VII.  FIVE DESTINATIONS (PANCAGATI)

CONTENTS

What are the Five Destinations?

In the Mahasihananda Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya Sutta 130, the Buddha mentioned five destinations (pancagati) for rebirth. What are the five? Hell, the animal realm, the realm of ghosts, human beings and gods. Hell, animal and ghost realms are woeful states of existence (duggati) while the realms of humans and gods are happy states of existence (sugati). Here “gods” include the sensuous gods (devas), the non-sensuous gods of the form plane (rupa brahmas), and the non-sensuous gods of the formless plane (arupa brahmas).

Hell or niraya is believed to exist below the earth’s surface. For example, the Lohakumbhi (Iron Cauldron) hell of hot molten metal mentioned in the Dhammapada Commentary, where the four rich lads had to suffer for committing adultery, is said to be situated below the earth’s crust.  The animal, ghost, and human realms exist on the surface of the earth. These realms are not separate, but the beings move about in their own worlds. The gods are believed to live above the earth and high up in the sky in celestial mansions that travel swiftly through the sky (Vimanavatthu or Mansion Stories).

1. Hell (Niraya)

In Buddhism, beings are born in hell due to their accumulation of weighty bad kamma. There they undergo unlimited suffering that is hard to endure and dreadful, terrible and heart-rending. The Buddha said that the suffering of one stabbed incessantly by three hundred spears compared to the suffering in hell is like a small stone compared to the Himalayas. However, the hell beings do not suffer eternally unlike what is taught in other religions. Upon the exhaustion of their evil kamma, beings may be reborn in good states as a result of their past good kamma. According to the Commentaries, there are eight major hells, namely:

a) Eight Major Hells
 

b) Minor Hells

Each great hell is surrounded on each of its four sides by five minor hells bringing the total number of hells to 8 + 8 ´ 4 ´ 5 = 168. The terrible sufferings of beings in these minor hells are described in the Devaduta Sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya. Yet in all cases, the beings do not die but undergo the torture repeatedly so long as the evil kamma has not yet exhausted its results. The minor hells are:

2. Animals (Tiracchana)

Tiracchana means ‘going horizontally’ and aptly describes the animal mode of movement. Birth in the animal plane is full of suffering, violence and great fear. Born in the wild, smaller animals live in constant fear of being eaten up by larger animals that in turn are constantly being harassed or hunted to extinction by humans for sport or commercial purposes. They suffer from heat and cold, flood and drought, and there is no one to tend to them when they are sick and wounded. Domesticated animals fare no better. Most are bred and killed for their meat, fur, horns, bones, skin and so on.  In less developed countries, they become beasts of burden, bound by many ropes, yoked to carriage-shaft, plough or cart, shoulders bruised, beaten with whips and sticks, some carrying crushing loads.   Household pets would appear to have a relatively better life only if they have kind and understanding owners otherwise they would have to scavenge the streets for food and face the danger of being killed or injured by fast moving vehicles. Life is truly suffering for these dumb creatures.

3. Ghosts (Peta)

Petas are ghostly beings absolutely devoid of happiness. They live a life of misery, being subjected to incessant pain and suffering, lack of food and clothing, much like human dregs living in abject poverty. Thus they restlessly search for food here and there, hence the name peta – those gone on and on. In appearance they are generally described as extremely emaciated and have large heads with eyes and cheeks sunken, their faces darkened by long disheveled hair. Their bodies have only skin, bones and tendons remaining, skeletons visible and rib-spaces sunken. But this is not always the case. Descriptions of petas and petis (female ghosts) in the Samyutta and Petavatthu show that they come in various shapes and sizes depending on their past unwholesome kamma. In fact, the sightings of petas narrated in Samyutta took place in broad daylight!

In the Samyutta Nidana Vagga, Kindred Sayings on Lakkhana’s Questions, the descriptions of various petas, which Ven. Maha Moggallana saw clairvoyantly ranged from a skeleton to a lump of flesh going through the air chased by vultures, crows and falcons pecking at them; or a man or woman bristling with sword-blades, arrows or spears that kept falling and piercing their bodies causing them to scream in pain as they go through the air. In the Petavatthu, the appearances of the petas and petis are also highly variable: one had a beautiful complexion but had worms in his putrid smelling mouth, another was ox-faced, another was red-eyed with fangs while others were emaciated with protruding veins and ribs, or with a body the size of a tree trunk and tongue sticking out of his parched throat. There was even a peti who lived in a mansion enjoying celestial comfort by day and suffering at night - being devoured by a black dog, which cast her bones into a lotus pond and she regained her life each time as a result of kamma.

