You have asked several questions, but I think your answers may all lie in "the planes of consciousness".

The phrase viññāṇaṃ anidassanaṃ is used rarely and is found in two suttas: MN49 and DN11. More commonly, one sees viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ used in the context of "plane of consciousness". The seven planes of consciousness are listed in several places, but AN7.44 is the shortest list:

“Mendicants, there are these seven planes of consciousness. What seven? There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and diverse in perception, such as human beings, some gods, and some beings in the underworld. This is the first plane of consciousness.

 

There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and unified in perception, such as the gods reborn in Brahmā’s Group through the first absorption. This is the second plane of consciousness.

 

There are sentient beings that are unified in body and diverse in perception, such as the gods of streaming radiance. This is the third plane of consciousness.

 

There are sentient beings that are unified in body and unified in perception, such as the gods replete with glory. This is the fourth plane of consciousness.

 

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond perceptions of form. With the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, they have been reborn in the dimension of infinite space. This is the fifth plane of consciousness.

 

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite space. Aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they have been reborn in the dimension of infinite consciousness. This is the sixth plane of consciousness.

 

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness. Aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they have been reborn in the dimension of nothingness. This is the seventh plane of consciousness.

 

These are the seven planes of consciousness.

Your reference to MN49 is to Baka the Brahmā, who was stuck in the second plane of consciousness, thinking it eternal. The Buddha disappears from Baka's perception into the higher planes, which astounds Baka.

An important clue to Baka's understanding is how the Buddha explains it:

A galaxy extends a thousand times as far as the moon and sun revolve and the shining ones light up the quarters. And there you wield your power.

In other words, one might feel the vastness of the universe and the span of its lifetime as infinite, but it is not. In fact, modern astronomy points out that everything we see is less than 14 billion years old and therefore prone to death, fading away and ... suffering.

The Buddha went beyond ALL the planes of consciousness. Even the seventh one.

Going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, they enter and remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. This is the seventh liberation.

 

Going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, they enter and remain in the cessation of perception and feeling. This is the eighth liberation.

You have asked several questions, but I think your answers may all lie in "the planes of consciousness".

The phrase viññāṇaṃ anidassanaṃ is used rarely and is found in two suttas: MN49 and DN11. More commonly, one sees viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ used in the context of "plane of consciousness". The seven planes of consciousness are listed in several places, but AN7.44 is the shortest list:

“Mendicants, there are these seven planes of consciousness. What seven? There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and diverse in perception, such as human beings, some gods, and some beings in the underworld. This is the first plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and unified in perception, such as the gods reborn in Brahmā’s Group through the first absorption. This is the second plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that are unified in body and diverse in perception, such as the gods of streaming radiance. This is the third plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that are unified in body and unified in perception, such as the gods replete with glory. This is the fourth plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond perceptions of form. With the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, they have been reborn in the dimension of infinite space. This is the fifth plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite space. Aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they have been reborn in the dimension of infinite consciousness. This is the sixth plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness. Aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they have been reborn in the dimension of nothingness. This is the seventh plane of consciousness.

These are the seven planes of consciousness.

Your reference to MN49 is to Baka the Brahmā, who was stuck in the second plane of consciousness, thinking it eternal. The Buddha disappears from Baka's perception into the higher planes, which astounds Baka.

An important clue to Baka's understanding is how the Buddha explains it:

A galaxy extends a thousand times as far as the moon and sun revolve and the shining ones light up the quarters. And there you wield your power.

In other words, one might feel the vastness of the universe and the span of its lifetime as infinite, but it is not. In fact, modern astronomy points out that everything we see is less than 14 billion years old and therefore prone to death, fading away and ... suffering.

The Buddha went beyond ALL the planes of consciousness. Even the seventh one.

Going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, they enter and remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. This is the seventh liberation.

Going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, they enter and remain in the cessation of perception and feeling. This is the eighth liberation.

You have asked several questions, but I think your answers may all lie in "the planes of consciousness".

The phrase viññāṇaṃ anidassanaṃ is used rarely and is found in two suttas: MN49 and DN11. More commonly, one sees viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ used in the context of "plane of consciousness". The seven planes of consciousness are listed in several places, but AN7.44 is the shortest list:

“Mendicants, there are these seven planes of consciousness. What seven? There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and diverse in perception, such as human beings, some gods, and some beings in the underworld. This is the first plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and unified in perception, such as the gods reborn in Brahmā’s Group through the first absorption. This is the second plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that are unified in body and diverse in perception, such as the gods of streaming radiance. This is the third plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that are unified in body and unified in perception, such as the gods replete with glory. This is the fourth plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond perceptions of form. With the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, they have been reborn in the dimension of infinite space. This is the fifth plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite space. Aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they have been reborn in the dimension of infinite consciousness. This is the sixth plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness. Aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they have been reborn in the dimension of nothingness. This is the seventh plane of consciousness.

These are the seven planes of consciousness.

Your reference to MN49 is to Baka the Brahmā, who was stuck in the second plane of consciousness, thinking it eternal. The Buddha disappears from Baka's perception into the higher planes, which astounds Baka.

An important clue to Baka's understanding is how the Buddha explains it:

A galaxy extends a thousand times as far as the moon and sun revolve and the shining ones light up the quarters. And there you wield your power.

In other words, one might feel the vastness of the universe and the span of its lifetime as infinite, but it is not. In fact, modern astronomy points out that everything we see is less than 14 billion years old and therefore prone to death, fading away and ... suffering.

The Buddha went beyond ALL the planes of consciousness. Even the seventh one.

You have asked several questions, but I think your answers may all lie in "the planes of consciousness".

The phrase viññāṇaṃ anidassanaṃ is used rarely and is found in two suttas: MN49 and DN11. More commonly, one sees viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ used in the context of "plane of consciousness". The seven planes of consciousness are listed in several places, but AN7.44 is the shortest list:

“Mendicants, there are these seven planes of consciousness. What seven? There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and diverse in perception, such as human beings, some gods, and some beings in the underworld. This is the first plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and unified in perception, such as the gods reborn in Brahmā’s Group through the first absorption. This is the second plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that are unified in body and diverse in perception, such as the gods of streaming radiance. This is the third plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that are unified in body and unified in perception, such as the gods replete with glory. This is the fourth plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond perceptions of form. With the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, they have been reborn in the dimension of infinite space. This is the fifth plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite space. Aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they have been reborn in the dimension of infinite consciousness. This is the sixth plane of consciousness.

There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness. Aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they have been reborn in the dimension of nothingness. This is the seventh plane of consciousness.

These are the seven planes of consciousness.

Your reference to MN49 is to Baka the Brahmā, who was stuck in the second plane of consciousness, thinking it eternal. The Buddha disappears from Baka's perception into the higher planes, which astounds Baka.

An important clue to Baka's understanding is how the Buddha explains it:

A galaxy extends a thousand times as far as the moon and sun revolve and the shining ones light up the quarters. And there you wield your power.

In other words, one might feel the vastness of the universe and the span of its lifetime as infinite, but it is not. In fact, modern astronomy points out that everything we see is less than 14 billion years old and therefore prone to death, fading away and ... suffering.

The Buddha went beyond ALL the planes of consciousness. Even the seventh one.

Going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, they enter and remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. This is the seventh liberation.

Going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, they enter and remain in the cessation of perception and feeling. This is the eighth liberation.