What's the ordering of 6 realms of rebirth?
score:3
The Pali scriptures say:
Mendicants, there are five destinations. What five? Hell, the animal realm, the ghost realm, humanity and the gods. Nirayo, tiracchānayoni, pettivisayo, manussā, devā—
And what is the diversity in kamma? There is kamma to be experienced in hell, kamma to be experienced in the realm of common animals, kamma to be experienced in the realm of the hungry shades, kamma to be experienced in the human world, kamma to be experienced in the world of the devas. This is called the diversity in kamma.
Other examples of the above ordering are here.
Therefore, the ordering of the five realms in descending order is:
- Gods
- Humans
- Ghosts
- Animals
- Hell
However, it appears one sutta, from thousands, namely, Iti 93, includes a separate asura realm and places asura below hungry ghosts.
Being unaware of these three fires, humankind (pajā = people) delights in personal existence.
Unfree from the bonds of Māra They swell the ranks of hell, existence in the animal realm, asura-demons and the sphere of ghosts.
Iti 93
Therefore, based on Iti 93, the descending order is:
- Deva gods
- Humans
- Hungry ghosts
- Asura gods
- Animals
- Hell
Upvote:2
I suspect that both the ones you quoted are correct -- the thing is that, you're assuming that "titan" and "demi-god" are the same, but I don't think they are -- according to this reference to The Thirty-one Planes of Existence, a "demi-god" is presumable a Deva (above human) whereas a "titan" is presumably an Asura (below human).
As for the ordering of Animal versus Ghost, this reference agrees with Dhammadhatu's answer (based on Pali scriptures). The Wikipedia article you cited explains its reasoning (i.e. that the contrary ordering has an origin in the Tibetan tradition):
According to McClelland, this realm is the mildest of the three evil realms. According to Yangsi Rinpoche, in contrast, the suffering of the beings born in the realm of the hungry ghosts is far more intense than those born in the animal realm.
Even then I'm not sure what criteria people use to order them -- for example "hungry ghost" might be closer to (more similar to and more akin to, more closely related to) human than the animal realm is, therefore higher in that sense -- even if the suffering of that state is greater, therefore lower in that sense.
More post
- 📝 Sources on the lifespan of Dhamma
- 📝 Are chakra's used in Buddhism?
- 📝 Is there a line of thought in Buddhism that is less centered on suffering?
- 📝 Handling painful emotions
- 📝 Sense of Accomplishment in Meditation
- 📝 Which are the Buddhist vows?
- 📝 For what reason did Dharmakirti argue that absences are conceptual constructions?
- 📝 Is playing computer games an unwholesome activity?
- 📝 What is the actual status of the Dalai Lama in regard of Dhamma-Vinaya?
- 📝 When one enters and remains in cessation of perception and feeling during death where in 31 planes of existence will he go to?
- 📝 What is the antidote for conceit (mana)?
- 📝 What arguments are there for "karma" -- that the agent inevitably experiences the result of their actions?
- 📝 what is the last orginal quote of buddha and what is the meaning of that quote?
- 📝 How can one overcome agitation developed by not sitting regularly?
- 📝 Skipping Meditation After Great Exertion
- 📝 Timing of meditation
- 📝 Quick-overview lists of Dhammas within Buddhism
- 📝 What is meant by "a profound knowledge of words" in dhp 352?
- 📝 What are the three marks of existence?
- 📝 Right view of the external modern world
- 📝 Please Recommend Pure Land / Other Power Buddhism Books
- 📝 Continuity of memories as a proof of the existence of self
- 📝 Feedback - Are spaced-repetition cards useful for learning core Dhamma?
- 📝 Will earth become a planet without Humans?
- 📝 Deep emptiness (nothingness) while meditating
- 📝 Why there is limited sharing in Buddhism
- 📝 How do I refute the claim that the Buddha was actually preaching Vedanta?
- 📝 Why can't we call Nirvana as our true self?
- 📝 Five aggregates vs dependent origination
- 📝 How to deal with people who try to prove your compassion is fake?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What must be done before rebirth in the hell realms becomes inevitable?
- 📝 What's the ordering of 6 realms of rebirth?
- 📝 What is the difference between rebirth and reincarnation?
- 📝 Justifying the Four Noble Truths without rebirth
- 📝 I want to understand the technicality of rebirth and what happens to conditioned self
- 📝 Question on the possibility of higher rebirth for animals
- 📝 Looking for references to skeptical debates on the subject of rebirth
- 📝 The six realms of existence
- 📝 Is it right to use the term rebirth in the Buddhist context?
- 📝 Rebirth in the human realm
- 📝 Looking for an online resource of the commentary(SNA.ii.476; SA.i.155) which says that the Brahma Sahampati was an Anagami from the Suddhavasa realms
- 📝 How does enlightenment relate to the higher realms of existence?
- 📝 Is rebirth a conventional truth within the Buddha's message?
- 📝 Did anyone ask the Buddha what their rebirth will be?
- 📝 How does rebirth fit with the fact that everything is impermanent?
- 📝 Does Vajrayana accept the idea that Buddha placed Lord Yama (a supposed Bodhisattva) in charge of the hell realms to ensure karmic retribution?
- 📝 Different interpretations of the 6 realms
- 📝 Buddhadasa and the continuity of suffering beyond physical death, without rebirth
- 📝 Most frequent realms for post-human rebirth
- 📝 How do the concepts of anatta, rebirth and karma coexist together?
- 📝 Do the 31 realms physically exist or is it a state of mind?
- 📝 The hidden cycle: dying, death, rebirth
- 📝 The will, and rebirth
- 📝 If a kind and generous Christian died 20 years ago, might their rebirth have resulted in there being a 19 year old person in the human realm now?
- 📝 Is the belief in no rebirth conditioned by craving?
- 📝 Will someone explain rebirth and the differences between reincarnation?
- 📝 Suppose World War 3 occurs and manages to wipe out all humans and animals. Is the cycle of death and rebirth broken?
- 📝 What does Buddhadasa say about rebirth after the break-up of the body?
- 📝 Nirvana and the six heavens in the 31 realms
- 📝 'Antarabhava' existence between rebirth and the death