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I came across an interesting sutta that discusses the concept of Paraloka. In it, Lord Buddha states that Paraloka does not exist in Nibbāna. This distinction highlights how Paraloka is separate from the other realms of Samsāra. However, it’s important to note that Paraloka is considered to exist only within the realm of humans and animals.
Paṭhamanibbānapaṭisaṁyuttasutta
There is, mendicants, that dimension where there is no earth, no water, no fire, no wind; no dimension of infinite space, no dimension of infinite consciousness, no dimension of nothingness, no dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; no this world, no other world, no moon or sun.
“Atthi, bhikkhave, tadāyatanaṁ, yattha neva pathavī, na āpo, na tejo, na vāyo, na ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ, na viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ, na ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ, nāyaṁ loko, na paraloko, na ubho candimasūriyā.
There, mendicants, I say there is no coming or going or remaining or passing away or reappearing.
Tatrāpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, neva āgatiṁ vadāmi, na gatiṁ, na ṭhitiṁ, na cutiṁ, na upapattiṁ;
It is not established, does not proceed, and has no support.
appatiṭṭhaṁ, appavattaṁ, anārammaṇamevetaṁ.
Just this is the end of suffering.”
Esevanto dukkhassā”ti.
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Hello Jittananto,
As you point out, this sutta describes Nibbana: There is no earth, no water, no fire, no wind; no dimension of infinite space, no dimension of infinite consciousness, no dimension of nothingness, no dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; no this world, no other world, no moon or sun.
- Everything except paraloka in the verse describes all the realms associated with the Erath (our cakkavāla).
- There are billions of other cakkavālās in the universe. All 31 realms are associated with each habitable planetary system (cakkavāla). See #2 of “31 Realms Associated with the Earth.”
- Thus, paraloka (no other world) means none of those also belong to Nibbana.
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In other contexts, paraloka could mean different things.
- When a human dies, the gandhabba comes out and stays in that state for many years until entering another womb. In that case, it is said that the person has gone to paraloka, meaning from the world we can see to “the world of gandhabbas.” This is a somewhat common saying in Sri Lanka.
- I have also seen moving from the human realm to another realm called “moving to paraloka.”
- I have heard the second usage in some English translations but don’t recall the suttas.
I have not investigated such cases in the suttas. If you come across translations with the above meanings, we can look at them.
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And here is the empirical proof of paraloka. It appears that this is as close as we can get to understanding paraloka using the “mundane” approach (i.e. without jhana):
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Yes, Taryal. That is an example of the following interpretation of “paraloka” I stated above:
“When a human dies, the gandhabba comes out and stays in that state for many years until entering another womb. In that case, it is said that the person has gone to paraloka, meaning from the world we can see to “the world of gandhabbas.” This is a somewhat common saying in Sri Lanka.”
- In the case discussed in the video, gandhabba went to “paraloka” for a short time and came back to the same body.
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In a comment above, I wrote:
“In other contexts, paraloka could mean different things.
- When a human dies, the gandhabba comes out and stays in that state for many years until entering another womb. In that case, it is said that the person has gone to paraloka, meaning from the world we can see to “the world of gandhabbas.” This is a somewhat common saying in Sri Lanka.”
The following sutta gives an example of this usage: “Mogharājamāṇavapucchā (Snp 5.16).”
“Ayaṁ loko paro loko, brahmaloko sadevako; Diṭṭhiṁ te nābhijānātigotamassa yasassino.” OR
“Regarding this world, the other world, and the realms of Brahmas and Devas, I’m not familiar with that worldview of the renowned Gotama.”
- The first two refer to the human realm (with a physical body and “the other world” referring to the gandhabba state).
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