1. As I understand, you experienced a relationship breakup at the age of 17. Yes. That could have made you subconsciously think about the “anicca nature.”
2. Regarding this possibility: Yes. You could have had “Buddhist gati” to some extent at the time of birth, but it could have been “overtaken” by strong miccha ditthi anusaya.
3. Yes. One can have many gati. There can be “lobha gati,” “dosa gati,” “gati for liking a certain sport,” “gati to be attracted to a certain political view,” etc.
- However, the Buddha described only five broad categories of gati that lead to five broad categories of rebirth: Hell (niraya), the animal realm, the ghost realm, the human realm (manussa,) and the Deva realms. Here the six Deva realms and the higher Brahma realms are collectively called the “Deva realm.”
- All types of gati fall into one of those five “major gati.“
- See “Gati Sutta (AN 9.68).” The translator does not understand “gati,” but in this case, the title gives the correct idea.
- Those gati are removed gradually as one progresses on the Noble Path. An Arahant would have no gati left.
