Abhidharmakośa-kārikā (阿毘達磨俱舍論本頌)

The realms of hell, animals, hungry ghosts, humans, and the six heavens of desire— these twenty make up the desire realm, distinguished by hells and continents.

Above these are seventeen places, called the form realm. Within it, the first three meditative states each have three, the fourth meditative state has eight.

The formless realm has no physical location; it consists of four types of birth, relying on shared karma and life force to sustain the continuity of mind and so forth.

Among them, hell and the rest are named as the five destinies. They are solely non-defined and non-remembered; sentient beings, not intermediate existences.

Different bodies and different perceptions, different bodies with the same perception, the opposite—same body, different perception— and the lower three formless realms: thus there are seven abodes of consciousness; the rest are not due to damage.

Know that including the peak of existence and the non-percipient sentient beings, these are the nine abodes of sentient beings; the rest are not places they delight in.

The four abodes of consciousness are known as the four aggregates, each confined to its own realm. It is said consciousness alone is not an abode; conditioned states are included in four categories.

Among them, there are four types of birth for sentient beings: egg-born and so forth. Humans and animals have all four; hell beings and gods have only spontaneous birth; hungry ghosts have womb and spontaneous birth.

In the intermediate state between death and rebirth, the five aggregates are called the intermediate existence. Not yet arrived at the destined place, thus the intermediate state is not considered a birth.

Like the continuity of grains and such, arising without interval in a place, the analogy of an image being real does not hold, for it is not equivalent, thus not a proper example.

In one place, two do not coexist; two births do not occur in one continuity. It is said there are Gandharvas, as taught in the five and seven sutras.

This is propelled by a single karma; it resembles the form of the future existence. The present existence refers to before death, after the moment of taking birth.

Seen by the pure divine eye alike, karma allows swift movement, complete faculties, non-obstructed, unturnable, feeding on odors, not long abiding.

With inverted mind drawn to objects of desire, moist-born and spontaneous-born are stained by odors. Gods enter head-first, the three above horizontally, hell beings enter head downward.

One is aware at entering, two and three are aware at entering, abiding, and exiting; the fourth is aware at all stages, and egg-born are always unaware.

The first three types enter the womb consciously: wheel-turning kings and the two Buddhas. Due to superior karma and wisdom respectively, the other four births follow in order.

No self, only aggregates, driven by afflictions and karma. Through the continuity of the intermediate state, entering the womb like a flame passing to a new lamp.

As causes lead to effects in sequence, continuity arises from afflictions and karma, proceeding to another life; thus the cycle has no beginning.

Such are the links of dependent arising: twelve factors across three periods. The first and last periods each have two, the middle has eight, based on completeness.

Past ignorance is the state of latent afflictions; past actions are called formations. Consciousness properly links to the birth-aggregates; name-and-form precedes the six sense bases.

From birth, the eye and other faculties, the meeting of three gives rise to the six bases. Distinguishing causes of the three feelings, not yet fully known, is called contact.

Before sensual craving comes feeling; craving for possessions and sensual craving, seeking various objects everywhere, is called grasping.

Existence refers to actions that definitely bring future results. Linking to future existence is called birth; arriving to experience it is aging-and-death.

Tradition allows explanation by phases, naming factors from their dominant aspect. Across the three periods, it dispels others' confusion.

Three afflictions, two actions, seven factors also called results— brief results and brief causes; through the middle, the two can be inferred.

From afflictions come afflictions and actions; from actions come events; from events, afflictions arise. This is the principle of the links.

Here the teaching rightly states: causes give rise to results already produced. Ignorance is what wisdom counteracts, like false friends, unreal things, and so on.

Called bonds and so forth, not due to wrong view, associated with views, said to defile wisdom.

Called the four formless aggregates, contact arises from the meeting of three. The first five are associated, obstructive; the sixth is accompanied by language.

Wisdom and ignorance are not the same; uncontaminated, defiled, and the rest. Love and hatred correspond to two, pleasant, etc., aligning with three feelings.

