The Buddha teaches on states of existence, presenting a sixfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 6.105 States of Existence

“Tayome, bhikkhave, bhavā pahātabbā, tīsu sikkhāsu sikkhitabbaṁ. Katame tayo bhavā pahātabbā? Kāmabhavo, rūpabhavo, arūpabhavo ime tayo bhavā pahātabbā. Katamāsu tīsu sikkhāsu sikkhitabbaṁ? Adhisīlasikkhāya, adhicittasikkhāya, adhipaññāsikkhāya imāsu tīsu sikkhāsu sikkhitabbaṁ. Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ime tayo bhavā pahīnā honti, imāsu ca tīsu sikkhāsu sikkhitasikkho hoti ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu acchecchi taṇhaṁ, vivattayi saṁyojanaṁ, sammā mānābhisamayā antamakāsi dukkhassā”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Tayome, bhikkhave, bhavā pahātabbā, tīsu sikkhāsu sikkhitabbaṁ.

“Mendicants, you should give up these three states of existence. And you should train in three trainings.

Katame tayo bhavā pahātabbā?

What are the three states of existence you should give up?

Kāmabhavo, rūpabhavo, arūpabhavo

Existence in the sensual realm, the realm of luminous form, and the formless realm.

ime tayo bhavā pahātabbā.

These are the three states of existence you should give up.

Katamāsu tīsu sikkhāsu sikkhitabbaṁ?

What are the three trainings you should train in?

Adhisīlasikkhāya, adhicittasikkhāya, adhipaññāsikkhāya

The training in the higher ethics, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom.

imāsu tīsu sikkhāsu sikkhitabbaṁ.

These are the three trainings you should train in.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ime tayo bhavā pahīnā honti, imāsu ca tīsu sikkhāsu sikkhitasikkho hoti

When a mendicant has given up these three states of existence and has trained in these three trainings

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu acchecchi taṇhaṁ, vivattayi saṁyojanaṁ, sammā mānābhisamayā antamakāsi dukkhassā”ti.

they’re called a mendicant who has cut off craving, cast off the fetters, and by rightly comprehending conceit has made an end of suffering.”

Dasamaṁ.

Qualities:

Conceit

Conceit

Self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth

Also known as: arrogance, egotism, pride, self-importance, tendency of self-comparison
Pāli: māna, atimāna, unnaḷa
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Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Formless

Formless

A meditative domain that transcends all perception of material form, progressing through the bases of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, and neither-perception-nor-non-perception. These states represent refined levels of collectedness beyond attachment to physical phenomena.

Also known as: immaterial, surpassing forms
Pāli: arūpa
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Tame

Tame

The quality of a mind that has been trained and disciplined, no longer wild or controlled by passions. Like a tamed thoroughbred, it is pliable, responsive, and fit for work.

Also known as: trained, mastered, subdued
Pāli: danta, dama
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026