also: りくどう
the six realms
Buddhist term for the six realms of rebirth: Deva, Asura, Human, Animal, Hungry Ghost, and Naraka realms. Often encountered in discussions of samsara and Buddhist cosmology.
In Buddhism, it is believed that living beings transmigrate through the six realms.
The lowest of the six realms is the Naraka realm.
six coins placed in a coffin
four kinds of birth in the six destinies
endless cycle of rebirth in the six realms
Standard kanji spelling; reading ろくどう is the most common.
Alternate reading; less common than ろくどう.
From Middle Chinese 六道 (MC ljuwk dawX), meaning 'six paths' or 'six realms'. The term is a direct Buddhist loanword, with the kanji 六 (six) and 道 (path, realm).