The Lotus Sutra
Chapter
1, Introduction, Page 5
- Then there was also
Sakra Devendra with his followers, twenty
thousand gods in all.
- There were the gods of heaven called
The Moon,
The Universal Fragrance
& The
Precious Light and
the The
Four Heavenly Kings, all
with their followers,
ten thousand gods in all.
- There were the gods of heaven called The
Master and The
Great Master, with their followers, thirty
thousand gods in all.
- There was the Lord of the Saha World, Brahma
the King of Heaven,
The Great Brahma Sikhin, The
Great Brahma of the Clear Light and the
others, each with their followers, twelve thousand gods in all.
F. The Audience, continued...
3.
Those in the Six Spiritual Destinies
a. The Gods (Devas), as described in the Introductory Chapter:
1. The Heavens in the
Realm of Desire:
- Sakra Devendra - The
lord of the 33
Heavens (S. Trayastrimsas), the lord of nature in general and of
human nature in particular.
- Three Gods
of Heaven: Representing the Vasus, these
represent the spheres
of heaven where the gods reside. See the
33 Heavens
* The Moon
* The Universal Fragrance (the stars)
*
The Precious Light (the sun)
- The Four Heavenly Kings:
(S. Deva-Rajas) The arms of heaven that protect heaven from evil and the turbulence of the Asuras
*
Dhritarastra - ‘Protector of the Nation’, personifying strength
*
Virudhaka - ‘Increase & Growth’, personifying prosperity
*
Virupaksa - ‘Broad
Eyes’, personifying alertness
* Vaisravana (Kuvera) - ‘Very Famous’,
personifying wealth
- The Heavenly God
called The
Master - (S. Isvara) The lord of the Sunirmita
Heaven, the heaven of pleasant transformations, where one is the master of all
of one's own desires. See the
map of heaven.
- The Heavenly God
called The
Great Master - (S. Mahesvara) The lord of
the Paranirmita-Vasavartin Heaven, the heaven where one is the master of the desires
of others. This is the also the abode of Mara, the devil. See the
map of heaven.
- The Tusita Heaven and The
Suyama Heaven are not mentioned in this introduction.
2. The Heavens of the Realm
of Form, Beyond Sensory Desire. The Realm
of Brahma (purity, meditation & prayer). The next three names are:
- Brahma, The King
of Heaven - Brahma
is the Lord of the spiritual
world, pure of sensual desire. Brahma is the Lord of Heaven, of worship, prayer
and meditation. Brahma is the only god in the realm of pure form. This is the realm of
pure form that is beyond our sensual desire. Brahma personifies purity of mind.
- Lord of the Saha World
- this is a description of the Heavenly King Brahma as the master over this
world - The Saha (‘Endured’) World is none other than this mortal world that we live in, Life
& Death (Samsara), the six realms of good & evil, the 25 realms of
existence. The Heavenly King Brahma is called the lord of the Saha World because
he has conquered and become pure of sensory desire.
- Sikhin (meaning
'tuft or halo of flame') is another name for this same Heavenly King
Brahma, as the flame that destroys and purifies all desires, discursive and cognitive thinking
and all the worlds.
- The Great Brahma of the Clear Light refers to the second meditation heaven
- And the others refers to
the third and fourth meditation heavens
The Heavens in the Realm of Formlessness
are not mentioned
Next: The demonic
spirits
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