廣弘明集 9.56

9.56

臣笑曰。濟苦經云。乾坤洞然之後。乃使巨靈胡亥造山川玄中造日月。崑山南三十兆里復有崑山。如是次第有千崑山。名小千界。復有千小千。名中千界。復有千中千。名一大千世界。計大千世界中有百億日月。又經云。大劫既交天地改易。日月星辰無有存者。若其普集則百億俱來。何為但三千而至。若餘不集者為是災所不及。為是本界闕少。若必少者。地上凡人。尚蒙日月之照。天上福勝。如何獨無照乎。又日月之下。乃是欲界。下人不名大羅上界災所不及。今不來者。理其然乎。將知造此經者。惟聞大千之名。迷於日月之數。故其然哉。

Your servant laughs and says: The Jiku jing says that after heaven and earth were consumed in flames, the Giant Spirit Hu Hai was ordered to create mountains and rivers, and Xuanzhong was ordered to create suns and moons. Thirty trillion leagues south of Mount Kunlun, there is another Mount Kunlun; thus in sequence there are one thousand Mount Kunluns, named a minor chiliocosm. There are further one thousand minor chiliocosms, named a medium chiliocosm. There are further one thousand medium chiliocosms, named a great trichiliocosm. Calculating this, within a great trichiliocosm there are ten billion suns and moons. Moreover, the scripture says that when the great eon concludes and heaven and earth are overturned and transformed, none of the suns, moons, and stars survive. If they assemble universally, then ten billion should arrive together; why do only three thousand arrive? If the remainder do not assemble, is it because the calamity does not reach them, or because their native realms are deficient? If they are indeed deficient, ordinary mortals on earth still receive the illumination of the sun and moon; with the blessings of the heavens being superior, how could they alone lack illumination? Moreover, below the sun and moon is the desire realm. The lower beings are not called the upper realm of Daluo, which is untouched by calamity. Now, for them not to come—how could that be right in principle? One must realize that the creator of this scripture merely heard the name 'great chiliocosm' and was confused about the number of suns and moons; hence it is thus.