[Zapper]

I’ve noticed that wherever I look at the 31 realms of existence, it seems like the asura realm is not a pleasant realm for it’s inhabitants.

However but at the same time, in the suttas, the hell, hungry ghost and animal realm are packed in statements but for some reason the asura realm is not mentioned.

It is said that a sotapanna is free from the apayas, and take a look at this sutta:

SN 55.24: Paṭhamasaraṇānisakkasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato

It states “This person is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.”. The asura realm is clearly not mentioned.

And this is not the only sutta where the apayas are packed together but leaving the asura realm behind.

For example:

AN 1.333–377: Catutthavagga—Bhikkhu Sujato

AN 9.12: Saupādisesasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato

And then there is this sutta where the asuras are mentioned with the devas:

DN 20: Mahāsamayasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato

“Jitā vajirahatthena, samuddaṁ asurāsitā; Bhātaro vāsavassete, iddhimanto yasassino.”

Translated: “Defeated by Vajirahattha, the titans live in the ocean. They’re brothers of Vāsava, powerful and glorious.”

It would be very unusual to remark the good qualities of titans if the realm is bad itself. So I think this realm might not be a bad (as in experience of pleasure and pain, but they may be vengeful).

[Lal]

There are two types of asurās. One is a type of Deva, and the other belongs to the apāyās. 

• I will take a look at the suttās you quoted and make some comments later.

[Lal]

1. There are two types of asura, one being “asura deva” (who go into wars with Tavatimsa Devās) and the other “vipnipātika asura,” who belong to the apāyās.

• “Vipnipātika” means apāyās, or the four lowest realms. All realms in the apāyās can be called “vipnipātika.” Thus, “vipnipātika asura” is a category within the apāyās; they are born there because they were lazy as humans and cultivated asura saṅkhāra (for example, those who don’t like to work and depend on welfare even if they can work). That leads to asura viññāna and thus gives rise to an asura existence belonging to the apāyās. I have seen in the Commentaries that they can be born to be trapped inside mountains; they cannot move. However, I have not seen such descriptions in the suttās.
• See #13 of “Sīla, Samādhi, Paññā to Paññā, Sīla, Samādhi.”

2. Tavatimsa Devās are sometimes called “sura Devās” in comparison to “asura Devās“, and the war between the two sides is sometimes called the “sura asura war”.

• “Sura”, of course, is the opposite of “asura“: clever and “quick thinking”.

3. The “Gati Sutta (AN 9.68)” lists five main categories: hell (niraya), the animal realm (tiracchāna), the hungry ghost realm (peta), humans (manussa), and Deva.

• Of course, there are numerous subcategories within each of the five main categories.
• That is evident among animals; some are vicious, and others are harmless. Even among humans, there is a broad spectrum of gati (i.e., character/habits); see, for example, “The Law of Attraction, Habits, Character (Gati), and Cravings (Āsavas)“ and “9. Key to Ānāpānasati – How to Change Habits and Character (Gati).”
• Therefore, “vipnipātika asura” and “asura Deva” seem to be two minor categories within the apāyās and Deva realms.

 

[Zapper]

Thanks Lal, things are very clear now.

[Author]

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