From this arise six feelings: five belong to the body, the rest to mind. These further become eighteen, due to differences in mental engagement.

Desire objects yield eighteen for desire realm; form objects yield twelve, higher three yield two. Two realms yield twelve for desire; eight for self, two for formless. The last two yield six for desire; four for self, one for higher. The first formless preliminary yields four for form, one for self. The four bases and three edges each only engage their own objects. The eighteen are solely conditioned; the rest have been or will be explained.

Here afflictions are explained like seeds, again like dragons, like grass roots and tree trunks, and like husks wrapping rice.

Actions are like husked rice, like medicinal herbs, like flowers. Various resultant events are like ripe food and drink.

Among the four types of existence, birth-existence is solely defiled, by afflictions of its own realm; the other three, the formless three.

Sentient beings abide by food. Physical food is of three types; non-material cannot nourish one's own faculties, due to liberation.

Contact, volition, and consciousness as food are conditioned, spanning three realms. Mind-made and seeking birth, odor-eating, arise in the intermediate state.

The first two benefit this life, the basis and what depends on it. The latter two benefit future existence, leading and arousing in sequence.

Severing wholesome roots and their restoration, leaving defilement, regression, death, birth— these are acknowledged only in mind-consciousness. Death and birth involve only neutral feeling.

Not in meditative states, non-conscious states, or two; two are non-defined, nirvana is one. Gradual death: feet, navel, heart; final consciousness ceases there.

Lower realms, humans, gods do not produce; severed vital points, water, etc. Right, wrong, indeterminate groups; saints create none but the uninterrupted; others may.

The container world is established: the wind circle lies lowest, its measure vast beyond count, sixteen hundred thousand thick.

Above, the water circle deep, eleven hundred twenty thousand; below, eight hundred thousand water, the rest congealed into gold.

This water and gold circle broad, diameter twelve hundred thousand, three thousand four hundred and a half, circumference three times this.

Sumeru stands in the center, next Yugandhara, Ishadhara, Khadiraka, Sudarshana, Ashvakarna, Vinataka, Nimindhara.

Beyond the great continents and such, an iron encircling mountain. The first seven are made of gold; Sumeru of four jewels. They enter water eighty thousand, Sumeru's height the same. The rest decrease by half each, breadth equal to their height.

Between mountains are eight seas; the first seven are called inner. The first breadth eighty thousand, each side three times that. The next six halve progressively; the eighth is called outer, three hundred twenty-two thousand two thousand yojanas.

Among them, the great continent's form: Jambudvīpa like a chariot, three sides each two thousand, the south side three and a half.

East Pūrvavideha, its form like a half-moon, three sides like Jambudvīpa, the east side three hundred fifty.

West Aparagodānīya, its form round, unbroken, diameter two thousand five hundred, circumference three times this.

North Uttarakuru, square, each side two thousand equal. There are also eight central isles, two on each side of the four continents.

North of this, nine black mountains; within Snow, Fragrance, Intoxicating, Lake Anavatapta stretches fifty yojanas long and wide.

Below this, past twenty thousand, Avīci, same depth and breadth. Above, seven hot hells, eight increases each sixteen.

Namely: burning embers, corpse-swamp, excrement, sharp blades, boiling river increases. Each abides in its four directions; the other eight are cold hells.

Sun and moon half Sumeru's height, fifty-one and fifty. Midnight, sunset, midday, sunrise for the four continents, etc.

Rainy season's second month, then nine nights gradually increase. Cold season's fourth likewise; nights decrease, days reverse this.

Days and nights increase by moments; traveling north and south paths, near sun, self-shadow covers, thus the moon appears deficient.

Sumeru has four tiers, each ten thousand apart. Side projections sixteen thousand, eight, four, two thousand measures.

Firm-Hand and Garland-Holder, Constant and Proud, great king multitudes, dwell on the four levels in order, also residing on the other seven mountains.

Sumeru's peak eighty thousand, the Heaven of Thirty-Three dwells. Four corners have four peaks, where Vajrapāṇi resides.

