Buddha's Discourse on Establishing the World Abhidharma Treatise (佛說立世阿毘曇論)

Chapter 8: The Celestial Abode

The Buddha told the monks, "Mount Sumeru, the king of mountains, has four sides—east, west, south, and north. Its eastern side is made of pure gold, the western side of silver, the northern side of lapis lazuli, and the southern side of crystal. All its sides are composed of various treasures. Mount Sumeru is the richest of the seven precious substances.

At the very peak of the mountain, there is a flat, level, and supremely excellent central area. This is the great city of Sudarshana in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (Trayastrimsha). It is ten thousand yojanas in circumference, surrounded by a wall of pure gold, one yojana high. The parapet on the wall is half a yojana high. The gates are two yojanas high, and the outer gates are one and a half yojanas high. Every ten yojanas there is a gate. The city has a thousand gate-towers on each of its four sides. These gates are all made of various treasures, adorned with all kinds of mani jewels. They are like the fine woolen rugs of the northern regions, lacking nothing in the form of humans, non-humans, dragons, beasts, plants, and all kinds of mixed flowers. They are also like earrings, fully filled and adorned with multitudes of jewels. These gates are the same. Some have images of all beings, some have images of various trees and various flowers adorning their exterior.

Beside these gates are decorated elephant troops, horse troops, and chariot troops stationed there. The assembled gods, adorned in armor and bearing weapons, gather there to protect the country, to go sightseeing, and for decoration. Outside the city on all four sides, there are seven concentric circles of jeweled railings. The innermost is made of pure gold, the next of silver, the third of lapis lazuli, the fourth of crystal, and the outer three are made of various jewels. Outside the seven railings, there are seven circles of palm (tala) trees. The innermost trees have trunks of gold, the next silver, the third lapis lazuli, the fourth crystal, and the outer three have trunks of various jewels. The golden palm trees have leaves, flowers, and fruits of silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, and other jewels. The silver palm trees have leaves, flowers, and fruits of gold, lapis lazuli, and crystal. The lapis lazuli palm trees have leaves, flowers, and fruits of gold, silver, and crystal. The crystal palm trees have leaves, flowers, and fruits of gold, silver, and lapis lazuli. The outer three circles of trees have all these features made of various jewels.

When a gentle breeze blows through these palm trees, they produce a wonderful sound that can cause beings to generate five kinds of bondage: (1) attachment, (2) bindings, (3) confusion, (4) clinging, and (5) an inability to feel disenchantment. This is like the music of a five-member orchestra, or a skillful musician playing five notes in harmony, which can stir up the five kinds of desire in beings. The sound of these trees is exactly the same.

Between the rows of these seven circles of trees, there are everywhere jeweled lotus ponds, each one hundred bows long and wide, filled to the brim with heavenly water. Their bottoms and banks are built with bricks of four treasures: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal. Around each pond, there are stairways made of these same four jewel bricks. In each pond, there are countless flowers made of the five treasures: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, and agate (or red coral). In these ponds, four kinds of jeweled boats float and sail: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal. There are also eight kinds of water-play devices: (1) diving platforms, (2) seven-treasure boxes for pouring water over oneself, (3) water-striking instruments for music, (4) splashing water for play, (5) water wheels, (6) floating houses, (7) jeweled wheels shaped like grebes, and (8) ropes and threads for swinging and splashing.

Male and female gods play in boats on the ponds. The jeweled boats go as fast or as slow as the mind desires. If a god thinks, 'I wish to go over there,' the boat immediately goes there. If a god thinks, 'I wish those flowers to come to me,' the flowers immediately come. Due to the karmic reward, a natural wind blows, scattering various famous flowers everywhere over the gods. Another wind blows flower garlands to adorn their bodies and heads, sometimes as jeweled crowns, sometimes as necklaces, sometimes as armlets, sometimes as waist bands, and sometimes as anklets.

On the banks of the ponds, there are five kinds of jewel trees: (1) gold, (2) silver, (3) lapis lazuli, (4) crystal, and (5) agate. Between the rows of these trees, there are jewelled halls and palaces made of the five treasures, where male and female gods live.

