The realms other than that of the Buddhas are called the Nine Dharma Realms.

“All the living beings of the Nine Dharma Realms are dreaming. The Bodhisattva dreams of seeking the Way of the Buddha above, and of transforming living beings below. He wishes to realize the Way of the Buddha in order to take living beings across, yet it is all in a dream.

“The Condition-Enlightened Ones, the Pratyekabuddhas, are also dreaming. About what? They dream of looking out for themselves alone. Living deep in desolate mountain valleys, they are Arhats who ‘comprehend for their own sakes’…‘incapable of promoting the common good.’ That is also dreaming.

“Hearers, the śrāvakas, dream of the one-sided emptiness which is the one-sided truth of nirvana with residue.

“The gods have dreams of happiness and peace; they are at ease and enjoy an especially peaceful, superior and wonderful happiness.

“People dream of seeking fame and fortune. They wish to make a lot of money or to become officials. In their current lives, they are all upside down and take suffering to be happiness. Every day they are busy dreaming of fame and fortune.

“What dream do the asuras have? They dream of fighting. For instance, someone going and fighting someone else is an affair of asuras. To be an asura is to be someone who likes to fight, and to be in the dream of fighting.

“Those in the hells dream of undergoing bitter suffering. Hungry ghosts dream of starving, and animals dream a dream of stupidity.

“Each of the nine Dharma Realms has its own dream. The Buddha, in ultimate nirvana, is the only one who does not dream, and so his realm is called ‘ultimate nirvana.’” (HS 104-105)

To fully understand all Buddhas of the three periods of time, contemplate the nature of the Dharma Realm: Everything is created from the mind alone. (FAS Ch20)

十法界