The third plane of existence as classified in the Abhidhammatthasangaha is Rupavacara-bhumi or the Plane of Form. This plane is distinguished in contrast to the Plane of the Formless or Arupavacara-bhumi. The distinction of this plane of existence is made in connection with the four jhanic stages of meditation. Rupavacara-bhumi consists of sixteen categories or sorts of celestial beings beginning from the lowest to the highest in hierarchical order. This hierarchical distinction cannot be fully comprehended without the understanding of the four stages of jhana or trance.

Buddhism regards meditation as an indispensable step of practice for the realisation of the ultimate truth. It is the second step of the three-step course of practice, viz.,

1. Sila, moral practice or code of morality,
2. Samadhi, meditation and
3. Panna, knowledge.

Jhana is the state of mind absorbed in meditation through concentration. Jhana in this regard is technically called Rupa-jhana, the jhana that the meditator attains by concentrating his mind upon corporeal objects such as earth, water, fire, etc. On attaining jhana the five hindrances (nivarana), which are incompatible with the one-pointedness of mind, are completely suppressed. Rupa jhana as described in the Abhidhamma Pitaka consists of four stages as follows:

1.The first stage, called Pathama-jhana,consists of five jhanic factors, viz., vitakka (applying the mind to the object of meditation), vicara (sustaining the mind in the object), piti (a thrill of pleasant sensation), sukha (ease), and ekaggata (one-pointedness of mind).

2.The second stage, called Dutiya-jhana,consists of three factor, viz., piti, sukha and ekaggata (vitakka and vicara are dropped out).

3.The third stage, called Tatiya-jhana,consists of two factors, viz., sukha and ekaggata (piti is dropped out).

4.The fourth stage called Catuttha-jhana,which consists of two factors, viz., upekkha (equanimity of the mind) and ekaggata (sukha is dropped out).

Rupa-jhana is sometimes divided into five stages and it is called Pancama jhana. The difference between the Catuttha-jhana and the Pancama-jhana is that in the latter each of the four jhanic factors, viz., virakka, vicara, piti and sukha is dropped out in the second, third, fourth and fifth stages respectively. The fifth stage of the Pancama-jhana is identical with the fourth stage of the Catuttha jhana.
 

1. Rebirth in the Pathama-Jhana-Bhumi

Unlike rebirth in the lower planes of existence, birth or rebirth in the plane of form or Rupavacara-bhumi is caused by kamma that is definitely known.  The first realm of this plane is where those who attain the first stage of Rupa-jhana in their previous lives are born. Hence this realm is called Pathama-jhana-bhumi. In this realm there are three sorts of beings, namely;
 

i. Brahmaparisajja,
ii. Brahmapurohita and
iii. Mahabrahma.
 

It is explained in the Vibhanga of the Abhidhamma Pitaka that one who attains the first jhana with the inferior strength of meditation will be reborn, after death, among the Brahmaparisajja. The one who attains this jhana with the medium strength of meditation will be reborn among the Brahmapurohita; and one who attains this jhana with the superior strength of meditation will be reborn among the Mahabrahma.

The span of life of the Brahmaparisajja is one-third of an aeon (kappa), that of the Brahmapurohitta is one half of an aeon, and that of the Mahabrahma is one aeon.

According to the Paramatthajotika these three sorts of celestial beings live on the same plane of the Pathama jhana-bhumi. It further explains that Mahabrahma is the ruler of this realm and that there is one Mahabrahma. This seems, however, to contradict the explanation of the Abhidhamma which says that one who attain the first jhana with the highest or superior strength of meditation will be reborn among the Mahabrahma. It is true that there is one Mahabrahma who is the ruler of the realm and this is, according to the Brahmajala Sutta, the Mahabrahma who was born in the realm before all others.

Since the Pathama jhana with the excellent strength of meditation can be attained by anyone who follows the course of mind-development (bhavana), there must be, therefore, many other gods of the same class with Mahabrahma. The distinction in this regard is only that those who are born in the realm after the first Mahabrahma regard and respect him as the superior and the ruler of the realm.
 

