SIX Chapter Six Conclusion
We have explored in the foregoing chapters the concept of Devas according to the Suttanta Pitaka which also manifests itself to the populace of the Pall Buddhism in general. In this chapter we shall draw the over-all picture of the Devas as reflected in the aforesaid texts, and consider the possible choice between the blissful realm of Devas and the ultimate goal of life that Buddhism prescribes for the world.
6.1 Conclusion
The concept of gods as reflected in the Pre- Buddhistic school relies on the process of elevating a natural element or phenomenon to the status of a god or divinity, or investing an inanimate object or abstract idea with divine qualities and attributes. It is primarily the power and potency with which persons or things come to be endowed by means of which they are capable of doing many things which are above and beyond the capactity of man.
Canonical evidence shows that early Buddhism regarded some of the important gods of the Vedic pantheon, and also a few others who may be 186
regarded as gods of the nature. This is evident from the lists of gods found in the Atanatiya Sutta and in the Mah&samaya Sutta. In the latter one, sixty kinds of gods are enumerated among whom are a niomber of Vedic gods and also of hosts of various other spirits such as Yakkhas, Asuras, etc. They all are described indifferently as ^endowed with psychic powers {iddhimanto), shining {jutimanto) , comely (va/7/7avanto) and renowned iyasassino)'. Belief in the thirty-three gods and the other gods of the corresponding heaven, and numerous other divine spheres is admitted.
In Buddhism, there are two etymologies given to term ^Deva' : a) Firstly, it connects with ^dijbjbanti' (to play, to sport), they are so called Devas because they play, or sport. In explaining their playful nature it is further said that they enjoy themselves with the five sensual pleasures. B) Secondly, it connects with ^Div' in the sense of heaven or sky in its shining aspect, thereby describing them as ^the shining' or ^the radiant ones'. Thus, they shine by their own splendour. Sometimes the word ^Devata' is used in the same sense as a Deva. Yet there are certain differences in the use of the two terms.
The use of the term "Deva' in the Pall literature is not confined to heavenly beings alone. The Pall Buddhism classifies Devas into 187
three types as, a) Sanunatideva - a Deva by conventional agreement, b) Upapattideva - a Deva by the mode of spontaneous birth, and c) Visuddhideva, a Deva by purification. To the first category belong those humans who are respectfully referred to as a Deva such as royal personages. Gods by birth are the heavenly and other deities, that is, Devas in the sense as mainly used in this research, while the third type comprises those saints who have cleansed themselves of all passions and become the Buddha or Arahants.
Early Buddhism remodels the gods to suit the Buddhist Doctrine. That is, the Vedic gods who were adopted by Buddhism were made to appear in Buddhist garb, thus making them siibject to the law of Samsara. They are made subordinate to the Buddha and also to his virtUQnas disciples. They are humanized and made to possess human weaknesses. This remodelling, to some extent, made the Vedic gods appear as new gods in Buddhism. The case of Sakka is a striking example of this remodelling. Sakka is undoubtedly a development of Indra with more emphasis on the moral and ethical side of his character which are not quite prominent in his character as represented in the Rgveda.
To be born as a Deva is the result of good Kaima and hence beings secure birth in Deva worlds by leading lives of ethical purity in the human 188
and other non-Deva exsitences. Accordingly, it is said that the Deva-worlds found their hosts increasing during the time of the Buddha when he was preaching his doctrine of ethical purity as a means to happiness. This was a cause for joy among the Devas who held meetings, and gave expression to their joyous sentiments. These Devas are described as long-lived {dlghayukS) , lovely {vanna vanta), and endowed with many comforts (sukha bahula). They possess lovely forms and super natural power to assiome any appearance.
