Nagas and Garudas - animals with miraculous powers

This is part of the description 

of the animal realm of samsara

Nagas are animals with miraculous powers who live in many places: in some realms of the gods or humans, bellow the four continents or in depths of waters (oceans, rivers, lakes, etc) where they have their own paralel reality, invisible to us, with cities, palaces and various manifestations. Sometimes, it seems that the waters are just a portal towards their realms which they can reach through other means[1], like for example, through earth[2].
 
The world of nagas is luxurious, very sensual and sexual. The palaces are fantastically beautiful, filled with all kinds of riches, gardens and lakes, fruits always rippened and perfumed open lotuses. The land is leveled and pleasant to touch like a soft carpet. The naga women are perfect seducers whose magical power of attraction is hard to resis, some of them leading an immoral life[3].

The nagas resemble a lot with the spirits and have miraculous powers but are included in the category of animals because of their body in the form of big hooded snakes like cobras[4], and also probably because of their powerful animal instincts.  They have the capacity to become invisible and shapeshift, the sacred texts often mentioning them to appear in human form, although they can take other forms[5], too. They are temperamental beings and if they are upset or their teritory is defiled they can throw with diseases or cause various problems to humans.

Bhuma devas - the gods who live among us

In the World of Desire (Kamadhatu), there are several classes of gods with their specific realms: bhuma devas who are gods that live among us, in forests, cities, in the sky, clouds, etc, and sagga devas[1] who live in the realms above our sphere of existence.

 Bhuma devas are connected to the same space as humans. They represent the lowest category of gods. Their strenght and hapiness differs a lot among them with some doing just a little better than pretas while others being glorious and powerful.  They are invisible to the naked eye and they generally prefer wild places, especially the forests, although some of them live in cities. Sometimes they interact with human, are venerated by them and are given offerings in exchange for protection and various benefits[2]. Some bhuma devas that are called „guardian gods” ( arakkadevata) are in fact, ancestors who were reborn in this form and are now protecting their former families or even countries. For example, in Jataka 545 we are told about a king who had a passion for gambling and whose guardian god (his own mother who died and was reborn in that state) always fixed his dice with her magic power. In another story (Jataka 536) an abandoned children was saved by his guardian god who transformed into a goat and fed him until a group of sheperds found him and took him with them. In Jataka 301 two armies are fighting supported by their respective protector gods who themselves fought each other.[3]

The most often mentioned in the texts are the spirits of the trees (rukkhadeva) about which we say that they live in an invisible dwelling place in the foliage[4]. Sometimes they are presented as identifying themselves with the whole tree like this would be their own body. This is why many buddhists, including myself, have the custom that before cutting a tree (especially if its a big and old one) they inform the spirit/spirits living inside it three days in advance and humbly ask them to move into another tree. 

Other bhuma devas live in the seas and oceans (Jataka 146, 190, 296), rivers (Jataka 288), parks (Jataka 539), plants (Jataka 370), grass (Jataka 121), cities (Jataka 497), etc.[5] 

Also, some bhuma devas live in the clouds and have somewhat control over the weather. They are called Valahakadeva and are divided in many categories: 1) warm clouds gods, 2) storm clouds gods, 3) wind gods and 4) rain gods. However, the weather is not influenced only by them. In the Samyuta Commentary (Saratthappakasini) there seven factors are mention that  cause or influence the weather: the power of nagas, the power of garudas, the power of gods, the power of a statement of truth (the power of true words with karmic weight), natural causes related with temperature, humidity, etc, the intervention of maras and the manifestation of a supranatural power. Generaly speaking, the changes in weather are due to natural processes and only unusual weather is caused by these gods. Also, the morality of people has an indirect effect towards the weather, causing the bhuma devas to be satisfied or irritated and so the rains come at proper time or there is draught[6] (Anguttara Nikaya 4:70)[7]. 

The leader of these sky gods that can influence weather is Pajjuna who belongs to the realm of the four kings abouth which I speak here. 

Above the bhuma gods and the human zone of existence there are six realms of superior gods (Sagga Deva). I talked about the superior gods in this article (click here to read). 

