three realms　三界 Refers to the three forms of life within unenlightened, samsaric existence, consisting of the realm of desire (kāma), form (rūpa), and formless (ārūpya), each with its upper, middle and lower regions. TThe realm of desire consists of sentient beings driven by insatiable appetites and greed, and contains the five or six evil courses. The realm of form is beyond that of desire, a world of pure form inhabited by beings free of all blind passions. The realm of the formless is the highest realm of the spirit, transcending all material existence and attachments to them. But even though the eight meditative states are experienced within the realms of form and formless, these realms still lie within samsaric life. This is the reason why the Lotus Sutra states, “There is no peace within the three realms, which are a burning house”, and the Larger Sutra proclaims, “The Tathagata, with unbounded compassion, takes pity on the three realms”.