Part 1 - Directions

In the city of Rājagṛha, till made the following submission:

Q. 1. Bhante! What is the nature of the eastern direction?

A. 1. Gautama! It has the form of a jīva as well as of a non-jīva.

Q. 2. Bhante! What is the nature of the western direction?

A. 2. Gautama! It is similar to the eastern direction. So also the north and the south; so also the upper region and the region underneath.

Q. 3. Bhante! How many are the directions?

A. 3. Gautama! They are ten, viz., east, east-south (agni), south, south-west (naiṛta), west, west-north (vāyu), north, north-east (īśāna), above and beneath.

Q. 4. Bhante! What are the names for these ten?

A. 4. Gautama! They have ten names, viz., Aindrī (east), Āgneyī (east-south), Yāmyā (south), Naiṛtī (south-west), Vāruṇī (west), Vāyabya (west-north), Saumyā (north), Aiśānī (north-east). Vimalā (above) and Tamā (below).

Q. 5. Bhante! Is the east in the form of a jīva, a portion (deśa) of a jīva, a space-point (pradeśa) of a jīva, a non-jīva. a portion of a non-jīva or a space-point of a non-jīva?

A. 5. Gautama! It is all these, till a space-point of a non-jīva. Those who are jīvas (embodied souls) have one organ of sense, two organs of sense, till five organs, and some are non-organ beings (meaning omniscient persons). Those who are portions of a jīva may be portions of an one organ being, till of a non-organ (omniscient) being. Those who are space-points of a jīva are, as a rule, the space-points of an one-organ being, or a two-organ being, till of non-organ being. Those which are non-jīvas may be with a form or without a form. Those with a form are of one or other of the four types, viz., a skandha (a conglomeration of atoms), a (deśa) portion of a skandha, space-points (pradeśa) of a skandha and paramāṇu pudgala (molecules). Non-jīvas without a form are of seven types, viz., not motion-that-be (dharmāstikāya) but a portion of it, space-points of the same, not rest-that-be (adharmāstikāya) but a portion of it, space-points of the same, not space-that-be (ākāsāstikāya) but a portion of it, space-points of the same, and limitless time (addhā-samaya).

Q. 6. Bhante! Is east-south in the form of a jīva, a portion of a jīva or space-points of a jīva, etc.?

A. 6. Gautama! Not a jīva, but a portion of a jīva, space-points of a jīva, a non-jīva, a portion of a non-jīva as well as space-points of a non-jīva. Those who have portioṇs of a jīva have, as a rule, a portion of one-organ beings or many portions of one-organ beings or one portion of a two-organ being, or many portions of one-organ beings and many portions of a two-organ being, or many portions of one-organ beings and many portions of many two-organ beings, or many portions of one-organ beings and one portion of a three-organ being. These three forms hold good of three-organs beings, and the same three hold good in each subsequent case, till non-organ (omniscient) beings. Coming to the space points of a jīva, they are, as a rule, the space-point of an one-organ being, or many space-points of one-organ beings or many space-points of a two-organ being, or many space-points of one-organ beings of many space-points of many two organ beings. For all subsequent cases, till non-organ (omniscient) beings, take out the first form and state the next two. Non-jīvas may be with a form or without a form. Those with a form may be skandha, till paramāṇu pudgala. Those without a form are seven viz., not motion-that-be, but a portion there of, space-points there of and likewise with rest-that-be, till space-points of space-that-be and limitless time. In the angular direction, there is no jīva. Hence relevant are the forms of a portion of a jīva and its space-points.

Q. 7. Bhante! Is south in the form of a jīva, etc.?

A. 7. Gautama! South is like the east, south-west is like east-south. West is like the east, west-north is like cast-south. North is like the east, north-east is like east-south. Region above is like east-south so far as jīvas are concerned and like the east regarding non-jīvas. So also is the region below, exception being that here non-jīvas without a form are of six types only, there being no time factor.