Table of contents hide 1 where are we going after we die? 2 the six realms of conditioned existence 3 What are the lower realms? 4 not neglecting our vital performance

This issue is of vital importance in the East, specifically in Tibetan culture. Actually we can contrast it with the proposals or affirmations that exist about where our soul, spirit or conscience goes after dying.

Where do we go after we die?

We can find the best known of the Christian religion of Heaven and Hell, the twelve circles of hell of Dante Alighieri, among others, in fact there are many approaches.

the six kingdoms of conditioned existence

In this case we will study their Tibetan proposal. It basically refers to the six kingdoms in which consciousness can be reborn after death, everything depends of course on the actions we perform in our past life, everything connects with the Law of Cause and Effect or Karma.

The higher Realms are basically three, the highest is that of the Devas which is accessed after death and the result of the accumulation of great positive merit and especially in the great advance in the practices of Samadhi or meditation, it is a kingdom in which the beings manifest peace and tranquility as a result of the accumulation of a large amount of positive karma, they remain young and beautiful, the terrible thing about this rebirth is that when they experience so much pleasure they stop generating positive merit until it is exhausted and they slip in their subsequent rebirths to the lower realms also in that in their last periods of life they experience a bad smell of their bodies and a strong resistance to old age and the physical deterioration of their bodies.

The second upper level is that of the Titans, they are beings that accumulated positive merit but are reborn with a great need to have the state of peace of the devas so they are involved in feelings of envy and desire to have another life different from what they experience, it is said that in this kingdom there is a beautiful tree of delicious fruits only that the trunk grows in the kingdom of the Titans and the fruits fall in the kingdom of the devas. In this realm there is a constant situation of envy, competence and sense of inferiority, wishing the state of the devas that is superior.

The third superior kingdom is that of humans, governed by the desire and suffering of impermanence, there are levels in this kingdom, however it is believed that it is the most conducive kingdom to reach the ultimate enlightenment and liberation since the wisdom of discernment that makes it possible for the beings that inhabit it to update the potentials necessary for the ultimate goal of genuine happiness and liberation from suffering.

What are the lower realms?

The First Lower Realm is that of Animals, which is the only one that humans can clearly perceive, they are limited by the body although in their ultimate nature they have all the potentials necessary to ascend and exit this existence threatened by the constant dangers of be attacked by other species, or by starving, cold and human abuse. It is not at all a pleasant existence because although they wanted to express themselves as humans they can only do so through the form they have, be it fish, bird, dog, etc.

The second lower realm is that of the hungry, vivid or predatory spirits, it is said that beings fall into this kingdom after experiencing constant greed in their life or previous lives, desiring all kinds of material goods and getting them regardless of the damage they cause to others, in an iconographic way they are represented as being very hungry but that everything they eat makes them sick, or very thirsty but with a mouth so small that they cannot eat or drink anything. A lot of physical and mental suffering.

The third lower realm is that of the Demons or Naracas, it is the kingdom with the most suffering, of course that the faults they committed in the past life are serious, such as killing, having unwise sexual relations, malice and physical and emotional damage to the other beings, in this kingdom there are hot and cold hells in which they suffer strong suffering and abuse.

not neglecting our vital performance

This panorama is not very pleasant, is it not?… We are really careless with our vital performance, but it is affirmed that even as humans we experience moments of devas of great satisfaction, of titans with a lot of jealousy and envy, of animals with total ignorance, of hungry spirits wanting more cars, houses, money and as hell beings wanting and cursing all the beings we consider our enemies.

Truth or Lie I do not know, we will have to die to know if these kingdoms exist, however, it is better to live in a constructive and edifying way according to everything related to the higher realms, because it is a fact that undoubtedly the negative will lead us to the lower realms.

For now, if we intend to do good to all our loved ones, to the known and unfamiliar, we are already taking a step up the stairs of rebirths ... as always this is one of many approaches you decide which one is utility. Or simply act at all times with the aim of generating good and avoiding destructive actions will already be in a sense at least positive, and that is already profit, don't you think?

AUTHOR: Pilar Vázquez, collaborator of the great family of the White Brotherhood