Six heavens of the desire realm
Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia is now 14 years old
Our Encyclopedia recently received a wonderful opportunity for a major renewal on its 14th birthday . After many years of growing our Encyclopedia had become bit slow and sometimes even decided not to answer when people knocked on the door.
A very big thank you and blessings to Dmytro Rudiy (rudiy.nl) for his great work in upgrading the server, website and all of the infrastructure and helping make TBE fast and reliable again for everyone! 🙏🙏🙏
We kindly ask our readers to help us cover the cost of this important upgrade and also help with the ongoing costs of keeping the Encyclopedia alive and freely available.
or card
Every little donation helps and every one is deeply appreciated. 🙏🙏🙏
OM AH HUM VAJRA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUM 🙏🙏🙏
May blessings shower down on all of yous 🙏🙏🙏
The six heavens of the desire realm are (from lowest to highest):
Terrestrial Heavens
Heaven of the Four Great Kings
The Four Great Kings, along with their retinues, reside upon the fourth terrace of Mount Sumeru. Upon the lower terraces live, in descending order, the gods of the Ever-Ecstatic, Garland-Bearers, and Vessel-Bearers. The crests of the seven mountain ranges, the sun, the moon, and all the stars also belong to the abodes of the Four Great Kings.
It is said that Vishnu resides in this realm.
Fifty human years equal one day in this realm.
Heaven of the Thirty-Three
- Skt. Trāyastriṃśa; Tib. སུམ་ཅུ་རྩ་གསུམ་, Sumchu Tsasum; Wyl. sum cu rtsa gsum
This is the uppermost terrestrial heaven, and is located on the peak of Mount Sumeru.
It contains the city Fair to See, in which Indra is King.
A hundred human years equal one day in this realm.
Celestial Heavens
Free of Combat
This is the first celestial heaven. It is located in the space above Mount Sumeru and, as such, it is no longer subject to the attacks of the demi-gods.
Two hundred human years equal one day in this realm.
Joyous Realm
The Buddha resided here until the time came to take rebirth in the human realm, and demonstrate the twelve deeds of the supreme nirmanakaya. Before passing from Tushita he prophisied the bodhisattva Maitreya's enlightenment as the buddha to follow him, and placed his crown on Maitreya's head, making him his regent. Maitreya will abide here until the time has come for him to demonstrate the twelve deeds.
Later, the Buddha returned to give teachings to his mother, who had been reborn here after giving birth to him.
It is said that wicked Mara also resides in this heaven.
Four hundred human years equal one day in this realm.
Enjoying Emanation
- Skt. Nirmāṇarataya; Tib. འཕྲུལ་དགའ་Trulga; Wyl. 'phrul dga'
Gods in this realm create and enjoy their own objects of pleasure.
Eight hundred human years equal one day in this realm.
Controlling Others' Emanations
- Skt. Parinirmitvashavartin; Tib. གཞན་འཕྲུལ་དབང་བྱེད་, Shyentrul Wang Jé; Wyl. gzhan 'phrul dbang byed
This is the most refined state in which one can be reborn within the desire realm. Gods in this realm enjoy pleasures created magically by other gods.
Sources
- Kangyur Rinpoche, Treasury of Precious Qualities
- Mipham Rinpoche, Gateway to Knowledge, Volume II
- Patrul Rinpoche, The Words of My Perfect Teacher
- Gampopa, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation
Further Reading
- Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé, Myriad Worlds (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 1995), pages 115-119.