The Buddhist Cosmos Read online

  Table of Contents

  0:2 TABLE OF CONTENTS

  COVER

  0:1 TITLE PAGE

  0:3 PREFACE

  0:4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  0:5 CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK

  0:6 HISTORICAL CONTEXT

  0:7 THE LANGUAGE

  0:8 BUDDHIST TEACHINGS

  0:9 PALI PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

  0:10 ABOUT THE SOURCES USED IN THIS BOOK

  0:11 ABBREVIATIONS

  1:1 THE BUDDHIST COSMOS

  1:2 THE FOUR GREAT ELEMENTS

  1:3 CAKKAVĀḶA—THE WORLD-SYSTEM

  1:4 SINERU

  1:5 THE SEVEN RANGES

  1:6 THE CIRCULAR SEAS

  1:7 GREAT OUTER OCEAN

  1:8 A TEXTUAL ISSUE

  1:9 CAKKAVĀḶAPABBATA—THE WORLD’S EDGE

  1:10 MAHĀDĪPA—THE ISLAND-CONTINENTS

  1:11 THE HIMAVĀ

  1:12 LAKE ANOTATTA

  1:13 THE GREAT LAKES

  1:14 THE GREAT TREES

  1:15 CELESTIAL REALMS

  1:16 THE STARS AND PLANETS

  1:17 MULTIPLE WORLD-SYSTEMS

  1:18 VERTICAL GROUPINGS OF WORLDS

  2:1 NO BEGINNING

  2:2 THE KAPPA

  2: 3 DIVISIONS OF A KAPPA

  2:4 THE UNFOLDING KAPPA

  2:5 DEVOLUTION OF HUMANS

  2:6 THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY

  2:7 THE DESTRUCTION OF THE KAPPA

  2:8 DESTRUCTION BY WATER AND AIR

  2:9 HORIZONTAL EXTENSION OF DESTRUCTION

  2:10 THE BUDDHAS IN COSMIC TIME

  3:1:1 KĀMĀVACARA—THE PLANE OF SENSE DESIRE

  3:1:2 MANUSSALOKA—THE HUMAN REALM

  3:1:3 INHABITANTS OF THE FOUR ISLAND-CONTINENTS

  3:1:4 GENDER

  3:1:5 CASTE

  3:1:6 HUMAN SPACE - GEOGRAPHY OF JAMBUDĪPA

  3:1:7 KINGSHIP

  3:1:8 THE MAHĀPURISA

  3:1:9 THE 32 MARKS OF A MAHĀPURISA

  3:1:10 THE CAKKAVATTI—WORLD MONARCH

  3:1:11 CAKKARATANA—THE WHEEL TREASURE

  3:1:12 THE SEVEN TREASURES

  3:1:13 INDIVIDUAL CAKKAVATIS

  3:1:14 PACCEKABUDDHAS

  3:1:15 THE SAMMĀSAMBUDDHA

  3:2:1 TIRACCHĀNA—THE ANIMAL REALM

  3:2:2 ANIMALS IN THE JĀTAKA TALES

  3:2:3 MAKARA - MONSTER FISH

  3:2:4 THE NĀGAS

  3:2:5 THE SUPAṆṆAS

  3:3:1 PETAS—HUNGRY GHOSTS

  3:3:2 MOGGALLĀNA’S VISIONS OF PETAS

  3:3:3 TRANSFERENCE OF MERIT

  3:3:4 THE PETALOKA AND OTHER REALMS

  3:3:5 VIMĀNAPETAS

  3:3:6 NIRAYA - REALMS OF TORMENT

  3:3:7 KAMMA LEADING TO NIRAYA

  3:3:8 LOCATION OF NIRAYA

  3:3:9 LIFE-SPAN IN NIRAYA

  3:3:10 NERAYIKASATTA AND NIRAYAPĀLA

  3:3:11 YAMA

  3:3:12 SUFFERINGS OF NIRAYA

  3:3:13 THE VARIOUS NIRAYA REALMS

