梵語提婆。此云天。天者天然清淨光潔。於諸趣中。最勝最樂。最善最妙。最尊最高。故名為天。苟非最勝之因。豈生最勝淨潔之處。最勝因者。所謂十善。身三口四。及意三行。由此三業。防止過非。有順理義。違不善道。以斯十善。運出五趣。故茲十善戒法。名為天乘。諸天雖眾。不出三界。曰。欲界。色界。無色界。三界區分。共有二十八處。欲界有六。第一從下。上升四萬二千由旬。是四天王天住處。居須彌山半。乃上升之元首。下界之初天。東方曰持國天王。居須彌山東。白銀埵。城名上賢。領乾闥婆。(此云香陰天帝樂神)及毗舍遮。(此云噉精氣鬼)護東州人。南方曰增長天王。居須彌山南青琉璃埵。城名善見。領鳩槃茶。(此云壓魅鬼)及薜茘多。(此云餓鬼)護南州人。西方曰廣目天王。居須彌山西黃金埵。城名周羅。領諸龍。及富單那。(此云臭餓鬼)護西州人。北方曰多聞天王。居須彌山北水精埵。其城有三。一名可畏。二名天敬。三名眾歸。領夜叉。及羅剎。護北州人。四王共有三十二將軍。各有九十一子。具大威力。悉護十方。人間五十歲。此四王天為一晝夜。壽五百歲。(計人間歲九百萬年)從此四王天上升四萬二千由旬。是第二忉利天住處。(忉利此云三十三)居須彌山頂。山頂縱廣八萬四千由旬。而中平可居者。止四萬由旬。四面各有八天。中央善見大城內有金城。是天帝釋住處。共為三十三天。人間一百歲。此天為一晝夜。壽一千歲。(計人間歲。三千六百萬年。以紅蓮華合。青蓮華開為夜。青蓮華合。紅蓮華開為晝)從此忉利天上升十六萬由旬。有處如雲。七寶所成。猶如大地。縱廣八萬由旬。是第三夜摩天住處。(夜摩。此云時分)人間二百歲。此天為一晝夜。壽二千歲。(計人間歲。一萬四千四百萬年)從此夜摩天上升三十二萬由旬。有地如雲。縱廣十六萬由旬。是第四兜率天住處。(兜率此云喜足)人間四百歲。此天為一晝夜。壽四千歲。(計人間歲。五萬七千六百萬年)從此兜率天上升六十四萬由旬。有地如雲。縱廣三十二萬由旬。是第五化樂天住處。(化作五塵而自娛樂)人間八百歲。此天為一晝夜。壽八千歲。(計人間歲。二億三萬零四百萬年)從此化樂天上升十二億八萬由旬。有地如雲。縱廣六十四萬由旬。是第六他化自在天住處。(他化作宮殿園林。一切樂具。於中自在受用)此是欲界頂天。人間一千六百歲。此天為一晝夜。壽一萬六千歲。(計人間歲。九億二萬一千六百萬年)從此上升一倍。二十五億六萬由旬。有地如雲。縱廣十二億八萬由旬。是色界諸天住處。共有一十八天。通號四禪。以其離散動故。亦名梵世。謂其離欲染也。皆以劫數為壽。身白銀色。無男女相。形惟一種。初禪三天。(一梵眾天。壽半劫。是民。二梵輔天。壽一劫。是臣。三大梵王天。壽一劫半。是君。從此倍倍上升。例此可知)二禪三天。(一少光天。壽二劫。二無量光天。壽四劫。三光音天。壽八劫)三禪三天。(一少淨天。壽十六劫。二無量淨天。壽三十二劫。三徧淨天。壽六十四劫)四禪九天。(一無雲天。壽一百二十五劫。二福生天。壽二百五十劫。三廣果天。壽五百劫。四無想天。壽同上。五無煩天。壽千劫。七善見天。壽四千劫。八善現天。壽八十劫。九色究竟天。壽一萬六千劫。此是色界頂天。後之五天。名淨居天。是三果聖人居處)從此上升一倍。是無色界。共有四天。亦名四空天。人同碧落。界若虗空。惟有受。想。行。識。四陰。無色陰故。故名無色界。一空處天(壽二萬大劫)。二識處天(壽四萬大劫)。三無所有處天(壽六萬大劫)。四非非想處天(壽八萬大劫)。然此三界諸天壽數雖定。而亦有中夭者。惟兜率天。及無想天。壽命皆定。不說中夭也。
"Deva" in Sanskrit means "heaven" or "divine being." Heaven signifies what is naturally pure, clean, and radiant. Among all realms of existence, it is the most supreme, the most blissful, the most virtuous, the most exquisite, the most honorable, and the highest. Hence it is called heaven. Unless one has cultivated the most supreme causes, how could one be born into the most supreme, pure, and clean realm? The most supreme causes refer to the ten wholesome deeds: three of body, four of speech, and three of mind. Through these three kinds of actions, one prevents transgressions and faults. They align with principles of righteousness and steer away from unwholesome paths. By means of these ten wholesome deeds, one transcends the five realms of cyclic existence. Therefore, these ten wholesome precepts are called the "Heavenly Vehicle." Although there are many types of heavens, none go beyond the three realms: the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm. These three realms are divided into a total of twenty-eight abodes.