Central palace called Good-Sight, ten thousand yojanas around, high half, golden city, variously adorned, ground soft.

Within, a splendid hall, a thousand yojanas around. Outside, four parks adorned, Chariot, Rough, Mixed, and Joyful.

Fine grounds lie in four directions, each twenty apart. Northeast, the Wishing Tree; southwest, the Hall of Good Law.

Above this, form realm heavens, dwelling in sky palaces. Six enjoy desire: embracing, hand-holding, smiling, gazing, intercourse.

First like five to ten, form perfect, clothed. Desire-born: humans, gods; pleasure-born: three, nine places.

As distance downward measured, distance upward counted same. Without supernormal power, relying on others, those below cannot ascend to see above.

Four continents, sun, moon, Sumeru, desire heavens, Brahma world, each a thousand, called a small thousand-world. This small thousand times a thousand, called a medium thousand-world. This thousand times a thousand, all share one formation and destruction.

Jambudvīpa human height, three and a half cubits, four cubits. East, west, north continent humans, double, double, double in order.

Desire heaven: a krośa, quarters increase one by one. Form heaven: yojanas, first four increase half by half, above double progressively, only Cloudless decrease three.

North continent fixed thousand years; west, east half, half less. This continent life uncertain, later ten, first immeasurable.

Human fifty years, lower heaven one day-night. Thus lifespan five hundred; above, fivefold doubling.

Form realm no day-night distinction, aeons equal body measure. Formless: first two ten-thousands, then two, two increase. Minor Light heaven above and below, major, half, half as aeon.

Reviving and above six, in order, take desire heaven lifespan as one day-night, their lifespan same as that.

Extreme Heat half middle aeon, Uninterrupted full middle aeon. Animals utmost one middle aeon; ghosts months, days five hundred.

Arbuda lifespan, like a poppy seed removed every hundred years; later double by twenty.

All places have mid-life death, except North Uttarakuru.

Atom, syllable, instant: form, name, time smallest. Atom, atom, gold-dust, water-dust, rabbit, sheep, ox, gap-dust, louse, flea, barley, finger-segment, later increase sevenfold each. Twenty-four finger-widths a cubit; four cubits a bow-length. Five hundred krośas make eight yojanas.

One hundred twenty instants make one tatkṣaṇa. Sixty tatkṣaṇa one lava; thirty lava one muhūrta. Thirty muhūrta one day-night; thirty day-nights one month. Twelve months one year; within, nights half decrease.

Cold, heat, rainy seasons, one and a half months passed. Of the remaining half-month, the wise know nights decrease.

Know there are four aeons: destruction, formation, intermediate, great. Destruction from hells ceasing birth to outer container wholly ending. Formation aeon from wind arising to hell first birth. Intermediate aeon from immeasurable decreasing to lifespan only ten, then increase-decrease eighteen, later increasing to eighty thousand. Thus formed, abiding, called intermediate twenty aeons. Formation, destruction, after-destruction emptiness, each equal an abiding aeon. Eighty intermediate great aeons, great aeon three incalculables.

Decreasing eighty thousand to hundred, Buddhas appear in world. Solitary Realizers in increase-decrease times; Rhinoceros-like hundred aeons. Wheel-Turning King eighty thousand above; gold, silver, copper, iron wheels, one, two, three, four continents, reverse order, alone like Buddha. Others welcome, self-going subdues, dispute, battle wins without harm. Marks not fully perfect, bright, thus not equal to Buddha.

Aeon beginning like form heaven, later gradually increase greed taste. From laziness, hoarding, thieves arise; for defense, hire guards, fields. Unwholesome deeds increase, lifespan decreases, to ten, three disasters appear: sword, plague, famine in order, seven days, months, years cease. Three disasters: fire, water, wind; upper three meditations as summit. In order, internal disasters equal; fourth unmoving thus. Yet that container not permanent; sentient and world arise, cease together. Require seven fires, one water; seven waters after fire, then wind.