Is it believed to be better to be reborn as a deva or as a human again? Which should I be trying to be reborn as?

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From Awareness Itself by Ven. Ajaan Fuang Jotiko, compiled by his disciple Ven. Thanissaro:

A group of laypeople who had studied the Abhidhamma together came to Ajaan Fuang to try out his version of mental training, but when he told them to sit, close their eyes, and focus on the breath, they immediately backed off, saying that they didn't want to practice concentration, for fear that they'd get stuck on jhana and end up being reborn in the Brahma worlds. He responded, "What's there to be afraid of? Even non-returners are reborn in the Brahma worlds. At any rate, being reborn in the Brahma worlds is better than being reborn as a dog."

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Ideally, you're a healthy human during a Buddha's dispensation so you can understand the teachings and practice them. Devas can still practice Dhamma but their world is so pleasurable that they're less likely to.

When it's not the Buddha's dispensation, being a deva seems like the better choice. Much less pain and much more pleasure than a human. And since the Dhamma is lost, there's no point in being a human.

But a better goal is to reach a level of awakening so you'll eventually escape samsara. Periods where the Dhamma are revealed are rare.

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Your future rebirth will depend upon specific past karma (from a limitless supply) ripening at an exact critical moment. Beings reborn in the deva realm have gone on to become Buddha. Beings reborn in the human realm have gone on to become Buddha.

Any rebirth in a higher realm is considered a fortunate rebirth so focus on generating karma for future rebirths in any higher realm while avoiding generating karma resulting in future rebirths in any lower realm.

Don't worry too much about human vs deva rebirth as our ability to control such rebirths at this point on the path isn't practical. Only advanced practitioners can hope to accomplish something with this and only at a very precise moment of death. More practical is to rejoice that you have a human rebirth for this very life and the opportunity to practice dharma!

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Remember the life of the Buddha himself: he was locked in a palace surrounded by obscene luxury and didn't think of Dharma. Even with the merit he accumulated through countless lives, his awakening only started when he escaped the palace and saw death and suffering.

The entire realm of the devas is like that palace, largely free of suffering. Commonly, the only kind of dukha they encounter is knowing their life of pleasure is about to end, and when that happens, they don't have much time to practice Dharma. That's why you get the most opportunities to practice as a human. But as long as you're not in the lower realms, you have the capacity to practice and thus can achieve the fruit regardless if you're a human, asura or deva.

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