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[Alexandr Korol]

mountains and oceans. Three realms are located on or around the mountain: the Realm of the Thirty-Three Gods is on the summit, the Realm of the Four Heavenly Kings is on its slopes, and the Realm of the Asuras is at its base. Sumeru, along with the mountains and oceans around it, is not only the dwelling place of these deities but also the home of a vast number of mythical creatures that are rarely encountered in the human world.”

It is interesting that there are earthly abodes — in contrast to the divine ones I’ve just listed — there are also earthly places of dwelling.

“Earthly abodes
Humans — Humans and humanoid beings live on the surface of the Earth. The continents are surrounded by mountains, including Mount Sumeru, and by a vast ocean. The ocean is bounded by the mountain wall of Chakravāḍa, which defines the world horizontally. In this ocean there are four continents, which are essentially just small islands. Reaching other continents is impossible by ordinary sailing ships, because the ocean is enormous. However, in the past, when a cakravartin king ruled, it was possible to visit other continents using the flying gondola Cakraratna. Here is the list of the four continents:
The continent of Jambudvīpa lies to the south and is inhabited by ordinary humans. It is shaped like a cart or a triangle pointing south (this description possibly corresponds to the shape of India as a subcontinent). The continent measures 10,000 yojanas (according to the Vibhajyavāda tradition) or has a perimeter of 6,000 yojanas (according to the Sarvāstivāda). The name of the continent comes from the jambu tree, 100 yojanas tall, which grows on this continent. Each continent has its own giant tree. All Buddhas appear on Jambudvīpa. People here are five to six feet tall, and life expectancy ranges from 10 to 84,000 years.
The continent of Pūrvavideha lies to the east and is shaped like a half-moon, with its flat side facing west toward Mount Sumeru. The continent measures 7,000 yojanas (Vibhajyavāda) or has a perimeter of 6,350 yojanas with the flat side being 2,000 yojanas (Sarvāstivāda). An acacia tree grows on this continent. People living on this continent are 12 feet tall and have a lifespan of 250 years.
The continent of Aparagodānīya or Godānīya lies to the west, is circular in shape, and has a perimeter of 7,500 yojanas (according to the Sarvāstivāda).