According to Buddhism, the afterlife is determined by the quality of karma one accumulates in life. Karma is defined as volitional action. Buddhists (except for those following the Theravada tradition) believe that after death there is a transitional or intermediate state of existence before the next birth.

The Three Main Stages of Afterlife

In his book,The Zen of Living and Dying, Philip Kapleau, one of the founding fathers of Zen in America, says that the transitional period between death and the next birth consists of three main stages.

In the initial stage (marked by an intense feeling of freedom), there is still a tenuous connection to the body, enabling the deceased to be aware of the words, actions and even thoughts of the loved ones he has left behind.

In the second stage, the individual has all kinds of sensory experiences. This phase lasts longer than the first one.

Finally, in the third stage, the individual is drawn to his next birth in accordance with his karma.

The Duration of the After-Death Stages

Depending on the various Buddhist traditions, the transitional or intermediate phase can last for 1 day, 3 days, 21 days, 49 days, 100 days or 7 years. According to the Pali (Theravada) tradition of early Buddhism, there is no intermediate phase between births.

The Buddhist View of Heaven and Hell

In all forms of Buddhism, heaven and hell are divided into several levels. None of these are permanent residences for the soul.

One may be born as a god (deva) in heaven which has a certain number of levels according to the different Buddhist traditions. However, once the deva’s virtue gathered from good karma runs out, he will be reborn in a realm which is lower.

The following are the various realms beginning from the lowest level:

1. Hell – For those who have committed evil deeds such as murder of parents, an arhat, or disturbed the harmony of the sangha, and not repented for their actions
2. Hungry Ghosts – Inhabited by those with insatiable desires for food, sex, fame and wealth
3. Animal – Those born in this realm are guilty of having killed animals or committing evil deeds. If a man kills a dog, he can be reborn as one.
4. Asura – These are war-like beings with a lust for power. Like the devas, they enjoy comforts, and also have benevolent thoughts, but are plagued by anger and pride.
5. Human – Being born as human is considered most fortunate by Buddhists as only in the human body can one attain enlightenment. Therefore, the human realm is superior to the realm of devas. One must adhere to the Five Precepts of Buddhism to be born as human.
6. Deva – Devas are benevolent and wise. But they are too proud of their merits. They can be born in any of the three primary heavenly realms: the Desire Realm, Form Realm or the Formless Realm. All their desires are fulfilled in these realms, whether they are material or spiritual.

Nirvana

The state of Nirvana is beyond all the levels described above. Only one who has attained this state is completely free from all craving and delusion. He is free from the wheel of life, death and rebirth. This is why the Buddhist aim is nirvana.

In essence, the quality of afterlife depends on the karma of an individual. He may be reborn as a hungry ghost, animal, asura, human or deva and suffer or be rewarded accordingly, but none of these existences are permanent. His karma will determine whether he will progress or regress. The ultimate goal of the Buddhist is the state of nirvana which frees one from the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth.