If one doesn’t make it to the permanent level, when one is in the deva or brahma realm, does one have the opportunity to continue on practising and attaining to the permanent level?

Question:  If one doesn’t make it to the permanent level, when one is in the deva or brahma realm, does one have the opportunity to continue on practising and attaining to the permanent level? 

Than Ajahn:  If you are in the deva realm, it’s like you’re on vacation. You don’t feel like working. You want to enjoy your vacation. Most devas don’t practice except for those who have the preferences to practise. So, for devas who have the preference to practice, even though they are on holiday, they’ll still prefer to do some work. They might be able to do it. If they can connect to the arahants or the Buddhas, they can listen to Dhamma talks. 

The Buddha gave Dhamma talks every night to the devas. He spent the whole 3 months period teaching his mother who was a deva until she became a Sotāpanna. So, if you are born in the deva realm, you can still listen to Dhamma talks and practice Dhamma, but you must have the preferences to do it. If you don’t have the preferences to practice, then your preference is to enjoy yourself. You won’t be practising. 

If you enter the brahma realm using mindfulness, you are not able to do any practice. Because when you are in jhana, your mind becomes completely still. You don’t do any Dhamma practice. But if you enter the brahma realm by using vipassanā – become an anāgāmi, then you’ll continue on with your practice. 

Question:  When I heard it, for me, it’s terrifying because there are so many conditions to fulfill in order to have the opportunity to practice. So, being born as a human is very fortunate. I couldn’t believe that one could generate so much merits, but he/she is still in the state where he or she can’t practice. 

Than Ajahn:  Well, it’s not a bad state to be in, because it’s the highest state of happiness that an ordinary being can attain to. Like the two teachers of the Buddha, after the Buddha became enlightened, he wanted to help his teachers. He found them in the brahma realm, in the formless state of existence. He couldn’t connect with them because they were in the state of bliss. They didn’t want to be bothered by anybody. So, it isn’t a bad state to be in. The only bad thing is that these beings are not able to practice (when they are in the brahma realm).

Question:  But those states are not permanent. And then, what is next?

Than Ajahn:  You’ll come back and be reborn as a human being when your jhāna diminished. When your concentration has diminished, you’ll come back and be born as a human being. You’ll start practising again. If you used to be able to enter jhāna, when you come back, then you’ll want to practise jhāna. You don’t want to do any other things because that’s your preference.

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto