Buddhist Cosmology, THE THIRTY-ONE ABODES Options

[nckk]

This is a Cosmology from Buddhist Scriptures of "Gods and the Universe" by Francis Story.
Buddhist Cosmology studied in the Light of the Kabbalistic teachings can bring inspiration to the mind and Consciousness when Meditated upon.
Could We find the vaste states of Consciousness described here in our own work with the Fire.

THE THIRTY-ONE ABODES:

31. Sphere of neither Perception nor Non-Perception Neva-sanna-nasannayatanupaga Deva
30. Sphere of the Knowledge of Nothingness Akincannayatanupaga Deva (Arupa Loka)
29. Sphere of Infinite Consciousness Vinnanancayatanupaga Deva
Disembodied consciousness
28. Sphere of Infinite Space Akasancayatanupaga Deva
27. World of Supreme Brahmas Akanittha Brahma

26. World of Clearsighted B. Sudassi Brahma
25. World of Beautiful Brahmas Sudassa Brahma NonReturners and Arhats
24. World of Serene Brahmas Atappa Brahma
23. World of Immobile Brahmas Aviha Brahma

22. World of Sensationless Brahmas Asanna-satta Brahma B.w material body no Consc.

21. World of Greatly Rewarded Brahmas Vehapphala Brahma
20. World of Brahmas of Steady Aura Subha Kinha Brahma
19. World of Brahmas of Infinite Aura Appamana Subha Brahma
18. World of Brahmas of Minor Aura Paritta Subha Brama
17. World of Radiant Brahmas Abhassara Brahma
16. World of Brahmas of Infinite Lustre Appamanabha Brahma
15. World of Brahmas of Minor Lustre Parittabha Brahma
14. World of Great Brahmas Maha Brahma
13. Ministers of Brahma Brahma-Purohita Brahma
12. Retinue of Brahma Brahma-Parisajja Brahma

11. Devas enjoying or utilizing the Creation of Others Paranimmita-vasavatti Deva (Kama-Loka)
10. Devas enjoying their Own Creations Nimmana-rati Deva Devas of Sense-desire sphere
9. Devas enjoying Pleasure Tusita Deva
8. Yama Devas Yama Deva
7. Realm of the Thirty-three Devas Tavatirhsa Deva
6. Realm of the Four Great Kings (of the four quarters)Catumaharajika Deva

5. Human World Manussa Loka

4. Animal World Tiracchana Yoni
3. World of Unhappy Spirits Peta Loka
2. World of Demons (Titans) Asura Nikaya
1. Realm of Inferno Naraya


Way of Birth-cause in the respective worlds:
1 to 4 Unwholesome Karma
5 Mixed Karma, predominantry good
6 to 11. Very good karma (in the field of worldly activity).
12 Weak experience of the first Jhana (Mental absorption)
13 Moderate experience of the First Jhana.
14 Full experience of the first Jhana
15-16 -17 Experience of the Second Jhana
18-19-20 experience of the Third Jhana
21-22 Experience of the Fourth Jhana
23-27 Attainment of the Fruit of Non-returning, with full experience of teh Fourth Jhana.
28-31 Concentration on the Formless, Arupayatana Jhanas.

Comments would be welcome and I guess we would need this:


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[samanera]

James Crow addressed some of this here:


http://www.gnosticteachings.org/forum/inde...p?showtopic=361

The "six" realms that you mention are well-known in most forms of Buddhism (so this is not just Tibetan):
(in descending order)

Gods
Demigods
Humans
Animals
Hungry Ghosts
Hell Beings

But these six are really just partitions of one realm: the Desire Realm. This region is depicted on the Wheel of Samsara.



Above the Desire Realm are eight more worlds:
(in descending order)

9. Peak of Cyclic Existence
8. Nothingness
7. Limitless Consciousness
6. Limitless Space
5. Fourth Concentration
4. Third Concentration
3. Second Concentration
2. First Concentration
1. First Level - The Desire Realm

All of these worlds are inhabited by intelligences of vastness relative to their level of Being.
I am sure you can appreciate the relationship of this structure with the Initiatic Kabbalah. It looks a little different, but expresses the same thing.

I was thumbing through the following book on Buddhist Cosmology, by Jamgon Kongtrul; and, it seems quite complex.





This may be the same one; I'm not sure:







Here's my theory in relation to the Tree of Life...:


*Edit*




This post has been edited by samanera: Jan 3 2008, 09:23 PM

[James Crow]

Well, it is not so simple as that, because you have to consider there are Four Worlds:

Atziluth
Briah
Yetzirah
Assiah

Each of these is a Tree in itself.

In each sphere of each tree are myriad worlds.

The Tree we study as Ten Sephiroth is a kind of "outline" view. The reality is vastly more complex.

The fact remains that any "cosmology" is really just a way of analyzing states of consciousness. It is similar to trying to reduce the world to the image on a paper map: the world and its infinite varieties of life and experience simply do not fit onto a paper map. Within one given place on this planet you can experience a very wide range of things, from extreme pleasure to neutrality to extreme suffering: that is not transmissable to paper. Kabbalah is even more so. In each given sphere, in each given world, there is a wide range of possibilities.

Consider the physical world alone: there is the world of the very small (atomic, subatomic) and the world of the very large (galaxies, etc) and that is just in Malkuth. Every other sphere has a similar range. That is why intellectual correspondences have their limit. It is useful as a point of reference, but only just so. To extend the reference too far just creates confusion, because we do not have the consciousness even to comprehend the simple Ten Sephiroth, which are the kindergarten of Kabbalah.

P.S. - The Desire Realm is everywhere there is desire, so it penetrates even into the worlds of the Gods.