The Desire Realm has six heavens. The first, rising from below upward 42,000 yojanas, is the abode of the Four Heavenly Kings. They dwell halfway up Mount Sumeru, being the foremost of those who rise upward and the first heaven above the lower worlds. In the east dwells the Heavenly King of Maintaining the Country. He resides on the eastern side of Mount Sumeru, on the terrace of silver, in a city called Superior Virtue, leading the Gandharvas (celestial musicians) and the Pishachas (spirit-eating demons), protecting the people of the eastern continent. In the south dwells the Heavenly King of Growth. He resides on the southern side of Mount Sumeru, on the terrace of blue lapis lazuli, in a city called Beautiful Vision, leading the Kumbhandas (demon-pressers) and the Pretas (hungry ghosts), protecting the people of the southern continent. In the west dwells the Heavenly King of Broad Eyes. He resides on the western side of Mount Sumeru, on the terrace of gold, in a city called Chuda (Crown), leading the dragons and the Putanas (stinking hungry ghosts), protecting the people of the western continent. In the north dwells the Heavenly King of Abundant Hearing. He resides on the northern side of Mount Sumeru, on the terrace of crystal. His cities are three: one called Fearful, one called Heavenly Reverence, and one called Multitude's Refuge. He leads the Yakshas and the Rakshasas, protecting the people of the northern continent.
The Four Heavenly Kings together have thirty-two generals, each with ninety-one sons. They possess great power and all protect the ten directions. Fifty human years equal one day and night in this heaven of the Four Kings. Their lifespan is five hundred such years (amounting to nine million human years).
Rising another 42,000 yojanas above the Heaven of the Four Kings is the second heaven, the Trayastrimsha Heaven (the Heaven of the Thirty-Three). It is located at the summit of Mount Sumeru. The summit is 84,000 yojanas wide, but the level, habitable area is only 40,000 yojanas. On each of the four sides there are eight heavens. In the center, within the great city of Beautiful Sight, there is a golden citadel—the abode of Lord Indra, the king of gods. Together they form the thirty-three heavens. One hundred human years equal one day and night there, and their lifespan is one thousand such years (amounting to 36 million human years. Night is when the red lotus closes and the blue lotus opens; day is when the blue lotus closes and the red lotus opens).
Rising 160,000 yojanas above the Trayastrimsha Heaven, there is a place like clouds, formed of seven precious substances, like the earth itself, extending 80,000 yojanas in width. This is the third heaven, the Yama Heaven (meaning "Timely Division"). Two hundred human years equal one day and night there, and their lifespan is two thousand such years (amounting to 144 million human years).