  3:3:14 THE MAHĀNIRAYA

  3:3:15 AVĪCI

  3:3:16 THE VETARAṆI RIVER

  3:3:17 THE EIGHT MAHĀNIRAYAS

  3:3:18 THE NIRAYAS IN THE KOKĀLIKA SUTTA

  3:3:19 LOHAKUMBHĪ NIRAYA

  3:3:20 LOKANTARA NIRAYA

  3:3:21 OTHER MISCELLANEOUS NIRAYAS

  3:3:22 THE ILLUSORY NATURE OF NIRAYA

  3:3:23 ASURAS

  3:3:24 ASURINDA—LORDS OF THE ASURA

  3:3:25 LOWER ASURAS—THE KĀLAKAÑJIKA

  3:4:1 MISCELLANEOUS BEINGS

  3:4:2 YAKKHAS

  3:4:3 PISĀCAS AND PAṂSUPISĀCAKAS

  3:4:4 RAKKHASA

  3:4:5 KUMBHAṆḌAS

  3:4:6 KINNARAS

  3:5:1 DEVAS

  3:5:2 DEVAS OF THE EARTH AND SKY

  3:5:3 BHUMMA DEVAS

  3:5:4 VALĀHAKA-DEVAS

  3:5:5 THE TERRESTRIAL SAGGAS

  3:5:6 CĀTUMAHĀRĀJIKA - THE FOUR GREAT KINGS

  3:5:7 VESSAVAṆA

  3:5:8 OTHER DEVAS OF THE CĀTUMAHĀRĀJIKA REALM

  3:5:9 TĀVATIṂSA REALM OF THE THIRTY-THREE

  3:5:10 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF TĀVATIṂSA

  3:5:11 ACCHARĀS CELESTIAL NYMPHS

  3:5:12 VIMĀNAS

  3:5:13 BIRTH AND DEATH

  3:5:14 THE BUDDHA TEACHING IN TĀVATIṂSA

  3:5:15 THE GREAT DEVAS OF TĀVATIṂSA

  3:5:16 SAKKA

  3:5:17 OTHER GREAT DEVAS OF TĀVATIṂSA

  3:5:18 VISSAKAMMA

  3:5:19 MĀTALI

  3:5:20 ERĀVAṆA

  3:5:21 NOTE ON ANIMALS IN TĀVATIṂSA

  3:5:22 GANDHABBAS

  3:5:23 PAÑCASIKHA

  3:5:24 THE HIGHER SENSUAL HEAVENS

  3:5:25 YĀMA

  3:5:26 TUSITA

  3:5:27 THE BODHISATTA IN TUSITA

  3:5:28 OTHER PERSONS REBORN IN TUSITA

  3:5:29 THE NIMMĀNARATI DEVAS

  3:5:30 MANĀPAKĀYIKA DEVAS

  3:5:31 NIMMĀNARATI & THE NATURE OF SENSE-DESIRE

  3:5:32 PARANIMMITAVASAVATTI DEVAS

  3:5:33 MĀRA

  3:5:34 MĀRA & THE BUDDHA–BEFORE FULL AWAKENING

  3:5:35 MĀRA & THE BUDDHA–AFTER FULL AWAKENING

  3:5:36 MĀRA & THE BUDDHA–MĀRA’S DAUGHTERS

  3:5:37 MĀRA & THE BUDDHA–OTHER ENCOUNTERS

  3:5:38 MĀRA & THE BUDDHA–PARINIBBĀNA

  3:5:39 MĀRA & THE BHIKKHUNĪS OF ANDHAVANA

  3:5:40 MĀRA & MOGGALLĀNA

  3:5:41 MĀRA WITH DEVAS AND BRAHMĀS

  3:5:42 OTHER EPISODES CONCERNING MĀRA

  3:5:43 MĀRA - CONCLUSION

  3:6:1 RŪPABHŪMI—THE PLANE OF FORM

  3:6:2 THE STATE OF BEING IN THE RŪPABHŪMI

  3:6:3 PRE-BUDDHIST CONCEPTIONS OF BRAHMĀ

  3:6:4 BRAHMAKĀYIKA—1ST JHĀNA LEVEL BRAHMĀS

  3:6:5 BRAHMAPĀRISAJJA—BRAHMĀ’S ASSEMBLY

  3:6:6 BRAHMAPUROHITA

  3:6:7 MAHĀBRAHMĀ

  3:6:8 THE MIND OF BRAHMĀ

  3:6:9 SAHAMPATI

  3:6:10 SANAṄKUMĀRA

  3:6:11 BAKA

  3:6:12 BRAHMĀS AT THE MAHĀSAMAYA

