Buddhist Sutra literature (study)

by Gopika G | 2022 | 25,006 words

This page relates ‘Hells and Heavens in different realms’ of the study on the Buddhist Sutra literature with special reference to the Saddharma-Pundarika (otherwise known as the Lotus Sutra) and other Mahayana Sutras. Throughout, the thesis aims to enhance understanding of the religious, cultural, and mythological significance of the Saddharmapundarika Sutra within Mahayana Buddhism

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Part 3.2 - Hells and Heavens in different realms

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1. Kāmadhātu

Kāmadhātu consist of six heavens, human inhabit, inhabit of pretas just below the earth, inhabit of animals and hells under the Jambūdvīpa.

Hells of Kāmadhātu:

Hells are considered as the places of sufferings. According to the amount of evil karma done by a person, different level of torture will be given. These hells are grouped into four, they are:

The 84,000 smaller Lokāntarika or frontier hells located up on the face of the earth.

The dark hell: They are eight in numbers. These hells are placed on the borders of the Cakravāla.

The cold hells: There are eight cold hells located either on the borders on the earth or below the southern continent. Here offenders are tortured by extreme cold. The eight cold hells are:

Arbuda,
Nirarbda,
Aṭaṭa,
Hahava,
Huhava,
Utpala,
Padma,
Mahāpadma or Puṇḍarīka.^[1]

The hot hells: The hot hells are also eight in numberers and situated under jambūdvīpa. The names of eight hot hells are,

Heavens of Kāmadhātu.

Caturmahārājika heaven or the heaven of four great kings: It is divided into four levels. The lowest part is 10,000 yojanas from the sealevel, the second part is 10,000 yojanas above the first level, the third part is 10,000 yojanas above the second level and the fort is 10,000 yojanas above the third level. In the first level Yakṣa called as Karoṭapāṇi dwell. In the second level Mālādhāras^[3] are reside. In habitants of the third level is Sadāmādas and in the fourth level, the four great kings are exist.i.e, Dhṛtarāṣṭra,Virūdhaka, Virūpākṣa and Vaiśravaṇa. The Caturmahārāika heavens are the lowest of the six deva heavens^[4].

Trāyastriṃśa heaven or the heaven of the thirty-three gods: This heaven is located on the top of mount Sumeru. Vajrapāṇi Yakṣas reside here and they are the guardians of this heaven. In the middle of the heaven Śakra’s royal city known as Sudarśana is situated and his palace is known as Vaijayanta. On each of the sides of the city, there are gardens namely, Caitraradha, Puruṣaka, Miśrakavana and Nandana^[5].

The other for heavens are:

Yama: This heaven is situated 16,000 yojanas above the sea-level and there is no separation of day and night.

Tuṣita: It is located 36,000 yojanas above the sea-level. Tuṣita is very popular in Buddhist literature. Bodhisattvas before their rebirth in earth as Buddha reside here.

Nirmāṇarati: Nirmāṇarati heaven is placed 640,000 yojanas above the sea-level. The name ‘Nirmāṇamati’ means heaven of transforming pleasures.

Paranirmitavaśvavarti: It is the highest of the Kāma heavens. It is situated 1, 280, 000 yojanas above the sea-level. Paranirmitavaśvavarti heaven is known as the residence of Māra.^[6] Sāleyakha Sutta of Majjhima Nikāya also mentions these heavens. (Majjhima Nikāya 41. Sāleyyaka Sutta)^[7]

2. Rūpadhātu

Rūpadhātu consist of sixteen, seventeen or eighteen heavens. The number of heavens vary with different branches of Buddhism.

Abhidhamma Kośa gives the number as seventeen.^[8] The seventeen heavens are:

Brahmakāyika,
Brahmapurohita,
Mahābrahma,
Parīttābha,
Aparamāṇābha,
Abhāsvara,
Parīttaśubha,
Aparamāṇaśubha,
Śubhahṛtsna,
Anabhraka,
Puṇyaprasava,
Bṛhatphala,
Abṛha,
Atapa,
Sudṛśa,
Sudarśana,
Akaniṣṭa.^[9]

3. Arūpadhātu

Arūpadhātu consist of four arūpa heavens, namely:

Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra describes that all the living begins from these six realms are present in the sermon of Śākyamuni at Gṛdhrakūṭa mountain (Vulture Peak). The first chapter of Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra mentions that the ray emitted from the tuft of hair between Śākyamuni’s eyebrows extended over eighteen thousand Buddha realms (Buddhakṣetras).

अथ खलु तस्यां वेलायां भगवतो भ्रूविवरान्तरादूर्णाकोशादेका रश्मिर्निश्चरिता । सा पूर्वस्यां दिशि अष्टादशबुद्धक्षेत्रसहस्राणि प्रसृता । तानि च सर्वाणि बुद्धक्षेत्राणि तस्या रश्मेः प्रभया सुपरिस्फुटानि संदृश्यन्ते स्म यावदवीचिर्महानिरयो यावच्च भवाग्रम् ।

atha khalu tasyāṃ velāyāṃ bhagavato bhrūvivarāntarādūrṇākośādekā raśmirniścaritā | sā pūrvasyāṃ diśi aṣṭādaśabuddhakṣetrasahasrāṇi prasṛtā | tāni ca sarvāṇi buddhakṣetrāṇi tasyā raśmeḥ prabhayā suparisphuṭāni saṃdṛśyante sma yāvadavīcirmahānirayo yāvacca bhavāgram |

Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra refer to numerous Buddhakṣetras since it believes in many Bodhisattvas. Each Bodhisattva possesses his own Buddhakṣetra. In the text Buddha predicts the rebirth of his disciples in different Buddhakṣetras. Śārīputra will reborn as Padmaprabhā in Virāga Buddhakṣetra, Kāsyapa as Raśmiprabhāsa in Avabhāsaprabha, Subhūti’s rebirth will be in Ratnasaṃbhava Buddhakṣetra as Śaśiketu. Mahāmaudgalāyana’s rebirth will be in Manobhirāma as Tamālapatracandanagandha. Ānanda’s future destiny will be in Anavanāmitavaiayanti Buddhakṣetra. Buddha also predicts that many of his disciples reborn in Buddhakṣetra known as Samantaprabhāsa. Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra. The text gives a picture of prosperity in Buddhakṣetras. Viāga Buddhakṣetra is pleasant, delightful extremely beautiful to see, pure and rich. This Buddhakṣetra will consist of lapis lazuli. It also has a checker-board of eight sections distinguished by gold threads. Each sections have its jewel tree and filled with blossoms and frits of seven precious substances.^[11] The other Buddhakṣetras also possesses the same virtues, in addition, other Buddhakṣetras are depicted as devoid of gutters dirty pools, pits and precipices. Numerous Bodhisattvas reside in each Buddhakṣetras and their life time is innumerable.