In Buddhist Cosmology , The Three Worlds refer to the three realms or spheres of existence in which beings are reborn, according to their karma. These realms encompass all forms of life and existence in संसार Saṃsāra, the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The three worlds are:

1. Kāma-loka (The World of Desire)
2. Rūpa-loka (The World of Form)
3. Arūpa-loka (The World of Formlessness)

These worlds represent different levels of existence, from the most gross and material to the most subtle and immaterial, corresponding to the degree of attachment, desire, and ignorance present in beings.

1. Kāma-loka (World of Desire):
   • Description: The kāma-loka is the realm of sensory desires, where beings experience pleasure and pain through the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch). It includes both human existence and various heavens and hells. • Inhabitants: This world contains six realms of rebirth: • Gods (Devas): Celestial beings with pleasurable existences. • Humans: Beings capable of moral and spiritual development. • Asuras (Demigods): Beings characterized by envy and strife. • Animals: Beings subject to ignorance and instinctual living. • Pretas (Hungry Ghosts): Spirits driven by insatiable craving and suffering. • Hell Beings (Narakas): Beings in states of intense suffering and torment.

These realms are conditioned by strong attachments to sensory pleasures, emotions, and desires.

1. Rūpa-loka (World of Form):
   • Description: The rūpa-loka is a higher realm of existence, characterized by subtler, more refined experiences than the kāma-loka. Although physical forms still exist in this realm, they are less dense, and beings here have transcended gross sensory desires. Instead, their experiences are tied to deep meditative absorptions (dhyāna or jhana). • Inhabitants: This world is primarily inhabited by higher gods, called brahmas, who have attained high states of concentration (known as rupa jhanas). These beings experience great peace and serenity but still retain some degree of form and duality.

The rūpa-loka consists of 16 realms, subdivided into four categories based on the four levels of meditative absorption.

1. Arūpa-loka (World of Formlessness):
   • Description: The arūpa-loka is the highest realm in Buddhist cosmology, characterized by the absence of any material form. Beings in this realm exist only as pure mental states, having transcended physical form entirely. This realm corresponds to the attainment of the formless meditative absorptions (arūpa jhānas). • Inhabitants: The arūpa-loka consists of four realms, each corresponding to a specific formless meditative state: • Infinite Space (Ākāsānañcāyatana) • Infinite Consciousness (Viññānañcāyatana) • Nothingness (Ākiñcaññāyatana) • Neither Perception nor Non-Perception (Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana)

Though this realm represents highly advanced states of concentration, beings here are still subject to rebirth due to residual ignorance.

Significance in Buddhism:

The teaching of the Three Worlds serves as a map of samsaric existence, illustrating how karma determines rebirth within these realms. It also emphasizes the impermanence and dissatisfaction (dukkha) inherent in all realms, no matter how subtle or pleasurable, because all forms of existence within the Three Worlds are temporary and subject to the cycle of birth and death.

Buddhist practice aims to transcend all three worlds by breaking free from the cycle of samsara through the attainment of nirvana, a state beyond rebirth, where suffering and attachment are extinguished.

The Three Worlds also illustrate the importance of meditative training, as higher realms of existence correspond to deeper levels of concentration and insight, though ultimate liberation requires wisdom and the cessation of clinging to any realm.

Alternate Entry

The Three Worlds

Buddhist Lexicon

Buddhist Cosmology

त्रिलोक Triloka