five evil courses　五悪趣 A fivefold division of all samsaric life into the realms of hell, beasts, hungry ghosts, human beings, and heavenly beings; often the realm of fighting demons is separately enumerated as a sixth. The first three realms are characterized respectively by hate, greed, and ignorance; thus all are “evil”, not only by standards of morality or physical suffering, but also to the religious awareness, for all are realms of ignorance and blind passions in contrast to wisdom and enlightenment.