<p>Ideally, you're a healthy human during a Buddha's dispensation so you can understand the teachings and practice them. Devas can still practice Dhamma but their world is so pleasurable that they're less likely to.</p>
<p>When it's not the Buddha's dispensation, being a deva seems like the better choice. Much less pain and much more pleasure than a human. And since the Dhamma is lost, there's no point in being a human.</p>
<p>But a better goal is to reach a level of awakening so you'll eventually escape samsara. Periods where the Dhamma are revealed are rare.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-03T04:32:28.167Z
Essentially if I am reborn as a deva I am still able to escape samsara but its so pleasurable that I forget to achieve nirvana?
Orionixe
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-03T16:59:38.220Z
@Orionixe Basically, devas have too much fun and don't want to practice. They could practice and in the suttas you see that some do. The human realm has more pain so the need to practice is more obvious.
triplej
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-08T05:01:19.437Z
I see, speaking of wasn't there a school of Buddhism who's main goal was to get reborn as a deva?
Orionixe
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-08T16:18:25.307Z
@Orionixe There's Pure Land Buddhism. There goal is to be reborn into a pure land of Buddha Amitābha and from there get Enlightened. They believe practice in the pure land is easier than practice on Earth.
triplej
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-09T04:29:14.147Z
Do they believe they are reborn as a deva or just live among them?
Orionixe
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-02T16:32:22.770Z
2023-03-02T16:32:22.770Z
triplej
<p>Remember the life of the Buddha himself: he was locked in a palace surrounded by obscene luxury and didn't think of Dharma. Even with the merit he accumulated through countless lives, his awakening only started when he escaped the palace and saw death and suffering.</p>
<p>The entire realm of the devas is like that palace, largely free of suffering. Commonly, the only kind of dukha they encounter is knowing their life of pleasure is about to end, and when that happens, they don't have much time to practice Dharma. That's why you get the most opportunities to practice as a human. But as long as you're not in the lower realms, you have the capacity to practice and thus can achieve the fruit regardless if you're a human, asura or deva.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-06T14:20:01.120Z
2023-03-06T14:20:01.120Z
user53
<p>From <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/fuang/itself.html#med" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Awareness Itself</a> by Ven. Ajaan Fuang Jotiko, compiled by his disciple Ven. Thanissaro:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A group of laypeople who had studied the Abhidhamma together came to
Ajaan Fuang to try out his version of mental training, but when he
told them to sit, close their eyes, and focus on the breath, they
immediately backed off, saying that they didn't want to practice
concentration, for fear that they'd get stuck on jhana and end up
being reborn in the Brahma worlds. He responded, &quot;What's there to be
afraid of? Even non-returners are reborn in the Brahma worlds. At any
rate, being reborn in the Brahma worlds is better than being reborn as
a dog.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-02T10:57:36.820Z
2023-03-02T10:57:36.820Z
ruben2020
<p>Is being reborn as a deva or human better? Can you achieve nirvana if you are reborn as a deva as well as a human?</p>

<philosophy><rebirth><nirvana><samsara><deva>
Is it believed to be better to be reborn as a deva or as a human again? Which should I be trying to be reborn as?
# Is it believed to be better to be reborn as a deva or as a human again? Which should I be trying to be reborn as?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-03-02)

Is being reborn as a deva or human better? Can you achieve nirvana if you are reborn as a deva as well as a human?

**Tags:** philosophy, rebirth, nirvana, samsara, deva


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-03-02. Score: 2

Ideally, you're a healthy human during a Buddha's dispensation so you can understand the teachings and practice them. Devas can still practice Dhamma but their world is so pleasurable that they're less likely to.

When it's not the Buddha's dispensation, being a deva seems like the better choice. Much less pain and much more pleasure than a human. And since the Dhamma is lost, there's no point in being a human.

But a better goal is to reach a level of awakening so you'll eventually escape samsara. Periods where the Dhamma are revealed are rare.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Essentially if I am reborn as a deva I am still able to escape samsara but its so pleasurable that I forget to achieve nirvana?  
> **username_1**: @username_0 Basically, devas have too much fun and don't want to practice. They could practice and in the suttas you see that some do. The human realm has more pain so the need to practice is more obvious.  
> **username_0**: I see, speaking of wasn't there a school of Buddhism who's main goal was to get reborn as a deva?  
> **username_1**: @username_0 There's Pure Land Buddhism. There goal is to be reborn into a pure land of Buddha Amitābha and from there get Enlightened. They believe practice in the pure land is easier than practice on Earth.  
> **username_0**: Do they believe they are reborn as a deva or just live among them?  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2023-03-06. Score: 2

Remember the life of the Buddha himself: he was locked in a palace surrounded by obscene luxury and didn't think of Dharma. Even with the merit he accumulated through countless lives, his awakening only started when he escaped the palace and saw death and suffering.

The entire realm of the devas is like that palace, largely free of suffering. Commonly, the only kind of dukha they encounter is knowing their life of pleasure is about to end, and when that happens, they don't have much time to practice Dharma. That's why you get the most opportunities to practice as a human. But as long as you're not in the lower realms, you have the capacity to practice and thus can achieve the fruit regardless if you're a human, asura or deva.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2023-03-02. Score: 1

From [Awareness Itself](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/fuang/itself.html#med) by Ven. Ajaan Fuang Jotiko, compiled by his disciple Ven. Thanissaro:

> A group of laypeople who had studied the Abhidhamma together came to
> Ajaan Fuang to try out his version of mental training, but when he
> told them to sit, close their eyes, and focus on the breath, they
> immediately backed off, saying that they didn't want to practice
> concentration, for fear that they'd get stuck on jhana and end up
> being reborn in the Brahma worlds. He responded, "What's there to be
> afraid of? Even non-returners are reborn in the Brahma worlds. At any
> rate, being reborn in the Brahma worlds is better than being reborn as
> a dog."


---

