16. SUFFERINGS OF THE LOWER REALMS

THE NEXT MEDITATION of the practitioners of initial capacity is the reflection upon the sufferings of the lower realms. Again focusing upon the spiritual master, you should reflect that when your link to this present life ends, there are only two possibilities for your future existence: the favorable and unfavorable forms of existence.

As we discussed earlier, the end of birth is death, and at that point the present body ceases. Among the many different consciousnesses, there are coarser ones, such as the sensory consciousnesses, which are very dependent upon the body. All these consciousnesses have a basic nature, which is the Clear Light; there is no possibility of consciousness originating from a cause that is not in the nature of Clear Light. So this Clear Light mind is known as the fundamental innate consciousness, and when it interacts with circumstances, external factors, it produces the grosser levels of mind.

Because the continuity of this subtle form of consciousness is beginningless, it is possible sometimes—even for ordinary people—to recall the death experiences of the past. I know some Indian children who are able to recall very clearly and vividly their past lives, the circumstances under which they had to die, and the experiences they went through at the time of death. Such remembrance is a phenomenon that one can observe now. Some people, when they subdue the active forces of the gross levels of mind as a result of their meditations, are able to increase the force of the subtle levels of consciousness through the experience of Clear Light. As a result of such experiences, they are able to recall their past lives vividly. This shows that there are events in the past that are objects of our recollection and memory, which indicates that there are past lives.

There is no factor that can end the continuity of this consciousness, which is in the nature of clarity and knowing. At death time, consciousness has to separate from the present body and undergo the intermediate state. At that point, one experiences a subtle form of consciousness—this does not refer to the subtle forms of consciousness developed as a result of meditation. There are many different levels of consciousness; when the mind is withdrawn from active attention to external objects, one is able to abandon the grosser levels and experience a subtle level.

There are three levels of consciousness; the experiences of these different consciousnesses result in different levels of existence. The lowest is the realm of desire, where the level of mind is very gross and where people are more attracted to external objects. Next comes the form realm, with its sixteen divisions, where the mind is subtler and more withdrawn from external objects. Then there is a realm known as the formless realm, which is divided into four. It is a state of existence that is temporarily free not only from suffering and dissatisfaction but also from ordinary feelings of joy and pleasure, experiences that normally result in desire and discontent. Although it is very difficult to logically prove the existence of these levels, you can judge that the states of mind that you have could result in different states of existence in the future. The nature of these can be inferred by judging the quality of our mind and the degree to which it is dominated by desire, hatred, anger, and so forth.

After death, the individual takes rebirth in any of the three realms of existence, which are broadly classified into two: the favorable and the unfavorable migrations, also known as the higher and lower rebirths. The favorable transmigrations include birth as a celestial being (of a formless, form, or desire realm), an asura (demi-god), or a human being. The unfavorable transmigrations include rebirth as an animal, a wandering spirit, or a hell being.

I do not know if the hell realms really do exist as described so vividly in the Abhidharma literature, yet one thing that is obvious is that the environment is very much associated with the beings living therein. In our case, we are deeply interdependent with the planet earth, which is our natural habitat. However, this delicate interdependence was not understood by mankind in the past, and this unfortunately has led human beings to take many things too much for granted. This ignorance has resulted in an immoral exploitation of the planet, with a devastating effect on both the environment and the lives within it. If we examine our planet and the lives on it, we will be amazed to find much evidence suggesting an underlying balance at the basis of all. Consider how differing trees have appropriate features that give them the capacity to multiply their class and thus survive. For example, some trees have flowers with cotton-like covers which can be blown away by the wind so the species can survive. If we were to reflect upon the individual causes of all these distinctions, it would be difficult to explain everything logically. The same is true of living beings: the fact that all the living beings have gone through the evolutionary process in this world for more than five billion years is really very profound and difficult to believe. It is not surprising, since that is the case, that descriptions of other forms of life on other planets and so forth are difficult to understand, but that does not mean that such forms do not exist.

Therefore, since living beings are infinite and have all sorts of forms, shapes, and colors, one can infer that also their environments, their natural habitats, could be totally different from ours. Buddhist writings speak of numberless systems of universes. Modem scientific cosmology comes close to the Buddhist explanation of infinite universal systems, but the particular description that we find in Abhidharma and also some sutras, such as Do-de Drenpa Nyershag (Sutra on Mindfulness), may not be taken as literal. The logical explanations of the specific causes of the diverse shapes, physical compositions, colors, and so forth of the countless universal systems are very hidden from us, as are the subtlest aspects of karma and their results.

There are various sufferings in the lower realms. Those realms of existence where the experience of suffering is most intense are categorized as the hell realms; that where confusion and ignorance are most powerful is regarded as the realm of animals, where the powerful devour the weak; that where the sufferings of hunger and thirst are most acute is viewed as the realm of pretas (hungry ghosts).

You should reflect on what it would be like to take rebirth in a lower form of existence—as a dog, for example. Just imagine how you would feel and what could be your fate! One is not born in these lower realms without any cause, merely by accident. When the causes and conditions for such a rebirth have been aggregated, birth into such realms naturally follows. Reflect upon the fact that if you have accumulated the causes such as stealing, killing, etc.—if these actions are very strong and forceful—then the fruition of these actions would be rebirth in the hell realms. Actions that were a little less forceful would throw you into rebirth as a hungry ghost, and those somewhat milder would give you rebirth as an animal.

Since it is certain that we all have accumulated all sorts of negative actions within this lifetime, our undergoing experience of these lower realms is only a matter of time. The moment the process of breathing ends, our future life begins. Reflecting in such terms, not just observing but rather mimicking the situation, imagining that you are undergoing these sufferings will be powerful and effective.

Do this contemplation, as the Fifth Dalai Lama’s Lamrim and Lama Tsongkhapa’s Lamrim Chenmo recommend, by imagining that you are undergoing such sufferings to the degree that you develop a kind of fear and a feeling of unbearableness. If you find these experiences unbearable, realize that you have the opportunity right now to prevent yourself from falling into the lower realms. Reflect upon the factors that cause one to take rebirth in such realms of existence, checking within your mind whether or not you have the causes and conditions for lower rebirth, or have committed them in the past, or are committing them right now, or may commit them in the future. Then strive for the means to eliminate them. Make a request prayer to the spiritual master that you may never indulge in these negative actions. The actual means of protecting yourself from the danger of falling into the lower realms of existence is to bring about the realization of the dharma within your mind.

Some people might feel that if they actually meet with the experiences of the lower realms they will face them, but since they are not undergoing such experiences right now, it is pointless to mimic them and imagine undergoing them. This is not a practical outlook. Generally speaking, it is the way of a courageous person to take precautionary measures and be prepared before an eventuality strikes. But just waiting for something to happen and not being prepared is the way of a fool. Having generated a genuine feeling of unbearableness for the sufferings in the lower realms of existence by imagining the experience of being born there, and also by realizing the presence of causes within yourself for taking rebirth in such realms, you undertake a new initiative to seek immunity from such a danger. The actual preventative measure is to take, from the depths of your heart, refuge in the Three Jewels, and to respect the karmic law of causality.