Samsara and Reincarnation Demystified: Exploring the Three Realms and Six Paths in Buddhism (Ep. 1)

Hello there! What exactly is Samsara? How should we address the challenges of the endless cycle of reincarnations? What are the solutions to the eight sufferings of humans? Follow this series to learn the Buddha's teachings, empowering yourself to understand universal truths and wisely take control of your destiny, a vital skill for everyone. In this first episode, we will explore the three realms and six paths of Samsara, offering a brief introduction to how one might reach these realms. More in-depth explanations will follow in later episodes. Within Samsara, the cycle of endless rebirth and suffering, the three good realms consist of the celestial beings, or gods, Asuras, or demigods, and humans, while the three evil realms are composed of animals, hungry ghosts, and the hell realm. Another way to categorize Samsara is by dividing it into the three realms, the realm of desire, the realm of form, and the formless realm. According to the treasury of Abhidharma, the realm of desire is inhabited by beings driven by desires and includes the hells, animals, hungry ghosts, the human realm, the Asura realm, and the six lower heavens within the celestial realms. The six celestial levels, or heavens, in the desire realm are the result of cultivating the ten virtuous deeds. This practice entails abandoning the ten non-meritorious deeds, physically avoiding killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, verbally refraining from lying, divisive speech, harsh words, and engaging in idle talk, and mentally steering clear of covetousness, harmful thoughts, and wrong views rooted in ignorance. Across Mahayana, also referred to as the great vehicle, Theravada, also known as the preliminary or small vehicle, and Vajrayana, also called Tibetan Buddhism, the ten virtuous actions are considered the most fundamental method of Buddhist practice. The form realm, which is the second layer of the three realms, is the result of practicing deep meditation and suppressing desires. The form in the form realm signifies either impermanence or material obstruction, and also refers to the subtle and pure qualities that arise from transcending the impurities of the desire realm. The heavenly beings here have physical forms, but are free from various kinds of desires. For example, they do not seek useless possessions, have no lustful desires or gender distinctions, and do not need to eat as they feed on the joy of meditation. They also have no need for sleep and live in great freedom. Their lifespans are so long that even the gods of the desire realm cannot compare. Many of the immortals in Chinese folklore belong to this realm, having attained a high level of spiritual cultivation. This realm includes four levels of different degrees of meditative concentration. However, their prior practice focused on loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, known as the four immeasurables. Simply put, without cultivating these qualities, even with advanced meditative skills, one will still be reborn in the heavens of the desire realm rather than ascending to the four dhyanas heavens of the form realm. The highest beings in the three realms, the formless realm deities, have cultivated meditation to a higher level than those in the form realm. They have renounced all material attachments, so they possess only divine consciousness and no longer require food, clothing, shelter, or a physical body. This realm also includes four heavenly levels, with the highest being the realm of neither perception nor non-perception. The blessings of the gods are immense, and their lifespans are extraordinarily long, with their enjoyment lasting far longer. For example, the four heavenly kings, who inhabit the lowest level of the heavens, live for 500 years. However, one of their days is equivalent to 50 years on earth, so their lifespan is comparable to 9,125,000 years in the human realm. If a person lives to be 100 years old, it would be equivalent to just two days in the four heavenly kings' realm. Therefore, as we ascend to higher levels of the heavens, the lifespan of the gods stretches to tens of thousands of years, even tens of thousands of eons, a period of enjoyment that far exceeds what we humans can imagine. In the desire realm, the second level is the asura realm. The karmic cause for being born here is also the practice of the ten virtuous deeds. However, since the practice is not fully perfected, they still experience some suffering and retain various negative emotions, especially anger and jealousy towards the higher gods, leading them to frequently engage in conflict with the heavenly beings. The karmic causes for being born into the three good realms are clearly explained in the Sutra of the Path of the Ten Good Karmas. According to Venerable Master Chin Kung, founder of the Buddha Educational Foundation of Pure Land Buddhism Teachings, the reason we have human life in this lifetime is because in our past lives, we practiced the five precepts—no killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, or intoxication—and the ten virtuous deeds. By cultivating the highest level of the five precepts and ten virtuous deeds, one is reborn in the heavenly realms of the desire realm. Practicing the middle level results in human life, while the lowest level leads to the asura realm. Ultimately, the true virtuous paths are two—the human and heavenly realms. That is to say, if we earnestly uphold the five precepts and strictly follow the ten virtuous deeds in this life, without violating them, and if we are not deprived of human life in the next, we will be happier than in this life. This is certain because in this life, we learn the Dharma and practice goodness, gradually progressing on the path of cultivation. Stay tuned for the next series to discover more practical tips on practicing virtuous deeds. Many people in the world wish to be reborn in the heavens. Where did the legendary sages and deities go within the six realms? Are they truly one of a kind? In the past, someone once told Master Chin Kung that Confucius resides in Triestrimsa Heaven, while Laozi is considered to be at a higher level, possibly in the fourth yana heaven of the form realm. If Laozi adhered to his own wishes, he would not want this body, since he once expressed, my great affliction comes from having a body. In that case, he would have ascended to the formless realm, where there is only divine consciousness, unlike in the form realm, where beings still possess physical bodies. That required a considerable depth of meditative concentration, and Master Chin Kung believed he had it. Taoist meditation emphasizes purity and non-action, which is why he was able to transcend the desire realm. In addition, the Jade Emperor in Taoism, and the god or creator in some religions, are typically identified with the king of the Triestrimsa Heaven, or King Indra. Regardless of the surface level rank or level of the throne, the Lotus Sutra mentions all the Brahma Kings, and, as well as all the Deva Kings, indicating that there are many. In fact, within the domain of Shakyamuni Buddha alone, there are Why? The galaxy we know is considered a small unit of the world in Buddhist cosmology, with Mount Meru at the center, which science refers to as a black hole. According to Buddhist scriptures, the solar system revolves around Mount Meru, or the galaxy, and there are a billion such galaxies in the universe. A thousand galaxies, each considered a small unit world, are called a small thousand world. A thousand small thousand worlds make up a middle thousand world, and a thousand middle thousand worlds form a great thousand world, which is the teaching realm of one Buddha. Therefore, the universe is vast, infinite, and boundless. Many people wonder which among the powerful kings, devas, and gods is the one who created the universe. The previous Karma series has the answer. Anyway, many people think that being born in heaven is so enviable, but can we really go there? Is it truly free of any suffering and truly eternal? 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.