Five Levels of Existence as on 1 Dec24, 0949hrs.

Hint: This text adopts a human-centered perspective in Buddhism, exploring the states of existence across five categories of beings, corresponding to the Buddhist concept of the Four Pure Lands and extending to those in the Three Evil Realms. It reveals the progressive spiritual journey from ignorance to enlightenment while emphasizing compassion for all sentient beings.

Analysis and Interpretation

1. Buddhas: Beings of the Land of Eternal Quiescence and Radiance

• Land of Eternal Quiescence and Radiance: This is the highest Pure Land in Buddhism, transcending material and temporal constraints, where the Buddha resides in ultimate nirvana.

• Buddhas: These beings are fully awakened, having attained supreme enlightenment and transcended the cycles of birth and death.

• Key Features: “Quiescence” represents tranquility, and “radiance” symbolizes wisdom. This Pure Land embodies absolute peace and perfection, the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice.

Core Meaning: Beings of this realm represent the ultimate state of enlightenment, fully united with universal truth, embodying infinite wisdom and compassion.

2. Bodhisattvas: Beings of the Land of True Reward and Adornments

• Land of True Reward and Adornments: This Pure Land is where Bodhisattvas dwell after perfecting their spiritual practice and manifesting their accumulated virtues.

• Bodhisattvas: These beings have overcome delusions and hindrances yet remain committed to liberating all sentient beings with boundless compassion.

• Key Features: While they have not entered the ultimate realm of Eternal Quiescence and Radiance, their merits and virtues are fully realized, and their Pure Land is supremely adorned with wisdom and virtue.

Core Meaning: Bodhisattvas exemplify the Mahayana ideal of “self-awakening and awakening others,” integrating self-transcendence with altruistic compassion.

3. Two-Vehicle Practitioners: Beings of the Land of Expedient Means and Residual Achievements

• Land of Expedient Means and Residual Achievements: This Pure Land is attained by practitioners of the Two Vehicles (Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas) who have severed afflictions but have not yet perfected wisdom or compassion.

• Two-Vehicle Practitioners: These individuals focus on the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination to seek personal liberation from suffering.

• Key Features: While they have achieved nirvana and escaped samsara, their understanding remains incomplete, as they prioritize self-liberation over the broader goal of universal salvation.

Core Meaning: Two-Vehicle practitioners represent the path of individual liberation, showcasing the aspect of self-discipline and personal realization within Buddhism.

4. Humans and Celestial Beings: Beings of the Land of Ordinary and Noble Coexistence

• Land of Ordinary and Noble Coexistence: This realm includes both worldly beings (humans and celestial beings) and those who have just entered the path of enlightenment.

• Humans and Celestial Beings: These beings are either virtuous individuals in the human or heavenly realms or novice practitioners who have taken the first steps on the spiritual path.

• Key Features: Although still within the cycles of birth and death, their virtuous deeds, adherence to precepts, or early-stage spiritual cultivation allow them to experience a semblance of a Pure Land.

Core Meaning: These beings represent the starting point of the spiritual journey, where the mundane and the sacred converge, symbolizing the potential for growth and purification.

5. Beings of the Three Evil Realms: Landless Beings with No Place to Rest

• Three Evil Realms: These refer to the realms of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals, where beings are trapped by the consequences of their severe negative karma.

• Landless Beings: This term highlights the plight of beings in these realms who lack even a minimal refuge, enduring immense suffering and turmoil.

• Key Features: The Three Evil Realms symbolize ignorance, craving, and hatred, which perpetuate suffering and entrap beings in the cycles of existence.

Core Meaning: These beings embody the depths of suffering and karmic entanglement, underscoring the urgency of compassion and the need for universal salvation.

Overall Summary

This framework presents five levels of existence from the Buddhist perspective, progressing from the ultimate enlightenment of Buddhas to the suffering of beings in the Three Evil Realms:

1. Land of Eternal Quiescence and Radiance: Represents the ultimate enlightenment of Buddhas.

2. Land of True Reward and Adornments: Reflects the perfected wisdom and compassion of Bodhisattvas.

3. Land of Expedient Means and Residual Achievements: Showcases the liberation of Two-Vehicle practitioners through personal effort.

4. Land of Ordinary and Noble Coexistence: Depicts the starting point for humans and celestial beings to enter the path of spiritual cultivation.

5. Three Evil Realms: Illustrates the suffering and challenges of beings ensnared by ignorance and negative karma.

Through these five categories, the text encapsulates the Buddhist vision of the spiritual journey, emphasizing self-awareness, compassion, and the ultimate unity of all beings in their potential for liberation.