Buddhist Six States of Existence, also called as Six Roads of Reincarnation

Buddhist Six States of Existence, also called as Six Roads of Reincarnation, or Six Paths of Transmigration, Six Realms of Samsara, Six Karmic Realms of Rebirth, Six Directions of Reincarnation, Six Destinies, Wheel of Life.

1. Being in hell: Naraka-gati in Sanskrit. The lowest and worst realm, wracked by torture and characterized by aggression.

2. Hungry Ghosts: Preta-gati in Sanskrit. The realm of hungry spirits, characterized by great craving and eternal starvation.

3. Animals: Tiryagyoni-gati in Sanskrit. The realm of animals and livestock, characterized by stupidity and servitude.

4. Asura: Asura-gati in Sanskrit. The realm of anger, jealousy, and constant war, the Asura are demigods, semi-blessed beings, they are powerful, fierce and quarrelsome, like humans, they are partly good and partly evil.

5. Humans: Manusya-gati in Sanskrit. The human realm, beings who are both good and evil, enlightenment is within their grasp, yet most are blinded and consumed by their desires.

6. Deva: Deva-gati in Sanskrit. The realm of heavenly beings filled with pleasure, the deva hold godlike powers, some reign over celestial kingdoms, most live in delightful happiness and splendor, they live for countless ages, but even the Deva belong to the world of suffering - Samsara for their powers blind them to the world of suffering and fill them with pride and thus even the Deva grow old and die, some say that because their pleasure is greatest, so too is their misery.