---

[1] “Saga” (Pali) means realm of the gods.
[2] The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.257
[3] The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.258
[4] I repeat what I said on various occasions – a small place for us may hide an entire world or an immense area populated with many beings. Thus, it should not sound strange that in foliage there can be palaces with a numerous family of gods living in that tree.
[5] The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.258
[6] Sometimes, the gods themselves become neglijent due to their lives filled with distractions  (Commentary to Anguttara Nikaya 5: 197).
[7] The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.266

The origin of universe and humans in the Buddhist cosmology

Related article: 

Description and contemplation of the suffering of the six realms of samsaric existence

Instead of a creator god, the collective karma of a multitude number of beings is the primary cause and first impulse for the appearance of a new universe. This karma contains all the potentiality of that specific universe, including its general laws of physics. Thus, once it comes into existence from collective karmic causes, then all the laws of physics will follow. These will be responsible, for example, with what actually happens with the planets, changing of seasons, and so on. It is very important to understand that if the collective karma is the primary cause for the formation/apparition of a new universe, not all the things which happen next in that universe is due to karma. For example, when a leaf falls from a tree, or when a rock falls from a mountain, it is not the karma of the leaf or the rock to fall, but the simple law of gravitation. If we happen to walk in the mountain when a rock falls, and we are hit in the head, then that is karma, but no matter we are there or not, rocks and leaves will fall, and planets will revolve around the sun, etc. Thus, once a universe appeared, not everything which happens in it can be called karma. However, I repeat, the impulse and the primal cause which brought that universe into existence is the collective karma of the beings that have the causes for rebirth in such physical conditions.   

Don’t say “Mother Nature” – say “Mother Karma”

 In Buddhism we do not consider nature to be our mother. We do not embrace such ideas of mother nature as a benevolent goddess. We do not venerate “mother Earth”. In fact, as long as we are not enlightened, karma is our only mother because we are born from our karma, that is, from our own thoughts, words and deeds. Individual karma is responsible for what we are now, how we look, how beautiful or ugly we are, how smart or stupid, how healthy or sick, and if we die young or old. We are the effects of our own karma and what we do, say or think creates us in the future. Also, individual karma and the collective karma is responsible for the apparition of world systems and universes, each with their own different physical laws. Actually, you are the mother or parent of the world you live in now with all its exterior appearances, just like you are the creator of your own dreams at night which arise due to your thoughts and actions during the day. The dreamer is the creator of his own dream and because samsara is our collective dream, we are the very origin of all that appears in our samsaric universe. The earth itself appeared from our own collective karma and it is part of our collective dream.

Mind precedes matter

Question: Can matter evolve and become conscious?

Answer: Matter itself without a conscience is not alive and life does not appear out of dead matter. Life has always existed, so it does not come suddenly into existence from matter. Life or conscience of a certain being takes a form (body) according to its karma, so we can say that conscience inhabits matter, not matter becomes conscious.

Also, conscience precedes matter because matter appears due to the personal karma of one conscience and the collective karma of many consciences. Thus, the outside world we see around us as matter is actually the karmic manifestation of conscience. It is the dream and the illusion of conscience. When we dream at night we also see various worlds and outside objects but when we wake up in the morning we realize they are not real but the effects of our minds and thoughts during the daytime.

However, not even when we wake up in the morning we are not awake as we are still in the samsaric dream, so the dream at night is just a dream within a dream.

We believe that a dream is something not real when compared with our waking life, which we regard as truly real. For Buddhas, however, neither our dreams during the night nor our perceptions during the day are real. So, the matter we see around us appears due to our minds and as a correspondence to our minds. If we have minds filled with cruelty, then the matter around us will appear as fire and various punishments and our bodies will be the bodies of hell dwellers. If our minds are filled with stinginess then our bodies will take the form of hungry spirits, if our minds are dominated by animal instincts for food and sex our bodies will take the form of animals and so on. Also, the Enlightened Ones (Buddhas) have glorious Sambhogakaya bodies free of obstacles because their minds are enlightened and free.

Thus, again, mind precedes matter.

The illusory nature of Samsara

Fragment from my book 
Simple Teachings on Emptiness and Buddha nature

“The eye coursing in conceptuality

Is very mistaken.