  3:6:1 2ND JHĀNA LEVEL—THE ĀBHASSARA BRAHMĀS

  3:6:14 3RD JHĀNA LEVEL—THE SUBHAKIṆHA BRAHMĀS

  3:6:15 4TH JHĀNA LEVEL—THE VEHAPPHALA BRAHMĀS

  3:6:16 ASAÑÑASATTA—THE UNCONSCIOUS BEINGS

  3:6:17 SUDDHĀVĀSA—THE PURE ABODES

  3:6:18 REBIRTH INTO THE SUDDHĀVĀSA

  3:6:19 DIVISIONS OF THE SUDDHĀVĀSA

  3:6:20 THE BUDDHA AND THE SUDDHĀVĀSA

  3:7:1 ARŪPA—THE FORMLESS REALMS

  3:7:2 IMMATERIAL NATURE

  3:7:3 EXISTENCE IN THE ARŪPABHŪMI

  3:7:4 UNDERSTANDING THE ARŪPA REALMS

  4:1 THREE COSMOLOGIES

  4:2 MEDIEVAL EUROPE

  4:3 MODERN SCIENCE

  4:4 THE BUDDHIST COSMOS

  4:5 VIEWS

  4:6 MODERN SCIENCE AND ANCIENT WISDOM

  4:7 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION

  4:8 PERCEPTION

  5:1 UNITS OF MEASURE

  5:2 BIBLIOGRAPHY

  5:3 GLOSSARY

  Notes

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  0 INTRODUCTION ?

  0:1 TITLE PAGE ?

  0:2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ?

  0:3 PREFACE ?

  0:4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ?

  0:5 CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK ?

  0:6 HISTORICAL CONTEXT ?

  0:7 THE LANGUAGE ?

  0:8 BUDDHIST TEACHINGS ?

  0:9 PALI PRONUNCIATION GUIDE ?

  0:10 ABOUT THE SOURCES USED IN THIS BOOK ?

  0:11 ABBREVIATIONS ?

&nb
sp; 1 SPACE ?

  1:1 THE BUDDHIST COSMOS ?

  1:2 THE FOUR GREAT ELEMENTS ?

  1:3 CAKKAVĀḶA—THE WORLD-SYSTEM ?

  1:4 SINERU ?

  1:5 THE SEVEN RANGES ?

  1:6 THE CIRCULAR SEAS ?

  1:7 GREAT OUTER OCEAN ?

  1:8 A TEXTUAL ISSUE ?

  1:9 CAKKAVĀḶAPABBATA—THE WORLD’S EDGE ?

  1:10 MAHĀDĪPA—THE ISLAND-CONTINENTS ?

  1:11 THE HIMAVĀ ?

  1:12 LAKE ANOTATTA ?

  1:13 THE GREAT LAKES ?

  1:14 THE GREAT TREES ?

  1:15 CELESTIAL REALMS ?

  1:16 THE STARS AND PLANETS ?

  1:17 MULTIPLE WORLD-SYSTEMS ?

  1:18 VERTICAL GROUPINGS OF WORLDS ?

  2 TIME ?

  2:1 NO BEGINNING ?

  2:2 THE KAPPA ?

  2: 3 DIVISIONS OF A KAPPA ?

  2:4 THE UNFOLDING KAPPA ?

  2:5 DEVOLUTION OF HUMANS ?

  2:6 THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY ?

  2:7 THE DESTRUCTION OF THE KAPPA ?

  2:8 DESTRUCTION BY WATER AND AIR ?

  2:9 HORIZONTAL EXTENSION OF DESTRUCTION ?

  2:10 THE BUDDHAS IN COSMIC TIME ?

  3 BEINGS ?

  3:1 HUMANS ?

  3:1:1 KĀMĀVACARA—THE PLANE OF SENSE DESIRE ?

  3:1:2 MANUSSALOKA—THE HUMAN REALM ?