Outside the city, there are many gods filling the land. Outside the palm trees, there are three concentric moats of precious substances. Each moat is two yojanas wide and one and a half yojanas deep, wider at the bottom than at the top, like the mouth of a pot. They are filled to the brim with heavenly water. Their construction uses bricks of four treasures: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal. On the four sides of these moats, there are stairways made of the same four jewel bricks. In each moat, there are countless four-treasure flowers. Four kinds of jewel boats float in them, made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal. There are also the eight kinds of water-play devices: (1) diving platforms, (2) seven-treasure boxes for pouring water over oneself, (3) water-striking instruments for music, (4) splashing water for play, (5) water wheels, (6) floating houses, (7) jeweled wheels shaped like grebes, and (8) ropes and threads for swinging and splashing.

In these moats, male and female gods play in boats. The jeweled boats go as fast or as slow as the mind desires. If a god thinks, 'I wish to go over there,' the boat goes there. If a god thinks, 'I wish those flowers to come to me,' the flowers come. Due to karmic rewards, a natural wind arises, blowing various famous flowers over the gods. Another wind blows flower garlands, adorning their bodies and heads—sometimes as jeweled crowns, sometimes as necklaces, sometimes as armlets, waist bands, and anklets.

Between the moats, there are jewelled halls and palaces where the heavenly maidens (apsaras) live. In these halls, they set up precious basins. In each basin, they plant various flowers and herbs, arranged in rows of five different colors.

Outside the three concentric moats, there are circles of seven-treasure trees—gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, the color of lotus flowers, conch-shell stone, and agate. In these forests, there are everywhere seven-treasure lotus ponds filled with heavenly water, with jeweled boats for playing, and halls and palaces where male and female gods live. Many gods fill that land, just as described before.

At that time, outside the moats, the seven-treasure trees blossom with flowers of the seven treasures—gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, and agate. In these forests, the heavenly maidens sing and make music. Countless gods from the great city come out to the forests to listen and watch. The gods inside the city also sing and make music, and the heavenly maidens from outside enter the city to listen and watch. Through this method, they come and go, playing and amusing themselves. This comprises one-quarter of the great city.

In the center of the city, there is a golden-walled city, the residence of Shakra (the king of the gods). It has twelve yojanas of gates. There are four hundred and ninety-nine gates on each of the four sides, plus one small gate, making five hundred gates in total. The shape of this city also has the four military guards. The railings, moats, trees, ponds, and various forests, palaces, with singing, dancing, music, and various other entertainments, with all kinds of adornments, are as described before.

In the center of this city is the dwelling of Shakra-devendra. It is a precious multi-storied tower called Pārīyātra (or Vaijayanta). It is five hundred yojanas long, two hundred and fifty yojanas wide, with a circumference of one thousand five hundred yojanas. Its pillars are nine yojanas tall, made of four treasures: (1) gold, (2) silver, (3) lapis lazuli, and (4) crystal, with bricks of these four treasures as their bases. The building has four stairways on its four sides. All its walls are made of the four treasures. It is surrounded by three concentric enclosures (parisands): the innermost made of pure gold, the second of silver, and the third of lapis lazuli. On each of these enclosures, there are three triple sets of jeweled bells. When a gentle wind blows, they produce a wonderful sound, like the music of a five-member orchestra, just like the sound of the palm trees described before, which can cause beings to give rise to the bonds of the five desires.

On the four sides of this tower, there are defense pavilions (śālās)—twenty-six on the east side, and twenty-five on each of the other three sides, making one hundred and one in total. Each pavilion is two yojanas square, with a circumference of eight yojanas. On top of each pavilion, there is a watchtower half a yojana high. Each pavilion has seven female gods, and each female god has seven handmaidens. Inside the tower, there are seventy thousand seven hundred rooms. In each room, there are seven goddesses, and each goddess has seven handmaidens. These goddesses are the chief queens of Shakra. The outer pavilions and inner rooms together number four hundred and ninety-four thousand, nine hundred. The chief queens number three billion, four hundred and sixty-four thousand, three hundred. The handmaidens, together with the queens, total three billion, nine hundred fifty-nine thousand, two hundred.

At the very top of the Pārīyātra tower, in the central circular room, which is thirty yojanas wide, ninety yojanas in circumference, and forty-five yojanas high, is the residence of Shakra. It is made entirely of lapis lazuli. The ground is smooth and soft, covered with various treasures. It is like the fine woolen rugs of the northern regions, lacking nothing in terms of humans, non-humans, dragons, beasts, plants, and mixed flowers. It is also like earrings fully adorned with multitudes of jewels. Shakra's residence is the same, made of lapis lazuli and adorned with multitudes of jewels. The ground is so soft that when you step on it, your foot sinks in, and when you lift your foot, the ground returns to its original state. It is like a pile of fine cotton or kapok cotton. Shakra's residence is exactly like this: sinking when stepped on, and returning when the foot is lifted. Scattered with various flowers, burning incense making the air fragrant, hung with heavenly garments and jeweled flower garlands—in this place, Shakra lives with his asura wife, Sujā (or Shachi).

