Chapter 29 Chapter Twenty-Seven

The world is boundless, beyond reach; All sentient beings are immeasurable, only awareness can save them. —— "Corresponding Department" According to Buddhism, the earth, which is almost a speck in the universe, is not the only place where sentient beings can inhabit, and human beings are not the only sentient beings.The world is infinite, and all beings are infinite.Fertilized egg cells are not a single means of regeneration, and no one can go to the edge of the universe (1), so said the Buddha. Regeneration may occur in different life paths.There are 31 possible rebirths for sentient beings according to their good and bad karma.

Unhappily there are four.These four are called mental states, or realms.They are: 1. Niraya (ni+aya: no happiness) Hell is the evil path of unwholesome karma.They are not a perpetual hell where all beings suffer unending suffering.Once the negative karma is exhausted, it is possible for a being who has fallen into this path to be reborn on the path of happiness due to past good karma. 2. Tiracchanayoni (tiro = wear; acchan = row), livestock.Buddhism believes that because of their bad karma, sentient beings are reduced to the state of animals.However, animals may be reborn in the human realm due to the good karma accumulated in their previous lives.Strictly speaking, or more precisely, karma manifested in human beings may manifest in animal sentient beings, and vice versa.Just as electricity can manifest continuously in the form of light, heat, movement, etc., one of these forms need not be transformed by others.

It should be noted that sometimes some animals, especially dogs and cats, lead a more comfortable life than some people because of their past good karma. Karma determines a person's physical appearance, and they change due to the good and evil of their karma. 3. Peta=yoni(pa+ita), the original meaning is the person who leaves, or the person who has no happiness.They are not spirits or ghosts that leave their bodies.They have ugly images of different sizes.The physical body is generally invisible.They have no dwelling of their own, and live in forests, or squalor.There is a special book called "The Hungry Ghost Department" dedicated to the stories of these unfortunate beings. "The Ministry of Correspondence" also tells some interesting things about these hungry ghosts.

When Venerable Mujianlian described the tragic situation of the hungry ghost, he said: "Just as I was walking down Vulture Mountain, I saw a corpse walking in the air. Mountain eagles, crows, and eagles were chasing after it, pecking at its back and shattering its spine. It cried out in pain. In the same room, I suddenly thought: This is incredible! How could a single being become like this. How could a being with individuality end up like this.” "This being," commented the Buddha, "was a cattle butcher in his previous life. He fell into this world as a result of his previous kamma."(2)

According to the Milinda Questions, there are four hungry ghosts, namely, vantasikas who live on vomit; Khuppipisino who are both hungry and thirsty; Nijjhamatanhika who are tortured by thirst; and Paradattupajivino who live on the food of others. As stated in the "Yuan Wai Jing", the last kind of hungry ghosts mentioned above enjoy the merits of almsgiving performed by their relatives in their name, so they can be reborn in a more fortunate and beautiful path. 4. Asurayoni.Ashura fun.Ashura means one who does not shine, or one who is inactive.Like hungry ghosts, they belong to another realm of unfortunate beings.They are different from Asura who competes with heaven and man.

After these four evil paths (duggati) come the seven wholesome paths.they are: 1. Manussa (3) people. There are pains and joys in human interest sets.Bodhisattvas love the human world, because this is the best place to benefit the world, and it has all the resources to become a Buddha.Buddhas all appear in human beings. 2.Four Heavenly Kings day Catummaharajika.The lowest in the heavens.The four guardian gods live with them. 3.Thirty-three days Tavatimsa (忉利天).Thirty-three people live in heaven, Emperor Shi is God.The name of the thirty-three days comes from a legend.Thirty-three selfless devotees, under the leadership of Mogan (that is, Tishi), performed good deeds and were reborn in this heaven.The Buddha spoke Abhidharma for the gods and humans in this heaven.

4.Yemotian Yama.Yemotian people live.Yema is the one who removes pain. 5.Tusita day Tusita.Happy occupants.Heaven of joy. After the bodhisattva has completed all the merits of becoming a Buddha, he will stay here until the time for him to appear in the world and become a Buddha is ripe.Maitreya Bodhisattva, the future Buddha, lives here now, waiting for the birth of a human being to become a Buddha due to good causes and conditions. The Bodhisattva's mother died and was reborn in this heaven as a heavenly being.From then on, she came to the heaven for thirty-three days to listen to the Buddha's speech on Abhidharma.

6.Hua Lotte Nimmanarati.The celestial beings of this world enjoy entertainment in the high-rise palaces they have built. 7.Paranimmitavasavatti is another day of freedom.Heavenly beings in this world use the creations of others to serve themselves. The appearance of the gods and humans in the last six days is solemn and subtle, far superior to human nature, and cannot be seen by the naked eye.But sentient beings in the heavenly world are subject to birth and death. In some respects, such as their image, habits, and diet, they are superior to humanity.But, as a rule, they are not intellectually superior to humans.They are self-born, like boys and girls of fifteen or sixteen years old.

