the buddist 31 planes

7/31/2019 The Buddist 31 Planes

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The Buddist Thirty-one Planes of Existence 20052012

The inescapable law ofkamma guarantees that each and every one of our actions whether it be ofbody, speech, or mind has consequences in line with the skillfulness or unskillfulness of that action.We can often witness this process first-hand in our own lives, even if the effects may not be immediately

apparent. But the Buddha also taught that our actions have effects that extend far beyond our present life,determining the quality of rebirth we can expect after death: act in wholesome, skillful ways and you aredestined for a favorable rebirth; act in unwholesome, unskillful ways and an unpleasant rebirth awaits.Thus we coast for aeons through samsara, propelled from one birth to the next by the quality of ourchoices and our actions.

The suttas describe thirty-one distinct "planes" or "realms" of existence into which beings can be rebornduring this long wandering through samsara. These range from the extraordinarily dark, grim, andpainful hell realms all the way up to the most sublime, refined, and exquisitely blissful heaven realms.Existence in every realm is impermanent; in Buddhist cosmology there is no eternal heaven or hell.Beings are born into a particular realm according to both their past kamma and their kamma at the

moment of death. When the kammic force that propelled them to that realm is finally exhausted, theypass away, taking rebirth once again elsewhere according to their kamma. And so the wearisome cyclecontinues.

The realms of existence are customarily divided into three distinct "worlds" (loka), listed here indescending order of refinement:

The Immaterial World (arupa-loka). Consists of four realms that are accessible to those who passaway while meditating in the formless jhanas.

The Fine-Material World (rupa-loka). Consists of sixteen realms whose inhabitants (the devas)experience extremely refined degrees of mental pleasure. These realms are accessible to those

who have attained at least some level ofjhana and who have thereby managed to (temporarily)suppress hatred and ill-will. They are said to possess extremely refined bodies of pure light. Thehighest of these realms, the Pure Abodes, are accessible only to those who have attained to "non-returning," the third stage of Awakening. The Fine-Material World and the Immaterial Worldtogether constitute the "heavens" (sagga).

The Sensuous World (kama-loka). Consists of eleven realms in which experience bothpleasurable and not is dominated by the five senses. Seven of these realms are favorabledestinations, and include our own human realm as well as several realms occupied by devas. Thelowest realms are the four "bad" destinations, which include the animal and hell realms.

It is pointless to debate whether these realms are real or simply fanciful metaphors that describe the

various mind-states we might experience in this lifetime. The real message of this cosmology is this:unless we take steps to break free of the iron grip of kamma, we are doomed to wander aimlessly fromone state to another, with true peace and satisfaction forever out of reach. The Buddha's revolutionarydiscovery came in finding that there is a way to break free: theNoble Eightfold Path, which equips uswith precisely the tools we need to escape from this wearisome wandering, once and for all, to a true andunshakeable freedom.

The information on this page was assembled from a variety ofsources. In the interests of economizingspace I have not attributed each fact to its respective source.

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4.123.)(16) Devas of UnboundedRadiance (appamanabhadeva)

Second jhana(medium degree)

(15) Devas of LimitedRadiance (parittabha

deva)

Second jhana(minor degree)

(14) Great Brahmas(Maha brahma)

One of this realm's most famous inhabitants is the GreatBrahma, a deity whose delusion leads him to regardhimself as the all-powerful, all-seeing creator of theuniverse (DN 11).

First jhana (highestdegree)

(13) Ministers of Brahma(brahma-purohita deva)

Beings in these planes enjoy varying degrees of jhanicbliss.

First jhana(medium degree)

(12) Retinue of Brahma(brahma-parisajja deva)

First jhana (minordegree). (See, e.g.,AN 4.123.)

III. The Sensuous World (kama-loka)

Happy Destinations (sugati)

Realm Comments Cause of rebirth here

(11) Devas WieldingPower over the Creationof Others (paranimmita-vasavatti deva)

These devas enjoy sense pleasures created byothers for them. Mara, the personification ofdelusion and desire, lives here.

