Naraka (Sanskrit: नरक; Chinese: 地獄／奈落; pinyin: Dìyù/Nàiluò; Japanese: 地獄／奈落, romanized: Jigoku/Naraku) is a term in Buddhist cosmology usually referred to in English as "hell" (or "hell realm") or "purgatory". Another term used for the concept of hell in earlier writings is niraya (Pali and Sanskrit). In Cambodia, Naraka was part of Buddhist cosmology and indeed also a Khmer word (នរក; norok) for hell. The Narakas of Buddhism are closely related to Diyu, the hell in Chinese mythology. A naraka differs from the concept of hell in Christianity in two respects: firstly, beings are not sent to Naraka as the result of a divine judgment or punishment; secondly, the length of a being's stay in a naraka is not eternal, though it is usually incomprehensibly long. A being is born into naraka as a direct result of its accumulated actions (karma) and resides there for a finite period of time until that karma has achieved its full result. After its karma is used up, it will be reborn in one of the higher worlds as the result of karma that had not yet ripened. The eight hot naraka appear in Jātaka texts and form the basis of the hell system in Mahayana Buddhism. According to them, the hells are located deep under the southern continent of Jambudvīpa, denoting India. They are built one upon the other like stories, the principle being that the more severe kind of damnation is located under the previous one. There are differences in the conception of the naraka's height, breadth, length, depth, and distance, meaning that there is not a clear canonic system of naraka at this point of time besides their size.
Historical background Dating the idea of hell within Buddhist tradition proves to be difficult, since ideas were orally transmitted until about 100 BCE when the Pali canon was written down in Ceylon. However, the concept of hell played a significant role since the early stage of Buddhism, since it is closely connected to the concept of karma. Karma determines into which realm a soul is born. Good actions cause someone to be reborn in heaven or as a human on earth. Bad actions cause one to be reborn in "bad states" (duggati) like animals, hungry ghosts, and as a hell resident. There is barely dharma within these existences and a rebirth in a higher realm is very difficult. In the Kathāvatthu, one of the earliest Buddhist writings written around 250—100 BCE, a version of hell is fully developed, described, and discussed. It is probably one of the earliest religious works offering a presentation of hell imagery. It discusses related topics such as whether hell is the result of particular bad actions or the committed bad actions themselves. It further argues that hell is a state experienced in another life as the result of a bad action, connecting hell to the concept of the retribution for bad actions and compensation for good actions. The historical Buddha rejected the reliance upon deities in order to encourage individuals to take responsibility for their own morality. He and other buddhists encouraged this, especially in the laity that demanded a tangible goal, with the comprehensible symbolism of hell. Just as hell served as a symbol, heaven did as well and acted as a temporary imagining that one could progress beyond and achieve enlightenment. In contrast hell was utilised as a deterrent to actions that would create an opposition to enlightenment. If the understanding of these dates is correct then the Buddhist concept of hell predates the concept of hell in Mediterranean cultures, although these cultures communicated with each other over land and sea.
In Theravada Buddhism
Description of hell Bālapaṇḍita Sutta (MN 129), compares the results of the actions of a fool (bāla) and a wise person (paṇḍita). Here, the Buddha gives very explicit similes of physical torture in hell, including the punishment of Pañcavidhabandhana (the piercing of five hot iron stakes). Devadūta Sutta (MN 130), the most comprehensive source in the Sutta Piṭaka regarding the anatomy of hell. This sutta focuses on the interrogation process by King Yama (the God of Death) of beings who during their lives ignored the five "Divine Messengers" (a baby, an old person, a sick person, a punished prisoner, and a corpse)—namely the realities of birth, aging, illness, punishment, and death. After the interrogation, this sutta comprehensively details the sentencing of the Pañcavidhabandhana punishment (the piercing of five hot iron stakes) and the stages of torture within Mahāniraya ("Great Hell") along with its immediately adjacent areas. Kokāliya Sutta (SN 6.10; Snp 3.10; AN 10.89), the content differs slightly because the Buddha explains the lifespan (duration) in hell using names such as Ababa, Ahaha, Kumuda, Sogandhika, Uppala, Puṇḍarīka, and Paduma. In later developments, especially in the Mahāyāna tradition, these names of time durations are often interpreted as the "Cold Hells". Nimi Jātaka (Ja 541), contains a description resembling a "hell tour," telling of King Nimi who was invited by the deity Mātali to see firsthand various types of specific hellish tortures based on his bad karma.
In the Kathāvatthu of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, the concept of hell is systematically structured and debated. This text represents one of the earliest religious literatures to present a fully developed conception of hell. Within it, doctrinal debates regarding the realm of hell are discussed, such as whether the torments of hell are direct results of evil deeds or merely mental manifestations of the actions themselves. Through these debates, it is maintained that hell is a state of existence experienced in the subsequent life due to the accumulation of bad actions, thereby linking hell to the concept of consequences for bad actions and the fruits of good actions. The Niraya Vagga chapter ("Group of Verses on Hell") in the Dhammapada (Dhp 306-319), Khuddaka Nikāya also contains 14 verses about hell.
Causes of entering hell In addition to providing descriptions of the realms, the texts in the Sutta Piṭaka also definitively define the parameters of actions that cause beings to fall into hell. These primary causes include:
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