These vivid descriptions evidently highlight the extreme suffering experienced by Petas as a result of their unwholesome kamma. According to Milinda-Panha, there are four classes of Petas:

a)  Vantasikas who feed on what have been vomited by others.

b)  Khuppipasinos who suffer from being continually tormented by extreme hunger and thirst for very long periods of time.

c)  Nijjhamatanhikas who are consumed by thirst, being tormented by a continual burning feeling within their bodies.

d)  Paradattupa-jivi who depend on what others offer for them. They remember their living relatives and see what they do. Only this class of Petas can receive and share in the merits when offerings are made on their behalf (see Transference of Merits to Departed Relatives in Chapter XII.12).

Notes on Asuras (Titans)

According to Kathavatthu - Points of Controversy Book VIII, the Kalakanja asuras resemble the Petas in ugly and frightful shape, sex-life, diet, lifespan, and intermarry with them. It is said that their bodies resemble dried leaves with scarcely any flesh and blood and cover a space of three gavutas (see explanation below). Their eyeballs jut out from their heads like crabs. Their mouths are as small as a needle’s eye and are situated on top of their heads so that they have to bend their heads downward whenever they want to eat or drink. Being consumed by anger, these demons or angry ghosts like to attack one another with burning weapons of their own kammic productions and are thus tormented, such torment being the resultants of their past evil actions. These asuras of the woeful plane belong to a class of Petas who are more powerful but are unhappy beings. They are different from the asuras devas led by King Vepacitti who originally inhabited Tavatimsa heaven but were defeated by Sakka, king of devas and driven to another part of the heavens. Vepacitti’s asuras are a class of devas and intermarry with devas. In later Buddhist tradition, the asuras or titans were added as a separate unhappy realm to give four woeful states.

Gavuta: In early Vedic times, a gavuta was about 6 feet. Nowadays it is reckoned as ¼ of a yojana, a yojana being about 8 miles.

4. Human Realm (Manussa)

While the woeful realms and heavenly realms are dominated by suffering and bliss respectively, the human world is a mixture of both suffering and happiness. Thus a person is born either rich or poor, good looking or ugly, powerful or weak, wise or stupid, etc. according to his or her own good or bad past actions (supportive or obstructive kamma). However, to be born as a human being, the reproductive kamma that conditions the rebirth consciousness (patisandhi) must be wholesome with two or three good roots (Please refer to Chapter XI).  People do not realize how difficult it is to be born as a human. By looking at the present human population, they think that there are many human beings on earth. By looking at the vastness of the heavens, they think that there are many inhabitants in the deva worlds. However, if they observe the animal realm closely, they will realize that just the numbers of insects in a forest alone far exceed the human population. As for the deva worlds, it is said that although they are very extensive, the inhabitants are few.

From the discourse about the blind turtle and the yoke (Samyutta v, 455), one should appreciate how difficult and rare it is to be born as a human being. Birth as a human is one of the five best opportunities that are difficult to obtain (dullabho), the other four being: encountering a Buddha; ordaining as a bhikkhu; attaining confidence in the Triple Gem; and hearing the True Dhamma (Doctrine). These five opportunities are important because it is through them that release from suffering can be obtained. Birth as a human being is important first of all because it means that one has escaped from the woeful states which involve great suffering. But it does not mean that ordinary happiness is the reason why human existence is so fortunate. If this were so, the Buddha would have included the deva and brahma states where the celestial pleasures far surpass anything on earth. Human existence is mentioned because it is the best state in which one can perform meritorious actions. This is not possible in the lower worlds because their inhabitants do not possess any good roots or they are in such pain that they cannot think of anything else. In the heavens, there is so much pleasure to enjoy that their inhabitants find it difficult to appreciate the Truth of Suffering. Moreover, their lifespans are so long that it is difficult for them to understand impermanence (anicca).

