When I think of the lower realms, I'm tetanized. What to do?

General Theravada topics
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Hi,

When I think of the worlds of infernal beings, ghosts and animals, I’m overcome with fear, because their suffering is immeasurable, and becoming a sotapanna seems to be extremely hard, even for a devout Buddhist. There are so many traps a Buddhist practitioner can fall into, so many obstacles, so many difficulties, so much contradictory and misleading information, and so much work.

I’m very afraid that I won’t be able to become a Noble, and so I’m afraid that I’ll end up being eaten away, destroyed, consumed and demolished by extreme suffering.

This strong fear strengthens my will to be a monk, but at the same time, I feel that this fear has a very unhealthy side, a darkening aversion to the mind.

But I remember that in the suttas, there were moments when great monks like Ven. Ananda and others, were in difficult times (Ven. Ananda mourned the Buddha’s death and seemed depressed and doubtful about his own capacity for enlightenment; another monk who was ill could no longer achieve good concentration, and was afraid of regressing). And the Buddha was encouraging to these monks.

What do you think I should do?

Thanks in advance,

May all beings practice without fail.

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if you have faith in the Buddha you cannot fall in lower worlds. Read:

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn55/sn55.024.wlsh.html

although one should observe precepts to sustain faith. On the contrary it sounds very difficult.

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Zerotime cited a great sutta. Study the last section.
You have confidence in the Orthodox Theravada and that is already a huge step in the right direction.
Basically carry on learning and sooner or later you will understand Dhamma enough and it all falls into place and the precious “I” is seen as a delusion. Then fearlessness arises naturally, no self who could stop it arising.

Anatta should be the touchstone that guides our study of the Dhamma: it cuts through all the dilemmas that plague the earnest seeker. Even if there is fear that can be seen immediately as simply a conditioned phenomena, just as much as any other state.
And we need to learn to face fear, doubt, anger and all the other unwholesome realities not fit for polite society. Once fear as seen as it really as- as simply a mental state that arises and passes away - then it loses its hold and becomes instead an interesting mental state, a suitable object for satipatthana. In fact fear is an object that really hammers home the truth of anatta, no one wants it, it arises unbidden. It shows the uncontrollability of phenomena.

On the other hand trying hard to have understanding doesn’t work, that is subtle attachment wanting some result that can be held up as proof. Patience is needed.
So take heart, all of us have gone or will go through these same issues.

.

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Also we should not neglect the parami, they go hand in hand with developing understanding.
The Perfections
Leading to Enlightenment
by Sujin Boriharnwanaket
Translated by Nina van Gorkom

the Perfections (abhidhamma.org)

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Dear friend …

When I read your post it’s feel like u have some ideas like abrahmic religion. In which only if u believe in god u r saved…

See …there are stories of people who just gave once in life a donation to monks and born in good condition…

And there is stories
Where queen Malika born in lower place just for six days …king Ashoka born as snake…

What I want to say is…
Dhamma is like parasitic seed …once it fall in our life it only grows… may be to become sotapana is hard. But to born next life as a human or God is not that hard. And at the time of death if u observe Vipassana… Vipassana will become your bhavanga… and it will lead to you nibbana or magga in that vary next life .

Devadattaa is now in hell …but after completing his punishment he is going to become pacchek buddhav . Becouse damma is like parasitic seed …it do not vanish… where it get little much ground and water it only grows and grows…it do not vanish…

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Thank you so much for your messages, they reassured me, gave me courage and encouraged me to practice!

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The best thing to do when confronted with the troubles of the lower realms is use this as a dhamma urgency and practice and also make merit.

The Buddha spoke how rare the human birth was everyday.
There was a reason for that. My educated guess:

  • It was true
  • It would give motivation for practice and escape.
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Good examples.
I know the story of Malika, a devotee of the Buddha - she was reborn in hell, but only stayed seven days and then was reborn in the deva world.
Yes Devadatta is said to become a pacekka Buddha in the future.