A fact to be noted is that both human {Manussa) and celestial (Deva) courses of existences are regarded a happy courses {Sugati) as opposed to the three woeful states (Duggati) of hell (Niraya) , animal kingdom (Tiracchanayoni), and the ghost realm (Pettivisaya) . The Devas can be regarded as being in a hierachy, i.e. going from the lower to the higher. As one goes higher the Deva becomes increasingly spiritualized. Thus the heavenly pleasures of the six heavens become pleasanter and pleasanter as one ascends higher and higher through the heavenly planes.
There are many classes of Devas. Their classification is fundamentally based on the division of existence into the three categories as sensual sphere (Kamaloka), material sphere (Rupaloka) , and immaterial sphere {Arupaloka) , containing a total of twenty-six spheres. The 189
sensual sphere contains six Deva-worlds as CatummaharSjika, Tavatimsa, Yama, Tusita, NiwmSna rati, and Paranimmitavasavatti. The Devas of the fine material worlds are divided into sixteen classes according to their Jhanic attaiments. That is, birth in the Brahma-worlds is said to be brought about by the attainment of the corresponding meditative absorptions (Jhanas). The first three Brahma-worlds : Brahmaparisajja, Brahmapurohita, and Mahabrahma, belong to the first Jhanic stage. The three Brahmalokas : Parittabha, Appamanasubha, and Abhassara belong to the second Jhana. To the third Jhana belong Parittasubha, Appamanasubha, and Subhakinha, while
Vehapphala upwards to Akanittha are alloted to the fourth Jhana. It is interesting to note that the Non-returners {AnSgSmls) are born only in Suddhavasa, the five Pure Abodes, and attain Nibbana therein. It is only the SuddhavSsa gods who reach the final goal directly from that sphere, for all the others are liable to return to take rebirth and work further till salvation.
Another four classes of Devas of the immaterial spheres are those of the sphere of unbounded space {AkasSnahcSyatana Devas), pertaining to the fith Jhana, of unbounded consciousness {Vinnanancayatana Devas)of the sixth Jhana, of nothingness {Akincannayatana Devas) of 190
the seventh Jhana, and of neither perception nor non-perception {Nevasannanasannayatana Devas) of the eighth Jhana. Sometimes these various gods are mentioned in the generic name, i.e. Brahmakayika Deva, the heavenly beings of the Brahma-worlds. Meanwhile, their worlds is called ^Brahmaloka' as the generic names for both fine material and immaterial worlds in the widest sense.
In addition to these Devas inhabiting various Devas worlds, there are also many other kinds of deities inhabiting the universe such as Bhumma Deva, the terrestial gods, Rukkha-DevatS, the tree gods. When the Buddha preached the first sermon at Varanasi it was the Bhumma Deva who raised the first cry, proclaiming the important event to the higher Devas who in turn proclaimed it to the next higher group. In this manner news was spread upto the Sraiijna-world. It was also the Devas who first proclaimed the significance of the event by saying that the Buddha has set arolling the wheel of righteousness that cannot be reversed by anyone else in the world, not even by one of their own kind.
The impermanent nature {Anicca) of heavenly comforts is also repeatedly given expression in the Pail literature. According to a characteristic
See Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, the first discourse of the Buddha, SN, 5. 424. 191
passage found in the Samyutta-Nikaya, on hearing the Buddha's teaching about impermanence, the Devas become afraid, quake and tremble saying, "It seems, sirs, that we who thought ourselves permanent are after all impermanent : that we who thought ourselves stable are after all unstable : not to last, sirs, it seems are we, so it seems, sirs, that we are impermanent, unstable, not to 2 last, composed about with a personality group." It is because the Devas are bound by the bonds of passion {Kamabandhanabaddha) . In their troubles they have to seek refuge in the Buddha. They cannot know the way of the released ones anc themselves should achieve the release as w( 6.2 Devas or Nibbana ; a choice
We have seen that Buddhism regards the Devas in a different light from the one which centres around the belief in an creator god, the all- mighty one. The fact that the worlds of Devas are depicted as places of happiness makes people desire birth among them. Their long-life, comfortable ways of living, physical beauty, authority, etc. make their lives attractive to men. We might remark the bliss of elite people among men is insignificant in comparison with celestial happiness. Their birth is brought about by Kammic activity that is rooted in non-greed
2 SN. 3. 85. 192
{Alobha], non-hatred (Adosa), and non-delusion 3 (Amoha), the Buddhists perforin good deeds in order to be reborn among the Devas.