Ten wholesome actions(MN 41)

Generosity

The development ofvirtue andwisdom (AN10.177)

(10) Devas Delighting in

Creation (nimmanaratideva)

These devas delight in the sense objects of theirown creation.

(9) Contented devas(tusita deva)

A realm of pure delight and gaiety. Bodhisattasabide here prior to their final human birth. This iswhere the bodhisatta Maitreya (Metteya), the nextBuddha, is said to dwell.

(8) Yama devas (yamadeva)

These devas live in the air, free of all difficulties.

(7) The Thirty-three Gods(tavatimsa deva)

Sakka, a devotee of the Buddha, presides over thisrealm. Many devas dwelling here live in mansionsin the air.

(6) Devas of the FourGreat Kings(catumaharajika deva)

Home of thegandhabbas, the celestial musicians,and theyakkhas, tree spirits of varying degrees ofethical purity. The latter are analogous to thegoblins, trolls, and fairies of Western fairy tales.

(5) Human beings(manussa loka)

You are here (for now).

Rebirth as a human being is extraordinarily rare(SN 56.48). It is also extraordinarily precious, asits unique balance of pleasure and pain (SN

The development ofvirtue andwisdom (AN10.177)

The attainment ofstream-

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35.135) facilitates the development of virtue andwisdom to the degree necessary to set one freefrom the entire cycle of rebirths.

entry (sotapatti) guaranteesthat all future rebirths willbe in the human or higherrealms.

States of Deprivation (apaya)

Realm Comments Cause of rebirth here

(4) Asuras(asura)

The demons "titans" that dwell hereare engaged in relentless conflict with eachother.

Ten unwholesome actions (MN 41)

(3) HungryShades/Ghosts

(peta loka)

Ghosts and unhappy spirits wanderhopelessly about this realm, searching in vainfor sensual fulfillment.

Read Ajaan Lee's colorful description of thisrealm.


Lack of virtue, holding to wrong views(AN 10.177)

(2) Animals(tiracchana yoni)

This realm includes all the non-human formsof life that are visible to us under ordinarycircumstances: animals, insects, fish, birds,worms, etc.


Lack of virtue, holding to wrong views.If one is generous to monks and nuns,however, one may be reborn as an"ornamented" animal (i.e., a bird withbright plumage; a horse with attractivemarkings, etc.;AN 10.177).

Behaving like an animal (MN 57)

(1) Hell (niraya)

These are realms of unimaginable sufferingand anguish (described in graphic detail inMN 129 and MN 130). Should not beconfused with the eternalhell proposed byother religions, since one's time here is asit is in every realm temporary.


Lack of virtue, holding to wrong views(AN 10.177)

Murdering your parents, murdering anarahant, injuring the Buddha, or creatinga schism in the Sangha (AN 5.129)

Being quarrelsome and annoying toothers (Snp II.6)

Sources:

Buddhist Dictionary, by Nyanatiloka Mahathera (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1980). The Buddhist Religion: A Historical Introduction (fourth edition), by R.H. Robinson & W.L.

Johnson (Belmont, California: Wadsworth, 1997). The Long Discourses of the Buddha (Introduction), translated by Maurice Walshe (Boston:

Wisdom Publications, 1987).

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A Manual of Abhidhamma, by Ven. Narada Thera (Kuala Lumpur: Buddhist Missionary Society,1979).

The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (Introduction), translated by Bhikkhu anamoliand Bhikkhu Bodhi (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995).

Teacher of the Devas (WheelPublication 414/416), by Susan Elbaum Jootla (Kandy: BuddhistPublication Society, 1997).

The Three Worlds (wall chart), compiled by Ven. Acaro Suvanno (printed for free distribution bydevotees and Mr & Mrs Lim Say Hoe and family).

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the buddist 31 planes

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