[1011] Therein, what are the seven views (diṭṭhi)?
Here a certain ascetic (samaṇa) or brahmin (brāhmaṇa) is of such a doctrine, of such a view: "Inasmuch as, good sir, this self (attā) — possessing form (rūpī), composed of the four primary elements (cātummahābhūtika), produced from mother and father — is annihilated and destroyed with the breakup of the body and does not exist after death, to this extent, good sir, this self is completely annihilated (sammā samucchinno)." Thus do some declare the annihilation (uccheda), destruction (vināsa), and non-existence (vibhava) of an existing being (sato sattassa).
Another says to him thus: "There is, good sir, that self of which you speak; I do not say that it does not exist. But it is not to this extent, good sir, that this self is completely annihilated. There is, good sir, another self — divine, possessing form, belonging to the sense sphere (kāmāvacara), feeding on solid nutriment (kabaḷiṅkārāhāra). That you neither know nor see; that I know and see. Inasmuch as that self, good sir, is annihilated and destroyed with the breakup of the body and does not exist after death, to this extent, good sir, this self is completely annihilated." Thus do some declare the annihilation, destruction, and non-existence of an existing being.
Another says to him thus: "There is, good sir, that self of which you speak; I do not say that it does not exist. But it is not to this extent, good sir, that this self is completely annihilated. There is, good sir, another self — divine, possessing form, mind-made (manomaya), complete in all its major and minor parts (sabbaṅgapaccaṅgī), not deficient in any faculty (ahīnindriya). That you neither know nor see; that I know and see. Inasmuch as that self, good sir, is annihilated and destroyed with the breakup of the body and does not exist after death, to this extent, good sir, this self is completely annihilated." Thus do some declare the annihilation, destruction, and non-existence of an existing being.
Another says to him thus: "There is, good sir, that self of which you speak; I do not say that it does not exist. But it is not to this extent, good sir, that this self is completely annihilated. There is, good sir, another self which, with the complete transcending of perceptions of form (rūpasaññā), with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement (paṭighasaññā), and with non-attention to perceptions of diversity (nānattasaññā), [aware that] 'space is infinite,' has attained to the sphere of the infinity of space (ākāsānañcāyatana). That you neither know nor see; that I know and see. Inasmuch as that self, good sir, is annihilated and destroyed with the breakup of the body and does not exist after death, to this extent, good sir, this self is completely annihilated." Thus do some declare the annihilation, destruction, and non-existence of an existing being.
Another says to him thus: "There is, good sir, that self of which you speak; I do not say that it does not exist. But it is not to this extent, good sir, that this self is completely annihilated. There is, good sir, another self which, having completely transcended the sphere of the infinity of space, [aware that] 'consciousness is infinite,' has attained to the sphere of the infinity of consciousness (viññāṇañcāyatana). That you neither know nor see; that I know and see. Inasmuch as that self, good sir, is annihilated and destroyed with the breakup of the body and does not exist after death, to this extent, good sir, this self is completely annihilated." Thus do some declare the annihilation, destruction, and non-existence of an existing being.
Another says to him thus: "There is, good sir, that self of which you speak; I do not say that it does not exist. But it is not to this extent, good sir, that this self is completely annihilated. There is, good sir, another self which, having completely transcended the sphere of the infinity of consciousness, [aware that] 'there is nothing,' has attained to the sphere of nothingness (ākiñcaññāyatana). That you neither know nor see; that I know and see. Inasmuch as that self, good sir, is annihilated and destroyed with the breakup of the body and does not exist after death, to this extent, good sir, this self is completely annihilated." Thus do some declare the annihilation, destruction, and non-existence of an existing being.
Another says to him thus: "There is, good sir, that self of which you speak; I do not say that it does not exist. But it is not to this extent, good sir, that this self is completely annihilated. There is, good sir, another self which, having completely transcended the sphere of nothingness, has attained to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception (nevasaññānāsaññāyatana). That you neither know nor see; that I know and see. Inasmuch as that self, good sir, is annihilated and destroyed with the breakup of the body and does not exist after death, to this extent, good sir, this self is completely annihilated." Thus do some declare the annihilation, destruction, and non-existence of an existing being.
These are the seven views.
The Sevens.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.