Bodhisattas prefer the human realm because they have the opportunity to develop the Requisites of Buddhahood (paramis) to the highest level. They are always born as human beings in their last birth where they attain Supreme Enlightenment and become Buddhas.  We are most fortunate to be human beings now because although the Buddha has passed into Parinibbana, the Buddha Sasana is still available whereby we can hear the True Dhamma and attain confidence (saddha) even as lay folk. For those who become bhikkhus, they have obtained all the five best opportunities that are hard to come by.

5. World of Gods (Devas & Brahmas)

The gods of the sensuous plane are called Devas while the gods of the higher non-sensuous planes are called Brahmas. There are two types of Brahma gods, namely: those who possess form (rupa) and those who are formless (arupa).

A) The Six Sensuous Heavens (Devaloka)

There are six deva realms and they are situated above the earth. Except for the first two lower heavens, the rest are too far away to have any close connection with the earth.

B) The Sixteen Form Realms (Rupa Brahma)

C) The Four Formless Realms (Arupa Brahma)

Beings, who, practise tranquility meditation by passing beyond all form perceptions and attain Arupa Jhana or Formless States of Absorption are reborn in the formless realms possessing mind only and no material quality at all. The four formless realms, according to their Arupa Jhanas are:

·         Akasananca-bhumi  –        Realm of Infinite Space

·         Vinnanancayatana-bhumi --          Realm of Infinite Consciousness

·         Akincannayatana-bhumi  –            Realm of Nothingness

·         N’evanna-nasannayatana-bhumi – Realm of Neither-Perception nor Non-Perception

How do we get the 31 states of existence?

If the asuras are considered as a separate state of existence, there are now 4 woeful states (hell, animal, ghost, asura), 7 happy sensuous states (human and 6 deva states), 16 form states (Form brahmas) and 4 formless states (Formless brahmas). Total = 31 states of existence.

6. Lifespan of Hell Beings and Petas

a) Hell beings, animals and petas do not have fixed lifespan. Their lifespan varies according to their individual kamma. Some are short-lived like the case of the monk Tissa who was reborn as a flea on his new robe and expired after seven days or the case of Queen Mallika who had to suffer seven days in hell due to an immoral deed but was reborn again as a celestial deva on account of her good kamma. On the other hand, Devadatta had to suffer in Avici hell for an aeon for his weighty bad kamma of causing a schism in the Sangha.

b) Human beings also do not have fixed lifespan. The age-limit rises from ten years to an exceedingly great age and then falls back to ten years again. According to the Chronicle of Buddhas (Buddhavamsa), the lifespan of humans in the present world cycle was 40,000 years at the time of Kakusandha Buddha, 30,000 years at the time of Konagamana Buddha, 20,000 years at the time of Kassapa Buddha and 80-100 years at the time of Gotama Buddha. Although the earth-bound deities and degraded asuras both belong to the Catumaharajika plane, they too do not have fixed lifespan.

c) Devas & Brahmas in celestial planes have fixed lifespan.

7. Lifespan of Celestial Devas

How to calculate the lifespan of devas in terms of human years

30 celestial days make a celestial month and 12 celestial months make a celestial year. A celestial day in Catumaharajika is equivalent to 50 years on earth. So one year in Catumaharajika is equivalent to 360 x 50 = 18000 years on earth. Multiply this by 500 deva-years gives Catumaharajika lifespan of 9 million human years. For each higher plane, the lifespan is doubled and the duration of a celestial day is also doubled. In terms of human years, deva lifespan increases 4 times for each higher plane.

How long did the Buddha preached to His mother in heaven?

According to the Texts, Lord Buddha preached the Higher Philosophy (Abhidhamma) to His mother in Tavatimsa heaven continuously for three months without stopping. No human being would be able to listen to the whole sermon without a break. But as 100 years on earth is just 1 day in Tavatimsa, 3 months on earth is only 3.6 minutes in Tavatimsa! To the gods, it would be a short discourse. They would have no difficulty listening attentively to it.

