It is good to keep in mind the “three main lokas” of kama loka (four apayas, human realm, six Deva realms), rupa loka (16 rupavacara Brahma realms) and arupa loka (the four arupavacara Brahma realms).
- Kama loka is the bottom tier, with the apayas at the bottom and the six Deva realms at the top.
- Rupa loka is better, with minds at the jhanic levels. Humans can get to those better mental states by cultivating jhana and then be born in one of those realms that match the jhanic state they cultivated.
- Aupa loka (with the four arupavacara Brahma realms) is at the top, with minimal mental stress. Humans can go beyond jhana and cultivate those arupavacara samapatti states and be subsequently born in such a realm.
But the problem is that none of those states are permanent. They have finite lifetimes. Those who get even to the highest arupavacara Brahma realm will die there and be reborn in the human realm first, and then rebirth in any realm is possible.
- That is what we all have been doing in this “beginningless” rebirth process. Each of us has been born in most of the 31 realms (except those where only Anagamis can be reborn) many times over.
A human has the best chance of getting to the Sotapanna stage. Furthermore, human birth is extremely rare. That is why we must make our best effort to get to the Sotapanna stage: “Why a Sotāpanna is Better off than any King, Emperor, or a Billionaire.”
