Kāma-loka
Kama Lokas or The Worlds of passions and desires
The worlds of desire are six excluding ours. They are also called rupa-lokas, which means the worlds of names and forms. Beings with names, shapes, sizes, forms, and movements populate and define these worlds.
Since they are driven by desires, they are caught in the cycle of births and deaths.
Hence, the name kama lokas. They are also called deva-lokas because gods with fixed lifespan of thousands of years reside in these worlds.
The worlds of desires (kama-lokas) are attained by the merit of good deeds.
The more virtuous a person is, the higher the world he attains. For monk seeking Nirvana, these worlds are a great distraction.
While in the higher worlds, one may experience pleasure and happiness in greater intensity, beings in these worlds are still subject to desires, emotions, negativity, karma and their consequences. Hence, they are not to be sought. These worlds are described below:
The first world: At the lowest of the hierarchy in this sphere is the world of humans (manusa-loka) consisting of four great continents and Uttarakuru. Beings in the world also have no fixed life-span.
The second world: This is the world of The Four Great Guardians (catummaharajika devas) who rule the four quarters. They have a fixed lifespan of 9000 human years.
The third world: This is the Tavatimsa Heaven where reside the thirty three gods.
Sakka is their chief. In nature and status he is equivalent to the Indra of Hindu pantheon. They have a fixed lifespan of 36 million human years.
The fourth world: This is the world of Mara, Death. Beings in this world have a fixed lifespan of 114 million years.
The fifth world: Known as the Tusita heaven, here the Bodhisattvas await their rebirth on earth as the future Buddhas. Gautama Buddha resided here before he was born on earth.
Presently Maitreya Buddha is said to be residing here awaiting his next birth on earth. Beings in this world have a fixed lifespan of 576 million human years.
The sixth world: This is the abode of the Nimmanarati Gods. These gods have a fixed lifespan of 2.304 billion human years.
The seventh world: This is the highest world in the plane of desires and forms (kama or rupa-lokas), where reside the Paranimitta Gods who have a lifespan of 9.219 billion human years.
In deeper meditation one can ascend into these worlds and experience immense pleasure. Of these seven worlds, only human beings are subject to the desire for sexual pleasure (kamavasana).
The gods are free from it. However, all beings in these worlds are subject to rebirth. These heavens are attained by virtuous deeds and the practice of Buddha Dharma.
Kamaloka is a semi-material plane, subjective and invisible to humans, where disembodied "personalities",
the astral forms, called Kama-rupa remain until they fade out from it by the complete exhaustion of the effects of the mental impulses that created these eidolons of human and animal passions and desires.
It is associated with Hades of ancient Greeks and the Amenti of the Egyptians, the land of Silent Shadows; a division of the first group of the Trailõkya.
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