English
Ascending this mountain by stages of 10,000 yojanas, there are the abodes of various Devas; the first is called " strong-hand/' the second '' chaplet-holding," the third the " ever-free," and the fourth the Sun, Moon, and Star Devas,2 and above these the " Four Kings.'' Below Mount Sumeru are other three levels, where dwell the inferior Devas. All these abodes are surrounded by a sevenfold wall ; here it is the Yakshas and Rakshas live under the command of the " Four Kings." Arriving at the crest of the mountain, we find the city ^ In-pen Sutra. INIaha Nidana ? 2 For an account of these Devas, vide Burnouf, Introd., 600. G 82 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST Sudarsana, and tlie abode of the thirty-three Devas. Above this, 40,000 yujanas (others say 100,000), is a cloud-like region, adorned and perfected with the seven precious sub- stances, where dwells the Deva Yama; above this 10,000 yojauas there is a cloud-like region where the Tusita^ Devas dwell j above this 10,000 yojanas is a cloud-like region where the Nirmanarati^ Devas dwell; above this 10,000 yojanas is a cloud-like region where the Paranirmita'^ Vasavartin Devas dwell. Thus in regular succession ascend- ing upwards we at length arrive at the point where " form no longer exists" (bhavagra). [The above account is extracted from the Vibasha Shaster, which also states that the width of these heavens increases in a double ratio from 40,000 yojanas to 640,000 yojanas.] According to the In-pen Sutra, " 10,000 yojanas above the To-lo Heaven (Trayastrinshas) is the Yama Heaven, and above this ton thousand yojanas is the Tusita Heaven, so on up to the Brahma Kayika^ Heaven, all which form the Maha^ Rupa Loka. Above the Brahma Kayika Heaven, comes the Abhasvara*^ Heaven ; 10,000 yojanas above this is the Subhakritsna'^ Heaven ; above this the Vhrihat- phala^ Heaven ; above this the Avriha^ Heaven ; above this the Atapa^*^ Heaven ; above this the Sudarsana^^ Heaven ; and above this the Akanishta^"- Heaven. According to the Abidharma Shaster, the words of Buddha are these : " the distance of the Brahma lokas from the earth is such that if a man were to hurl a srreat stone 1,000 cubits square from those abodes, on the 15th day of the 9th month, then if nothing were to intercept its ' Teou-chou-tien. * Fa-loli-Tien, " rejoicing in transformation." 3 Ta-fa-tien, " other transformation." ■• Fan-shin, "body of Brahma." ' Ma-lo-po. ^ Kwong-yin, " luminous voice." In this region no words are used, but by means of fixed contemplation brightness issues from the body. Cli. Ed, ■ Pien-tsing-tien, " diffused purity." ^ Kwang-kwo-tien, " wide fruit." " Puli-tso, " no impurity." ' Pah-fan, " no trouble." " Shen-kin, " beautiful to see." ^^ llo-ka-ni-cha. SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. 83 way^ it would reach the earth on the same day of the following year^ whereas from the Akanishta Heaven a great mountain being hurled down would take 65^535 years to reach Jambudwipa." The Djnana prasthana Shaster says : ''^ If a stone ten cubits square were dropped from the first tier of the Rupa LokaSj it would require 18^383 years to reach the earth/^ RESPECTING THE SIZE AND LONGEVITY OF THE DEVAS.'^ 10. With respect to the six heavens of the World of De- sires/ the size of the bodies of the " Four Kings/'^ is half a li, the weight of their garments half a tael (ounce) , and fifty years of men equal one of their days and nights ; they live 500 years. In the Trayastriilshas Heaven the size of the body is one li^ the weight of the garments sis chu (one fourth of an ounce), one night and day equal 100 years of men, and they live 1,000 of these years. In the Yama Heaven, the height of the body is one li and a half, their garments three chu (scruples) in weight, one night and day equals 200 years of men, and they live 2,000 of these years. In the Tusita Heaven, height two li, weight two chu, life 4,000 years, each year being 400 years of men. In the Nirmana rati Heaven, height two and a half li, weight one chu, duration of life 8,000 years, each year being equal to 800 years of men. In the Parinirmita-vasavartin Heaven, the height is three li, weight of garments half a scruple, and they live 16,000 