If I am reborn as a Deva, how long would my lifespan be before I'm forced back into Samsara? Factors?
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If by any chance you think that living long is a blessing, imagine losing a limb at the age of 10 when your lifespan is an eon. Samsara is not a place for loitering be it in any form.– SampathCommented Apr 8, 2022 at 14:55
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@Sampath Being reborn as a Deva is seen as a punishment?– OrionixeCommented Apr 9, 2022 at 19:14
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Even if you are born as a Deva, you still are feeling the feelings like anger, sadness, jealousy, etc. Being re-born altogether is not viewed as a blessing in Buddhism. Because you have little or no control over where you are born. AFAIK its not referred as a punishment either, but its not a thing that is desired. Main goal of a Buddhist is to break the Death-Rebirth cycle -> Nirvana.– SampathCommented Apr 11, 2022 at 4:18
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1 Answer
A translation of AN 4.123 says:
The devas of Brahma's retinue, monks, have a life-span of an eon. A run-of-the-mill person having stayed there, having used up all the life-span of those devas, goes to hell, to the animal womb, to the state of the hungry shades.
The Abhassara devas, monks, have a life-span of two eons. A run-of-the-mill person having stayed there, having used up all the life-span of those devas, goes to hell, to the animal womb, to the state of the hungry shades.
The Subhakinha devas, monks, have a life-span of four eons. A run-of-the-mill person having stayed there, having used up all the life-span of those devas, goes to hell, to the animal womb, to the state of the hungry shades.
The Vehapphala devas, monks, have a life-span of 500 eons. A run-of-the-mill person having stayed there, having used up all the life-span of those devas, goes to hell, to the animal womb, to the state of the hungry shades.
But a disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there, having used up all the life-span of those devas, is unbound right in that state of being. This, monks, is the difference, this the distinction, this the distinguishing factor, between an educated disciple of the noble ones and an uneducated run-of-the-mill person, when there is a destination, a reappearing.
answered Apr 8, 2022 at 11:58
