廣弘明集 9.56

9.56

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.