Tiloka

Tiloka, often rendered triloka, is a Sanskrit-Pali term meaning the “three worlds” or “three realms.” It is used in Hinduism and Buddhism to denote the tripartite structure of the cosmos or the experiential planes in which beings live and act.

In Buddhist cosmology, the three lokas are kamaloka (the realm of desire), rupāloka (the realm of form), and arūpa-loka (the realm of formlessness). Beings are reborn into these realms according to karma; as they progress through meditation and spiritual development, they may ascend from kamaloka to rupāloka and arūpa-loka, though they remain within samsara. The forms within each loka differ in the level of sensory experience and spiritual attainment: kamaloka emphasizes sensual desires, rupāloka centers on meditative form, and arūpa-loka concerns formless states and the absence of material form.

In Hindu cosmology, tiloka can be used more broadly to refer to the three worlds of existence or as part of a larger system of lokas, depending on tradition. Some sources treat tiloka as synonymous with triloka, the threefold cosmos.

In modern scholarship, tiloka is typically treated as a historical term describing early Indian cosmology and soteriological schemes. It is less common in contemporary religious practice but appears in scriptures, commentaries, and ritual texts.