English
" It is fourfold in terms of realms: the realm of misery, the realm of sensual happiness, the realm of form, and the realm of formlessness. Therein, the four are called the realms of misery: hell, the animal realm, the realm of ghosts, and the realm of demons. Humans, the realm of the Four Great Kings, the Thirty-three, Yama, Tusita, Nimmanarati, and Paranimmita-vasavatti are the sevenfold realm of sensual happiness. Since sensual craving frequents in these eleven realms, it is called the realm of sensual desire. The Brahma-retinue, the Brahma-ministers, and the Great Brahma are the realm of the first jhana. This is the place encompassed by fire. The Limited Radiance, the Immeasurable Radiance, and the Radiant Ones are the realm of the second jhana. This is the place encompassed by water. The Limited Glory, the Immeasurable Brahmā's glory, Subhakiṇhā, And the third Jhana realm, This place is seized by the wind, We will describe their ruin later. Vehapphala, Asaññasatta, And Suddhāvāsa, The fourth Jhana realm, The Rūpāvacara realm is sixteenfold. Avihā, Atappā, Sudassā, Sudassī, And Akaniṭṭhā, The Suddhāvāsa realm is fivefold. Ākāsānañcāyatana realm, Viññāṇañcāyatana realm, Ākiñcaññāyatana realm, And Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana realm, The Arūpa realm is fourfold. Thus, the thirty-one kinds of realms, Exist here, By the word "sattanikāyāti," It is called "okāsa." There, the eight great hells, Are called the Apāya realm. The realm of animals, the realm of ghosts, And the Asura body, They have no separate realm, They live in the human realm, Wherever they are, in forests, woods, or mountains, That place is their realm. From the human realm, Forty-two thousand yojanas, The size of Yugandhara, The fifth terrace of Mount Meru, Is the realm of the Four Great Kings. Above that, forty-two thousand yojanas, The summit of Mount Meru, Is the realm of the Tāvatiṃsa. Above that, forty-two thousand yojanas, Is the realm of the Yāmas. In this way, up to the realm of Vasavattī, It stands at forty-two thousand yojanas, Therefore, from the human realm to the realm of Vasavattī, Two hundred and fifty-two thousand yojanas, This is what is said. "From the human realm to, The realm within Vasavattī; Two hundred thousand, And fifty thousand. And two thousand, More in yojanas; The calculation of the realms, The number is thus declared." Above that, the Brahma-pārisajja and others, The three Brahmās, Stand on a level place, At fifty-five hundred thousand, And eight thousand yojanas. The second and third Brahma realms, Also stand on level places of that size. In the fourth realm, however, Vehapphala and Asaññasatta, Stand on a level place of that size. Above that, the Suddhāvāsa realms, that. They stand, measured, in place, one above the other. The four immaterial realms also stand, measured, in place, one above the other. Thus, from the human realm to the peak of existence, there are seven crores, eighteen lakhs, five nahutas, and six thousand yojanas, as the ancients said: "From the lowest Brahma world, A great stone falling, In one day and night, Descends forty-eight. Thousands of yojanas, In four months to the earth; According to this measure, The lowest realm is reached. From here, one hundred thousand, Fifty-seven more, And sixty thousand, Are declared in height. Of the yojanas spoken of, Leaving out the Kama measure, The rest is the space Between the Vasavatti's attendants. That is fifty-five, One hundred thousand more, And eight thousand, Yojanas are declared. Beyond this, in all The Brahma realms, the yojanas Should be seen According to that measure, by the wise. From the earth to the peak of existence, Seven crores, eighteen lakhs, Five nahutas, And six thousand in all. This investigation and commentary Was made according to the Cariya school; Referring to this very thing, As far as the moon and sun. Circle and illuminate the directions, As far as they shine; So far, in the thousandfold world, Your power extends." Thus it was said. In this space, beings dwell, their extent being impossible to describe, we will not speak of it. In this sentient world and the world of opportunity, a Fully Enlightened Buddha is rare. Thus, there are four Buddhas: an Anubuddha, a Savakabuddha, a Paccekabuddha, and a Sammasambuddha. There, praising a learned bhikkhu, "He is not your disciple, but a Buddha," thus acknowledging the Buddhahood of the learned bhikkhu Cunda. "The Dhamma-body is the Teacher, The Dhamma is considered the Teacher's body; The Sangha is the Dhamma's treasury, And the Sangha is counted as the Teacher." Having said this, even an ordinary person, by way of convention, is an Anubuddha because of the path of speech being enlightenment. Indeed. But the noble disciple, understanding the four truths through the instruction of another, is called a disciple-Buddha, merely by the act of understanding, by the nature of understanding. But one like a rhinoceros horn, self-awakened by his own