Buddhist Cosmology
Buddhist Cosmology
Introduction
SINCE ancient times, human beings have always pondered philosophical questions relating to living organisms, the planet Earth and the universe itself. What is life?
Are human beings special living organisms?
What is that twinkling star in the night sky?
What is the universe?
How big is the universe and where does it begin and end?
These are just a few questions. However, these questions can hardly be answered yet.
That is,
1. life,
2. The earth,
3. The universe
are still deep with mysteries in modern day science. In this article, we would like to explore the topic of the universe and compare modern cosmology with Buddhist cosmology.
Big Bang Theory
Inflationary Big Bang Theory The most accepted theory in cosmology today is the Inflationary Big Bang theory.
This theory about how the universe was born is supported by two specific observations describing the expansion of the universe and its background radiation.
Steady-State Cosmology
Another cosmology theory besides the Big Bang theory exists.
This theory is called the Steady State theory which was advocated in 1948 by Fred Hoyle, Thomas Gold, and Hellman Bondi.
This cosmology, unlike the Big Bang theory, suggests that the universe has fundamentally always had the same appearance up to the present time.
The feature of this cosmology is that there is neither a beginning nor an end in the universe.
In this scenario, the universe is naturally expanding.
The universe generally appears the same whenever newly-born stellar bodies expand and fill the universe.
Buddhist Cosmology
The most interesting aspects of self-consistent ancient Indian Buddhist cosmology are the conceptualizations of vast space, incomprehensible time and the considerations of life existence.
Buddhist cosmology is well expressed in Buddhist scriptures that explains all worldly phenomena.
The vast cosmology is described allegorically where Mt. Sumeru is located at the center amongst a ring of seven mountains ranges and dividing seas.
There are also four continents surrounding the rings of mountain ranges and seas. Human beings live on one of the four continents shaped in the form of a trapezoid called the Embudai (Senbushu).
The world of the Hell exists vertically under the Embudai continent, while Heaven (Ten) and Meditator (Zenjo-sha) exists vertically above it.
The sun and moon rotate around the entire one-world system.
The allegoric concept of the one-world system in Buddhism with Mt. Sumeru at its center extends
13 million Yojana (Yujun)
or 90 million km,
which is comparable to the distance between the Earth and Sun.
This is in exact accordance with our solar system both in name and reality.
Further, 1000 one-world systems are called a small-thousand-world system,
1000 small-thousand-world systems are called a medium-thousand world-system,
and 1000 medium-thousand-world systems are called a large-thousand-world system.
This system is called a three-thousand world system which equates to 1 billion one-world systems!
The galaxy including our solar system has about 200 billion fixed stars.
There may be several hundred million planet systems in the galaxy.
In this sense, the galaxy corresponds to the medium-thousand-world system in Buddhism and the large-thousand-world system may correspond to the whole universe.
There is no other ancient cosmology that grasps the vastness of the universe like Buddhism at a time when scientific knowledge was non-existent.
When considering other ancient cosmology,
i.e. ancient Babylonia,
Egypt,
Greece,
China,
we find that these cultures were only able to grasp a limited one world centered on the planet Earth.
In comparison, Buddhist cosmology is astronomically robust.
Buddhism also discusses the concept of the time continuum using the four kalpa periods, i.e.,
jo-ko,
ju-ko,
e-ko and
kuu-ko
which are the four steps from construction to destruction of a star, galaxy and universe.
Individually, they are;
jo-ko: a period of creation,
ju-ko: a period of continuity at a stable state,
e-ko: a period of destruction,
kuu-ko: a period of transition in a state of emptiness
Each period is 20 kalpas. The term kalpas literally means a very long time in Buddhism, but in Hinduism it means 4.32 billion years.
From this context, each step or period is about 80 billion years equating to a full cycle at 320 billion years, which is an extremely long time.
These four periods are one cycle and continues eternally; the history from creation to extinction drawn in Buddhism.
Therefore, the period from creation to extinction of the universe in Buddhism is about 13.7 billion years in accordance with modern cosmology.
Origin of Humankind & Buddhist View
After the extinction of all beings a being reaches here from certain planet known as Abhassara to dwell here.
This is the beginning of first habitation in this planet.
Then lapsed of time human evolution occurred.
Again
greed, hatred and delusion were the courses for mutation.
The Place of Planet Earth
With reference to Buddhist teaching this planet earth holds an important place in this universe.
Because of this is the decisive place of all sentient beings.
Basically beings are doing actions on the basis of good and bad and results have certain chemical attractions.
This is the reason to attract the beings into certain planets or realm.
Life span in Four Great Kings
Fifty years in human planet equal to a single day 50 = 1
30 days for a single month
Twelve months for a year
complete life span five hundred years
50 ₓ 30 = 1500 ₓ 12 = 18,000 ₓ 500= 90,00000
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9buydfw0F6I
Kalpa
Kalpa is a Sanskrit word.
