| Key to the Chart | The Thirty-One Abodes | Translation of the Chart | Classification by way of birth-cause in the respective worlds | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immaterial sphere (arūpa loka) |
Brahmā worlds of disembodied consciousness (immaterial sphere) | Beings having consciousness without material body | 31. | Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanūpagā deva | Sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception | Experience of the four arūpāyatana jhānas (the formless sphere absorptions) |
| 30. | Ākiñcaññāyatanūpagā devā | Sphere of the knowledge of nothingness | ||||
| 29. | Viññāṇañcāyatanūpagā devā | Sphere of the infinity of consciousness | ||||
| 28. | Ākasañcāyatanūpagā devā | Sphere of the infinity of space | ||||
| Fine-material sphere (rūpa loka) | Pure Brahmā worlds (inhabited by non-returners and arahats) | Beings having material body and consciousness | 27. | Akaniṭṭhā Brahmā | World of supreme Brahmās | Attainment of the fruit of non-returning (anāgāmi-phala) with full experience of the fourth jhāna |
| 26. | Sudassī Brahmā | World of clear-sighted Brahmās | ||||
| 25. | Sudassā Brahmā | World of beautiful Brahmās | ||||
| 24. | Ātappā Brahmā | World of serene Brahmās | ||||
| 23. | Avihā Brahmā | World of immobile Brahmās | ||||
| Lower Brahmā worlds | Beings having material body without consciousness | 22. | Vehapphalā Brahmā | World of sensationless Brahmās | Moderate experience of the fourth jhāna | |
| Beings having material body and consciousness | 21. | Asaññasattā Brahmā | World of greatly-rewarded Brahmās | Weak experience of the fourth jhāna (mental absorption) | ||
| 20. | Subhakiṇhā Brahmā | World of Brahmās of steady aura | Full experience to the third jhāna | |||
| 19. | Appamāṇā Subha-brahmā | World of Brahmās of infinite aura | Moderate experience of the third jhāna | |||
| 18. | Parittā Subha-brahmā | World of Brahmās of minor aura | Weak experience of the third jhāna (mental absorption) | |||
| 17. | Ābhassarā Brahmā | World of radiant Brahmās | Full experience to the second jhāna | |||
| 16. | Appamāṇābhā Brahmā | World of Brahmās of infinite lustre | Moderate experience of the second jhāna | |||
| 15. | Parittābhā Brahmā | World of Brahmās of minor lustre | Weak experience of the second jhāna (mental absorption) | |||
| 14. | Mahā Brahmā | World of Great Brahmās | Full experience to the first jhāna | |||
| 13. | Brahmapurohitā Brahmā | Ministers of Brahmā | Moderate experience of the first jhāna | |||
| 12. | Brahmapārisajjā Brahmā | Retinue of Brahmā | Weak experience of the first jhāna (mental absorption) | |||
| Sense-desire sphere (kāma loka) | Worlds of devas of the sense-desire sphere | 11. | Paranimmitavasavattī devā | Devas enjoying (or utilising) the creations of others | Very good kamma (in the field of worldly activity) | |
| 10. | Nimmānaratī devā | Devas enjoying their own creations | ||||
| 9. | Tusitā devā | Devas enjoying pleasure | ||||
| 8. | Yāmā devā | Yāma devas | ||||
| 7. | Tāvatiṃsā devā | Realm of the thirty-three devas | ||||
| 6. | Cātumahārājikā Devā | Realm of the Four Great Kings (of the Four Quarters) | ||||
| Human World | 5. | Manussa Loka | The human world | Mixed kamma, predominantly good | ||
| Sub-human worlds (including animals) | 4. | Tiracchāna Yoni | The animal world | Unwholesome kamma | ||
| 3. | Peta Loka | World of unhappy spirits | ||||
| 2. | Asura Nikāya | World of demons (titans) | ||||
| 1. | Niraya | Realms of inferno (hells) | ||||