In the middle of the Wheel are the Three Fires of greed, ignorance and hatred, represented by a rooster, a pig and a snake. The wheel itself is a circle, symbolising the endless cycle of existence and suffering. The realms, or states of reincarnation, of the Buddhist universe are depicted in a diagram known as the Bhavachakra, the Wheel of Life or Wheel of Becoming. These realms are depicted in a diagram known as the Bhavachakra, the Wheel of Life or Wheel of Becoming, which is explored in detail in the next section. Someone adept at meditation will experience progressively higher heaven realms. Thus, although humans and animals live together in the same world, the implications of being born as a human and as an animal are very different, and they are represented as two separate realms.Īnd a human being can experience touches of heaven when happy, or the lower states when hateful, greedy, ignorant or in pain. These are not all separate realms, but are interlinked in keeping with the Buddhist philosophy that mind and reality are linked. ![]() The inhabitants of the next three levels all have a particular defect (hatred, greed, ignorance), and hell is obviously the worst of the lot. ![]() The first two levels are good places to be born. (Early sources listed five realms, excluding the Titans.) Hell realms: people here are horribly tortured in many creative ways, but not for ever - only until their bad karma is worked off.The animal realm: this is undesirable because animals are exploited by human beings, and do not have the necessary self-awareness to achieve liberation.They are unable to satisfy their craving, symbolised by their depiction with huge bellies and tiny mouths The realm of the hungry ghosts ( pretas): these unhappy beings are bound to the fringes of human existence, unable to leave because of particularly strong attachments.The realm of the Titans or angry gods ( asuras): these are warlike beings who are at the mercy of angry impulses.The realm of humanity: although humans suffer, this is considered the most fortunate state because humans have the greatest chance of enlightenment.It is subdivided by later sources into 26 levels of increasing happiness Heaven, the home of the gods ( devas): this is a realm of enjoyment inhabited by blissful, long-lived beings. ![]() The realmsīuddhism has six realms into which a soul can be reborn. Only achieving liberation, or nirvana, can free a being from the cycle of life, death and rebirth. It is uncertain because when we examine our experience, no knower can be defined and no enduring essence of experience can be located. Our mistaken belief that things can last is a chief cause of suffering. It is impermanent because no state, good or bad, lasts forever. These three are called the tilakhana or three signs of existence.Įxistence is endless because individuals are reincarnated over and over again, experiencing suffering throughout many lives. The great tragedy of existence, from a Buddhist point of view, is that it is both endless and subject to impermanence, suffering and uncertainty.
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