eleven sensuous planes of existence. They do

not arise in the rūpa-brahma planes or in the arūpa-brahma planes. As long

as beings live in the rūpa-brahma planes and in the arūpa-brahma planes

there are no conditions for dosa. Moha-mūla-cittas (cittas rooted in

ignorance) arise in thirty planes of existence ; all those who are not

arahats have moha and thus moha-mūla-cittas arise in all planes of existence

except in the asañña-sattā plane.