Gods consist of 3 ranks: 1. Buddha Gods or Immortal Gods, referring to people who practice close to attaining Buddhahood. 2. Saintly Gods are those who are loyal and patriotic, and after passing away, achieve realization. 3. Ghost Gods are the kind of gods who still consume offerings, such as the Asura gods (evil gods). Immortals, in Sanskrit: Rishi. Also called Immortal Men, that is, people who practice in the mountains. They are no longer concerned with worldly matters, living leisurely and beyond mundane scenes, but still have some subtle afflictions binding them, not fully attaining the six supernatural powers, yet they can maintain life for thousands of years. The kind of immortals that people translate as the word ‘gods’ (Sanskrit: Deva) are those in the world with much merit; when they die, they are reborn and ascend to the heavens of the desire realm, form realm, or formless realm. These kinds of immortals all possess beautiful and radiant appearances.
Commentary on Buddhist Teachings 1975
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