[Aniduan]

I have a request to Lal.

In this desana Lal has indicated “There are many suttā in the Tipitaka that describe those three realms (niraya, preta, asura) in detail. We will discuss it in the future. The Peta Vatthu in the Khuddaka Nikāya of the Tipitaka describes pretās as well as gandhabbā.”

If it’s not too much of work for you I am really interested in those descriptions. I wish I can read and understand Pali language but even I can understand the words I could never understand the deeper meanings. So hoping to see these desanas in the future :)

[Lal]

Yes. I will try to do that in the future.

However, there are English translations of several suttas that describe Buddha’s teachings on the lowest realms.
– Since such suttas can be direct word-by-word translations, there is actually no need for me to translate such direct teachings.

Here are a couple:
Paṭhamanirayasagga Sutta (AN 10.211)
– This gives two translations. They should not be that different.

Devaduta Sutta (MN 130)

Mahāsīhanāda Sutta (MN 12)

It is important to remember that the Buddha realized that it is very difficult for average people to even visualize how life in those realms can be. Thus he emphasized that he would not teach anything that he had not experienced for himself.
– He would not even provide accounts that could not be corroborated by at least one of his disciples. Once Ven. Moggallana saw some petas (pretas) who had such subtle bodies that other bhikkhus with abhinna powers could not see. Then Ven. Moggallana asked them to check with the Buddha. The Buddha said he had indeed seen those petas right after his Enlightenment, but did not tell anyone because they would not be able to see.
– Our world of 31 realms is very complex. It is enough to get a general idea and to have some faith in what the Buddha taught BASED ON his other teachings that we CAN confirm for ourselves.

[Author]

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