years, each year of which is equal to 1,600 years of men. 1 For bodily size we follow the Kosha ; for the character of the gar- ments the Dirghagaraa Sutra ; for the duration of life the Kosha and Abidbarma. Ch. Ed. 2 Yuh-kai, i.e., Kama-loka. ' Chatur-maha-rajah. g2 8-1' A CATENA OF BUDDHIST In the Mara-vasanam' -Heavens, the weight of garments is 128th of an ounce, and the years of their life 32,000. In the Eupa-loka they use kalpas to measure the duration of hfe, and they wear no garments, there being no dis- tinction of sexes. In the first Dhyana of this Loka there are three heavens, viz., 1 — Brahma-parishadya,- years half a Kalpa (that is, a medium Kalpa ; one half of which is equal to twenty small Kalpas) ; height of body half a yojana {i.e., twenty li). 2 — Brahma-purohita,^ length of life, one Kalpa (forty little Kalpas), height of body, one yojana (forty li). 3 — Mahabrahma,* duration of life, one Kalpa and a half, height of body, one yojana and a half. In the second Dhvana there are three heavens, viz., 1 — The Parittabha,* years, two great Kalpas (a great Kalpa includes the four periods of formation, completion, destruction, and void) ; height of body, two yojanas (the glory of their body however is very small, hence the name parittabha). 2 — Apramanabha,'' length of years, four Kalpas ; height of body, four yojanas. 3 — Abhasvara,''' length of years, eight Kalpas, height of body, eight yojanas. In the third Dhyana, three heavens. 1 — Parittasubha,^ duration of life, sixteen Kalpas, height of body, sixteen yojanas. 2 — Apramanasubha,^ years, thirty-two Kalpas, height, thirt}^- > ]\Io-lo-po-sevm, i.^., Mara-vasanam, or abode of Mara; vide Burnouf, Introd., 617. 2 Fan-chong-tien. The Avataiiisaka Sutra places the Brahma-kayika heaven first. Ch. Ed. 3 Fan-fu-tien. •• Tai-fan-tien. * Siau-kwong-tien. The Avatainsaka places the Kwoiig-tien first, that is, the Abha. " Wou-liang-kwong-tien, " measureless glory." ' Kwong-yin, " bright voice." When these DCvaa desire to converse, brightness issues from their mouths. Ch. Ed. * Siau-tsing-tien. The Avatamsjika Sutra jilaces the Subha heaven first. These Devas, because they are unaffected by any sensual forms of pleasure, are called "pure"; but because tiioir purity is small com- pared with the higher stages, they arc termed paritta subha, z.e., small or inconsiderable purity. " Wou-liang-tsing-tien. SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. So two yojaiias. 3 — Subhakritsua,' years, sixty-four Kalpas, hoiglit, yixty-four yojanas. The fourth Dhyana indudes nine heavens. 1 — Anabhrakha/ years, 125 Kalpas, height 125 yojanas. 2— Punya-prasava/ years, 250 Kalpas, height, 250 yojanas. 3— Vrihat-phahi,* years, 500 Kalpas, height, 600 yojanas. 4— Asangisattras,^ 500 Kalpas, 500 yojanas. 5— Atapa*', years, 1,000 Kali3as, height, 1,000 yojanas. 6— Wou-jeh-tien,'' years, 2,000 Kalpas, height, 2,000 yojanas. 7— Suclrisa,^ years, 4,000 Kalpas, height, 4,000 yojanas. 8— Sudarsana,^ years, 8,000 Kalpas, height, 8,000 yojanas. 9— Akanishta,^" years, 10,000 Kalpas, height, 16,000 yojanas. In the Arupa Loka there are four heavens. 1— Akasanantyayatanam,ii years, 2,000 Kalpas. 2 — Vijnanfiuantyayatanam,^- years, 40,000 Kalpas. 3 — Akirichanyayatanam,^3 years, 60,000 Kalpas. 4— Naivas- aiijnanasailjnayatanam,^^ years, 80,000 Kalpas. The Agama Sutra says : " In all these worlds the inhabi- tants areequally liable to birth, disease, old age, and death. As they emerge from these heavens they enter the lower world agam " The In-pen Sutra says : " All creatures in these different worlds are Hable to birth, old age, and death ; just as they are born so they abide ; there is no passing beyond these limits. For this reason the name is given to the Sakwala '' Saha," and also " Abhaya." All the other worlds through- out the regions of space are similarly divided. ^ Pien-tsing-tien. 2 Wou-yun-tien, " the cloudless." 3 Fuh-siug-tien, " happy birth." ■* Kwang-kwotien, " extensive fruit." * Wou-siang-tien, " without perceptive mind" (sanjnya). ^ Wou-fan-tien, " no trouble." ' 1 am unable to supply the Sanscrit here, unless it be Avriha. The meaning is " without heat." ^ Shen-kien, " beautiful to see." ^ Shen-in, "beautiful appearance.