| This Chart of the Heavens was part of a Chart of Samsara published in Buddhism: A Brief Introduction. Appendix 1 Page 127-131 |
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| Key: | ||||||
| Kalpa = 16 million years Small Kalpa = 1,000 Kalpas Great Kalpa = 4 Middle Kalpas Yojana = 28 Miles Middle Kalpa = 20 Small Kalpas |
Asankhyeya Mahakalpa = 1.28 billion years X 10 to the 63rd power or 1.28 billion X vigintillion years | Our Buddha, Shakyamuni, in order to perfect his “blessings and wisdom”, cultivated for many, many lifetimes in a period of time covering three Asankhyeya Mahakalpas. He then further practiced for 100 Great Kalpas to perfect the 32 Hallmarks and 80 Subsidiary Features of a Buddha. | ||||
| Formless Realm | ||||||
| Name of Sphere of Existence | Average Lifespan | Average Height | Comments | |||
| Heaven of Neither Thought Nor Non-Thought | 80,000 Great Kalpas (102.4 quadrillion years) |
Gods in the Formless Heavens have no bodies. They only have consciousness. | ||||
| Heaven of Nothing Whatsoever | 60,000 Great Kalpas | |||||
| Heaven of Boundless Consciousness | 40,000 Great Kalpas | |||||
| Heaven of Boundless Consciousness | 20,000 Great Kalpas | |||||
| Form Realm | ||||||
| 5 Heavens of No-Return: | ||||||
| Ultimate Form Heaven | 16,000 Great Kalpas (20.48 quadrillion years) |
16,000 Yojanas (448,000 miles) | The Five Heavens of No-Return are also known as the Pure Abodes or Pure Dwellings. Gods in the Heavens of No-Return are Sages who have certified to the Third Stage of an Arhat. The gods of all the other heavens cannot even see these heavens, because they are beyond their scope. | |||
| Good Manifestation Heaven | 8,000 Great Kalpas | 8,000 Yojanas | ||||
| Good View Heaven | 4,000 Great Kalpas | 4,000 Yojanas | ||||
| No Heat Heaven | 2,000 Great Kalpas | 2,000 Yojanas | ||||
| No Affliction Heaven | 1,000 Great Kalpas | 1,000 Yojanas | ||||
| Fourth Dhyana Heavens: | ||||||
| No Thought Heaven | 500 Great Kalpas (640 trillion years) |
500 Yojanas (14,000 miles) |
These heavens correspond to the state of dhyana meditation called Ground of Purity from Renouncing Thought. In this state, subtle thoughts cease. | |||
| Vast Fruit Heaven | 500 Great Kalpas | 500 Yojanas | ||||
| Love of Blessings Heaven | 250 Great Kalpas | 250 Yojanas | ||||
| Birth of Blessings Heaven | 125 Great Kalpas | 125 Yojanas | ||||
| Third Dhyana Heavens: | ||||||
| Pervasive Purity Heaven | 64 Great Kalpas (81.92 trillion years) |
64 Yojanas (1,792 miles) |
These heavens correspond to the state of dhyana meditation called the Ground of Wondrous Bliss from Leaving Joy. In this state coarse thoughts cease. | |||
| Limitless Purity Heaven | 32 Great Kalpas | 32 Yojanas | ||||
| Lesser Purity Heaven | 16 Great Kalpas | 16 Yojanas | ||||
| Second Dhyana Heavens: | ||||||
| Light-Sound Heaven | 8 Great Kalpas (10.24 trillion years) |
8 Yojanas (224 miles) |
The heavens correspond to the state of dhyana meditation called the Ground of Joy from Producing Samadhi. In this state outer breath ceases. Beings in the Light-Sound Heaven use light to speak, the way a TV uses light to create pictures. | |||
| Limitless Light Heaven | 4 Great Kalpas | 4 Yojanas | ||||
| Lesser Light Heaven | 2 Great Kalpas | 2 Yojanas | ||||
| First Dhyana Heavens: | ||||||
| Great Brahma Heaven | 3 Middle Kalpas (960 billion years) |
1½ Yojanas (42 miles) |
These heavens correspond to the Ground of Joy Arising from Separation. In this state the pulse stops. | |||
| Ministers of Brahma Heaven | 2 Middle Kalpas | 1 Yojana | ||||
| Ministers of Brahma Heaven | 1 Middle Kalpa | 1½ Yojana | ||||
| Sensual Desire Realm | ||||||
| Six Desire Heavens: | ||||||
| Self-Mastery Over Others’ Transformations Heaven | 16,000 Heaven years (9.2 billion years) | 4,500 feet 1 day = 1,600 human years |
They usurp other’s happiness. Many demons and their retinues dwell here, like Mara, the king of demons. | |||
| Bliss From Transformations Heaven | 8,000 Heaven years (2.3 billion years) |
3,500 feet 1 day = 800 human years |
Can transform their own happiness. Food and clothing appear as they think about them. | |||
| Contentment (Tushita) Heaven | 4,000 Heaven years (576 million years) |
3,000 feet 1 day = 400 human years |
Heaven of “Joyful Contentment”. Gods totally free from all worries-very content. | |||
| Well-Divided Time (Suyama) Heaven | 2,000 Heaven years (144 million years) |
2,250 feet 1 day = 200 human years |
Gods are always joyful, singing songs from morning till night: “Merrily indeed, I am so happy!” | |||
| Heaven of the Thirty-three (Trayastrimsha) | 1,000 Heaven years (36 million years) |
1,500 feet 1 day = 100 human years |
Ruled by Lord Shakra, King of Gods, also known as Indra, and the God of the Christian Bible. | |||
| Heaven of the Four Kings | 500 Heaven years (9 million years) |
750 feet 1 day = 50 human years |
Ruled by Four God Kings-one in each direction. Newborns are as big as a 5 year old human. | |||
