REALMS

Abode of all Beings

Classification is variable in different scriptures depending upon the way you classify them.

This is my take on the topic as I perceive.

1) Woeful plane: pain & misery greatly exceeds happiness. It's 7 fold.

2) Sensory/Material & Blissful plane: it's again 7 fold. 1st is human realm.

2-7 are celestial realms/ heavens.

3) Subtle/ Fine material realm: It's 16 fold.

4) Immaterial/ Beyond.

1. Woeful plane:

A) Hell:

Lowest plane. Includes 7 major levels. It corresponds to concept of Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala, Patala. Patala being lowest.

Buddhist literature says 8 major hells each accompanied by 5 minor hells & few others. Total 168 hells.

B) Animal kingdom:

Suffer exceeds joy. Rare chances of doing meritorious deeds. They don't have separate realms & live among higher (& lower beings).

C) Ghost world:

bhutas, pisacas etc. They don't have separate realms as such & mostly live among humans unseen

D) Asura:

Similar to ghosts but live in seclusion & can be said to have separate realm.

2. Sensory/Material & Blissful plane

It is most important to have humans at 1st level which is entirely material but unique in having even admixture of good & bad.

A) Human realm:

Beings with developed mind & heart. Able to judge moral/immoral.

Capable of realizing higher & absolute truth.

Realm of even admixture of good & bad.

Only realm to cancel out excess of impressions in even proportion.

To clarify misconception of Earth being ONLY human realm, I must emphasize that planet isn't synonymous with realm.

Other heavenly bodies in material world capable of serving abode to humans as well as beings of similar planes like animals/ghosts are collectively called bhooloka.

B) Realm of 4 Great Kings (Demi-Gods):

This realm comes in between Human & Celestial being realm in hierarchy.

It's divided into 4 directions each ruled by a King

East- Gandharva(celestial musicians)- King is Dhrtarastra

West- Nagas- King is Virupaksha (incarnation of Garuda)

South- Kumbhandas (forest, mountain & hidden treasures keepers)- King is Virulhaka

North- Yaksha (spirits)- King is Kuber

This concept is as per Buddhist literature.

In Hinduism/Vedic concept it changes as per 5/10 directions.

C) Heaven (Realm of celestial beings): Abode of 33 Gods

12 Aditya (Indra, Ansh, Aryaman, Bhaag, Dhatri, Tvashtar, Mitra, Pushan/Ravi, Savitra/Prajanya, Surya/Vivasan, Varun, Vaman)

8 Vasu (Anil, Apas, Antariksha, Dhara, Dhruv, Anal, Prabhas, Soma)

11 Rudras

2 Ashwini kumaras

King is Indra

D) Realm of (Su)Yama God

E) Delightful realm

F) Realm of God's who rejoice own creation

G) Realm of God's who Lord over the creation of others.

These 6 Blissful Realms correspond to-

Bhuvarloka, Swargaloka, Maharloka, Janaloka, Taparloka, Satyaloka.

3. Subtle/ Fine material realm (Light beings):

1st plane: Brahma's retinue, Brahma's ministers, Mahabrahma realm

2nd: Minor, Infinite & Radiant luster

3rd: Minor, Infinite & Steady aura

4th: Great reward, non-percipient, pure abode

5th plane is also realm of pure with 5 division: Durable, Serene, Beautiful, Clear, Highest.

This is abode of non returned.

No worldling nor even once returner comes here.

4. Immaterial sphere is arbitrarily divided:

A) Infinite space

B) Infinite consciousness

C) Nothingness

D) Neither-perception nor-perception

All heavens come under material world except realms of light beings (subtle) & beyond (Immaterial) & hence beings in those heavens have definite lifespan like that of humans.

Even light beings have a lifespan but that is too long.

For comparison:

In woeful plane & human plane, lifespan is unpredictable & governed by need to balance individual karma.

Human body has natural span also varying as per yuga.

It ranges from 10 years to few thousand years!

Lifespan of Demi-Gods is 9,000,000 human years.

Lifespan of God's is 4 times that of Demi-Gods.

Every successive realm has natural lifespan 4 times that of previous.

Life span of highest (7th) material plane is 9,216,000,000 human years.

These celestial beings can thus be considered as Post/seat.

After their definite lifespan is over, next soul in succession takes over the charge.

Panspermia theory is correct & life is ubiquitous.

But Goldilock zone theory considers habitable zone of material world beings only.

Radiant/light beings inhabit Star surface as well as deep center.

There are currently 18,000 planets/ heavenly bodies inhabited by beings in Human plane only.

Most of the life is primitive but few hold animals & intelligent beings.

So much so that at least 8 worlds have beings very similar to humans.

An article by GS

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