Shakra, through his transformation body, lives with his queens. All the queens think, 'Shakra lives with me.' Shakra's true body lives with Sujā.

Inside the city, on all four sides, the dwelling places, lanes, streets, and marketplaces are all straight and orderly. In this heavenly city, some dwelling places have four-cornered houses, some have multi-storied peaked houses, some have tall towers with many levels, some have terraces and pavilions rising like clouds, and some have defense pavilions on all four sides. According to their merit, these are made of various treasures, level and straight. The roads in this heavenly city number five hundred, with cross-streets intersecting, arranged like a chessboard. The four gates lead through, so the east and west can see each other. Lanes and marketplaces are full of precious goods. There are markets for (1) grain, (2) clothes, (3) various perfumes, (4) food and drink, (5) flower garlands, (6) crafts, and (7) prostitutes. Everywhere there are market officials. In these markets, male and female gods come and go, trading, discussing prices high and low, seeking to increase or decrease, weighing and counting—they have the full method of marketplace conduct. But although they do these things, it's just for fun. They have no thought of taking or giving, no sense of 'mine.' If they want something, they just take it and go. If their karma is suitable, they take it as they wish. If the karma is not suitable, they say, 'This item is very rare, not what I need.'

On the crossroads, there are decorations of elephants, horses, chariots, and soldiers, and male gods reside there—sometimes for protection, sometimes for fun, sometimes for decoration.

The roads in the marketplace are all made of lapis lazuli, soft, smooth, and lovely, adorned with various treasures. Like the fine woolen rugs of the north, with dragons, beasts, flowers, and trees—all as before—even burning incense, scattering flowers, and hanging heavenly garments—it is the same. Everywhere, banners and pennants are erected.

Inside this great heavenly city, these sounds continuously arise: the sounds of elephants, horses, chariots, conch shells, dundubhi drums, drums, cymbals (bherī), flutes, and musical instruments. And there is a voice saying, 'Welcome, welcome. Enjoy food and drink. Now I am offering.'

This is the Great City of Sudarshana, the residence of Shakra. Additionally, the heavens have their states, counties, districts, and villages, which are spread everywhere all over Mount Sumeru.

To the northwest corner of the Great City of Sudarshana, twenty yojanas from the outer main gate, there is the Sudharma Hall of the Thirty-Three gods. It is thirty yojanas in diameter, ninety yojanas in circumference, and forty-five yojanas high. It is made entirely of lapis lazuli. The ground is smooth and soft, covered with various treasures. Like the fine woolen rugs of the north, lacking in nothing in terms of humans, non-humans, dragons, beasts, plants, and mixed flowers. It is also like earrings fully adorned with multitudes of jewels. The Sudharma Hall is exactly the same—soft, smooth, and lovely. When stepped on, the foot sinks; when lifted, the foot returns. All its adornments are as described before.

It is surrounded by three concentric enclosures: the innermost is made of pure gold, the second of silver, and the third of lapis lazuli. On each of these enclosures, there are three triple sets of jeweled bells. When a gentle wind blows, they produce a wonderful sound, like the music of a five-member orchestra, just like the sound of the palm trees described before, which can cause beings to give rise to the bonds of the five desires.

In the center of this hall, a great jeweled pillar rises up and emerges from the hall. The top of the pillar has a golden disk (and a pot finial), adorned in many ways. The central pillar has a circumference of one yojana, with a diameter of one-third of that. For every cross-beam (one end of a rafter), there are sixteen minor pillars supporting it. Each of these minor pillars is in turn surrounded by sixteen other minor pillars. So one cross-beam is supported by two hundred and seventy-two pillars. The total number of cross-beams and rafters divides into three sections. One section has four thousand and fifty-two surrounding the circumference, so three sections have twelve thousand one hundred and fifty-six. The total number of cross-beams, rafters, and pillars is thirty-two billion, six hundred and forty-three thousand, two hundred. Some of these pillars touch the ground below and go all the way up, not reaching the rafters, with a gap as fine as a hair. Some pillars go up to the rafters but don't reach the ground—a gap as fine as a hair. Because of this, the Sudharma Hall stands in the air, and one cannot be aware of how it's supported.

