DESCRIPTION

The Three Realms (Trailokya) is a cosmological view of reality that describes subjective experience as a ‘layered’ phenomena. ‘Out of’ a formless realm (Arūpadhātu) of essentially nothing (ex nihilo), a discriminated realm of delineated objective forms (Rūpadhātu) arises, upon which a subjective realm of desire (Kāmadhātu) is imputed. Each of these realms is further divided into various sub-layers.

Visual Presentation

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Formlessness Realm (Arūpadhātu)

Arūpaloka, or Arūpadhātu 無色界 - the heavens without form, which are immaterial, consisting only of mind in deep contemplation, being four in number called the Catūrūpabrahmaloka 四空天:

Naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana 非想非非想處

Base of Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception - the most transcendent state within the formless

Ākiṃcanyāyatana 無所有處

Base of Nothingness

Vijñānānantyāyatana 識無邊處

Base of Consciousness

Ākāśānantyāyatana 空無邊處

Base of Space - the initial entry point to the formless realm

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Realm of Form (Rūpadhātu)

Rūpadhātu is the realm of all that is composed of the Four Great Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, and Air (Solidity, Liquidity, Temperature, and Movement). The Realm of Form is ruled by Brahma with the aid of his retinue. There are four dhyāna heavens within the Realm of Form. Practitioners may attain to one of these heavens according to the dhyāna they abide within.

FOURTH DHYANA 四禪天

The fourth region, equal to a great thousand world-system, 大千界, is comprised of nine brahmalokas. The inhabitants of this realm consist of mind only. They may be sub-divided into an upper and lower half.

ŚUDDHĀVĀSA (’Pure Abodes’) 五淨居天, 五不還天

Inhabited by the Anāgāmin (’non-returner’) who will attain enlightenment directly from the Śuddhāvāsa worlds without being reborn in a lower plane.

Akaniṣṭha (’Nothing Higher’) - 色究竟天 highest heaven of the Realm of Form, buddha-field of Vairocana
Sudarśana (’Clear-Sighted’) - 善見天 Sudarśanās, beautiful to see;
Sudṛśa (’Beautiful’) - 善現天 Sudṛsās, of beautiful presentation;
Atapa (’No Heat’) - 無熱天 Atapās, of no heat or distress;
Avṛha (’Not Falling’) - 無煩天 Avṛhās, the heaven free from all trouble

Bṛhatphala (’Fruitful’)

Forming the upper limit to the destruction of the universe by wind at the end of a mahākalpa

Asaṃjñasattva (Realm of ‘Unperceiving Beings’) 無想天
Bṛhatphala (Realm of the ‘Fruitful’) 廣果
Puṇyaprasava (Realm ‘Born of Merit’) 福生
Anabhraka (’Cloudless’) 無雲

THIRD DHYANA 三禪天

The third region, equal to 'a middling thousand world system '中千界, is comprised of three heavens. The inhabitants have the organ of mind and are receptive of great joy. In the Śubhakṛtsna heavens, bodies radiate a steady light, forming the upper limit to the destruction of the universe by water at the end of a mahākalpa, the flood of water not rising high enough to reach those beings located in this realm.

Śubhakṛtsna (’Total Beauty’) 徧淨
Apramāṇaśubha (’Unbounded Beauty’) 無量淨
Parīttaśubha (”Limited Beauty’) 少淨

SECOND DHYANA 二禪天

The second region, equal to 'a small thousand world system' 小千界, is comprised the three heavens. The inhabitants have ceased to require the five physical organs, possessing only the organ of mind. Within the highest heavens of Ābhāsvara devas are said to shout aloud in their joy, crying ’Aho sukham! ("Oh joy!"), with bodies that emit flashing rays of light like lightning, forming the upper limit to the destruction of the universe by fire at the end of a mahākalpa, the column of fire not rising high enough to reach them.

Ābhāsvara (’Possessing Splendor’) 極光淨 or 光音天 (’light as sound’)
Apramāṇābha (’Limitless Light’) 無量光
Parīttābha (’Limited Light’) 少光

FIRST DHYANA 初禪天

The first region, 'as large as one whole world-system’ is comprised of three heavens. The inhabitants are without gustatory or olfactory organs, not needing food, but possess the other four of the six organs. The mental state of those of the Brahmā worlds is characterized by observation (vitarka) and reflection (vicāra) as well as delight (prīti) and joy (sukha). The Brahmā worlds, together with the lower universe, are destroyed by fire at the end of a mahākalpa.

Mahābrahmā (Realm of ‘Great Brahma’) 大梵天
Brahmapāriṣadya (Realm of ‘Brahma’s Retinue’) 梵輔
Brahmapurohita (Realm of ‘Brahma’s Compasions’) 梵衆

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Realm of Desire (Kāmadhātu)

The Kāmadhātu is the realm of sensual pleasure, the pursuit of sensual pleasure, the enjoyment of sensual pleasure, and the realm of suffering from the lack of sensual pleasure.

HIGHEST HEAVENLY REALMS

Floating in the air above the peak of Mount Sumeru.

Parinirmita-vaśavartin (Realm of enjoying sense pleasures created by others) 他化
Nirmāṇarati (Realm of Delighting in Creating Sensory Pleasures) 化樂
Tuṣita (Realm of ‘Happiness and Contentment’) 兜率
Suyāmā (Realm of ‘The Watcher’) 昇夜摩 - Yama, 'originally the Aryan god of the dead, living in a heaven above Mt. Sumeru, a place where neither sunlight nor moonlight reaches. The beings in the Suyāmā Heaven radiate a light from their own bodies so they do not need sunlight or moonlight. Suyāmā means “fine divisions of time” because there is neither sunlight nor moonlight, they tell time by the blooming and closing of lotuses. It is day when the lotuses bloom and night when the lotuses shut.

