Progressive rebirth from one heaven to a higher heaven

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The Buddhas discusses this in MN49, in which the Buddha chats with Brahmā, who has been misled by Māra the Wicked. The Buddha says to Brahmā:

MN49:10.1: But there is another realm that you don’t know or see.

Here, Brahmā is attached to the heavenly realms, and the Buddha explains that Brahmā is basically climbing the wrong tree.

Please reed MN49 and see how this may address your questions.

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The Buddha himself renounced a life of luxury and relaxation as a noble prince to follow the dharma. Had he not done so he would not have become Buddha.

If it is hard to renounce such a life here on earth, how much harder must it be in the heavenly realms?

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The opportunities for doing good deeds are extremely rare in the deva realm. The deva realm is hard to imagine just as it is hard for the devas to comprehend the problems faced by human beings. The simple reason is that the physical hardships, pain and miseries that human beings have to endure is non-existent in the deva realm.

One way to understand the difference between a human and deva is the lack of physical bodies. Scientists believed our physical bodies evolved over billions of years beginning with prokaryotic cells. In the sutras, devas, on the other hand, appear spontaneously without the slow gestation/incubation period of animals (see the story of the son of miserly Adinnapubbaka). Therefore, theirs are not physical bodies. Fundamentally, theirs are far superior without the need to feed, drink, urinate and defecate like ours. If the devas eat or drink, it is merely for pleasure and not out of necessity. The sutras seem to indicate there are also no nights in the deva realm, strongly suggesting that devas also do not need to sleep or rest because their bodies do not tired like ours.

There are inherent problems with human existence such as the need for food, clean water, a place to rest and sleep, protection from the elements (rain, hot sun and wind), need to bathe, medicine and so on. All these activities to keep our bodies going, bring along associated problems like the need for money, possessions and power (to safeguard our wealth). This created other associated problems like conflict and strife, even wars. But everything in samsara has two sides. Along with all these issues of hunger, poverty, diseases and disasters in the human realms, there are opportunities to offer physical food, comfort, protection and safety to those who are on the unfortunate side.

Although there are almost no opportunities for doing good deeds in the deva realm, they do have an advantage when it comes to cultivation of the mind i.e. non-craving, non-aversion and heightened awareness as illustrated in the sutras. With the exception of the renunciants like those in the Sangha, the life of householders is, instead, a constant struggle with craving, aversion and delusion.

Appendix

Regressive rebirth from the deva realm appears to be the norm. Progressive rebirth from a lower deva realm to a higher realm seems to be very rare as mentioned in this story narrated by Sakka to the Buddha. Note the conditions that made it possible for the two devas to ascend to the higher realm; the advanced development of their minds (i.e. attainment of jhana), their ability to overcome attachment to sensual pleasure and the store of good karma from their past practice of virtues. The story also highlights the point that if a deva is able to recollect/resume or pick up the practice of the Dharma and meditation, the benefits are tremendous.

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