The Buddha teaches the four noble truths regarding passing away as humans and reborn as ghosts, urging mendicants to practice for direct knowledge of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.

SN 56.104 Passing Away as Humans and Reborn as Ghosts

“Evameva kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye manussā cutā manussesu paccājāyanti; atha kho eteva bahutarā sattā ye manussā cutā pettivisaye paccājāyanti …pe….

Tatiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Evameva kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye manussā cutā manussesu paccājāyanti; atha kho eteva bahutarā sattā ye manussā cutā pettivisaye paccājāyanti …pe….

“… the sentient beings who die as humans and are reborn as humans are few, while those who die as humans and are reborn in the ghost realm are many …”

Tatiyaṁ.

Qualities:

Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026