But I don`t know about King Asoka reborn as a snake?https://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/ay/asoka.htm

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I also found MN 22 interesting:

“The Dhamma thus well-proclaimed by me is clear, open, evident, stripped of rags. In the Dhamma thus well-proclaimed by me—clear, open, evident, stripped of rags—there is for those monks who are arahants—whose effluents are ended, who have reached fulfillment, done the task, laid down the burden, attained the true goal, totally destroyed the fetter of becoming, and who are released through right gnosis—no (future) cycle for manifestation. This is how the Dhamma well-proclaimed by me is clear, open, evident, stripped of rags.18

“In the Dhamma thus well-proclaimed by me—clear, open, evident, stripped of rags—those monks who have abandoned the five lower fetters are all due to arise spontaneously (in the Pure Abodes), there to be totally unbound, never again to return from that world. This is how the Dhamma well-proclaimed by me is clear, open, evident, stripped of rags.

“In the Dhamma thus well-proclaimed by me—clear, open, evident, stripped of rags—those monks who have abandoned (the first) three fetters, with the attenuation of passion, aversion, & delusion, are all once-returners who, on returning only one more time to this world, will make an ending to stress. This is how the Dhamma well-proclaimed by me is clear, open, evident, stripped of rags.

“In the Dhamma thus well-proclaimed by me—clear, open, evident, stripped of rags—those monks who have abandoned (the first) three fetters, are all stream-winners, certain, never again destined for the lower realms, headed for self-awakening. This is how the Dhamma well-proclaimed by me is clear, open, evident, stripped of rags.

“In the Dhamma thus well-proclaimed by me—clear, open, evident, stripped of rags—those monks who are Dhamma-followers and conviction-followers19 are all headed for self-awakening. This is how the Dhamma well-proclaimed by me is clear, open, evident, stripped of rags.

“In the Dhamma thus well-proclaimed by me—clear, open, evident, stripped of rags—those monks who have a (sufficient) measure of conviction in me, a (sufficient) measure of love for me, are all headed for heaven. This is how the Dhamma well-proclaimed by me is clear, open, evident, stripped of rags.”

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I read it on internet।।I will share if i found it again

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Also this:

Atthasalini, Introduction:

Now Sariputta, having learnt the Law taught (by the Teacher) preached it to five hundred bhikkhus, his own pupils. The following is their connection with the past. They, so it is said, were born as bats in the time of the Buddha Kassapa. Hanging from (the roof of) a cave, they heard the voice of two bhikkhus reciting the Abhidhamma and grasped a general idea [sare nimitta.m gahetvaa] that it was the Law, being unable to distinguish the good from the bad. They passed away with only the general idea suggested by the voice [sare nimittagaahamattaken] and were reborn
in the world of gods. They dwelt there during a whole interval between the
death of one Buddha and the appearance of the next, and in the time of this Buddha were reborn as men.

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Anguttara nikaya, book of ones.

313 (8 ) ’
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even a single thing [32] on account of
which, with the breakup of the body, after death, beings are
reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world, so much
as right view. Possessing right view , with the breakup of the
body, after death, beings are reborn in a good destination, in a
heavenly world.”

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Consciousness
Viññāṇa Sutta (SN 25:3)

Near Sāvatthī. “Monks, eye-consciousness is inconstant, changeable, alterable. Ear-consciousness.… Nose-consciousness.… Tongue-consciousness.… Body-consciousness.… Intellect-consciousness is inconstant, changeable, alterable.…

“One who has conviction & belief that these phenomena are this way is called a faith-follower: one who has entered the orderliness of rightness, entered the plane of people of integrity, transcended the plane of the run-of-the-mill. He is incapable of doing any deed by which he might be reborn in hell, in the animal womb, or in the realm of hungry ghosts. He is incapable of passing away until he has realized the fruit of stream-entry.

“One who, after pondering with a modicum of discernment, has accepted that these phenomena are this way is called a Dhamma-follower: one who has entered the orderliness of rightness, entered the plane of people of integrity, transcended the plane of the run-of-the-mill. He is incapable of doing any deed by which he might be reborn in hell, in the animal womb, or in the realm of hungry ghosts. He is incapable of passing away until he has realized the fruit of stream-entry.

“One who knows and sees that these phenomena are this way is called a stream-enterer, steadfast, never again destined for states of woe, headed for self-awakening.”

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