It has four gatehouses: one facing east, one west, one south, and one north.

Outside the Sudharma Hall, there are everywhere great jeweled ponds, filled to the brim with heavenly water. Their bottoms and banks are built with bricks of four treasures: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal. Around the ponds, there are stairways made of the four jewel bricks. In each pond, there are countless flowers made of the five treasures: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, and agate. In these ponds, four kinds of jeweled boats float and sail. There are also eight kinds of water-play devices: (1) diving platforms, (2) seven-treasure boxes for pouring water over oneself, (3) water-striking instruments for music, (4) splashing water for play, (5) water wheels, (6) floating houses, (7) jeweled wheels shaped like grebes, and (8) ropes and threads for swinging and splashing. Male and female gods play in boats, going as fast or as slow as the mind desires. Flowers in the sky naturally gather, adorning the gods. There are even many celestial halls and palaces, all filled up.

Outside the Sudharma Hall, there is a great garden, surrounded by a golden wall. It is one thousand yojanas in circumference. The wall is one yojana high, with a parapet half a yojana high. The gates are two yojanas high. Every ten yojanas there is a gate. In total, there are ninety-nine gates, plus one small gate. These gates are made of various treasures, adorned with wonderful mani jewels. Like the fine woolen rugs of the north, these are richly decorated. At the gates, there are the four military guards on duty, just as described before.

Outside is the seven-fold circle of jeweled railings, just as described before. It is surrounded by seven circles of palm trees, just as described before. Between the rows of trees, there are jeweled ponds, spaced one-hundred bows apart, adorned in many ways, just as described before. There are the five kinds of precious flowers and the four kinds of jeweled ships, as described before. On the banks are the five kinds of precious trees, and the jeweled halls and palaces made of the four treasures, where male and female gods live. Outside the garden is the three-fold circle of moats of precious substances, as described before. Each moat is two yojanas wide and one and a half yojanas deep, shaped like the mouth of a pot—wider below and narrower above—filled to the brim with heavenly water, as described before. In the land between the moats, there are goddesses and handmaidens, with halls arranged in rows. Outside the three moats, they are surrounded by circles of seven-treasure trees, as described before.

At that time, in the outer forest, all the flowers bloomed. The heavenly maidens, with music and singing, and the male gods came out from the Sudharma Hall and the city, entered the garden, and watched and listened together. Inside, the male gods also played music, and at that time, the heavenly maidens came out from the Sudharma Hall into the garden to look.

Because of these events, the male and female gods constantly experience play and entertainment.

From the northwest gate of the great city, the distance to the gate of the Sudharma Hall is twenty yojanas. The road is ten yojanas wide. The ground is smooth, made of lapis lazuli, lovely, soft, and adorned with various treasures. Like the fine woolen rugs of the north, lacking nothing—it is full of images of humans, non-humans, elephants, horses, flowers, and trees. It is also like earrings composed of various jewels. The road is the same. When you step on it, you sink; when you lift your foot, it returns—like fine cotton. The road is that soft. It is adorned with three types of enclosures, each made of four treasures. Each enclosure is surrounded by three tiers of bells. Each bell is made of four treasures. When a gentle wind blows, they produce a wonderful sound, capable of causing gods to give rise to the bonds of the five desires.

On both sides of this road, there are two rivers, named the 'Long Form River.' They are also twenty yojanas long and ten yojanas wide, filled naturally with the water of eight excellent qualities. The banks of the river are built with the four-treasure bricks, as described before. On the four sides of the river, there are four-treasure stairways, as described before. In the water of the river, there are the five-treasure flowers, as described before. The four-treasure ships float there, with the eight devices for water play, and the gods ride in ships and play, going slow or fast as the mind wishes, as described before. If the gods need those flowers, they come at the thought. Due to good karmic rewards, it rains various precious flowers scattering over the gods. Another wind blows flower garlands, and according to what ornament the body needs, these garlands naturally adorn the arms, body, head, and feet.

On the banks of the two rivers, the five kinds of jewel trees grow everywhere luxuriantly, as described before. Between the rows of these trees, there are jeweled ponds and jeweled halls, where male and female gods live. There are countless and infinite numbers of them, filling the area.

