Five Destinations and Similes of Destination

Sāriputta, there are these five destinations.

What are the five?

Hell,

the animal realm,

the realm of afflicted spirits,

human realm,

and heavenly realm.

I understand hell, and the path and way leading to hell. And I also understand how one who has entered this path will, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.

I understand the animal realm, and the path and way leading to the animal realm. And I also understand how one who has entered this path will, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in the animal realm.

I understand the realm of afflicted spirits, and the path and way leading to the realm of afflicted spirits. And I also understand how one who has entered this path will, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in the realm of afflicted spirits.

I understand human realm, and the path and way leading to the human realm. And I also understand how one who has entered this path will, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear among human beings.

I understand the heavenly realm, and the path and way leading to the heavenly realm. And I also understand how one who has entered this path will, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly realm.

I understand Nibbāna (Enlightenment), and the path and way leading to Nibbāna (Enlightenment). And I also understand how one who has entered this path will, by realizing for himself with direct knowledge (experience), here and now enter upon and reside in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are taintless with the destruction of the taints.

A Simile for Seeing Destinations

Suppose there were a charcoal pit deeper than a man’s height full of glowing coals without flame or smoke; and then a man scorched and exhausted by hot weather, weary, parched, and thirsty, came by a path going in one way only and directed to that same charcoal pit. Then a man with good sight on seeing him would say: ‘This person so behaves, so conducts himself, has taken such a path, that he will come to this same charcoal pit’; and then later on he sees that he has fallen into that charcoal pit and is experiencing exclusively painful, agonizing, piercing feelings.

So too, by encompassing mind with mind I understand a certain person thus: ‘This person so behaves, so conducts himself, has taken such a path that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he will reappear in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.’ And then later on, with the divine eye (third eye), which is purified and surpasses the human, I see that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he has reappeared in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell, and is experiencing exclusively painful, agonizing, piercing feelings.

Suppose there were a cesspit deeper than a man’s height full of filth; and then a man scorched and exhausted by hot weather, weary, parched, and thirsty, came by a path going in one way only and directed to that same cesspit. Then a man with good sight on seeing him would say: ‘This person so behaves, so conducts himself, has taken such a path, that he will come to this same cesspit’; and then later on he sees that he has fallen into that cesspit and is experiencing exclusively painful, agonizing, piercing feelings.

So too, by encompassing mind with mind I understand a certain person thus: ‘This person so behaves, so conducts himself, has taken such a path that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he will reappear in the animal realm.’ And then later on, with the divine eye (third eye), which is purified and surpasses the human, I see that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he has reappeared in the animal realm and is experiencing exclusively painful, agonizing, piercing feelings.

Suppose there were a tree growing on uneven ground with scanty foliage casting a dappled shadow; and then a man scorched and exhausted by hot weather, weary, parched, and thirsty, came by a path going in one way only and directed to that same tree. Then a man with good sight on seeing him would say: ‘This person so behaves, so conducts himself, has taken such a path, that he will come to this same tree’; and then later on he sees that he is sitting or lying in the shade of that tree experiencing much painful feelings.

So too, by encompassing mind with mind I understand a certain person thus: ‘This person so behaves, so conducts himself, has taken such a path that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he will reappear in the realm of afflicted spirits.’ And then later on, with the divine eye (third eye), which is purified and surpasses the human, I see that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he has reappeared in the realm of afflicted spirits and is experiencing much painful feelings.

Suppose there were a tree growing on even ground with thick foliage casting a deep shade; and then a man scorched and exhausted by hot weather, weary, parched, and thirsty, came by a path going in one way only and directed to that same tree. Then a man with good sight on seeing him would say: ‘This person so behaves, so conducts himself, has taken such a path, that he will come to this same tree’; and then later on he sees that he is sitting or lying in the shade of that tree experiencing much pleasant feelings.

So too, by encompassing mind with mind I understand a certain person thus: ‘This person so behaves, so conducts himself, has taken such a path that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he will reappear among human beings.’ And then later on, with the divine eye (third eye), which is purified and surpasses the human, I see that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he has reappeared among human beings and is experiencing much pleasant feelings.

Suppose there were a mansion, and it had an upper chamber plastered within and without, shut off, secured by bars, with shuttered windows, and in it there was a couch spread with rugs, blankets, and sheets, with a deerskin coverlet, with a canopy as well as crimson pillows for both [head and feet]; and then a man scorched and exhausted by hot weather, weary, parched, and thirsty, came by a path going in one way only and directed to that same mansion. Then a man with good sight on seeing him would say: ‘This person so behaves, so conducts himself, has taken such a path, that he will come to this same mansion’; and then later on he sees that he is sitting or lying in that upper chamber in that mansion experiencing exclusively pleasant feelings.

So too, by encompassing mind with mind I understand a certain person thus: ‘This person so behaves, so conducts himself, has taken such a path that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he will reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly world.’ And then later on, with the divine eye (third eye), which is purified and surpasses the human, I see that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he has reappeared in a happy destination, in the heavenly world, and is experiencing exclusively pleasant feelings.

Suppose there were a pond with clean, agreeable, cool water, transparent, with smooth banks, delightful, and nearby a dense wood; and then a man scorched and exhausted by hot weather, weary, parched, and thirsty, came by a path going in one way only towards that same pond. Then a man with good sight on seeing him would say: ‘This person so behaves, so conducts himself, has taken such a path, that he will come to this same pond’; and then later on he sees that he has plunged into the pond, bathed, drunk, and relieved all his distress, fatigue, and fever and has come out again and is sitting or lying in the wood experiencing exclusively pleasant feelings.

So too, by encompassing mind with mind I understand a certain person thus: ‘This person so behaves, so conducts himself, has taken such a path that by realizing for himself with direct knowledge (experience), he here and now will enter upon and reside in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are taintless with the destruction of the taints.’ And then later on I see that by realizing for himself with direct knowledge (experience), he here and now enters upon and resides in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are taintless with the destruction of the taints, and is experiencing exclusively pleasant feelings.

(Reference: MN 2)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares basic details on The Five Realms and some basic details of the experiences in those realms.

The Buddha explains to his close Student Sāriputta that he can observe the rebirth of a being based on their conduct in this life. This is a quality of mind experienced by a Perfectly Enlightened One - a Buddha.