Heavens! Life goes on and on

QUESTION Does Buddhism have a heaven and hell? One important concept of Buddhism is ‘ transmigration’, commonly known in the West as ‘reincarnation’, which holds that all living things die and are reborn. Rebirth in your next life is based on behaviour in your past one.

Among Buddhists, the cycle of life and death, or Samsara, means living beings are born into one of six states of existence: three good and three evil.

All are destined to death and rebirth in a recurring cycle over countless ages, unless they can break free from desire and attain enlightenment, nirvana.

On death, all are reborn into a lower or a higher realm, depending on their actions while alive. This involves the concept of karma, and karmic retribution.

Those with good karma might be reborn in the Heavenly Realms, living a blessed existence as a deva, a holy spirit that exists for 30,000 years of pleasure before entering the rebirth cycle again.

next is the realm of Manusyagati — the human realm containing beings who are good and evil; enlightenment is within their grasp, yet most are blinded and consumed by their desires.

Third is Asura, a realm inhabited by demi-gods, characterised by anger, jealousy and war.

Fourth is Tiryagyoni-gati, the realm of animals, a rebirth caused by stupidity and servitude.

Fifth is Preta-gati, the realm of hungry ghosts, a rebirth based on strong possessiveness and desires cultivated in former lives. Ghosts are always hungry and thirsty, but can never satisfy these needs.

Finally, those with really poor karma are reborn in Naraka-gati, the realm of hell, the lowest and worst domain, racked by torture and characterised by aggression.

The Buddhist view of hell differs from that of most monotheistic religions, in that those punished aren’t trapped permanently.

Naraka has numerous levels full of ironic punishments to fit the crime. Murderers are killed and rekilled for millennia.

Adulterers climb a tree of metal thorns while giant, fiery, razortoothed women devour them.

People who kill animals go to a slaughterhouse and are crushed.

Jen Nime, London W13. QUESTION In Britain, we call the pound a quid; Americans call the dollar a buck. Is there a slang for the euro? FuRTHeR to the earlier answer, I recall in the days of the Iron Lady some used to refer to the euro as a ‘Thatcher’ as it was thick, brassy and thought it was a sovereign.

Nobby Clark, Lowestoft, Suffolk.