At that time, the gods of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven wished to enter this garden. In their Hall of Good Dharma, there was a wind called "Gathering Wind." It blew away the withered flowers, clearing and purifying the ground completely. Then another wind, called "Razor Wind," swept through the outer gardens, woods, and ponds, bringing fresh blossoms of blue, yellow, red, and white. Once these flowers were gathered, the Gathering Wind collected them all into the Hall of Good Dharma. It spread them across the floor, forming various patterns: golden and silver staff shapes, lotus shapes, carpet patterns, ram figures, a playful lion, images of elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers, deer and antelope, as well as garuḍas, dragons, and horses. In this orderly fashion, the entire floor of the Hall of Good Dharma was beautifully adorned with flowers layered up to the knees.

At that time, the gods surrounded Lord Indra, honoring him as their chief, and entered the park. Inside the Hall of Good Dharma, beside the central pillar, stood a lion throne. Lord Indra ascended and sat upon it. To his left and right, sixteen heavenly kings each took their seats in orderly rows, while the other gods sat according to their rank.

Lord Indra then had two princes—one named Sandalwood, the other named Suvira—who served as the two great generals of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. They sat to the left and right of the thirty-three gods.

Then King Dhṛtarāṣṭra sat by the eastern gate, along with his ministers and troops. In reverence to the gods, he was permitted to sit among them. King Virūḍhaka sat by the southern gate, along with his ministers and troops. In reverence to the gods, he was permitted to sit among them. King Virūpākṣa sat by the western gate, along with his ministers and troops. In reverence to the gods, he was permitted to sit among them. King Vaiśravaṇa stood by the northern gate, along with his ministers and troops. In reverence to the gods, he was permitted to sit among them.

These four heavenly kings, within the Hall of Good Dharma, reported the good and evil deeds of the world to Lord Indra and the thirty-three gods.

At that time, the World-Honored One said: "Monks, on the eighth day of the month, the great ministers of the Four Heavenly Kings travel throughout the human world one by one, observing: today, how many people are keeping the Eight Precepts? How many are practicing generosity? How many are cultivating virtuous deeds? How many are revering their parents, ascetics, Brahmins, and elders in the family? On the fourteenth day, the princes of the Four Heavenly Kings travel throughout the human world one by one, observing: today, how many people are keeping the Eight Precepts? How many are practicing generosity? How many are cultivating virtues? How many are revering their parents, ascetics, Brahmins, and elders in the family? On the fifteenth day, the Four Heavenly Kings themselves travel throughout the human world one by one, observing: today, how many people are keeping the Eight Precepts? How many are practicing generosity? How many are cultivating virtues? How many are revering their parents, ascetics, Brahmins, and elders in the family? The same applies to the dark half of the month.

Monks, if there are few people keeping the Eight Precepts, few practicing generosity, few cultivating virtues, and few revering their parents, ascetics, Brahmins, and elders in the family, then when the gods of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven gather in the Hall of Good Dharma, the Four Heavenly Kings will go there and report to Śakra, saying: 'Great Lord, few people are keeping the Eight Precepts, few are practicing generosity, few are revering their parents, ascetics, Brahmins, and elders in the family.' Upon hearing this, the gods of Trāyastriṃśa and Śakra himself become distressed and say: 'This is not good, this is not in accordance with the Dharma. If few people keep the Precepts, practice generosity, cultivate virtues, and revere their parents, ascetics, Brahmins, and elders in the family, then the heavenly hosts will decrease, and the ranks of the Asuras will increase.'

Monks, if many people keep the Eight Precepts, practice generosity, cultivate virtues, and revere their parents, ascetics, Brahmins, and elders in the family, then the Four Heavenly Kings will go to the Hall of Good Dharma and report to Śakra, saying: 'Great Lord, many people are keeping the Eight Precepts, practicing generosity, cultivating virtues, and revering their parents, ascetics, Brahmins, and elders in the family.' Upon hearing this, the gods of Trāyastriṃśa become delighted and say: 'This is very good, this is in accordance with the Dharma. If many people keep the Precepts, practice generosity, cultivate virtues, and revere their parents, ascetics, Brahmins, and elders in the family, then the heavenly hosts will increase, and the ranks of the Asuras will dwindle.'

Monks, then Śakra, seated properly on his divine throne, pleasing the minds of the gods, spoke this verse: