Are Devas Real?
Developing a 'god-like' mind
Devas are from Buddhist/ India mythology and are sometimes translated into English as gods/ angels.
They appear on the wheel of life in one of the six realms of Samsara.
The deva realm is above the human realm, as the devas represent more refined, more pleasurable states of consciousness. They live in the 'heavens', of which there are many layers- each more refined and pleasurable than the last.
The deva realms are not physical locations you can reach by foot, nor can any sat-nav guide you there. Instead, these realms are accessible through higher states of consciousness, specifically the Dhyanas, which correspond to the deva realms. When you enter Dhyana—a state characterized by the absence of negative emotions—you are said to be experiencing a lower deva realm. In that moment, you might even be considered a deva yourself, as you embody a state of mind that is free from anger, greed, and delusion, if only temporarily, while that state lasts.
The devas are not enlightened, however refined they are, and it's said that the coarser human realm is a more effective realm for becoming a Buddha- because with all that pleasure and refinement, the Devas become a bit complacent..
I wouldn't mind a few lifetimes up there though....
I find devas very inspiring to think of and represent for me the principle that if you work on your mind and enter higher consciousness, you enter another world:
"The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n."
Milton, Paradise Lost
There is a set of Buddhist Meditation practices called the ‘Brahma Viharas’ the ‘Divine Abodes’ in which you can cultivate ‘god-like’ mental states.
The first is the Metta Bhavana- the Cultivation of Kindness.
The 2nd the ‘Karuna Bhavana’ the cultivation of compassion- the quality that arises when kindness meets suffering.
Then the beautiful ‘Mudita Bhavana’- the cultivation of sympathetic joy- the joy that arises on others good fortune or good qualities.
And finally the exalted ‘Uppekha Bhavana’ the cultivation of Equanimity- a quality in which our positive state of mind is not dependent on outer conditions or events.
A disciplined daily practice, whatever form it takes—be it meditation, prayer, writing, drawing, or reading—can turn our minds toward the good and away from the negative. In doing so, we elevate our consciousness, transforming not just ourselves, but the world around us, inching closer to a "god-like" realm.