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## The Eighth Understanding: The Nine Types of Liberation
This understanding discusses the nine types of liberation as described by those who expound on the nine types of liberation. These nine types are:
1. **Pṛthvīkāyika** (Earth-bodied)
2. **Apakāyika** (Water-bodied)
3. **Tejaskaayika** (Fire-bodied)
4. **Vāyukāyika** (Air-bodied)
5. **Vanaspatikāyika** (Plant-bodied)
6. **Dvīndriya** (Two-sensed)
7. **Trīndriya** (Three-sensed)
8. **Caturindriya** (Four-sensed)
9. **Pañcendriya** (Five-sensed)
**Duration:**
The shortest duration for all these types is an **antarmuhūrta** (a moment between two muhūrtas). The longest duration is:
* **Pṛthvīkāyika:** 22,000 years
* **Apakāyika:** 7,000 years
* **Tejaskaayika:** 3 days
* **Vāyukāyika:** 3,000 years
* **Vanaspatikāyika:** 10,000 years
* **Dvīndriya:** 12 years
* **Trīndriya:** 49 days
* **Caturindriya:** 6 months
* **Pañcendriya:** 33 sagaropama (a measure of time equivalent to 33 oceans)
**Accumulation:**
The shortest accumulation (duration of existence) for all these types is an **antarmuhūrta**. The longest accumulation is:
* **Pṛthvīkāyika:** Asankhyeya kāla (an immeasurable period of time encompassing countless cycles of upsurge and downsurge, and countless regions of space within the universe)
* **Apakāyika, Tejaskaayika, Vāyukāyika:** Similar to Pṛthvīkāyika
* **Vanaspatikāyika:** Ananta kāla (infinite time) encompassing countless cycles of upsurge and downsurge, countless regions of space within the universe, and countless transformations of pudgala (matter)
* **Dvīndriya, Trīndriya, Caturindriya:** Sankhyeya kāla (measurable time)
* **Pañcendriya:** 1,000 sagaropama
**Interval:**
The shortest interval (time between births) for **Pṛthvīkāyika** is an **antarmuhūrta**, and the longest is **ananta kāla** (infinite time). This infinite time is similar to the previous explanation. The interval between a Pṛthvīkāyika leaving its body and being reborn as a Vanaspatikāyika is ananta kāla. The interval for other types should be understood similarly.
The shortest interval for **Vanaspatikāyika** is an **antarmuhūrta**, and the longest is **asankhyeya kāla** (immeasurable time) encompassing countless cycles of upsurge and downsurge.
**Number:**
* **Pañcendriya** are the least numerous, existing in a number equal to countless regions of space within the universe, each region being countless yojanas (a measure of distance) in diameter.
* **Caturindriya** are more numerous than Pañcendriya, existing in a number equal to countless yojanas in diameter.
* **Trīndriya** are more numerous than Caturindriya, existing in a number equal to countless yojanas in diameter.
* **Dvīndriya** are more numerous than Trīndriya, existing in a number equal to countless yojanas in diameter.
* **Tejaskaayika** are countless times more numerous than Dvīndriya, existing in a number equal to countless regions of space within the universe.
* **Pṛthvīkāyika** are more numerous than Tejaskaayika, existing in a number equal to countless regions of space within the universe.
* **Apakāyika** are more numerous than Pṛthvīkāyika, existing in a number equal to countless regions of space within the universe.
* **Vāyukāyika** are more numerous than Apakāyika, existing in a number equal to countless regions of space within the universe.
* **Vanaspatikāyika** are infinitely more numerous than Vāyukāyika, existing in a number equal to infinite regions of space within the universe.
**Conclusion:**
This is the eighth understanding, which explains the nine types of liberation.