  3:1:3 INHABITANTS OF THE FOUR ISLAND-CONTINENTS ?

  3:1:4 GENDER ?

  3:1:5 CASTE ?

  3:1:6 HUMAN SPACE - GEOGRAPHY OF JAMBUDĪPA ?

  3:1:7 KINGSHIP ?

  3:1:8 THE MAHĀPURISA ?

  3:1:9 THE 32 MARKS OF A MAHĀPURISA ?

  3:1:10 THE CAKKAVATTI—WORLD MONARCH ?

  3:1:11 CAKKARATANA—THE WHEEL TREASURE ?

  3:1:12 THE SEVEN TREASURES ?

  3:1:13 INDIVIDUAL CAKKAVATIS ?

  3:1:14 PACCEKABUDDHAS ?

  3:1:15 THE SAMMĀSAMBUDDHA ?

  3:2 ANIMALS ?

  3:2:1 TIRACCHĀNA—THE ANIMAL REALM ?

  3:2:2 ANIMALS IN THE JĀTAKA TALES ?

  3:2:3 MAKARA - MONSTER FISH ?

  3:2:4 THE NĀGAS ?

  3:2:5 THE SUPAṆṆAS ?

  3:3 LOWER REALMS ?

  3:3:1 PETAS—HUNGRY GHOSTS ?

  3:3:2 MOGGALLĀNA’S VISIONS OF PETAS ?

  3:3:3 TRANSFERENCE OF MERIT ?

  3:3:4 THE PETALOKA AND OTHER REALMS ?

  3:3:5 VIMĀNAPETAS ?

  3:3:6 NIRAYA - REALMS OF TORMENT ?

  3:3:7 KAMMA LEADING TO NIRAYA ?

  3:3:8 LOCATION OF NIRAYA ?

  3:3:9 LIFE-SPAN IN NIRAYA ?

  3:3:10 NERAYIKASATTA AND NIRAYAPĀLA ?

  3:3:11 YAMA ?

  3:3:12 SUFFERINGS OF NIRAYA ?

  3:3:13 THE VARIOUS NIRAYA REALMS ?

  3:3:14 THE MAHĀNIRAYA ?

  3:3:15 AVĪCI ?

  3:3:16 THE VETARAṆI RIVER ?

  3:3:17 THE EIGHT MAHĀNIRAYAS ?

  3:3:18 THE NIRAYAS IN THE KOKĀLIKA SUTTA ?

  3:3:19 LOHAKUMBHĪ NIRAYA ?

  3:3:20 LOKANTARA NIRAYA ?

  3:3:21 OTHER MISCELLANEOUS NIRAYAS ?

  3:3:22 THE ILLUSORY NATURE OF NIRAYA ?

  3:3:23 ASURAS ?

  3:3:24 ASURINDA—LORDS OF THE ASURA ?

  3:3:25 LOWER ASURAS—THE KĀLAKAÑJIKA ?

  3:4 MISC BEINGS ?

  3:4:1 MISCELLANEOUS BEINGS ?

  3:4:2 YAKKHAS ?

  3:4:3 PISĀCAS AND PAṂSUPISĀCAKAS ?

  3:4:4 RAKKHASA ?

  3:4:5 KUMBHAṆḌAS ?

  3:4:6 KINNARAS ?

  3:5 DEVAS ?

  3:5:1 DEVAS ?

  3:5:2 DEVAS OF THE EARTH AND SKY ?

  3:5:3 BHUMMA DEVAS ?

  3:5:4 VALĀHAKA-DEVAS ?

  3:5:5 THE TERRESTRIAL SAGGAS ?

  3:5:6 CĀTUMAHĀRĀJIKA - THE FOUR GREAT KINGS ?

  3:5:7 VESSAVAṆA ?

  3:5:8 OTHER DEVAS OF THE CĀTUMAHĀRĀJIKA REALM ?

  3:5:9 TĀVATIṂSA REALM OF THE THIRTY-THREE ?

  3:5:10 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF TĀVATIṂSA ?

  3:5:11 ACCHARĀS CELESTIAL NYMPHS ?

  3:5:12 VIMĀNAS ?

  3:5:13 BIRTH AND DEATH ?