THIRTY-THREE HEAVENS / Trāyastriṃśa Bhumi 三十三天

The world "of the Thirty-three (devas)" is a wide flat space on top of Mount Sumeru, filled with the gardens and palaces of the devas. Its ruler is Śakra devānām indra, ”lord of the devas". The beings of this world are 1,500 feet (460 m) tall and live for approximately 30,000,000 years. The height of this world is 80 yojanas above the Earth.

Sudharmanivāsinī (善法堂天)
Tuṅganivāsinī (山峯天)
Śikharanivāsinī (山頂天)
Sudarśananivāsinī (善見城天)
Rasthanivāsinī (鉢私地天)
Koṭaranivāsinī (倶吒天)
Caitrarathanivāsinī (雑殿天)
Nandananivāsinī (歓喜園天)
Vaibhrājanivāsinī (光明天)
Pāriyātrakanivāsinī (波利耶多天)
Āmiśrataṭanivāsinī (離険岸天)
Kuñjarataṭanivāsinī (谷崖岸天)
Maṇigarbhānivāsinī (摩尼蔵天)
Āvartacarā (旋行天)
Tapanīyagṛhā (金殿天)
Mālācchāyā (鬘影天)
Nimnonnatācāriṇī (柔軟天)
Nānābhaktavicitrāśarīrā (雑荘厳天)
Yogavahā (如意天)
Sūkṣmacarā (微細行天)
Saṃhṛṣṭagītadhvanyabhiratā (歌音喜楽天)
Tejomālinī (威徳輪天)
Candrāyatanacarā / Candrāyaṇacarā (月行天)
Yamanaśālā (閻摩那娑羅天)
Nimeṣonmeṣagatī (速行天)
Prabalecchācchāyāśarīrā / Pramāṇecchāśarīrā / Pavanecchācchāyā / Pravaṇecchāśarīreṣu (影照天)
Maṇicīrā / Śalecarāḥ (智慧行天)
Nikāyasabhāginī (衆分天)
Maṇḍalanivāsinī / Maṇḍalaniratā (曼陀羅天)
Utkarṣacārinī / Autkarṣa (上行天)
Tejomukhā (威徳顔天)
Tejojālinī / Tejohvālāmālinī (威徳燄輪光天)
Prakīrṇakā (清浄天)

HEAVEN OF THE FOUR GREAT KINGS / Cāturmahārājika

The world "of the Four Great Kings" is found on the lower slopes of Mount Sumeru, though some of its inhabitants live in the air around the mountain. They Four Kings guard the four quarters of the Earth. The Garudas and the devas who guide the Sun and Moon are also considered part of this world. The four Great Kings are: - Virūḍhaka 毘璢璃 - king of the Southern Direction, lord of the Kumbhāṇḍas

- Dhṛtarāṣṭra 持國天, king of the Eastern Direction, lord of the Gandharvas ;

- Virūpākṣa 廣目天, king of the Western Direction, lord of the Nāgas;

- Vaiśravaṇa 毘沙門, their leader, who is king of the Northern Direction and lord of the Yakṣas.

THE SIX PATHS OF REBIRTH

Devaloka (Realm of the Gods)

Extending into the realms listed above

Asuraloka (Asura Realm)

A realm of demigods further towards the base if Mt. Meru constantly warring with the Devas above.

Manuṣyaloka (Human Realm) -

Includes the inhabitants of the Four Continents:

Uttarakuru - located in the north, and shaped like a square. Every continent has a giant tree growing in the center. This continent's tree is called a kalpavṛkṣa or kalpa-tree, because it lasts for the entire kalpa. The inhabitants of Uttarakuru have cities built in the air. They are said to be extraordinarily wealthy, not needing to labor for a living – as their food grows by itself – and having no private property. They are about 48 feet (15 m) tall and live for 1,000 years, and they are under the protection of Vaiśravaṇa.

Aparagodānīya - located in the west, and shaped like a circle. The tree of this continent is a giant Kadamba tree (Neolamarckia cadamba). The human inhabitants of this continent do not live in houses but sleep on the ground. Their main transportation is cart. They are about 24 feet (7.3 m) tall and they live for 500 years.

Pūrvavideha - located in the east, and is shaped like a semicircle with the flat side pointing westward (i.e., towards Sumeru). Its tree is the Acacia (Albizia lebbeck). The people here are about 12 feet (3.7 m) tall and they live for 700 years. Their main work is trading and buying materials.

Jambudvīpa - located in the south and the dwelling place of human beings associated with the Indian sub-continent. The continent takes its name from a giant Jambu tree (Malabar plum, Syzygium cumini) 100 yojanas tall, which grows in the middle of the continent. All Buddhas appear in Jambudvīpa. The people here are five to six feet tall and their length of life varies between 10 and about 10140 years.

Tiryagyoniloka (Animal Realm)

Pretaloka (Ghost Realm)

Narakaloka (Hell Realms)

Cold Hells

- Arbuda– the "blister"

- Nirarbuda– the "burst blister"

- Ataṭa–shivering

- Hahava–lamentation

- Huhuva–chattering teeth

- Utpala–skin becoming blue as a blue lotus

- Padma– the Naraka of cracking skin as red as a lotus

- Mahāpadma– frozen bodies falling apart like great lotuses

Hot Hells

- Sañjīva– the "reviving"

- Kālasūtra– the "black thread"

- Saṃghāta– the "crushing"

- Raurava/Rīrava – the "screaming"

- Mahāraurava/Mahārīrava – the "great screaming"

- Tāpana/Tapana – the "heating"

- Mahātāpana – the "great heating"

- Avīci - the "uninterrupted" Naraka. The lowest of the low.

LUSB 301 – THE THREE REALMS