In Hindu and Buddhist cosmology, kalpa refers to the period of time between the creation and dissolution/recreation of the universe.
The length of a kalpa varies by tradition. In the “Puranas,” it is described as 4.32 billion years,
while Buddhism cites four kalpas of different lengths, from roughly 16 million years to about 1.28 trillion years.
Why They Visited Buddha?
Mostly they visited to ask some questions concerned with the natural law of the universe.
When the Buddha explained three characteristics of existence (Impermanence, un-satisfactoriness and non-self) they were happy.
Creation or Planet Earth
According to Buddhist teaching this planet earth isn’t a creation of anyone but naturally evolving and devolving as the cosmic law.
Beings those abode in other planets are more sophisticated that human beings.
in Buddhist canon it seems some demi – gods, gods and beings in highest realms visited number of times the Buddha.
Connection of Divine & Human Beings
It makes clear that connection of divine and animal beings depends on mind made frequencies / waves.
It differs from person to person.
Each and every being whether animal or human and even properties is protectable by the power of this waves.
Traditionally, Buddhist people share / transfer merit with all divine being after doing any meritorious deeds.
In Thailand
Results of Positive & Negative
The Buddha discerns results of good and bad actions as positive and negative.
As positive somebody enables reborn as human being if not in heavenly states.
Nonetheless, animal beings, hungry ghosts and in hellish states as cumulating negative results.
Basically heavenly and hellish states / realms up and down wards this planet earth respectively.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFNn70zqdU8
Hungry Ghosts
Hellish Realms
Life Span
Life span in four great kings
Fifty years in human planet equal to a single day 50 = 1
30 days for a single month
Twelve months for a year
complete life span five hundred years
50 ₓ 30 = 1500 ₓ 12 = 18,000 ₓ 500= 90,00000
Discourse on Divine Messangers
In here the Buddha illustrates
These good beings mis-conducting by
Body,
Speech
Mind,
Blaming noble ones,
Developing wrong view,
Bearing the wrong view of actions,
At the breakup of the body, after death, are born in the sphere of ghosts with animals.
Born in hell.
The warders of hell take him by his hands and feet and show him to the king of the under world `Lord, this man is unfriendly, not uniting, not chaste, does not honor the elders in the family, mete him the suitable punishment.
The king of the under world cross questions, asks for reasons him divine messengers.
1. A toddler
2. Old age and decay
3. Illness
4. Punishments
5. Death
Punishments in Hell
Fivefold binding
Two hot iron spikes are sent through his two palms,
Two other hot spikes are sent through his two feet
The fifth hot iron spike is sent through his chest.
He experiences sharp piercing unpleasant feelings. Yet he does not die, until his demerit finishes.
Next the warders of hell conduct him and hammer him.
Next the warders of hell take him upside down and cut him with a knife.
Next the warders of hell yoke him to a cart and make him go to and fro on a ground that is flaming and ablaze.
Next the warders of hell make him ascend and descend a rock of burning ambers.
Next the warders of hell throw him upside down into a boiling, blazin gpot of molten.
There he is cooked in the molten scum, and he on his own accord dives in comes up and goes across in the molten pot.
Next the warders of hell throw him to the Great Hell.
The square Great Hell has four gates and is divided in two,
Enclosed by iron walls, is closed with an iron lid.
The floor spreads for seven hundred miles,
And it stands there every day.
A fire springs from the eastern wall of the Great Hell to scorch the western wall.
A fire springs from the western wall to scorch the eastern wall. A fire springs from the northern wall to scorch the southern wall.
A fire springs from the southern wall to scorch the northern wall.
A fire springs from the bottom to scorch the top and a fire springs from the top to scorch the bottom.
After the lapse of a very long time, it happens that the eastern / western door of the Great Hell opens.
Then he runs with great speed, in doing so he burns his
outer skin,
inner skin,
flesh, nerves,
and even the bones smoke, even if he pulls himself out,
it happens. When he had, had enough of it the door closes.
he falls into excreta.
There are needle mouthed living things,
That pierce the outer skin,
The inner skin,
After that the flesh,
The nerves and even the bones
And they eat the bone marrow.
Ashes rain, he falls into that
The Simbali forest,
more than seven miles tall,
it has thorns sixteen inches long,
aflame and blazing,
He climbs on them and goes to and fro on them.
A forest of swords.
He enters that. The leaves that fall with the wind, cut his feet, hands, feet and hands, ears, nose, ears and nose.
A huge salt water river. He falls into that.
In it he is carried up stream and down stream.
Then the warders of hell pull him out with a hook and ask him. Good man, what do you desire?
He says, Sir, I’m hungry.
The warders of hell open his mouth with hot iron spikes and pour into his mouth burning, flaming iron balls.
They burn his lips, mouth, throat, chest, the intestines, the lower intestines and they come out with the insides.