type
status
date
slug
summary
tags
category
icon
password
AI summary
The term "6 Realms in Buddhism" refers to the 6 forms of existence in the mundane world where beings are reborn. These are the Heavenly Realm, Asura Realm, Human Realm, Animal Realm, Hungry Ghost Realm, and Hell Realm.
The Heavenly Realm (Deva Realm)
The heavenly beings enjoy the greatest blessings among the six realms, residing in the heavenly realms with long lifespans and a life free from worries. However, their indulgence in sensory pleasures often leaves them lacking motivation for spiritual practice. When their blessings are exhausted, they still fall back into the cycle of samsara.
The Asura Realm
Asuras, though slightly inferior to heavenly beings in blessings, are inherently jealous and combative. They frequently engage in fierce battles with heavenly beings and, due to their inability to practice spirituality, often face the misfortune of being defeated or destroyed by the gods.
The Human Realm
The human realm, our world, does not enjoy the same blessings as the heavenly beings. Human lives are a mixture of suffering and joy. However, humans are unique in having the opportunity to hear and practice the Dharma, attain enlightenment, and transcend the cycle of reincarnation.
The Three Lower Realms
The Hell Realm, Animal Realm, and Hungry Ghost Realm are marked by extreme suffering, including endless torture, hunger, and ignorance. Beings in these realms either lack the opportunity or are unwilling to engage in spiritual practice.
Among these six forms of existence, some involve unbearable suffering, while others are comparatively less painful. But we must recognize this truth: although the Three Lower Realms are undoubtedly full of suffering, the Three Higher Realms are merely relatively better and are not free from pain. In fact, the very essence of the six realms is suffering and impermanence. There is no eternal or true happiness to be found. Beings wander through these six realms life after life, enduring endless suffering without liberation.
What determines the realm we will be reborn into after death? It does not depend on luck, nor is it decided by ourselves, nor is it governed by a deity controlling our destiny. Future rebirth is determined by our past and present karma, following the natural law of cause and effect. As the Buddha teaches, the seeds you sow determine the fruits you reap.
1. The Suffering in the Heavenly Realm
The heavenly realm is divided into the Desire Heaven, the Form Heaven, and the Formless Heaven.
In the Desire Heaven, beings enjoy immense blessings and extremely long lifespans, free from the sufferings of birth, aging, and illness as experienced in the human world. The beings in this realm are born in pairs, male and female, emerging from the buds of celestial flowers. When the flowers bloom, they manifest as heavenly men and women. Time in the heavenly realm is not measured by days and months, but by the blossoming and closing of flowers.
Although the heavenly realm offers the greatest blessings among the six realms, it is not conducive to spiritual practice due to the lack of interest in the Dharma. For this reason, we aspire to be reborn in a pure land rather than the heavenly realm, despite its pleasures. Heavenly beings, though enjoying long lifespans, are ultimately subject to death. Once their good karma and blessings are exhausted, they are often reborn in the three lower realms.
While the heavenly beings are free from birth, aging, and illness, they still experience immense suffering at the end of their lives. In their final days, they encounter the "Five Declines of Heaven," such as the withering of their flowers, the loss of radiance from their bodies, their natural fragrance turning into stench, and their bodies beginning to sweat. During this time, even their celestial companions avoid them, leaving them to face death in isolation.
Because heavenly beings possess divine powers, they can foresee their next rebirth, often in the lower realms. Humans do not know their fate after death and thus cling to life out of fear. However, heavenly beings, having lived a life of indulgence and cleanliness, experience unimaginable terror at the prospect of being reborn as filthy beings in the animal, hell, or hungry ghost realms.
The above describes the Desire Heaven. As for the Form Heaven and Formless Heaven, the circumstances are different, but the ultimate result remains the same: suffering and eventual death.
2. The Suffering in the Asura Realm
The Asura Realm, also known as the "Non-Deva Realm," features beings with considerable blessings, almost rivaling those of the heavenly realm. These beings are born into this realm due to the powerful good karma they accumulated in past lives. However, their strong tendencies toward anger and hatred prevent them from ascending to the heavenly realm, leaving them in this "almost-heavenly" state.
Asuras are characterized by their intense jealousy and hostility, frequently waging battles against the heavenly beings. However, they often suffer crushing defeats, leaving them wounded and humiliated. Despite their significant blessings, long lifespans, and superior intelligence, their lives are dominated by anger and envy, making them far from happy or content.
3. The Suffering of the Human Realm
Unwholesome karma leads beings to be reborn into the three lower realms, while wholesome karma allows beings to attain rebirth in the three higher realms. Among these three higher realms, the beings of the heavenly realm enjoy the greatest blessings, followed by the asura realm, and then the human realm. However, the human realm is considered the most suitable place to practice the Dharma.
The sufferings of being born in the human realm are commonly categorized into four types: the suffering of birth, the suffering of aging, the suffering of illness, and the suffering of death.
As for the sufferings of aging, illness, and death, most people have some level of understanding. But why is birth also considered suffering? It is not only the expectant mother who suffers from morning sickness, restricted mobility, and even various other illnesses, but also the fetus in the womb experiences immense suffering. During the nine months in the mother's womb, the fetus is immobile and unable to control its destiny, constantly facing the threat of death. Although we cannot remember these experiences now, that does not mean we did not feel anything at the time. During childbirth, the baby endures intense squeezing, struggles to breathe, and experiences even greater suffering. After birth, the baby is vulnerable and incapable of self-protection, subject to threats from insects, beasts, diseases, and natural disasters that could take its life at any moment. Without the careful care of its parents, the baby might only survive for a few minutes before being eaten by wild animals, or dying of cold or hunger.
The suffering of aging is not limited to the physical decline of old age; it refers to the gradual journey towards death that begins at birth. If we live long enough to reach old age, this type of suffering becomes even more apparent. In old age, our bodily functions deteriorate—walking a few extra steps becomes a burden, our digestion worsens, and our skin wrinkles. Many things we wish to do are no longer possible. For those who do not understand the Dharma, the suffering of aging encompasses not only physical deterioration but also the helplessness of the mind. For those who do understand the Dharma, the physical suffering of aging remains unavoidable.
The suffering of illness can be divided into external and internal illnesses. External illnesses include physical ailments such as stomachaches, cancer, and lung diseases. Their greatest threat is death, and their effects are confined to this life. Internal suffering, on the other hand, arises from afflictions such as greed, hatred, and ignorance. These internal afflictions drive us to commit unwholesome actions through our body, speech, and mind—such as killing—which result in terrifying karmic consequences over many lifetimes, including a shortened lifespan and rebirth in the lower realms. Thus, internal illnesses are far more severe than external ones. A single moment of hatred can lead to a chain of immense suffering across multiple lifetimes, making mental afflictions particularly terrifying.
The suffering of death does not solely refer to the physical pain experienced during the dying process, but also includes the fear and unease that accompany it.
In addition to the four primary sufferings, being born in the human realm also entails the suffering of not attaining what one desires, the suffering of separation from loved ones, the suffering of encountering those one hates, and the suffering of the five aggregates. These are elaborated upon in The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment.
Loading...