However, the Buddhist attitude should be not to wish for these temporary heavenly pleasures but to persevere for the achievement of Nibbana, the ultimate goal of life. As the Buddha says : ''Not by a shower of gold coins is there the satisfaction of desires. 'Of little satisfaction and much pain are sensual pleasures'-knowing thus, the wise man finds no delight even in heavenly pleasures. The disciple of the Supreme Buddha delights m the destruction of craving {Tanha)."
Hence the practice of the pure life (Brahmacariya) for the purpose of being born in a heaven is viewed as a mental bondage that prevents a practitioner from doing the correct kind of spiritual effort. The virtuous life as a human being is preferable to that among the Devas as well. The Pali literature portrays the Devas as helpers of the virtuous. They worship not only the Arahants but also those laymen who lead virtuous lives.
Eventhough humans appear to be rather low on the scale than the Devas, the best opportunity to
3 DN. 3. 275. 4 Dhp. 186 - 187. 193
practice the Dhamma and attain liberation is more active. The very bliss of the Devas worlds beclouds the characteristics of phenomena : impermanence, suffering, and non-self. And without fully comprehending these characteristics, there is no motivation to develop the detachment from the world that is essential to liberation. All are reborn in one or another of the thirty-one planes endlessly. For anyone who is not liberated, whether be Devas or Brahmas, the destination of rebirth is uncertain. It may be on the same plane or on a lower or higher one due to Kamma, the deeds they have performed and continue to perform all their lives. But those who can eradicated all mental defilements and thereby eliminated the causes for rebirth with its attendant suffering. They are not reborn after death, instead, attain the complete, permanent cessation of every form of existences.
It is seen that beings in the states below the human are too miserable, fearful and benighted, and those above it are too happy to make the necessary effort. In the human world we encounter both joy and sorrow, often very evenly balanced, and it is also possible to attain to a state of equanimity which is favourable to progress. Therefore, such lives provide no security, but only temporary remission of the underlying disease, and if they are not dedicated to progress towards Nibhana their value is 194
virtually nil. One who understood the truth will look upon such modes of existences with revulsion and dispassion. There are no eternal heavens or hells, though some of both are said to be tremendously long-lasting ; but all is in an eternal flux in which worlds and world-systems are born and perish, and living beings are continually born, die and are reborn according to their Kammic deserts. It is grandiose, but ultimately frightening and horrifying vision. Deliverance from it is only possible through the insight engendered by following the path thought by the Buddha. For those who fail to gain this insight there can be a happy rebirth for a long time in one of the temporary heaven-worlds, but no permanent deliverance from the perils of birth- and-death. This is Sams&ra or cyclic existance. Beyond this lies the realm of the supramundane or NibbSna, the only secure haven. And this, though it can be experienced, cannot be described easily since it is realizable each for oneself.
NibbSna does not bring ^eternal life' in some material sphere or heaven as many religions promise. It means letting go of everything - relinguishing every state of being anywhere in the cosmos. It is our attachments and cravings, rooted in ignorance, that keep us revolving in Samsara' s misery. Wisdom or insight shows how all existence is bound up with suffering and thereby illuminates 195
the futility of all craving for being. Then all old Kamma is burnt up and no new fuel for birth is created. The process of birth and death just stops, once and for all. This is not the end of an existing being, as no such being ever was. It is only the end of a process, of the flux of physical and mental phenomena arising and vanishing due to complex networks fo causes and conditions. There is no controlling or enduring self of any sort at any time.