釋迦方志 1.10

1.10

案。索訶世界鐵輪山內所攝國土則萬億也。何以知之。如今所住即是一國。國別一蘇迷盧山。即經所謂須彌山也。在大海中據金輪表。半出海上八萬由旬。日月迴轉於其腰也。外有金山七重圍之。中各海水具八功德。其外鹹海廣於無際。海外有山是鐵所成。四周遶之海中可居者。大略有四。即約蘇迷山用分方面。東洲名毘提訶。南洲名贍部。西洲名瞿陀尼。北洲名拘盧也。此之四洲亦名四有。人之所居佛之所王。准此傍及鐵圍海內惟有四洲。蘇迷山已上二十八天。并一日月為一國土。即此為量數至一千。鐵圍都繞名小千世界。即此小千數至一千。鐵圍都繞名中千世界。即此中千數至一千。鐵圍都繞名為大千世界。案此三千大千世界。其中四洲山王日月。乃至有頂則有萬億之所。皆為佛之統攝。俱遵聲教。

Examining [the matter]: the lands encompassed within the Cakravāḍa iron mountains of the Sahā-lokadhātu number in the tens of thousands of millions. How is this known? What we inhabit today is but a single country. In each country there is a Mount Sumeru, which is what the sūtras call Mount Sumeru. Standing within the great ocean, resting on the surface of the golden wheel, it rises half out of the ocean, eighty thousand yojanas high. The sun and moon revolve around its waist. Outside it, seven golden mountains encircle it, and between them are oceans of water endowed with the eight virtues. Beyond them, the salty sea is boundless in breadth. Beyond the sea is a mountain made of iron encircling it on all four sides. In the ocean, the habitable places are roughly four. Distinguishing the directions according to Mount Sumeru: the eastern continent is named Videha; the southern continent is named Jambudvīpa; the western continent is named Godānīya; the northern continent is named Kuru. These four continents are also called the four states of existence; they are where humans dwell and where the Buddha rules. Accordingly, extending laterally to the Cakravāḍa, within the ocean there are only four continents. From Mount Sumeru up through the twenty-eight heavens, together with one sun and one moon, constitutes one country. Taking this as a unit and counting up to one thousand, enclosed by Cakravāḍa, is called a small-thousand world. Taking this small-thousand and counting up to one thousand, enclosed by Cakravāḍa, is called a medium-thousand world. Taking this medium-thousand and counting up to one thousand, enclosed by Cakravāḍa, is called a great-thousand world. Examining this trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu: within it, the four continents, the king of mountains, the suns and moons, up to Bhavāgra, exist in tens of thousands of millions of places. All are encompassed by the Buddha, and all comply with his civilising voice.