Rising 320,000 yojanas above the Yama Heaven, there is a ground like clouds, extending 160,000 yojanas in width. This is the fourth heaven, the Tushita Heaven (meaning "Contentment and Satisfaction"). Four hundred human years equal one day and night there, and their lifespan is four thousand such years (amounting to 576 million human years).
Rising 640,000 yojanas above the Tushita Heaven, there is a ground like clouds, extending 320,000 yojanas in width. This is the fifth heaven, the Nirmanarati Heaven (meaning "Delighting in Creatively Transforming the Five Sense Objects"). Eight hundred human years equal one day and night there, and their lifespan is eight thousand such years (amounting to 2,304,000,000 human years).
Rising 1,280,000 yojanas above the Nirmanarati Heaven, there is a ground like clouds, extending 640,000 yojanas in width. This is the sixth heaven, the Paranirmitavashavartin Heaven (meaning "One Who Freely Enjoys Pleasures Created by Others"). This is the highest heaven of the Desire Realm. Sixteen hundred human years equal one day and night there, and their lifespan is sixteen thousand such years (amounting to 9,216,000,000 human years).
Rising from there, doubling the distance to 2,560,000 yojanas, there is a ground like clouds, extending 1,280,000 yojanas in width. These are the abodes of the heavens of the Form Realm. There are eighteen heavens in total, collectively known as the Four Dhyanas (meditative absorptions), so called because they are free from scattered, agitated movement. They are also called the Brahma World, because they are free from the defilement of desire. Their lifespans are measured in kalpas (eons). Their bodies are silver-white in color, with no distinction of male or female. Their form is uniform.
The First Dhyana has three heavens: (1) the Brahma Assembly Heaven, with a lifespan of half a kalpa—these are the common beings; (2) the Brahma Minister Heaven, with a lifespan of one kalpa—these are the ministers; (3) the Great Brahma King Heaven, with a lifespan of one and a half kalpas—these are the rulers. From here upward, each level doubles in height and lifespan, following the same pattern.
The Second Dhyana has three heavens: (1) the Lesser Light Heaven, lifespan of two kalpas; (2) the Immeasurable Light Heaven, lifespan of four kalpas; (3) the Light-Sound Heaven, lifespan of eight kalpas.
The Third Dhyana has three heavens: (1) the Lesser Purity Heaven, lifespan of sixteen kalpas; (2) the Immeasurable Purity Heaven, lifespan of thirty-two kalpas; (3) the Pervasive Purity Heaven, lifespan of sixty-four kalpas.
The Fourth Dhyana has nine heavens: (1) the Cloudless Heaven, lifespan of 125 kalpas; (2) the Fortune-Born Heaven, lifespan of 250 kalpas; (3) the Broad Fruit Heaven, lifespan of 500 kalpas; (4) the No-Thought Heaven, same lifespan as above; (5) the No-Affliction Heaven, lifespan of 1,000 kalpas; (6) the No-Heat Heaven, lifespan of 2,000 kalpas; (7) the Good-Vision Heaven, lifespan of 4,000 kalpas; (8) the Good-Manifestation Heaven, lifespan of 8,000 kalpas; (9) the Ultimate Form Heaven, lifespan of 16,000 kalpas. This is the highest heaven of the Form Realm. The last five heavens are called the Pure Abodes, where saints of the third stage of enlightenment reside.
Rising from there, doubling the distance, is the Formless Realm. It consists of four heavens, also called the Four Stations of Emptiness. Its beings are like the vast sky itself, existing only as the four aggregates of feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness—with no aggregate of form. Hence it is called the Formless Realm. They are: (1) the Heaven of Infinite Space (lifespan of 20,000 great kalpas); (2) the Heaven of Infinite Consciousness (lifespan of 40,000 great kalpas); (3) the Heaven of Nothing Whatsoever (lifespan of 60,000 great kalpas); (4) the Heaven of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception (lifespan of 80,000 great kalpas).
Although the lifespans of the various heavens in these three realms are fixed, there are nonetheless cases of premature death. Only in the Tushita Heaven and the No-Thought Heaven are lifespans entirely fixed, with no mention of premature death.