Rs.195.00
Heaven and Hell in Buddhist Perspective
Publisher : Winsome Books India (30 August 2005); Winsome Book India
Language : English
Paperback : 150 pages
ISBN-10 : 8188043257
ISBN-13 : 978-8188043255
Reading age : 7 years and up
Item Weight : 458 g
Dimensions : 13.5 x 1.3 x 21.3 cm
About the Author Bimala Charan Law
Bimala Charan Law (1892–1969) was a renowned Indian scholar historian and expert in Buddhist studies. Educated in Calcutta she dedicated his life to the study of ancient Indian history religion and culture with a particular focus on Buddhism. His scholarly contributions are considered foundational in the field of Indology and Buddhist philosophy.
Among his most notable works is Heaven and Hell in Buddhist Perspective in which he explores Buddhist concepts of the afterlife including the nature of heavenly and hellish realms as depicted in early Pāli texts. Through detailed analysis Law examined how karma governs rebirth and how ethical conduct influences one s fate after death. His writing stands out for its clarity use of canonical sources and comparative analysis with Brahmanical ideas of the time.
The book provides detailed descriptions of various heavenly realms such as the Cātummahārājika Tāvatiṃsa Yāma Tusita Nimmānarati and Paranimmita-vasavatti heavens along with the Brahmalokas which are inhabited by beings who have attained a higher level of meditative purity. These heavens are not places of eternal rest but temporary abodes earned through ethical behavior generosity and meditation.
In contrast the hell realms—including the eight great hells (mahā-niraya) and various minor hells—are depicted in vivid detail. These realms are associated with intense suffering born from serious negative karma such as killing lying or malicious speech. Law draws from Pāli texts like the Devadūta Sutta Saṃyutta Nikāya and Vimānavatthu to illustrate how these realms serve both a doctrinal and moral purpose: to reinforce ethical behavior through karmic accountability.
What distinguishes Law’s work is his scholarly rigor combined with accessible language. He not only catalogues the features of these cosmological realms but also explains their function within the Buddhist soteriological framework. Heaven and hell are not ends in themselves but stages on the path toward liberation (nibbāna). The ultimate goal in Buddhism is not heavenly rebirth but the cessation of suffering altogether.