The Gods (of the Six Heavens of Desire)
“Ananda, there are people in this world who do not seek the eternal state, and they cannot yet renounce spousal attachment, but their minds no longer go after sexuality, and therefore they have certain purity and radiance about them. When their life ends, they will ascend to the Heaven of the Four Kings next to the sun and moon.
“And some people have only slight desire for their spouses but have yet to attain complete purity. When their life ends, they will go beyond the sun and moon and become gods in the Heaven of Trayastrimsa (the Heaven of the Thirty-Three), which is at the summit of Mount Sumeru.
“And some others may briefly get sexually involved from time to time but never dwell on it afterwards. In the human realm they are more unmoved than active. When their life ends, they will abide in the upper space beyond the reach of sunlight and moonlight. Thus, emitting their own light, they become gods in the Heaven of Suyama.
“And some others remain quiet and still all the time, except when they are intruded and stimulated by contact. When their life ends, they ascend to an ethereal state isolated from all the lower realms, beyond the reach of the three catastrophes (fire, water, and wind) that are doomed to occur at the end of a kalpa. Thus, they become gods in the Heaven of Tushita.
“And some others have no desire whatsoever but only cater to the needs of their spouses, and during the act it is to them as flavorless as chewing wax. When their life ends, they ascend to a realm of transcendence and become gods in the Heaven of Nirmanarataya.
“Then there are those whose mental state is total clarity and transcendence, without engaging in worldly thoughts while performing worldly things. When their life ends, they rise above all the lower heavens and become gods in the Heaven of Paranirmitavasavartina (the Heaven of Deriving Pleasure from What Others Create).
“Ananda, although these gods have transcended physical lust, there are still traces of desire remaining in their minds. Therefore, they are born into these six heavens, which, together with other levels of existence mentioned so far, all belong to the Realm of Desire.”
阿難諸世間人不求常住。未能捨諸妻妾恩愛。於邪婬中心不流逸澄瑩生明。命終之後隣於日月。如是一類名四天王天。於己妻房婬愛微薄。於淨居時不得全味。命終之後超日月明居人間頂。如是一類名忉利天。逢欲暫交去無思憶。於人間世動少靜多。命終之後於虛空中朗然安住。日月光明上照不及。是諸人等自有光明。如是一類名須焰摩天。一切時靜。有應觸來未能違戾。命終之後上昇精微。不接下界諸人天境。乃至劫壞三災不及。如是一類名兜率陀天。我無欲心應汝行事。於橫陳時味如嚼蠟。命終之後生越化地。如是一類名樂變化天。無世間心同世行事。於行事交了然超越。命終之後遍能出超化無化境。如是一類名他化自在天。阿難如是六天。形雖出動心跡尚交。自此已還名為欲界。
Buddha Mind 