Page 257

Alexandr Korol
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Page 257

Post by Alexandr Korol »

The ruler of this world is called Vaśavartin, who lives the longest, is the most powerful, the happiest, most joyful and ecstatic compared to all other devas. This world is also the home of a being of the race of devas named Māra, who seeks to keep all beings in the Sphere of Desire by attaching them to sensual pleasures. Māra is sometimes referred to as Vaśavartin, but usually these two inhabitants of this world are considered separate. Beings of this world are 4,500 feet tall and live 9,216,000,000 years (according to Sarvāstivāda). The height of this world is 1,280 yojanas above the Earth.
Gods Enjoying Magical Creations — Nirmāṇarati — this is the world of devas who delight in their own magical creations. These gods can create anything they desire for their own pleasure. The ruler of this world is called Sunirmita; his wife is Visākhā, formerly a leader among the upāsakas. Beings in this world are 3,750 feet tall and live for 2,304,000,000 years (according to the Sarvāstivāda school). The height of this world is 640 yojanas above the Earth.
Gods of the Blissful State, the Tuṣita World — This is the world of joyful devas. In this realm, the Bodhisattva was born before descending into the human world. Several thousand years ago, the Bodhisattva of this world was Śvetaketu, who was reborn as Siddhartha and became the Buddha Śākyamuni; after that, the next Buddha will be Nātha (or Nāthadeva), who will be reborn as Ajita and become the Buddha Maitreya. Since bodhisattvas are typically residents of Tuṣita, the ruler of this world is called the deva Santushita. Beings in this world are 3,000 feet tall and live for 576,000,000 years (according to the Sarvāstivāda school). The height of this world is 320 yojanas above the Earth.
The Yāma World — also known as the “Heavens Without Conflict,” because it is the first level physically separated from the problems of the earthly world. The Yāma World is ruled by the deva Suyāma; his wife is the rebirth of Sirimā, a courtesan from Rājagṛha who, in the time of the Buddha, was very generous to the monks. Beings in this world are 2,250 feet tall and live for 144,000,000 years (according to the Sarvāstivāda school). The height of this world is 160 yojanas above the Earth.
Abodes of Sumeru
Mount Sumeru is a peak of unusual shape at the very center of the world; around this mountain revolve the Sun and the Moon. The base of the mountain is submerged in a deep ocean, and it is surrounded by several rings of smaller