Just wanted to know, thanks. Also there are multiple types of puthujjanas right?
Indeed no, many myriads of devas who are puthujjana who were once human.
Two useful classifications of are the Andha-puthujjana who is uninstructed in the Dhamma of the Buddha and the Kalyana-puthujjana who listens and is developing understanding.
But I would assume that puthujjanas are more common in lower realms?
When you say puthujjanas, are you referring to non-Buddhists who just enjoy sensual pleasures and don’t make any merit?
It’s very hard to be reborn in a heavenly realm outside the dispensation of a Buddha. There was a case of someone who performed Dana for 20,000 years at the time there was no Buddha and was reborn in Tavatimsa. Later, during the time of the Buddha Gotama, someone offered something to Venerable Sariputta and was reborn in Tavatimsa heaven and was more beautiful, wealthier and well off than the other person. That was the power of a single offering to a Bhikkhu. The other person had to practice Dana for 20,000 years (human lifespan at that time) to be reborn in heaven.
For non-Buddhists who are attached to sensual pleasures and family, it would be very hard to be reborn in heaven. Even the human realm is not easy to be reborn in.
Im referring to ‘ordinary people’ who doesn’t know / see the Dhamma or sees it but does not practice it.
Ordinary buddhists, who are Kalyana-puthujjana like Robert mentioned, can be reborn in the human, deva, or brahma realms. They just need sila, a lot of good deeds and not be attached to anything at the time of death. If they have jhana and mastered it, they can be reborn in the brahma realm. They are not destined for a lower realm.
What about ordinary non-buddhists?
Ordinary non-Buddhists are still not fully destined for a lower realm unless they commit the five heinous actions.
- Killing one’s mother
- Killing one’s father
- Killing an Arhat
- Drawing blood from a Buddha with malicious intent
- Causing a split/schism in the Sangha
These five bad actions are weighty bad kamma which definitely leads to hell in the next life, so these actions should be avoided.
One more thing that leads to hell is wrong view. If one believes that there is no kamma and no other realms, then one is destined for the cold hell between world systems unless one gives up that wrong view before death.
Also, I think it’s very hard for ordinary non-Buddhists to be reborn in a good realm even if they are kind and live happily with their partners. Why? Because of strong attachment and delusion. Usually, non-Buddhists in very developed countries live comfortably and may be very kind but they have no knowledge of kamma so I think their good deeds wouldn’t be strong enough to lift them to heavenly realms. They might know the quote “What goes around comes around” but they don’t know that good actions lead to good rebirth in future lives.
Also, usually non-Buddhists who are very religious may speak false things and think wrong thoughts like saying their religion is the best or that “Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven” or something like that. That is wrong speech and wrong view. Wrong view leads to bad realm.
“Micchādiṭṭhikassa, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññatarā gati pāṭikaṅkhā—
nirayo vā tiracchānayoni vā”ti.
“Mendicants, one who has wrong view can expect one of two destinies:
hell or the animal realm.”
SuttaCentral
Non-Buddhists also don’t formally observe the five precepts. They may avoid killing humans and animals, but it’s hard to find someone who would avoid killing insects.
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I understand now. Thanks for the response.
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When we consider the difficulties and the “dullabho” (rareness) of human birth, then we could say it is “almost guaranteed” that a puṭhujjana is destined to the lower realms. However, those who have bubbled up, who have found Buddhism, have better odds. All that said, “better odds,” when we compare with the regular “almost guaranteed failure” odds, is a net insignificance. That is why we should strive for Nibbāna while we have been given this rare chance.
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Bhikkhu Bodhi
THE DISCOURSE ON
THE ROOT OF EXISTENCE
p.39 -40
Herein, he is uninstructed, needs to be taught, because he possesses neither learning (Agarna) nor spiritual achievement (adhi- gama). For he who possesses neither the learning running counter to the activity of conceiving because he has neglected to study, question, and discriminate (he aggregates, elements, sense bases, truths, law of conditionality, and foundations of mindfulness, etc., nor spiritual achievements because he has failed to achieve what should be achieved by practice, is said to be “uninstructed” on account of his deficiency in learning and spiritual achievement. He is one who needs to be taught.
He is called a worldling for such reasons As that he generates a multitude of things, Because he is immersed in the herd,
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putthujjana is a word defining the worldly people not their kammic destiny. Look at the Dhammacakkapavattana sutta at the two extremes that should be avoided by one who has gone forth and the description of each. The putthujjana is a worldly person and chases sense pleasures. Ascetics sought pain as a way out of samsara as well and both were not beneficial. Anyone on these anariyo paths is not on the middle path that leads to Nibbana.
But this does not mean they are destined to lower realms. It all depends on their actions. What kamma they do in their worldly life. There are those who are going to better destinies and those going to worse destinies. There are many good people who have great compassion and do not harm themselves or others and are not Buddhists. You have to look at their kamma, whether their intentions are to do good or bad or neither, and then their actions. Kamma determines where they are reborn not worldliness.