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From the whole subject, it appears that Maheswara resides on the summit of the Eupa Loka, and is lord of it, while Brahma residing in the middle of the Chiliocosm, superintends the entire government, and is lord in this sense. RESPECTING THE FOUE DIVISIONS OP THE DHYANA HEAVENS. 16. The Book of Comments (shuh) says : " In the old dis- courses on the different heavens, there is no mention of the system of the four divisions of the Dhyana Heavens ; and from the various accounts given of these it is difficult to select or distinguish satisfactorily. The In-pen Sutra, the Abidharma, and the Vibasha Shaster, all speak of a succession of heavens rising up one above the other, at regular intervals, and all having a fixed locality (earth ; bhumi). This is called the " estabHshcd system ;" although it is yet insufficiently suppin-ted by evidence. But now following the Kosha Shaster, it is stated : " that Brahma has no distinct abode, only in the midst of the Brahma-purohita Heaven there is a high-storied tower, and 1 Shi-yih. - Ma-hi. ' The Dcvas of the pure abodes, supposed to reside in space as angels. SCRIPTURES PROM THE CHINESE. 95 this is (the abode of Brahma)." The Fah-yuen agrees with this. Maha Brahma is in fact the chief, the Brahma- purohita are his ministers, and the Brahma-parishadya are his people. According to this authority^ therefore, these three heavens are together the same as the first Dhyana, and compose one earth, or flat (bhumi) . The school of the Sarvastivadins regard the size of the bodies, and the years of life of the Devas of the Yrihat-phala and Asangisattva Heavens as the same ; and speak of them as one place. The Surangama Sutra says: "Branching out of the Fuh-yau (punya-prasava Heaven) are two others, in the one the happiness resulting from religious merit is complete, this is called the Vrihat-phala Heaven ; in the other, both body and mind (heart) are extinct, and this is called the Asangi- sattvas.'^ Again it says : " In the fourth Dhyana (or in the fourDhyanas) there are five heavens from which there is no return (or five no-return heavens, i.e., occupied by Anaga- mins), and over each level, one recognised Deva-rajah." From the whole account, it seems that the fourth Dhyana Heaven consists of five Anagamin abodes, and one heaven occupied by unbelievers, — and that these again compose one flat (earth). Another work says : " Buddha in the Karunika Eajah Siitra^ states : " That the eighteen" Brahma (heavens) have a distinct ruler, and distinct people in each." Again, it says : " In the middle of the fourth Dhyana is a Maha- subha-rajah," — and from the testimony of three Sutras, the Karunika Rajah, the Suraiigama, the Ting-loh, we gather generally that each of the four levels, viz., that of Brahma, Abhasvara, Parittasubha, and Vrihat-phala, has. a Rajah, a class of ministers, and people. So that the whole conclusion is this, depending on the Mahayana system, from the first Dhyana up to the fourth, there are four flats or levels, over which the Vrihat-phala is Rajah, the punya- prasava, ministers, and Anabraka, people. The five ' Jin-wang-king. - That is, the eighteen heavens composing the Rupa loka. 96 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST Anagamin, and the one heretical heaven, belong to the punya-prasahas ; and the nine heavens above this, together compose one earth (or level) . [Whereas the works of the Hinayana system divide the heavens according to the size and longevity of the Devas.] THE OCCUPANTS OF THE HEAVENS. 17. The Yibasha Shaster says by way of query : "In the thirty-two heavens {i.e., the six heavens in the Kama Loka, the eighteen heavens in the Eupa Loka, the four heavens in Arupa Loka, and the four Deva Lokas at the foot of the Sumeru), how many are occupied by the followers of Buddha (saints), and how many by heretics (Fan)?" In reply it states : " Only two are occupied by heretics, and only five by saints ; the remaining twenty-five are occupied pro- miscuously by each. The two occupied exclusively by heretics are first the Maha-Brahma heaven, where Brahma dwells ; he, indeed, being ignorant of the power of Karma (works) dares to say " I can make and transform (or make by transformation, i.e., create), heaven and earth." Relying on this, he treats others haughtily and disdainfully, there- fore saints (Buddhists) cannot dwell with him. And secondly, the Asangisattvas, where heretics alone dwell, depending on that form of Samadhi which is known by the name given to the heaven. They receive as their reward five hundred Kalpas of impersonal (won sin) existence. This they foolishly speak of as Nirvana, but when the term of its enjoyment is past, then they are born again in one of the equivocal forms of being — even, as it may happen, in Hell ; therefore saints cannot live in this heaven either. Now the five heavens in which the followers of Buddha alone are born are the five above the Punya-prasarva, viz., the Avriha, the Atapa, the Sudrisa, the Sardarsana, and the Akanishta Heaven ; in these dwell Anagamin and Rahats alone. The other heavens are occupied by mixed inhabi- tants. SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. 97 GENERAL SUMMARY. 10. The expression, " the three worlds/' includes the World of Desire, the World of Form, the Woi^ld without Form. From the diamond circle below, up to the Paranir- mita-vasavartin heaven above, the power of sensual desire is felt, and, therefore, all the heavens included in that interval are called by the name Kama Loka. Again, from the Brahma Kayika Heaven up to the Akanishta,in all eighteen, the bodily form of the Devas is bright as silver, their palaces yellow like gold, resplendent and glorious, hence the name Rupa Loka. The four heavens above this have inhabitants like jasper clouds,^ and are like the blue aether for tenuity. The bodies of the Devas are composed of four skandha,^ the fifth, viz., the Rupa Skandha, being absent. Therefore, it is called the Arupa World. These three worlds are sometimes spoken of as the Tribuvanas (san yen) ; at other times they are termed the twenty -five bhuvanas,to wit, the four continents, the four evil ways (viz., birth in hell, as a demon, as a beast, as an Asura), the six Worlds of Desire, the double Brahma Heaven, the four Dhyanas, the four Empty Heavens, and the Asangisattva Heaven. In all these worlds or bhuvanas, because there is still a connection with " being," there is only a limited re- ward, and a remnant of personal existence (wei), and therefore there is a recurrence of life and death. THE FIVE MARKS OF DECADENCE. 19. The In-kwo Sutra says : " The bodies of the Devas are perfectly pure, and without any polluting quality ; they are moreover bright and glistening : their hearts are ever full of joy ; and there is no disturbing influence to interrupt their happiness. Yet because the fire of lust oppresses them, there are five signs of decadence visible when their term of happiness is drawing to an end. 1. The flowers upon their heads begin to decay. 2, Their eyes begin to ^ Pill loh, vid. Medhurst's Diet. s. v, pih. " The five skandha are Rupa skandha, vijnyana skandha, vedana skandha, sanjnya skandha, sanscara skandha. Vid. Colebrooke, p. 254. H 98 A CATEXA or BUDDHIST roll about (as if in anticipation of change). 3. TLe lustre of the body begins to fade. 4. A moisture exudes from under the arms. 5. They listlessly absent themselves from their proper places.'-' [The Vibasha agrees with this^ except it says nothing about the eyes rolling, or the brightness fading.] Again, it says, that those Devas who had originally but a slightly virtuous Karma_, when they are about to give up their position as Devas, will be born in one of the evil ways ; for, having only walked virtuously for the sake of reward, after their brief joy is over they shall reap much sori'ow, — just as a man who takes a pleasant poison, the first taste is sweet, but afterwards he comes to great sorrow. Say then, how can the wise covet such joys as these ?