Page 254

Alexandr Korol
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Page 254

Post by Alexandr Korol »

Then they report to the assembly of the devas. By the command of Śakra, the Four Kings station guards to protect the abode of the gods from the asuras, who attempt to seize the gods’ lands or destroy their kingdom. The Four Heavenly Kings took a vow to protect the Buddha and the dharma from evil and danger. Images of the Four Heavenly Kings are very popular at the gates of Buddhist temples both in the Tibetan region and the Far East. They guard the temples and do not allow aggression and strife, characteristic of the asuras, to enter.” And here’s another point — as you can see, in temples, the Four Heavenly Kings are present, and similarly, in our Christian Orthodox churches, the Four Gospels appear — especially under the dome, where the Four Gospels are depicted on the four sides of the world. This is precisely the representation of the Four Spirits, the Four Worlds, and the one sitting in the center.

The fourth section in Wikipedia: “Buddhist cosmology — the conception of the universe, reincarnations, and realms of existence, and the development of the universe according to classical Buddhist texts — in particular the Tripitaka canon and the Abhidharmakosha encyclopedia, as well as numerous commentaries.
Buddhist cosmology can be conditionally divided into the following parts: spatial cosmology (theory of realms), which describes spheres, worlds, levels of existence resulting from rebirths (as well as states of consciousness), and notions of time, the cycles of formation and destruction of worlds, measured in kalpas. These ideas are tied to the Buddhist theory of the appearance, development, and demise of worlds.
It should be noted that Buddhist cosmology primarily considers spiritual worlds, which do not always have a material equivalent. The worlds into which one enters after death through reincarnation, during meditation, or the worlds that reflect states of consciousness, determine a vertical system of realms. First of all, three spheres are distinguished — tridhatu:
The sphere of the sensual, kamadhatu, in which beings reside who experience feelings, desires, cravings, passions;
The sphere of forms (material sphere), rupadhatu, corresponding to dhyanas (yogic concentrations) of complete objectivity, when the sensual is absent, but only elements of matter (forms) are present; consciousness in the sphere of forms is in a state of objectivity and impartiality;