Rebirth of One Reflecting on Impermanence

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

What four?

(1) Here, Monks, distant from sense-desires, distant from unwholesome mental states, enters and resides in the first Jhāna, which is with thinking and pondering, based in seclusion, filled with excitement and joy.

He contemplates 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, with the subsiding of thinking and pondering, by gaining inner tranquility and oneness of mind, he enters and resides in the second Jhāna, which is without thinking and pondering, based in concentration, filled with excitement and joy.

He contemplates 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) With the fading away of excitement, remaining imperturbable (unable to be upset or excited; calm; serene), mindful and clearly aware, he experiences in himself the joy of which the Noble Ones say: 'Peaceful is he who resides with equanimity and mindfulness', he enters the third Jhāna.

He contemplates 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) With having given up pleasure and pain, and with the fading away of former gladness and sadness, he enters and resides in the fourth Jhāna, which is beyond pleasure and pain, and purified by equanimity and mindfulness.

He contemplates 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.

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

(Reference: AN 4.124)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares another depiction of the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.

The Buddha is describing the Jhānas and that as one enters and resides in the Jhānas, that “He contemplates 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”.

Essentially The Buddha is describing that one understands and reflects on The Five Aggregates of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations (choices/decisions), and consciousness. In doing so, a Practitioner will understand that The Five Aggregates are impermanent and should not be clung to as that would only cause discontentedness in the mind. And, that a Practitioner will understand The Five Aggregates are not “the self”, they are “non-self” or “not the self”.

Impermanence, discontentedness and non-self are referred to as The Three Universal Truths.

The Buddha explains that a Practitioner who understands and practices The Three Universal Truths will, “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”.

In other words, an uninstructed individual (i.e. worldling) would not know The Three Universal Truths nor see them as the truth. They would have not trained the mind to see clearly and understand these important truths about The Natural Laws of Existence. Therefore, with this lack of wisdom and development of the mind, they would not experience a rebirth “in companionship with the heavenly beings of the pure abodes”.

Detailed explanation of The Three Universal Truths is available in this same book series found in Chapter 4 of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1).

Detailed explanation of The Five Aggregates is available in this same book series found in Chapter 7 of the book “Walking The Path with The Buddha” (Volume 2).