Warning: Use of undefined constant referer - assumed 'referer' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 102

Warning: Use of undefined constant host - assumed 'host' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 105

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 106

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 109
The Six Realms Of Existence - Online Term Paper

The Six Realms Of Existence

Cody Wood
Mr. Trujillo
Phil 32
March 17, 2010

The Six Realms of Existence

The 'six realms of existence', sometimes also translated as the 'six states of samsara' or the 'six paths of rebirth', are the six main types of birth that beings may have within Buddhist cosmology. Which state we are born into is driven by our karma - our actions and states of awareness from previous lives. According to Buddhist teachings, we will endlessly incarnate within these realms until we receive and practice the teachings, and through them break free of the karmas that pull us into the six realms, thereby attaining enlightenment. A human birth, which is one of the six realms, is the easiest realm ...

Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers

realms are not only relevant in terms of studying rebirth, but also in terms of understanding the karma associated with different states of awareness while we are in a human birth. Each realm has a certain mind-state that drives it, and the teachings on the six realms can help us to understand the risks and challenges of each mind-state.
Deva or 'God' Realm - Defined by bliss and pleasurable states of all types, this realm is reminiscent of Greek myths about the realm of the gods. But in Buddhism, this is not an immortal state, and also not the ideal one for attaining liberation. We can become addicted to pleasure here, including meditative bliss, and can become trapped, forgetting to work towards liberation, and falling into lower realms because of this forgetfulness and self-absorption.
Asura or 'Demi-God' Realm - Also pleasurable, this realm is nevertheless defined by jealousy and competitiveness. Although a birth here does offer more opportunities for pleasure than a ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.

Already a member? Login

CITE THIS PAGE:

APA
MLA
Chicago
Turabian

The Six Realms Of Existence. (2011, June 15). Retrieved January 1, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Six-Realms-Of-Existence/99719

"The Six Realms Of Existence." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 15 Jun. 2011. Web. 1 Jan. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Six-Realms-Of-Existence/99719>

"The Six Realms Of Existence." Essayworld.com. June 15, 2011. Accessed January 1, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Six-Realms-Of-Existence/99719.

JOIN NOW

Join today and get instant access to this and 50,000+ other essays

PAPER DETAILS

Added: 6/15/2011 10:06:48 AM
Submitted By: cacwoody
Category: Religion
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 898
Pages: 4

Save |

Report

SHARE THIS PAPER

SAVED ESSAYS

Save and find your favorite essays easier