Samsara and Reincarnation Demystified: Why Celestial Beings Face Suffering? (Ep. 3)

Hello there! In addition to the aforementioned eight unfavorable conditions for being reborn in the long-life heavens, there are also various sufferings and calamities described in Buddhist scriptures. Primarily, the standard state is that heavenly beings in the desire realm typically experience no suffering and enjoy bliss every day. For instance, among the six heavenly realms of the desire realm, the highest is the Paranamita Vasavadi heaven. According to Bodhisattva in his great treatise on the perfection of wisdom, the Paranamita Vasavadi heaven refers to a realm where beings enjoy great pleasure and happiness without having to create their own actions, instead delighting in the transformed pleasures of others for their own enjoyment. In other words, they possess special powers that allow them to control or enjoy the wonderful creations of others without the need to create these pleasures themselves. In order to ensure a lasting source of happiness for themselves, they use various means to lead people into indulgence in sensual pleasures. As a result, the king of this realm is also known as the demon king or the great evil god. If we look at our daily actions, it is indeed true that we are under their control. As mentioned in the Vimalakirti Sutra, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva entered the realm of demons with compassion to guide them onto the path of Buddhahood. We, on the other hand, need to learn how to control our thoughts and intentions. Ways to manage this will be discussed in the upcoming series. In both the desire realm and the form realm, there are many heavenly kings who serve as great protectors of Buddhism. And each of these kings, regardless of their realm, has their own political organization, such as ministers and citizens. On the other hand, no matter how high the state of enjoyment and power, they are still bound by desire and illusion. Although the gods and heavenly kings enjoy an extraordinarily luxurious life, in reality, no matter which realm sentient beings are in, whether rich or poor, in pleasure or suffering, everyone is still within the cycle of samsara. These experiences are ultimately impermanent and still bound by cause and effect, as well as the cycle of rebirth, and even the highest heavenly realms cannot escape this. Gampopa, 1079-1153, was a prominent Tibetan Buddhist master who played a crucial role in the development of the Kagyu lineage. In one of his influential texts, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, it states that even if one attains the status of Indra and enjoys the pleasures of the heavenly realm, one will ultimately face death and fall into lower realms. Given this, we can reflect, for instance, a rare and exceptionally virtuous person might be born in heaven, a realm far beyond even the wealthiest humans, where he possesses immense riches and power. To indulge in pleasures beyond our imagination, he rapidly exhausts his good karma in a highly expansive way. If, in this lifetime, he no longer performs as many or as great acts of kindness as he did before, but instead simply rests contentedly, even arrogantly, enjoying the fruits of his accumulated good karma, then one day, after he has squandered his good karma, only negative results will remain. According to the basic principles of karma, he will fall into the three lower realms. How, then, can he escape such immense suffering when he arrives there? The celestial beings do not age or fall ill, but they are still subject to death. As their lifespan nears its end, they manifest five signs of death, which bring them immense suffering. The first is called stained clothing. The garments of heavenly beings require no tailoring. They are seamless and not like our clothes that need to be sewn or require fabric. Heavenly beings can manifest whatever clothing they desire at will, and their clothes are always pristine, spotless, and do not need washing. These garments are immune to dust and dirt, a quality unknown in the human world. However, when their blessings are exhausted and their life nears its end, their clothes become soiled. When heavenly beings see their garments stained, they realize their life is about to end, causing them great fear and anguish. The second is withering flowers. Heavenly beings enjoy wearing flowers, often adorning themselves with flower garlands or crowns, which are always vibrant and fresh. As long as their blessings remain, the flowers never wilt. However, when their blessings are exhausted, the flowers begin to fade, signaling the end of their good fortune. The third is body odor, which rises from their bodies. Usually, heavenly beings emit a pleasant fragrance. For instance, sometimes when we recite sutras or chant the Buddha's name without burning incense, we may still detect a pleasant fragrance. According to Venerable Master Chin Kung, founder of the Buddha Educational Foundation of Pure Land Buddhism Teachings, when he first began to study Buddhism, he often noticed a strong scent while reading sutras. Many sages had said that heavenly beings, drawn to the sutras, were present nearby, emitting their natural fragrance. Though we cannot see their forms, we can sometimes sense their aroma. When the fragrance of a heavenly being disappears and an odor arises, it is a sign that their lifespan is nearing its end. The fourth is armpit sweat. Heavenly beings normally do not sweat, as their bodies remain pure and clean. However, at the end of their lives, they begin to sweat from their armpits. The fifth is restlessness on their seat. They start fidgeting and dislike their own seats. When the blessings of heavenly beings are about to be exhausted, these five signs appear simultaneously, known as the five signs of decay or death. Heavenly beings, knowing their lifespan is nearing its end, use their celestial vision to foresee their impending fall into lower realms. They spend their final seven days in profound sorrow, fear, and pain. Their companions, aware of the impending separation, only throw flowers from afar as a gesture of farewell, leaving the dying celestial feeling pain of loneliness. Reflecting on their past joys, they are overcome with the sorrow of attachment. Actually, before the five major signs of decay or death occur in heavenly beings, they experience five minor signs. At this stage, they can still find a turning point by sincerely repenting, genuinely reforming, practicing according to the Buddha's teachings, developing great compassion, or even cultivating a bodhicitta mindset to help others. The minor signs include the following. One, their voice turns hoarse, suddenly losing the ability to sing melodious songs or play musical instruments. Two, the halo of light surrounding their head and body dims noticeably. Three, while bathing, the water clings to their body like a thick viscous fluid, and dirt cannot be washed away. Four, they begin to cling to the celestial pleasures of their realm, developing new attachments that did not exist before. Five, their bodies weaken, and the vibrant glow in their eyes fades away. The Buddha taught, for example, in the Ksitigarbha Sutra, where he told Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva that when the five signs of decline manifested, if celestial beings saw an image of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva or heard his name and offered a single glance or bow, they could transform their situation. Their heavenly blessings would increase, allowing them to enjoy greater comfort and happiness, and they would never fall into the three evil realms to endure the remaining karmic retribution. Simply put, the Buddha's intention is for us to honestly reform ourselves, as taught in the Ksitigarbha Sutra. However, how many of the celestial beings, who are accustomed to extreme pleasure and even arrogance, are capable of doing so? All forms of enjoyment and blessings, such as wealth, material possessions, power, and supernatural abilities, are extremely difficult to resist due to the average people's level of concentration. We are easily enticed, causing our desires to grow and leading us further away from the Buddha's teachings, eventually straying from the path. Consider this, when a person starts earning money, they usually want to earn even more and have more possessions. After achieving these goals, they will still wish for more. Desire, therefore, is endless. When we indulge in pleasure, are we truly in control, or are we being controlled by these material desires? Some people may still wonder, if we diligently practice and attain a high level of meditative concentration, is it possible to resist temptation and achieve eternal bliss? And why do calamities occur in the heavenly realms? Please subscribe to watch the next episode. Best wishes to you and your loved ones. See you soon. Subscribe to Chillife. If you believe in yourself, all will be fine.