Few in Hell to Be Reborn Among Human Beings or Heavenly Beings

What do you think, Monks, which is more: the little bit of soil in my fingernail or the great earth?

‘Venerable Sir, the great earth is more. The little bit of soil that The Perfectly Enlightened One has taken up in his fingernail is insignificant. Compared to the great earth, the little bit of soil that The Perfectly Enlightened One has taken up in his fingernail is not calculable, does not bear comparison, does not amount even to a fraction.’

So too, Monks, those beings are few who, when they pass away from hell, are reborn among human beings. But those beings are more numerous who, when they pass away from hell, are reborn in hell … in the animal realm … in the realm of afflicted spirits .…

For what reason?

Because, Monks, they have not seen The Four Noble Truths.

What four?

The noble truth of discontentedness, the noble truth of the cause of discontentedness, the noble truth of the elimination of discontentedness, the noble truth of the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness.

Therefore, Monks, an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is discontentedness’; an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the cause of discontentedness’; an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the elimination of discontentedness’; an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness.’

What do you think, Monks, which is more: the little bit of soil in my fingernail or the great earth?

‘Venerable Sir, the great earth is more. The little bit of soil that The Perfectly Enlightened One has taken up in his fingernail is insignificant. Compared to the great earth, the little bit of soil that The Perfectly Enlightened One has taken up in his fingernail is not calculable, does not bear comparison, does not amount even to a fraction.’

So too, Monks, those beings are few who, when they pass away from hell, are reborn among the heavenly beings. But those beings are more numerous who, when they pass away from hell, are reborn in hell … in the animal realm … in the realm of afflicted spirits …

For what reason?

Because, Monks, they have not seen The Four Noble Truths.

What four?

The noble truth of discontentedness, the noble truth of the cause of discontentedness, the noble truth of the elimination of discontentedness, the noble truth of the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness.

Therefore, Monks, an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is discontentedness’; an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the cause of discontentedness’; an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the elimination of discontentedness’; an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness.’

(Reference: SN 56.114)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how there are few beings who die in the realm of hell who are reborn among human beings. Instead, they are reborn into hell, the animal realm, or the realm of afflicted spirits.

He provides the reason that beings have not seen The Four Noble Truths which is what causes them to be reborn in hell and to not be reborn into the human realm continuing to be exist in the lower realms.

It is The Four Noble Truths that provide the breakthrough for beings to understand the problem and solution to the unEnlightened mind. Beings in hell do not have the ability to learn and practice these Teachings as they are in such agony that they are experiencing exclusively painful feelings being unable to focus on active learning, reflection, and practice of these Teachings to escape The Cycle of Rebirth.