2. Rebirth in the Dutiya-Jhana-Bhumi

The higher, the subtler and the better sort of life and happiness than that of the being of the Pathama-jhana-bhumi is that of the beings in the Dutiya jhana-bhumi. As in the first realm of the plane of form, the celestial beings of this second realm are of three different sorts, viz.,

i. Parittabha,
ii. Appamanabha and
iii. Abhassara.

With regard to kamma that brings a person to rebirth in this realm, the Vibhanga of the Abhidhamma gives a similar explanation as in the case of one who is born in the first realm. It is said that one who attains the second stage of Rupa jhana with the inferior strength of meditation will be reborn, after death, as a Parittabha god (a god of limited splendour), with the medium strength of meditation as Appamanabha god (a god of unlimited splendour), and with the highest strength of meditation as an Abhassara god (a god of brilliance).

The period of life of the Parittabha god is two aeons (kappa), of the Appamanabha god is four aeons and of Abhassara god is eight aeons. These three types of celestial beings are said to live in the same plane of the realm.
 

3. Rebirth in the Tatiya-Jhana-Bhumi

The third realm of the plane of form is the Tatiya-jhana-bhumi. This is the realm where one who attains the third stage of Rupa-jhana will be born after death. As in the two lower realms, in this realm there are also three sorts of beings, namely;

i. Parittasubha (a god of limited beautiful splendour),
ii. Appamanasubha (a god of boundless beautiful splendour) and
iii. Subhakinha or Subhakinna (a god of wholly beautiful splendour).

The differences between these three types of divine beings depend on the differences of the strength of meditation, as in the cases of the beings of the first and second realms discussed above.

The Vibhanga of the Abhidhamma says that the life-period of the Parittasubha god is sixteen kappas, of the Appamanasubha god thirty-two kappas, and of the Subhakinha god sixty-four kappas.
 

4. Rebirth in the Catuttha-Jhana-Bhumi

The fourth and the last of all the realms in the Rupavacara-bhumi, or the plan of form, is the Catuttha jhana-bhumi. It is the realm where those who attain the fourth stage of Rupa jhana are born. In this bhumi there are seven sorts or groups of beings, viz.,
 

i. Vehapphala,
ii. Asannasatta,
iii. Aviha,
iv. Atappa,
v. Sudassa,
vi. Sudassi and
vii.Akanittha.
 

In each of the former three realms, although the beings are classified into three groups, they are said to live on the same plane of the realm.  But in the Catuttha-jhana-bhumi, different groups of beings live in different realms. Thus the Catuttha-jhana-bhumi is sub-divided into six different realms as the abodes of seven different sorts of beings.

It is to be quoted that the particular names like Parittabha, Subhakinha, Vehapphala, Aviha, Atappa, etc., are the collective names of the beings born in the same realm, just as the term ‘Indian’ stands for the people of Indian stock born in India. Such a name as Vehapphala is also used as the designation of the realm.

The Vehapphala and the Asannasatta, although they are different sorts of beings, are said to live on the same plane. An ordinary man who practises meditation and attains the fourth stage of Rupa jhana, and who can maintain it up to the last moment of his life, will be reborn in this realm.

The Asannasatta is the particular type of rebirth for one who develops meditation with the feeling of dispassion (viraga) in perception (sanna).  As a result of this, if he dies when his mind is absorbed in the fourth stage of jhana, he is born as an unconscious being in the world of form.  He is said to be actually a one-aggregate being, i.e., a being who possesses only the rupa-kkhandha, with the absence of all the other four aggregates, namely, feeling (vedana), perception (sanna), disposition (sankhara) and consciousness (vinna,na). The Asannasatta is, therefore, a being without all mental activities.

He remains like a motionless stone in the realm from the beginning up to the end of his life. It is said that at the end of his life he will regain his consciousness, but as soon as consciousness arises in him, he moves from that realm and takes rebirth in another realm suitable to his previous kamma.