These six heavenly realms (suggti) are considered places of temporary happiness.It is said that sentient beings enjoy fleeting sensual pleasures here. The four evil paths and the seven good paths are collectively called the world of sentient beings (Kamaloka).Above this sensual realm is the Brahma or Rupaloka realm, where sentient beings renounce their physical desires and enjoy the bliss of Zen. According to the jhana practiced, there are sixteen form realms.They are: A．The first meditation: (leave birth joyfully). 1.Brahma Parisajja.The Great Brahma King lives with his followers. 2.Brahma Purohita.The ministers of Brahma King live here.

3.Brahma Maha BrahMa.King Brahma resides. The highest of these three days is Brahma, where all sentient beings enjoy more happiness, beauty and longevity than others.This is due to their inner mental development. B．The second meditation (concentration and joy). 4.Less light days Parittabha. 5.Infinite Light Appamanabha. 6.Aurora day Abhassara. C．Three meditations (divorce from joy and joy). 7.Less clean day Parittasubha. 8.Appamanasubha 9.Subhakinha is the pure heaven. D．Four Dhyanas 10.Cantonese Vehapphala. 11.No thought day one Asnnasatta. 12.Suddhavasa. The pure abode is further divided into five categories:

i．For a long time Aviha. ii.No annoying days Atappa. iii.Kind and beautiful day Sudassi. iv.Good show day Sudassi. v．Study Jingtian Akanittha. Those who practice jhana or bliss are reborn in this upper heaven.Those who have realized the first jhana are born in the first jhana; those who have realized the second and third jhanas are born in the second jhana; those who have realized the fourth and fifth jhanas are born in the third and fourth jhanas respectively. The first day of each realm is for those who have practiced jhana to an ordinary level; the second day is for those who have practiced jhana to a higher level; The eleventh day is called the no-thought day.Sentient beings are born in this heaven without consciousness. Here, only the flow of matter exists.During jhana, conscious thought is briefly suspended.Under normal circumstances, mind and matter cannot be separated.But this is possible because of the power of meditation.Just as in this particular case, when an Arahant attains cessation meditation, his consciousness is temporarily suspended.For us, this realm is hard to imagine. But something unthinkable may be the real truth. The Pure Habitat is only inhabited by saints who return fruit or do not return fruit.Ordinary people don't go to this day, they get a fruit in other days, and they are reborn in this day after death.They become arhats in this day and live in this day until the end of their lives. There is also the formless realm (arupaloka), without any matter or body.Buddhists believe that there is a place where mind exists independently of materiality.As Venerable Kasyapa explained: "Just as a sliver that is thrown into the air can be suspended in the air. As long as it has a momentum, it can continue to maintain it. Similarly, invisible beings enter that world because of their strong mental power. a celestial realm, and remain there until the momentum is exhausted. It is a temporary separation of consciousness and matter, although they usually co-exist." It should be noted that in the realms of form and formlessness, there is no gender distinction. According to the formless Zen, the formless world can be divided into four days: They are: 1.The sky of boundless space is Akasanancayatana. 2.Vinnayancayatana is the place of boundless consciousness. 3.Akincannayatana is the heaven of nothingness. 4.Neva sanna nasannayatana. (4) It should be noted that the Buddha did not attempt to explain any theory of the origin of the universe. The essence of Buddhism is not affected by the existence or absence of these heavenly worlds.No one has to believe what his reason cannot accept. But it is also inappropriate to deny it simply because it cannot be conceived by limited knowledge. Boundary fun time limit ┌——Neixiangnfeixiangtian 84.000MK │Nowhere 60.000MK Heaven│Boundless Consciousness 40.000MK │Boundless Space 20.000MK Color│Jingjutian │1. Changjiutian 16.000MK Realm│Four Zen Heavens 2, Wufan Heaven 8.000MK │ 3. Goodness 4.000MK │Fourth Zen Heaven 4, Shanxian Heaven 2.000MK │5. Ultimate Sky 1.000MK │Third Zen Heaven 1. Wuxiang Heaven 500M.K. │2. Guangguotian 500M.K. │3, Bianjingtian 64M.K. │4. Wuliang Jingtian 32M.K. │5. Shaojingtian 16M.K. Color│Second Zen Sky 1, Aurora Sky 8M.K. │2. Infinite Light Sky 4M.K. Boundary│3, Shaoguangtian 2M.K. │First Zen Heaven 1, Brahma Heaven 1A.K. │2. Fanputian 1/2A.K. │3, Brahma Heaven 1/3A.K. │ 1. Tahua Freedom 16.000CY │2. Hua Lotte 8.000CY │Tianjie 3, Tushitian 4.000CY │4. Yemotian 2000C.Y. Desire │5, Tao Li Tian 1.000CY │6. Four Heavenly Kings 500C.Y. Boundary│Humanity is uncertain │1. Asura is uncertain │Evil way 2, hungry ghosts are uncertain │3. Animal husbandry is uncertain │4. Hell is uncertain │ MK=Maha Kappa └ AK=Asankheyya Kappa [Note] (1) English translation of "Responsive Ministry", first product, p. 8586. (2) English translation of "Responsive Ministry", Part Two, p. 170. (3) Manussa literally means one who raises and develops consciousness (manoussannametesam).The corresponding word in Sanskrit is Manusya, which means the son of the wise man. It is so called because he became civilized after the wise man. (4) For details and life conditions of the various sentient worlds, see the Abhidhamma Handbook, Nalanda Elder, p. 234246.