What is seen by mistake is unreal.

A Buddha does not have the unreal.”[1]

All Dharma gates speak about suffering and the end of suffering. In Jodo Shinshu we do the same, so what is the origin of suffering? Generally speaking, suffering comes from ignorance which means taking as real and permanent that which is unreal and impermanent, desiring unreal objects, identifying with an illusory sense of self and pursuing unreal and useless goals. All that we experience, individually and collectively, with our bodies and unenlightened minds is samsara. Depending on our karma these experiences are classified into the six realms of existence: hell dwellers,hungry ghosts (pretas), animals, humans, asuras (demigos) and gods (devas)[2].   

Simply stated, all beings are in a collective dream where they experience the joys and sorrows they themselves created with their own minds. Just like a beautiful dream or a nightmare is caused by the good or bad thoughts we had during the daytime, we also experience life in the above dreamlike samsaric states due to our own thinking, words and actions.

The Six Realms of Samsaric Existence and Amida Buddha's Pure Land according to Amida Dharma (Jodo Shinshu Buddhism)

This is a presentation made by Kosho Arana based on my books.

Narrators:
Part 1: Gansen John Welch (Australia)
Part 2: Kosho Arana (Colombia)

Both Kosho Arana and Gansen John Welch are lay teachers affiliated with Amidaji temple.

Contemplating the suffering of the intermediate state (bardo)

article connected to this collection of teachings

Samsara is suffering - description and contemplation 

of the six realms of samsaric existence

After describing each of the six realms of samsaric existence, I find it important to also explain the intermediate state between death and the next rebirth (antarabhava in Sanskrit, bardo in Tibetan)[1]. All beings pass through this state, which is itself filled with various dangers and suffering, depending on the individual karma. But first, let me say a few words about the process of dying.

Not all beings die the same way. Those who cultivated virtue and who die with a virtuous mind, that is, while remembering their good deeds or focusing on good thoughts, may see various pleasant images as though in a dream. Their death is comfortable and do not feel too much pain in body. On the other hand, those who did evil deeds and who die with an unvirtuous and attached mind experience  immense suffering when leaving their bodies:

Samsara is suffering - description and contemplation of the suffering of the six realms of samsaric existence

last update 2nd November 2017
This article is the 4th part of the teaching series
The Four Profound Thoughts that Turn the Mind Toward the Dharma

The Wheel of Life representing all
the Six Realms of Samsaric Existence

 As Shinran said in Tannisho, "it is hard for us to abandon this old home of pain, where we have been transmigrating for innumerable kalpas down to the present". Our minds are conditioned by our habitual karma from beginingless time to think that we can find hapiness and fulfilement in the samsaric states of existence, and so we continue to project false images of beauty to various objects of desire and make ourselves dependent on them. However, if we look more deeply at samsaric existence with eyes influenced by the Buddha Dharma we come to realize that everything, from the worlds of the gods, to the hell realms, is nothing but an ocean of suffering and insatisfaction. This awareness, as well as the previous three profound thoughts, will naturaly lead us to the only wish that worths something - to go out, to escape samsara and to attain the state of Buddhahood for us and all beings, including our dear ones.

In order to help us become aware of the painful reality of the samsaric existence and to make us desire to escape from it, Shakyamuni Buddha and all the Masters of our lineage and other lineages put great efforts in describing the six planes of existence:

Concluding thoughts on the suffering of samsaric existence

photo by Catalin Halmageanu

Article connected to this collection of teachings:

Samsara is suffering - description and contemplation 

of the suffering of the six realms of samsaric existence 

As we have seen in the description of the six realms, there is absolutely no place in samsara without suffering. Everything is a cause for suffering, everything is multyplying suffering, and everything, even the intoxicating pleasures of the gods, contain the seed of suffering.

"Beings in hell suffer from hell-fire,

Pretas suffer from hunger and thirst,

Animals suffer from being eaten by each other,

Humans suffer from having a short life,

Asuras suffer from wars and quarrels,

And the gods suffer from their own mindlessness.

