Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
A mendicant who has developed equanimity toward existence but not yet fully realized the peaceful state beyond it will, with the ending of the five lower fetters, reach one of seven possible destinies — distinguished from each other only by how quickly or gradually that final extinguishment occurs.
One practice, one partial attainment, shared by all seven
All seven cases begin identically: a mendicant practices seeing existence as something to be given up, gains equanimity, is unattached to life, and sees with right wisdom that a peaceful state lies beyond — but has not yet totally realized that state, nor completely given up the underlying tendencies of conceit, desire for continued existence, and ignorance. What differs between the seven is only what happens next.
Three grades of one destiny, told through a traveling spark
The first three destinies share the same name and outcome — extinguished between one life and the next — and are distinguished from each other only by how the spark simile is phrased: a spark that simply goes out, a spark that flies off and goes out, and a spark that flies off, floats further, and goes out before landing. The doctrine names these three grades early, middle, and late within the interval between lives, though the discourse itself states the distinction only through the simile's small variations.
Four further destinies, each with its own named outcome
The fourth destiny is extinguished specifically upon landing, rather than in the interval before. The fifth is extinguished without extra effort, its spark falling on a small heap of grass or twigs that catches, smokes, and burns itself out unfed. The sixth is extinguished with extra effort, the same process on a larger heap. The seventh heads upstream to the Akaniṭṭha realm, its spark growing into a fire that burns through plants and trees until it reaches a clearing, road, cliff, water, or parkland where it is finally extinguished.
An eighth case, beyond all seven
The discourse closes by naming a further attainment that is not one of the seven destinies at all: complete extinguishment with no fuel for grasping, in which the underlying tendencies are totally given up and the undefiled freedom of heart and wisdom are realized in this very life. This is full arahantship, distinguished from every one of the seven non-returner destinies by not requiring a further rebirth of any kind to complete it.
Key terms
The text
The seven places announced
§1“Mendicants, I will teach you seven places people are reborn, and extinguishment by not grasping. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” the mendicants replied. The Buddha said this: “And what are the seven places people are reborn?
The first three: extinguished between one life and the next, by degrees
§2Take a mendicant who practices like this: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine. I am giving up what exists, what has come to be.’ They gain equanimity. They’re not attached to life, or to creating a new life. And they see with right wisdom that there is a peaceful state beyond. But they haven’t completely realized that state. They haven’t totally given up the underlying tendencies of conceit, desire for continued existence, and ignorance. With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished between one life and the next. Suppose you struck an iron pot that had been heated all day. Any spark that flew off would be extinguished. In the same way, a mendicant who practices like this … With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished between one life and the next. Take a mendicant who practices like this: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine. I am giving up what exists, what has come to be.’ They gain equanimity. They’re not attached to life, or to creating a new life. And they see with right wisdom that there is a peaceful state beyond. But they haven’t totally realized that state. They haven’t completely given up the underlying tendencies of conceit, desire for continued existence, and ignorance. With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished between one life and the next. Suppose you struck an iron pot that had been heated all day. Any spark that flew off and floated away would be extinguished. In the same way, a mendicant who practices like this … With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished between one life and the next. Take a mendicant who practices like this: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. …’ With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished between one life and the next. Suppose you struck an iron pot that had been heated all day. Any spark that flew off and floated away would be extinguished before landing. In the same way, a mendicant who practices like this … With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished between one life and the next.
The fourth: extinguished upon landing
§3Take a mendicant who practices like this: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. …’ With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished upon landing. Suppose you struck an iron pot that had been heated all day. Any spark that flew off and floated away would be extinguished upon landing. In the same way, a mendicant who practices like this … ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. …’ With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished upon landing.
The fifth and sixth: extinguished without, and with, extra effort
§4Take a mendicant who practices like this: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. …’ With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished without extra effort. Suppose you struck an iron pot that had been heated all day. Any spark that flew off and floated away would fall on a little heap of grass or twigs. There it would ignite a fire and produce smoke. But the fire would consume the grass or twigs and become extinguished due to not being fed. In the same way, a mendicant who practices like this … ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. …’ With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished without extra effort. Take a mendicant who practices like this: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. …’ With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished with extra effort. Suppose you struck an iron pot that had been heated all day. Any spark that flew off and floated away would fall on a large heap of grass or twigs. There it would ignite a fire and produce smoke. But the fire would consume the grass or twigs and become extinguished due to not being fed. In the same way, a mendicant who practices like this … ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. …’ With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished with extra effort.
The seventh: heading upstream to the Akaniṭṭha realm
§5Take a mendicant who practices like this: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine. I am giving up what exists, what has come to be.’ They gain equanimity. They’re not attached to life, or to creating a new life. And they see with right wisdom that there is a peaceful state beyond. But they haven’t totally realized that state. They haven’t completely given up the underlying tendencies of conceit, desire for continued existence, and ignorance. With the ending of the five lower fetters they head upstream, going to the Akaniṭṭha realm. Suppose you struck an iron pot that had been heated all day. Any spark that flew off and floated away would fall on a huge heap of grass or twigs. There it would ignite a fire and produce smoke. And after consuming the grass and twigs, the fire would burn up plants and trees until it reached a green field, a roadside, a cliff’s edge, a body of water, or cleared parkland, where it would be extinguished due to not being fed. In the same way, a mendicant who practices like this … ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. …’ With the ending of the five lower fetters they head upstream, going to the Akaniṭṭha realm. These are the seven places people are reborn.
Beyond all seven: complete extinguishment with no fuel for grasping
§6And what is complete extinguishment with no fuel for grasping? Take a mendicant who practices like this: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine. I am giving up what exists, what has come to be.’ They gain equanimity. They’re not attached to life, or to creating a new life. And they see with right wisdom that there is a peaceful state beyond. And they have totally realized that state. They’ve completely given up the underlying tendencies of conceit, desire for continued existence, and ignorance. They’ve realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements. This is called complete extinguishment with no fuel for grasping. These are the seven places people are reborn, and extinguishment by not grasping.”
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