  3:5:14 THE BUDDHA TEACHING IN TĀVATIṂSA ?

  3:5:15 THE GREAT DEVAS OF TĀVATIṂSA ?

  3:5:16 SAKKA ?

  3:5:17 OTHER GREAT DEVAS OF TĀVATIṂSA ?

  3:5:18 VISSAKAMMA ?

  3:5:19 MĀTALI ?

  3:5:20 ERĀVAṆA ?

  3:5:21 NOTE ON ANIMALS IN TĀVATIṂSA ?

  3:5:22 GANDHABBAS ?

  3:5:23 PAÑCASIKHA ?

  3:5:24 THE HIGHER SENSUAL HEAVENS ?

  3:5:25 YĀMA ?

  3:5:26 TUSITA ?

  3:5:27 THE BODHISATTA IN TUSITA ?

  3:5:28 OTHER PERSONS REBORN IN TUSITA ?

  3:5:29 THE NIMMĀNARATI DEVAS ?

  3:5:30 MANĀPAKĀYIKA DEVAS ?

  3:5:31 NIMMĀNARATI & THE NATURE OF SENSE-DESIRE ?

  3:5:32 PARANIMMITAVASAVATTI DEVAS ?

  3:5:33 MĀRA ?

  3:5:34 MĀRA & THE BUDDHA–BEFORE FULL AWAKENING ?

  3:5:35 MĀRA & THE BUDDHA–AFTER FULL AWAKENING ?

  3:5:36 MĀRA & THE BUDDHA–MĀRA’S DAUGHTERS ?

  3:5:37 MĀRA & THE BUDDHA–OTHER ENCOUNTERS ?

  3:5:38 MĀRA & THE BUDDHA–PARINIBBĀNA ?

  3:5:39 MĀRA & THE BHIKKHUNĪS OF ANDHAVANA ?

  3:5:40 MĀRA & MOGGALLĀNA ?

  3:5:41 MĀRA WITH DEVAS AND BRAHMĀS ?

  3:5:42 OTHER EPISODES CONCERNING MĀRA ?

  3:5:43 MĀRA - CONCLUSION ?

  3:6 BRAHMĀS ?

  3:6:1 RŪPABHŪMI—THE PLANE OF FORM ?

  3:6:2 THE STATE OF BEING IN THE RŪPABHŪMI ?

  3:6:3 PRE-BUDDHIST CONCEPTIONS OF BRAHMĀ ?

  3:6:4 BRAHMAKĀYIKA—1ST JHĀNA LEVEL BRAHMĀS ?

  3:6:5 BRAHMAPĀRISAJJA—BRAHMĀ’S ASSEMBLY ?

  3:6:6 BRAHMAPUROHITA ?

  3:6:7 MAHĀBRAHMĀ ?

  3:6:8 THE MIND OF BRAHMĀ ?

  3:6:9 SAHAMPATI ?

  3:6:10 SANAṄKUMĀRA ?

  3:6:11 BAKA ?

  3:6:12 BRAHMĀS AT THE MAHĀSAMAYA ?

  3:6:1 2ND JHĀNA LEVEL—THE ĀBHASSARA BRAHMĀS ?

  3:6:14 3RD JHĀNA LEVEL—THE SUBHAKIṆHA BRAHMĀS ?

  3:6:15 4TH JHĀNA LEVEL—THE VEHAPPHALA BRAHMĀS ?

  3:6:16 ASAÑÑASATTA—THE UNCONSCIOUS BEINGS ?

  3:6:17 SUDDHĀVĀSA—THE PURE ABODES ?

  3:6:18 REBIRTH INTO THE SUDDHĀVĀSA ?

  3:6:19 DIVISIONS OF THE SUDDHĀVĀSA ?

  3:6:20 THE BUDDHA AND THE SUDDHĀVĀSA ?

  3:7 FORMLESS ?

  3:7:1 ARŪPA—THE FORMLESS REALMS ?

  3:7:2 IMMATERIAL NATURE ?

  3:7:3 EXISTENCE IN THE ARŪPABHŪMI ?

  3:7:4 UNDERSTANDING THE ARŪPA REALMS ?

  4 AFTERWORD ?

  4:1 THREE COSMOLOGIES ?

