How to Cultivate to Attain a Human Rebirth and Avoid Falling into the Three Evil Realms

Attaining the fruit of severing self-view and realizing the mind's nature can exempt one from the karma of the three evil destinies, aligning with human conditions, ensuring rebirth in the human realm in future lives without falling into the three evil paths. Buddhist scriptures state that those who fully uphold the Five Precepts can attain human rebirth. If one can perfectly observe the Five Precepts without transgression and has no major evil karma manifesting at the end of life, human rebirth is also guaranteed. But what constitutes truly upholding the Five Precepts without violation? The transformation of one's innate nature is crucial, the elimination of karmic obstacles is crucial, the perfection of merit and virtue is crucial, the subjugation of afflictions is crucial, the wisdom of emptiness is crucial, and the attainment of meditative concentration is crucial. Śīla (precepts), samādhi (meditation), and prajñā (wisdom) not only subjugate and eradicate afflictions, transform one's nature, and eliminate karmic obstacles, but also increase merit and virtue. These factors combined ensure attainment of human rebirth.

Beyond this, even without realizing the Way, one can attain human rebirth solely through merit, virtue, and a nature aligned with humanity. According to Chan (Zen) historical records, some practitioners in the past, though not having realized the Way, possessed meditative concentration. At the end of life, through the power of samādhi and merit, they could directly take rebirth in a layperson's household. Those with greater merit could even "seize the womb," being born without completing the full gestation period. Those with deeper samādhi could abandon their life at will; even without attaining the Path of Seeing, they could directly take rebirth in the human or heavenly realms. After attaining the Path of Seeing, rebirth in the human or heavenly realms becomes even more assured, exempting them from the suffering of the three evil destinies.

As long as one strictly upholds the precepts without violation, attains the access concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) or the first dhyāna, is in the stage of Chan investigation, and possesses good wisdom, the practice of śīla, samādhi, and prajñā generates great merit and virtue, with very light karmic obstacles. Those with heavy karmic obstacles cannot reach this stage, nor can those with little merit and virtue. This ensures rebirth in the human realm, avoiding the three evil destinies. What stage is this? It is the stage immediately preceding the Path of Seeing, equivalent to the Sotāpatti-magga (Path of Stream-entry), where practice approaches the stage of the first fruit (Sotāpanna). The conditions for attaining human rebirth are merit and virtue matching the human realm, virtue, innate nature, and wisdom power also matching humanity, with no obstruction from major karmic obstacles, and the elimination or non-manifestation of the seeds of major evil karma. Only then can one be reborn as a human.

Whether there are individuals in our group currently at the Mahāyāna Chan investigation stage is unknown. However, there are those at the stage of access concentration contemplating to sever self-view; these individuals are approximately at the Sotāpatti-magga stage. This stage can guarantee rebirth as a human in future lives, continuing the practice of this life. The practice can be considered continuous, uninterrupted by the three evil destinies.

For example, within our group, Weiru possesses samādhi, the contemplation of skeletons, and is complete in śīla, samādhi, and prajñā. Major karmic obstacles are eliminated and do not manifest, her innate nature has transformed, and afflictions due to innate hindrances are slight. In future lives, she can avoid the three evil destinies and be reborn as a human to continue her practice. Baixuexiang is even more so; her meditative concentration and wisdom of Śrāvaka emptiness are deep, she is complete in śīla, samādhi, and prajñā, her innate nature is purely good, not corresponding to the three evil destinies, making it impossible for her to undergo retribution in the three evil destinies in future lives. Also, Lantian in the group practices the Four Foundations of Mindfulness contemplation exceptionally well, possesses a kind and virtuous nature, has samādhi, deep wisdom, and is complete in śīla, samādhi, and prajñā. There are no major karmic obstacles obstructing him, his merit and virtue are profound, he has the Bodhisattva disposition, and his innate nature does not correspond to the three evil destinies. In future lives, he can also avoid the suffering of the three evil destinies, continuing to deeply plant wholesome roots and establish the foundation of virtue among humans. This virtue (德, dé) is crucial; it is the watershed between the three wholesome destinies and the three evil destinies. A person without virtue cannot become a human. With these exemplary practitioners as models, everyone should have confidence in their own practice. As long as one practices along the correct path, attaining the Sotāpatti-magga is not too difficult, and the probability of attaining human rebirth in future lives remains very high.