In samsara there is never a pinpoint of happiness."[1]

Concluding thoughts on the suffering of the lower realms

Article connected to first three parts of this collection of teachings:

Samsara is suffering - description and contemplation 

of the suffering of the six realms of samsaric existence 

The hells, preta and animal realms are called the three lower realms, where suffering is more intense than in the rest of the six planes of existence. We must not only read about the various pain and suffering in the lower realms, but deeply contemplate on them until we become fully aware of their reality and that we too have a great chance to be reborn there. A master of the past once said:

 "At present it is difficult to endure sitting for merely a single day with my hand stuck in burning coals, or to remain naked for that long in a cave of ice during the winter winds, or to go for a few days without food and drink, or for my body to be stung by a bee and the like. If even these are difficult to endure, how will I bear the sufferings of the hot hells, the cold hells, the hungry ghosts, or the animals devouring each other alive?"[1]

Contemplating the suffering of the gods

   

Six heavens of the World of Desire from the Wheel of Life

The gods (devas) experience the most pleasure, health and comfort among all the beings of samsara. Also, the higher their plane of existence, the longer is their lifespan and the happiness they enjoy. However, they also meet with some specific types of suffering which I will explain after I describe in short, each deva realm.

In the World of Desire (Kamadhatu), there are six classes of gods with their specific realms.

The first realm is the Heaven of the Four Kings (Caturmaharaja), which are located on four cardinal points of the Mount Sumeru: 1) East: Dhrtarastra, 2) South: Virudhaka, 3) West: Virūpāksa, 4) North: Vaisravana. Each of these divine rulers has their own following of  Caturmaharajakayika gods.

As Master Genshin explained, “one day and night in the realm of the Four Kings is as long as fifty years of human life, and life in the realm of the Four Kings lasts five hundred years”.

Contemplating the suffering of human beings

           

the Human Realm from the Wheel of Life

As I previously explained in the first section, life in human form is most desirable and does not contain the extreme pain of hells, pretas and animal realms. However, humans have their own difficulties and specific sufferings. Generaly speaking, these are called the Eight Sufferings, namely, birth, old age, disease, death, encountering what is unpleasant, separation from what is pleasant, not getting what one wants and the suffering associated with the five aggregates (skandas). Some of these appear in other realms of existence too, but here I will explain them in relation with the human realm.

Contemplating the suffering of asuras (demi-gods)

           

Realm of Asuras from the Wheel of Life

As Master Genshin explained, the realm of Asuras is divided into two parts: 1. “the creatures of this realm which are fundamentally superior live at the bottom of the great sea north of Mount Sumeru”, and 2. “the inferior creatures of this realm dwell among the rocks of the high mountains which lie between the four great continents”.      

Although they experience various pleasures and abundance which are far superior to those of humans, and even rival those of the gods, they are constantly tormented by anger, jealousy, quarreling and fighting. Beings in the human realm who are more spiritually advanced than others, but who strongly manifest these characteristics will be born among the Asuras.

In their own realm, Asuras divide themselves in various groups and territories and fight never ending wars, while also, because they envy the pleasures of the lower realms of the gods, start useless conflicts with them, which they eventually lose.

Bodhisattva Nagarjuna said:

"Also, the demigods, by their very nature, experience great

mental suffering

Because of their hatred of the splendor of the deities.

Though they are intelligent, they do not see the truth

Because of the mental obscurations characteristic of this realm

of rebirth."[1]

In some texts, the realm of Asuras is counted among the lower gods, because of the pleasures found there, or among the lower realms, together with hells, animals, and pretas, because of the pain they inflict to themselves.

In conclusion, life as an Asura is a pitiful one – filled as it is with joys and pleasures more than a human can imagine, but not being capable to enjoy it due to envy and conflicts.

---

[1] Letter to a Friend, as quoted in The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, volume I, by Tsong-kha-pa, Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, New York, p. 292-293

Contemplating the suffering of animals

Animal realm from the Wheel of Life

     

updated and revised on 25th August 2020

click here to return to the main description of Samsara

Bodhisattva Vasubandhu states:

“As for the animals, they have three places, the land, the water, and the air. Their principal place is the Great Ocean; the animals that are elsewhere are the surplus of the animals”[1].

