四禅

(四禪, 四禅)

([lang id =1028]四禪天) The four (sa) dhyāna heavens, [lang id =1028]四靜慮 ([lang id =1028]四靜慮天), i. e. the division of the eighteen (sa) brahmalokas into four (sa) dhyānas: the disciple attains to one of these heavens according to the (sa) dhyāna he observes:

(1) [lang id =1028]初禪天 The first region, 'as large as one whole universe' comprises the three heavens, Brahma-pāriṣadya, Brahma-purohita, and Mahābrahma, [lang id =1028]梵輔, [lang id =1028]梵衆, and [lang id =1028]大梵天; the inhabitants are without gustatory or olfactory organs, not needing food, but possess the other four of the six organs.

(2) [lang id =1028]二禪天 The second region, equal to 'a small chiliocosmos' [lang id =1028]小千界, comprises the three heavens, according to Eitel, 'Parīttābha, Apramāṇābha, and Ābhāsvara, ' i. e. [lang id =1028]少光 minor light, [lang id =1028]無量光 infinite light, and [lang id =1028]極光淨 utmost light purity; the inhabitants have ceased to require the five physical organs, possessing only the organ of mind.

(3) [lang id =1028]三禪天 The third region, equal to 'a middling chiliocosmos '[lang id =1028]中千界, comprises three heavens; Eitel gives them as Parīttaśubha, Apramāṇaśubha, and Śubhakṛtsna, i. e. [lang id =1028]少淨 minor purity, [lang id =1028]無量淨 infinite purity, and [lang id =1028]徧淨 universal purity; the inhabitants still have the organ of mind and are receptive of great joy.

(4) [lang id =1028]四禪天 The fourth region, equal to a great chiliocosmos, [lang id =1028]大千界, comprises the remaining nine (sa) brahmalokas, namely, Puṇyaprasava, Anabhraka, Bṛhatphala, Asañjñisattva, Avṛha, Atapa, Sudṛśa, Sudarśana, and Akaniṣṭha (Eitel). The Chinese titles are [lang id =1028]福生 felicitous birth, [lang id =1028]無雲 cloudless, [lang id =1028]廣果 large fruitage, [lang id =1028]無煩 no vexations, atapa is [lang id =1028]無熱 no heat, sudṛśa is [lang id =1028]善見 beautiful to see, sudarśana is [lang id =1028]善現 beautiful appearing, two others are [lang id =1028]色究竟 the end of form, and [lang id =1028]無想天 the heaven above thought, but it is difficult to trace avṛha and akaniṣṭha; the inhabitants of this fourth region still have mind. The number of the (sa) dhyāna heavens differs; the Sarvāstivādins say 16, the [lang id =1028]經 or Sutra school 17, and the Sthavirāḥ school 18. Eitel points out that the first (sa) dhyāna has one world with one moon, one mem, four continents, and six (sa) devalokas; the second (sa) dhyāna has 1, 000 times the worlds of the first; the third has 1, 000 times the worlds of the second; the fourth (sa) dhyāna has 1, 000 times those of the third. Within a kalpa of destruction [lang id =1028]壞劫 the first is destroyed fifty-six times by fire, the second seven by water, the third once by wind, the fourth 'corresponding to a state of absolute indifference' remains 'untouched' by all the other evolutions; when 'fate ([lang id =1028]天命) comes to an end then the fourth (sa) dhyāna may come to an end too, but not sooner'.