Sudassi
Sudassi deva's; Clear-sighted devas
One of the Arupyadhatu Devas:
The Suddhavasa devas are the rebirths of Anagamins, Buddhist religious practitioners who died just short of attaining the state of Arhat (Brahma Sahampati, who appealed to the newly
enlightened Buddha to teach, was an Anagami from a previous Buddha). They guard and protect Buddhism on earth, and will pass into enlightenment as Arhats when they pass away from the Suddhavasa worlds. The highest of these worlds is called Akanistha.
See Suddhavasa Worlds
A Brahma world; one of the Suddhavasa.
Five kinds of Anagamis are born there. M.i.289; D.ii.52; iii.237; KhA.183; VibbA.521; Kvu.207.
A Brahma world, one of the Suddhavasa. The inhabitants of this world are friendly with those of Akanittha. (D.ii.52; M.i.259; D.iii.237; M.iii.103; KhA.120; Vsm.473).
Some anagamis obtain Parinibbana in Sudassi. PSA.319.
A Pacceka Brahma who, with Subrahma, went to visit the Buddha, but, finding him in meditation during the noonday heat, went to see a certain Brahma who was infatuated with his own importance.
They told him of the greater power and majesty of the Buddha, whom they persuaded him to visit. S.i.146.
The Pure Abodes; a name given to a group of Brahma worlds -
the five highest Rupa worlds - consisting of
Aviha,
Atappa,
Sudassa,
Sudassi and
Akanittha (E.g., D.iii.237).
There anagamis are born, and there they attain arahantship; such anagamis are divided into twenty four classes (See, e.g., KhA.182f.; of. PSA. 319; Vsm.710).
Bodhisattas are never born there (SNA.i.50; BuA.224).
The Suddhavasa are described as buddhanam khandhavaratthanasadisa. Sometimes, for asankheyyas of kappas, when no Buddhas are born, these worlds remain empty (AA.ii.808; cf. MA.i.30).
The Buddha is mentioned as having visited the Suddhavasa (E.g., D.ii.50). When a Buddha is about to be born, the inhabitants of the Suddhavasa insert a knowledge of the signs of a Great Being in the Vedas and teach this among men in the guise of brahmins, calling such knowledge buddhamanta. Men learn it and are thus able to recognize a Great Being (MA.ii.761; SNA.ii.448).
The inhabitants of the Suddhavasa know how many Buddhas will be born in any particular kappa by observing the number of lotuses which spring up on the site of the Bodhi pallanka when the earth gradually emerges after the destruction of the world (DA.ii.411). It is the Suddhavasa Brahmas who provide the four omens which lead to a Bodhisattas renunciation in his last lay life. See, e.g., DA.ii.455f.
the 'Pure Abodes', are a group of 5 heavens belonging to the fine-material world (rūpa-loka, s. loka), where only the Non-returners (s. anāgāmī, q.v.) are reborn, and in which they attain Arahatship and Nibbāna (ariya-puggala).
The names of the inhabitants of these Pure Abodes are:
āviha,
ātappa,
Sudassa,
Sudassī,
Akanittha.
Cf. anāgām
