The Thirty-One Planes of Existence

The suttas describe thirty-one distinct "planes" or "realms" of existence into which beings can be reborn during this long wandering through samsara. These range from the extraordinarily dark, grim, and painful hell realms all the way up to the most sublime, refined, and exquisitely blissful heaven realms. Existence in every realm is impermanent; in Buddhist cosmology there is no eternal heaven or hell. Beings are born into a particular realm according to both their past kamma and their kamma at the moment of death. When the kammic force that propelled them to that realm is finally exhausted, they pass away, taking rebirth once again elsewhere according to their kamma. And so the wearisome cycle continues.

The realms of existence are customarily divided into three distinct "worlds" (loka), listed here in descending order of refinement:

• The Immaterial World (arupa-loka). Consists of four realms that are accessible to those who pass away while meditating in the formless jhanas.
• The Fine-Material World (rupa-loka). Consists of sixteen realms whose inhabitants (the devas) experience extremely refined degrees of mental pleasure. These realms are accessible to those who have attained at least some level of jhana and who have thereby managed to (temporarily) suppress hatred and ill-will. They are said to possess extremely refined bodies of pure light. The highest of these realms, the Pure Abodes, are accessible only to those who have attained to "non-returning", the third stage of Awakening. The Fine-Material World and the Immaterial World together constitute the "heavens" (sagga).
• The Sensuous World (kama-loka). Consists of eleven realms in which experience -- both pleasurable and not -- is dominated by the five senses. Seven of these realms are favorable destinations, and include our own human realm as well as several realms occupied by devas. The lowest realms are the four "bad" destinations, which include the animal and hell realms.

It is pointless to debate whether these realms are real or whether they are merely fanciful metaphors describing the various mind-states we might experience in this lifetime. The real message of this cosmology is simply this: unless we take steps to break free of the iron grip of kamma, we are doomed to wander aimlessly, with genuine peace and satisfaction always out of reach. The Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path provides us with precisely the tools we need to break out of this cycle, once and for all, to true freedom.

The information on this page was assembled from a variety of sources. In the interests of economizing space I have not attributed each fact to its respective source.

I. The Immaterial World (arupa-loka)

II. The Fine-Material World (rupa-loka)

Realm	Comments	Cause of rebirth here
(27) Peerless devas (akanittha deva)	These are the five Pure Abodes (suddhavasa), which are accessible only to non-returners (anagami) and arahants. Beings who become non-returners in other planes are reborn here, where they attain arahantship.	Fourth jhana
(26) Clear-sighted devas (sudassi deva)
(25) Beautiful devas (sudassa deva)
(24) Untroubled devas (atappa deva)
(23) Devas not Falling Away (aviha deva)
(22) Unconscious beings (asaññasatta)	Only body is present; no mind.
(21) Very Fruitful devas (vehapphala deva)	Beings in these planes enjoy varying degrees of jhanic bliss.
(20) Devas of Refulgent Glory (subhakinna deva)		Third jhana (highest degree)
(19) Devas of Unbounded Glory (appamanasubha deva)		Third jhana (medium degree)
(18) Devas of Limited Glory (parittasubha deva)		Third jhana (minor degree)
(17) Devas of Streaming Radiance (abhassara deva)		Second jhana (highest degree)
(16) Devas of Unbounded Radiance (appamanabha deva)		Second jhana (medium degree)
(15) Devas of Limited Radiance (parittabha deva)		Second jhana (minor degree)
(14) Great Brahmas (Maha brahma)	Two of this realm's more famous inhabitants are the Great Brahma, a deity whose delusion leads him to regard himself as the all-powerful, all-seeing creator of the universe (see DN 11), and Brahma Sahampati, who begs the Buddha to teach Dhamma to the world.	First jhana (highest degree)
(13) Ministers of Brahma (brahma-purohita deva)	Beings in these planes enjoy varying degrees of jhanic bliss.	First jhana (medium degree)
(12) Retinue of Brahma (brahma-parisajja deva)		First jhana (minor degree)

III. The Sensuous World (kama-loka)

Sources

Buddhist Dictionary, by Nyanatiloka Mahathera (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1980).

The Buddhist Religion: A Historical Introduction (fourth edition), by R.H. Robinson & W.L. Johnson (Belmont, California: Wadsworth, 1996).

The Long Discourses of the Buddha, translated by Maurice Walshe (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1987).

A Manual of Abhidhamma, by Ven. Narada Thera (Kuala Lumpur: Buddhist Missionary Society, 1979).

The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, translated by Bhikkhu Ñanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995).

Teacher of the Devas (Wheel Publication 414/416), by Susan Elbaum Jootla (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1997).

The Three Worlds (wall chart), compiled by Ven. Acaro Suvanno (printed for free distribution by devotees and Mr & Mrs Lim Say Hoe and family).

• Intentional Action (Kamma)
• Heavens (sagga)
• The Round of Rebirth (samsara)