The 31 Planes of Existence is written by Ven. Suvanno Mahathera. During their protracted wanderings through samsara, beings can be reincarnated into one of the 31 unique "planes" or "realms" of existence described in the suttas. They range from the most ominous, bleak, and painful hell realms to the most elegant, refined, and exquisitely joyful heavenly regions. Every domain is ephemeral; the Buddha's cosmology teaches that there is no eternal heaven or hell. Beings are born into a specific realm based on their previous kamma as well as their kamma at the time of death.
