In Buddhism, living beings are divided into six categories: heavenly beings, asuras or demi-gods, human beings, animals, hungry ghosts, and those in hell. It is generally understood that each category of living beings has its own realm of existence. Migration through these six realms is known as samsara, a Sanskrit term for wandering. However, viewed from another angle, one can find these six modes of existence in just the human realm alone. Many of us have experienced these states.
The heavens referred to here are the heavenly realms that contain materiality. Those who dwell there develop their wisdom only slightly. When their lives are about to end and they discover their weaknesses, they are shocked and extremely anguished. The asuras or demi-gods have a natural disposition to be jealous and fond of arguing. They engage in quarrels and disputes their whole lives. They have no opportunity to investigate spiritual questions, much less deeply solve these questions. Animals are naturally ignorant. They lack clear and awakened wisdom. They struggle for existence their entire lives and are often forced to become slaves of other living beings. The desires of hungry ghosts can never be satisfied. Since their natural disposition is to be stingy, therefore, although they ceaselessly seek food and clothing, they nevertheless are only able to obtain through much difficulty leftover food and worn out clothes and worse. Those living beings who dwell in hell are totally under the control of their own hatred. They therefore experience all kinds of extremely brutal torture and acute pain.
Although these problems exist to some extent in the human realm, human beings have a sufficient amount of intelligence which enables them to occasionally extricate themselves from the painful and fruitless struggle of worldly life and give rise to wisdom which transcends the mundane. Therefore, the human realm is the most convenient realm in which to practice the Buddha-dharma that can enable them to escape this aimless cycle of reincarnation. When one thinks of the vast amount of living beings in this universe and how there are countless more non-human living beings than there are human beings, one can realize that to be born as a human being is truly a rare and fortunate thing.
However, with this understanding it is wrong to doubt the existence of these realms. It opposes the cycle of reincarnation and the inevitable law of impermanence that are the core concepts of what the Buddha taught. It is also wrong to think that we can create a Pure Land or holy place in the human realm. As Buddhist we strive not to reach a most pleasant life as a human or heavenly being, but to escape the suffering of samsara entirely.
The detailed answer to why samsara and its six realms or reincarnation and suffering do exist is offered in Evil View #17. Click title to read it.
Evil View #17: THE VIEW THAT THE EXISTENCE OF THE SIX REALMS OF SAMSARA IS AN UNTRUE LEGEND
Written by Rinpoche Zhaxi Zhuoma
Although these problems exist to some extent in the human realm, human beings have a sufficient amount of intelligence which enables them to occasionally extricate themselves from the painful and fruitless struggle of worldly life and give rise to wisdom which transcends the mundane. Therefore, the human realm is the most convenient realm in which to practice the Buddha-dharma that can enable them to escape this aimless cycle of reincarnation. When one thinks of the vast amount of living beings in this universe and how there are countless more non-human living beings than there are human beings, one can realize that to be born as a human being is truly a rare and fortunate thing.
However, with this understanding it is wrong to doubt the existence of these realms. It opposes the cycle of reincarnation and the inevitable law of impermanence that are the core concepts of what the Buddha taught. It is also wrong to think that we can create a Pure Land or holy place in the human realm. As Buddhist we strive not to reach a most pleasant life as a human or heavenly being, but to escape the suffering of samsara entirely.
The detailed answer to why samsara and its six realms or reincarnation and suffering do exist is offered in Evil View #17. Click title to read it.
Evil View #17: THE VIEW THAT THE EXISTENCE OF THE SIX REALMS OF SAMSARA IS AN UNTRUE LEGEND
Written by Rinpoche Zhaxi Zhuoma
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