Master Genshin also explains:

“The realm of animals is divided into two parts. The chief place is in the great sea, and branches are interspersed in the realms of humans and heavenly beings” .

Contemplating the suffering of hungry ghosts (pretas)

the preta realm from the
Wheel of Life

updated and revised on 24th August 2020

click here to return to the main description of Samsara

The realms of the pretas are to be found in two places: one is bellow Jambudvipa (our realm of human beings[1]), which is their main place of existence and is ruled by King Yama, and the other is between the realm of humans and the realms of the gods. Master Vasubandhu explains:

“The king of the pretas is called Yama; his residence, which is the principal dwelling of the pretas, is located under Jambudvipa. The pretas that are found elsewhere are the surplus of the pretas. The pretas differ much one from another; certain of them possess supernatural powers and enjoy a glory similar to that of the gods”.[2] 

Beside those with supernatural powers and a better situation or the various differences between them, there are some general characteristics which often appear in the description of pretas. They are ugly, naked or dressed in rags or covered by their own hair which sometimes is just hair or hair in the form of needles, swords or spears[3]. Preta spirits have a foul smell, are weakened by hunger, dried by thirst, with visible ribs and veins, always unhappy and living on the offerings done by others.

Contemplating the suffering of hell beings

 There are eight hot hells and eight cold hells. According to Shakyamuni, and various Buddhist masters who explained them, these eight hells have their own adjacent or neighboring hells (utsadas[1]): 

“There are eight hells there that I have revealed, difficult to get out of, full of cruel beings, each having sixteen utsadas; they have four walls and four gates; they are as high as they are wide; they are encircled by walls of fire; their ceiling is fire; their sun is burning, sparkling fire; and they are filled with flames hundreds of yojanas  high.”[2]

On the powerful pretas (hungry spirits) who wish to dominate other beings through religion

fragment from my description of the preta (hungry ghost realm)

            At the end of this presentation on pretas, I would like to add another special category of hungry ghosts - the powerful pretas who wish to dominate other beings through religion.

As I explained above, there are various types of pretas, and not all of them are weak or tortured by mere hunger or thirst. Some pretas have great powers due to previous good karma and merits, as Vasubandhu said: "the pretas differ much one from another; certain of them possess supernatural powers and enjoy a glory similar to that of the gods”[1], but also great arrogance and pride.  

Among the pretas, the category called gyalpos in Tibetan are the most powerful. "Gyalpo" means "king" or "royal" and it indicates the various leaders of the preta plane of existence, so they are from the same category Vasubandhu reffered to in the above passage. It is said that in their past lives they were great practitioners who accumulated merit, but were not able to overcome pride and arrogance, or they died with thoughts of hate, vengeance, etc.

Some elements of Buddhist cosmology

the wheel of samsara with various realms
of existence

Recent discussions with various readers convinced me that it would be very useful to have a single paper in which to gather my most important articles on Buddhist cosmology. So, I made this pdf format for free distribution -  Some Elements of Buddhist Cosmology.

Most of the articles in this presentation are from the first part of my book, The True Teaching on Amida Buddha and His Pure Land, but some, like number 5 and 6 were published only on this website. 

The presentation contains the following chapters:

A question and answer on samsaric realms and the Pure Land

Question:

If the Pure Land actually exists as real place, that means that the hellish realms and other samsaric places exist literally as well - as a result of our collective karma, as you said in your book. So I would like to know your thoughts about this: if the Pure Land is not symbolic and exists in a specific place (like to the west), does that mean that places such as hells also exist literally in specific places outside of our minds? 

Answer:

Yes, the hells exist specifically as places outside of our minds, too, but they exist because of the minds of those who have a hellish karma. The realm we are living in now exists outside of our minds too, because, as we see, we have these bodies, we have mountains, oceans, forests, etc, I can look to you and you can look to me (there is nothing mythological or symbolic or fictional in this), but in the same time, it exists because of our minds and our karma. My mind, your mind, plus all the other minds of human beings and their karma are the causes for such a human place to exist. The mind streams of beings need their vehicles, and so the worlds and bodies come into existence due to the individual and collective karma of various mind-streams.