Four evil paths
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four evil paths
四悪趣・四悪道 (Jpn shi-akushu or shi-akudo )
The four realms of hell, hungry spirits, animals, and asuras. Considered the lowest four of the Ten Worlds, they are called evil because they are characterized by suffering. Nevertheless, the world of asuras is counted as one of the three good paths, because those in it possess a will that is not entirely controlled by the environment. Yet those who remain in this state ultimately do harm to themselves through their own arrogance. Traditionally, the four evil paths were considered the physical realms into which people fall because of the evil karma they had created by the commission of evil acts.