8. Lifespan of Brahmas

Brahma Plane             Name of Plane                        Lifespan         

First Jhana                Brahma’s retinue        1/3 incalculable epoch

(3 form planes)                        Brahma’s ministers    1/2 incalculable epoch

                                    Great Brahma              1 incalculable epoch

Second Jhana              Minor Lustre                2 world cycles

(3 form planes)                        Infinite Lustre              4 world cycles

                                    Radiant Lustre             8 world cycles

Third Jhana                Minor Aura                  16 world cycles

(3 form planes)                        Infinite Aura                32 world cycles

                                    Steady Aura                 64 world cycles

Fourth Jhana              Great Reward               500 world cycles

(7 form planes)                        *Unconscious Beings  500 world cycles

                                    (*Asanna-satta in Explanatory Notes)

Five Pure Abodes, namely:

                                    Durable realm              1000 world cycles

                                    Serene realm                2000 world cycles

                                    Beautiful realm                        4000 world cycles

                                    Clear-sighted realm      8000 world cycles

                                    Highest realm               16000 world cycles

Arupa Jhana               Infinite Space              20000 world cycles

(4 formless planes)      Infinite Consciousness             40000 world cycles

                                    Nothingness                 60000 world cycles

Neither Perception       84000 world cycles

nor Non-perception

For a description of the various time-periods given above, namely, incalculable epoch (asankheyya-kappa) and world cycle (maha-kappa), please refer to Chapter VIII on Buddhist Timescale.

9. References

1)      A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma. Bhikkhu Bodhi, General Editor. Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

2)      The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma by Dr. Mehm Tin Mon.

3)      The Thirty One States of Being and Becoming (Rebirth) by Egerton C. Baptist.

4)      Points of Controversy. A translation of the Kathavatthu by Shwe Zan Aung and Mrs. Rhys Davids.  Pali Text Society, London.

5)      Petavatthu - Stories of the Departed. Pali Texts Society, London 1974.

6)      Samyutta Nikaya or Group Suttas, Part II The Nidana Book, Kindred Sayings on Lakkhana’s Questions. Pali Texts Society, London 1982.

10. Explanatory Notes

Asanna-satta (Non-Percipient or Unconscious Beings)

The Asanna-sattas are the inhabitants of the eleventh Brahmaloka who pass their existence in a state of total unconsciousness. They possess only ‘rupa’ or material qualities and are without any ‘nama’ or mental qualities. In the Buddhist Philosophy of Relations (Manuals of Buddhism), the Venerable Mahathera Ledi Sayadaw explains that for such beings, the preceding consciousness is that of the decease (cuti-citta or the dying-thought) from the previous life in the kamaloka (sensuous plane) and the succeeding thought is that of the rebirth (patisandhi) in the following life in the kamaloka. Between these two classes of consciousness, the total suspension of thought of the unconscious being occurs for the whole term of life amounting to 500 kappas.

According the seventh and last treatise of the Abhidhamma Pitaka called the Patthana (Conditional Relations), in every process of thought, each preceding mental state relates to the succeeding mental state by causing the succeeding mental state to arise immediately after its ceasing, in accordance with the fixed order of mental process by the Relation of Immediate Contiguity. In the case of the unconscious being, the faculty of the preceding consciousness in causing a succeeding consciousness to arise in an immediate following instant has only been delayed for 500 kappas through certain highly cultivated contemplations and resolutions.

As an illustration, only the Buddha and certain Arahants and Anagamins who have mastered all the eight absorptions (jhanas) are able to develop the Nirodha-samapatti–vithi or ‘attainment of cessation’ whereby all consciousness and mental activity are temporarily suspended. The person will remain in this state of cessation of consciousness, mental concomitants and mind-produced material qualities till the end of the period he has resolved to remain in this state. Though he does not breathe, eat, drink or know anything, he is still alive. At the time of ‘sustained cessation’ (nirodha-samapatti), the preceding consciousness is that of neither-perception-nor-non-perception (the eighth jhana or fourth arupa jhana), and the succeeding consciousness is that of the Ariyan fruition i.e. Arahatta or Anagami fruition consciousness (depending on the stage of sainthood of the person). Between these two classes of consciousness, the total suspension of thought occurs for one day, or for two, or three…or even for seven days.