  4:2 MEDIEVAL EUROPE ?

  4:3 MODERN SCIENCE ?

  4:4 THE BUDDHIST COSMOS ?

  4:5 VIEWS ?

  4:6 MODERN SCIENCE AND ANCIENT WISDOM ?

  4:7 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION ?

  4:8 PERCEPTION ?

  5 APPENDICES ?

  5:1 UNITS OF MEASURE ?

  5:2 BIBLIOGRAPHY ?

  5:3 GLOSSARY ?

  THE BUDDHIST COSMOS:

  A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravāda and Sarvāstivāda sources

  By Punnadhammo Mahāthero

  cakkavāḷaṃ atisambādhaṃ, brahmaloko atinīcako

  “The circle of the world is too narrow, the world of Brahmā is too low.”

  Vimānavatthu Aṭṭhakathā 15, (I.B. Horner translation)

  Copyright © 2018 Arrow River Forest Hermitage

  Website - www.arrowriver.ca

  Contact the author - [email protected]

  Cover Illustration by Abhassaro Sameṇera

  PRE
FACE

  The purpose of this book is to present a comprehensive description of the universe and its inhabitants as they were understood by the Buddhists of ancient India. This is the context within which the teachings of the Buddha were situated.

  The material in this book should be of interest to both Buddhists and to students of myth and folklore. For the modern Buddhist, especially in the Western countries outside the historical range of the religion, the material in this book will hopefully fill a gap in her knowledge. The understanding of this background should make the experience of reading the suttas richer and more meaningful. This is the imaginative space in which all Buddhists lived until very recently, and even if it is no longer held literally in all details, this cosmology and mythology is still very much a living tradition in Buddhist countries today. The teaching of the Buddha is a many-faceted jewel, and each facet has its function. The brilliant analytic clarity of the Abhidhamma teachings challenges and engages the intellect, but do little to stir the heart. The vision presented in this book is one of a fascinating multi-faceted universe informed by the deepest teachings of the Dhamma.

  Those who approach this book with an interest in the mythological systems of the world will also hopefully find something new. Ancient and medieval India was a fertile source of myth and legend coloured by profound philosophical speculation. The Theravāda Buddhist version of this mythos is perhaps the least known and studied outside the historic lands of its influence. Hopefully this book will serve as a step toward remedying that oversight. This cosmological system deserves to be closely studied not only because of its historic importance but because of its own intrinsic beauty. This is a detailed, complex and many layered cosmology quite different from anything conceived in the West.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  (All names in alphabetic order)

  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who read and critiqued parts of this book:

  Brian Carniello, Oli Cosgrove, Aaron Gasparetto, Anthea Kyle, Bhikkhu Nyanatusita, Joanne Panton, Manfred Wierich and.

  Also those who helped with advice on specific points, Jeffrey Armstrong, Dr. Bryan Levman and Dr. Suwanda Sugunasiri.

  Special appreciation is given to Bhikkhu Nyanatusita, editor in chief of the Buddhist Publication Society, who helped to make the final form of this book presentable.

  Mostly I would like to thank with great gratitude all my teachers along the path, too numerous to name all but especially Ajahn Amaro, Kema Ānanda, Ajahn Jayasaro, Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Sucitto and Ajahn Viradhammo.

  0:5 CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK

  The first section of the book deals with a description of the physical nature of the cosmos. The reader who is only familiar with the historical development of cosmology in the European context will find the Indian Buddhist version brand new. This is neither a geocentric nor a heliocentric model, but rather a Sineru-centric one. The fundamental image is the truly immense Mount Sineru1 at the centre of the world-system around which everything else is arrayed. Beyond this single world-system there are an infinite number of other worlds, arrayed in horizontal and vertical hierarchies. This model has both a strangeness and a familiarity for modern readers. It is based on completely alien ideas, and therefore differs in almost every detail from the modern scientific model; and yet we can identify with its general principles. The ancient Indian model and the modern scientific one resemble each other much more than either one resembles the Aristotelian-medieval one in at least two important ways. First, the universe is conceived of as being either infinite or at least extremely vast and composed of a very great number of worlds. Second, the domain of human habitation is not at the centre of things but is confined to a periphery.