Cosmologia Budista

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TARAMURILE PATIMASE (KAMA LOKA)


RAIURILE

The following four worlds are bounded planes each 80,000 yojanas square, which float in the air above the top of Mount Sumeru.

Although all of the worlds inhabited by devas (that is, all the worlds down to the Cāturmahārājikakāyika world and sometimes including the Asuras) are sometimes called "heavens", in the western sense of the word the term best applies to the four worlds listed below:

The heaven of devas "with power over (others') creations" - Parinirmita-vaśavartin or Paranimmita-vasavatti (Tib: gzhan 'phrul dbang byed)

These devas do not create pleasing forms that they desire for themselves, but their desires are fulfilled by the acts of other devas who wish for their favor.

The ruler of this world is called Vaśavartin (Pāli: Vasavatti), who has longer life, greater beauty, more power and happiness and more delightful sense-objects than the other devas of his world.

This world is also the home of the devaputra (being of divine race) called Māra, who endeavors to keep all beings of the Kāmadhātu in the grip of sensual pleasures.

Māra is also sometimes called Vaśavartin, but in general these two dwellers in this world are kept distinct.

The beings of this world are 4,500 feet (1,400 m) tall and live for 9,216,000,000 years (Sarvāstivāda tradition).

The height of this world is 1,280 yojanas above the Earth.



The world of devas "delighting in their creations" - Nirmāṇarati or Nimmānaratī (Tib: 'phrul dga' )

The devas of this world are capable of making any appearance to please themselves.

The lord of this world is called Sunirmita (Pāli Sunimmita); his wife is the rebirth of Visākhā, formerly the chief of the upāsikās (female lay devotees) of the Buddha.

The beings of this world are 3,750 feet (1,140 m) tall and live for 2,304,000,000 years (Sarvāstivāda tradition).

The height of this world is 640 yojanas above the Earth.



The world of the "joyful" devas - Tuṣita or Tusita (Tib: dga' ldan)

This world is best known for being the world in which a Bodhisattva lives before being reborn in the world of humans.

Until a few thousand years ago, the Bodhisattva of this world was Śvetaketu (Pāli: Setaketu), who was reborn as Siddhārtha, who would become the Buddha Śākyamuni; since then the Bodhisattva has been Nātha (or Nāthadeva) who will be reborn as Ajita and will become the Buddha Maitreya (Pāli Metteyya).

While this Bodhisattva is the foremost of the dwellers in Tuṣita, the ruler of this world is another deva called Santuṣita (Pāli: Santusita).

The beings of this world are 3,000 feet (910 m) tall and live for 576,000,000 years (Sarvāstivāda tradition).

The height of this world is 320 yojanas above the Earth.



The "heaven without fighting" - Yāma (Tib: 'thab bral) –because it is the lowest of the heavens to be physically separated from the tumults of the earthly world.

These devas live in the air, free of all difficulties.

Its ruler is the deva Suyāma; according to some, his wife is the rebirth of Sirimā, a courtesan of Rājagṛha in the Buddha's time who was generous to the monks.

The beings of this world are 2,250 feet (690 m) tall and live for 144,000,000 years (Sarvāstivāda tradition).

The height of this world is 160 yojanas above the Earth.