The five other realms of the Catuttha jhana-bhumi -Aviha, Atappa, Sudassa, Sudassi and Akanit,tha - are collectively called the Suddhavasa or the Abode of the Pure. According to Buddhism, only those who attain the third holy stage of Buddhism or the Anagami will be reborn, after death, in these realms. One who is born in any of the other heaven worlds may be reborn again in the human world or even in the plane of misery (Duggati), but one who is born in the Suddhavasa will never return to rebirth in the lower realms.

He will attain final release in and enter into Nibbana from this Abode of the Pure. Now the question arises as to why different individuals who attain the same fourth stage of jhana are born, after death, in different realms of existence. In this connection we find the answer in the Vibhanga of the Abhidhamma which says:

“Among those who develop and sustain the fourth stage of jhana some are born among the Asannasatta, some are born among the Vehapphala gods... among the Aviha gods... Among Atappa gods...

Among the Sudcissa gods... among the Sudassi gods... among the Akanittha gods. This is so because of the individual differences as regards the objects of concentration, the manners of concentration, as regards impulse (chanda), resolve (panidhi), determination (adhimokkha), way of endeavour (abhinihara), and knowledge (panna).

The Paramatthajotika explains that one who is destined to be born in the Suddhavasa must attain the fifth stage of jhana and must be an Anagami. The controlling principle or the directive force (indriya), which is the predominant character of each individual, will determine the realm where he is to be reborn.

One whose directive force is saddha (faith) will be reborn in the realm of Aviha; one whose directive force is viriya (energy) will be reborn is the realm of Atappa; one whose directive force is sati (mindfulness) will be reborn in the realm of Sudassa; one whose directive force is samadhi (concentration) will be reborn in the realm of Sudassi; and one whose directive force is panna (knowledge or reason) will be reborn in the realm of Akanittha.

The following are the approximate life-periods of the beings born in the Catuttha jhana-bhumi given in the Vibhanga of the Abhidhamma:

The life-period of the Vehapphala gods and the Asannasatta (unconscious beings) is five hundred kappas, of the Aviha gods one thousand kappas, of the Atappa gods two thousand kappas, of the Sudassa gods four thousand kappas, of the Sudassi gods eight thousand kappas, and of the Akanittha gods sixteen thousand kappas.

It is said in the Mahapadana Sutta of the Digha-Nikaya that the Suddhavasa is the only plane of existence where the Buddha, in his long wandering in Samsara before attaining Buddhahood, had never been born. According to the sutta, one day when he was in seclusion under the Sala tree in Subhavana forest near the city of Ukkattha, the Buddha thought of this and wanted to visit this Abode of the Pure.

He then disappeared from under the tree and reappeared among the gods of the Suddhavasa in a single moment. Many gods of the realm came to him.  and told him of the important events which had occurred in the periods of many previous Buddhas, beginning from the time of the Buddha named Vipassi who enlightened the world with his teachings ninety-one aeons before the present one.

Now, we have seen that in the Rupavacara-bhumi or the Plane of Form there are sixteen sorts or categories of beings living in different realms according to the nature of their previous kamma. Life in this plane of existence is subtler and happier than that of the Kamavacara heavens where sensual pleasures dominate.

The differences between the beings in the Kamavacara-bhumi and those in the Rupavacara-bhumi are that the beings in the Kamavacara-bhumi consist of two different sexes - male and female, while no differences in sex appear among the beings in the Rupavacara-bhumi.

Happiness in the Rupavacara-bhumi is virtually without, and superior to, sexual delight. The reason for this is that the Rupavacara beings’ feeling of sensual pleasures in which sexual enjoyment plays the dominant role has been absolutely eliminated since they were human beings. This eventually leads to the disappearance of the sex organs since they haven’t any function for the beings in this plane. It is said, however, that although the beings of the Rupavacara heaven possess no sex, their physical appearances are of human male predominance.