Naraka in Buddhism

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Naraka (Sanskrit: नरक; Chinese: 地獄／奈落; pinyin: Dìyù/Nàiluò; Japanese: 地獄／奈落, romanized: Jigoku/Naraku) is a term in Buddhist cosmology usually referred to in English as "hell" (or "hell realm") or "purgatory". Another term used for the concept of hell in earlier writings is niraya (Pali and Sanskrit). In Cambodia, Naraka was part of Buddhist cosmology and indeed also a Khmer word (នរក; norok) for hell. The Narakas of Buddhism are closely related to Diyu, the hell in Chinese mythology. A naraka differs from the concept of hell in Christianity and in Islam in two respects: firstly, beings are not sent to Naraka as the result of a divine judgment or punishment; secondly, the length of a being's stay in a naraka is not eternal, though it is usually incomprehensibly long. A being is born into naraka as a direct result of its accumulated actions (karma) and resides there for a finite period of time until that karma has achieved its full result. After its karma is used up, it will be reborn in...

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