Apāya

apāya (T. ngan song; C. equ 惡趣). Literally “falling away,” or “misfortune.” This term is translated as “baleful destinies,” "bad transmigration," "lower realms," "lower states," etc. It refers to an unfortunate rebirth that occurs as a consequence of performing unwholesome actions (akuśalakarmapatha). It is synonymous with "unfortunate destinies" (durgati).

Buddhist literature typically identifies a list of three (and sometimes four) unfortunate rebirth destinies. The three unfortunate destinies mentioned in all texts are:

• hell denizens (nāraka),
• hungry ghosts (preta), and
• animals (tiryak).

Some texts also include the demi-gods (asura) among the apāya.

See also

• akuśala
• rebirth
• Buddhist cosmology
• Six classes of beings

Sources

• Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University 

ngan song, Christian-Steinert Dictionary