wisdom, not taught by another, is called a Pacceka-Buddha, by his own self-awakening, being awakened alone. "Sambuddha" is also a name for this. But one who, having himself cultivated perfections, with self-originated wisdom, not taught by another, having himself perfectly understood the entire collection of phenomena, both conditioned and unconditioned, according to their true individual characteristics, having utterly dispelled the sleep of delusion with its underlying tendencies, like a lotus blossoming with the attainment of supreme Magga-knowledge, with the advent of the sun's rays reaching the height of most excellent glorious beauty, with the attainment of omniscience-knowledge adorned with a collection of immeasurable virtues, understands, awakens to, and knows all things, is a Sammāsambuddha, a Blessed One. Such a one is rare in the world. For even Pacceka-Buddhas, though appearing together in one era by the hundreds of thousands, are rare, but not of such extraordinary nature, and lacking the necessary conditions for the attainment of the path and its fruits by others, a Sammāsambuddha alone is rare in the world. This is the consideration of worldly prosperity. How is the world's destruction to be understood? Thus, this world, as it is destroyed, is destroyed by fire, by water, or by wind. Though its extent is described in the Visuddhimagga and other texts, the limits of its dissolution, even when measured by the lifespan of Brahmas, are inconsistent, due to the false grasp of some individuals' opinions. Therefore, setting aside their views, we will explain it by gathering it from the texts. Here, there are four incalculable periods. What are the four incalculable periods? Dissolution, duration of dissolution, evolution, duration of evolution. There are three dissolutions: dissolution by water, dissolution by fire, dissolution by wind. There are three limits of dissolution: Ābhassara, Subhakiṇha, Vehapphala. This is the outline here. Therein, "dissolution" means the eon that is declining. By that, "duration of dissolution" is also included, because it is the root cause. Increasing... It is called the evolving and dissolving aeon. Because of that, the term "standing in dissolution" is also used, as it is the root cause. There, "dissolution" means destruction. When an aeon is dissolving with heat, the first jhana plane, below the Abhassara realm, is burned by fire. When it dissolves with water, the second jhana plane, below the Subhakinna realm, is dissolved by water. When it dissolves with wind, the third jhana plane, below the Vehapphala realm, is dissolved by wind. In detail, of the three Buddha-fields—birth-field, command-field, and sphere-field—the command-field is destroyed. When that is destroyed, the birth-field is also destroyed. There, the birth-field extends to ten thousand world-systems. It trembles even at the times of a Tathagata's conception, taking rebirth, lifespan, and relinquishing life. The command-field extends to a hundred thousand million world-systems. There, the power of these protective recitations prevails: the Jewel Discourse, the Khandha Protection, the Banner Top Protection, the Atanatiya Protection, and the Peacock Protection. The sphere-field is endless, immeasurable. There, the two fields, birth-field and command-field, are destroyed together. They also stand together. Its destruction and standing should be understood thus: at the time when the aeon is destroyed by fire, first, a great cloud that destroys the aeon arises and rains over a hundred thousand million world-systems in a single cloudburst; the people are pleased and sow seeds; when the crops have grown to the height of a cow's muzzle, not a single drop falls, and when it is completely cut off, beings who live by rain die and are reborn in the Brahma realms of the Parittabha; deities who live by the fruit of merit are also reborn in that Brahma world; thus, after a long time, the water there gradually diminishes, and creatures dependent on water, such as fish and turtles, die and are reborn in the human and deva worlds, develop jhana, and are reborn in the Brahma world. Even hell beings, with the seventh sun... When they disappear, they are reborn in the Brahma world, through the power of meditation regained in the deva world. Then, the Lokabyuha devas, beings of the desire realm, with heads raised, hair disheveled, faces tearful, shedding tears with their hands, clothed in red garments, wearing exceedingly unsightly attire, wandering in the paths of humans, proclaim thus: "Good sirs, after a hundred thousand years from now, there will be a destruction of the world. This world will perish. Even the great ocean will dry up, and this great earth, with Mount Sineru, the king of mountains, will be burned and destroyed. Destruction will occur up to the Brahma world. Cultivate loving-kindness, good sirs. Cultivate compassion, joy, and equanimity, good sirs. Attend to your mother, attend to your father,