Rebirth of a Person Cultivating The Brahmā-vihāras and Reflecting on Impermanence

Monks, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world.

What four?

(1) Here, Monks, some person resides filling one quarter with a mind filled with loving‑kindness, likewise the second quarter, the third quarter, and the fourth quarter. Thus above, below, across, and everywhere, and to all as to himself, he resides filling the entire world with a mind filled with loving‑kindness, tremendous, distinguished, measureless, without hostility, without ill will.

He reflects on whatever objects there related to form, feeling, perception, volitional formations (choices/decisions), and consciousness as impermanent, as discontentedness, as a disease, as a boil, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as disintegrating, as empty, as non‑self. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with the heavenly beings of the pure abodes.

This is a rebirth not shared with worldlings.

(2) Again, some person resides filling one quarter with a mind filled with compassion, likewise the second quarter, the third quarter, and the fourth quarter. Thus above, below, across, and everywhere, and to all as to himself, he resides filling the entire world with a mind filled with compassion, tremendous, distinguished, measureless, without hostility, without ill will.

He reflects on whatever objects there related to form, feeling, perception, volitional formations (choices/decisions), and consciousness as impermanent, as discontentedness, as a disease, as a boil, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as disintegrating, as empty, as non‑self. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with the heavenly beings of the pure abodes.

This is a rebirth not shared with worldlings.

(3) Again, some person resides filling one quarter with a mind filled with sympathetic joy, likewise the second quarter, the third quarter, and the fourth quarter. Thus above, below, across, and everywhere, and to all as to himself, he resides filling the entire world with a mind filled with sympathetic joy, tremendous, distinguished, measureless, without hostility, without ill will.

He reflects on whatever objects there related to form, feeling, perception, volitional formations (choices/decisions), and consciousness as impermanent, as discontentedness, as a disease, as a boil, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as disintegrating, as empty, as non‑self. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with the heavenly beings of the pure abodes.

This is a rebirth not shared with worldlings.

(4) Again, some person resides filling one quarter with a mind filled with equanimity, likewise the second quarter, the third quarter, and the fourth quarter. Thus above, below, across, and everywhere, and to all as to himself, he resides filling the entire world with a mind filled with equanimity, tremendous, distinguished, measureless, without hostility, without ill will.

He reflects on whatever objects there related to form, feeling, perception, volitional formation (choices/decisions), and consciousness as impermanent, as discontentedness, as a disease, as a boil, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as disintegrating, as empty, as non‑self. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with the heavenly beings of the pure abodes.

This is a rebirth not shared with worldlings.

These, Monks, are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.

(Reference: AN 4.126)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares guidance very similar to previous Chapters in this book with the combination of The Brahmā-vihāras, The Five Aggregates, and The Three Universal Truths.