法苑珠林 3.22

3.22

問曰。天量廣狹云何。答曰。如婆沙論說。須彌山頂面別縱廣八萬四千由旬。其中平可居處。但有四萬由旬。炎摩天倍前四萬。其地縱廣八萬由旬。如是乃至他化自在天處次第倍前。其地縱廣六十四萬由旬。四禪之地廣狹不定。有其兩說。第一說者。初禪廣如一四天下。二禪如小千世界。三禪如中千世界。四禪廣如大千世界。第二說者。初禪如小千世界。二禪廣如中千世界。三禪廣如大千世界。第四禪地寬廣無邊不可說其分齊（諸師評之第二說是）問曰。初禪廣如小千世界。乃至第四禪地廣無邊者。未知於他大千之上。為當共有初禪梵天。乃至共有色究竟天。為當於彼一一四天下上。各各別有初禪梵天。乃至別有色究竟天耶。答曰。如樓炭經說。一一四天下上各各別有皆悉不同。故彼說云。三千世界之中有百億四天下須彌大海鐵圍四天王天。乃至各說百億色究竟天。此文斯顯無勞致惑。又如順正理論云。小者是卑下義。以除上故。如截角牛積小成餘亦非攝彼。問曰。既彼一一四天下上乃至各有色究竟天者。是則處別可不相障礙耶。答曰。雖各有億同居一處而不妨礙。其猶光明迭相涉入相遍到亦無障礙。彼亦如是。以彼色細妙故。故經中說。色界諸天下來聽法。六十諸天共坐一鋒之端。而不迫窄都不相礙以斯文驗。何所致疑矣（故義譬云。初禪如鄉二禪如縣三禪如州四禪如國）。

Question: What is the extent and breadth of the heavens? Answer: As the Vibhāṣā-śāstra states: The summit of Mount Sumeru is eighty-four thousand yojanas in length and breadth on each side. The flat part within it that is habitable is only forty thousand yojanas. The Yāma Heaven is double the preceding forty thousand, its ground being eighty thousand yojanas in length and breadth. Proceeding in this manner up to the heaven of Paranirmitavaśavartin, each successive level doubles the previous one, its ground being six hundred and forty thousand yojanas in length and breadth. The extent of the grounds of the four dhyānas is unfixed; there are two explanations. The first explanation states: The first dhyāna is as extensive as a single four-continent world. The second dhyāna is like a minor chiliocosm. The third dhyāna is like a medium chiliocosm. The fourth dhyāna is as extensive as a great trichiliocosm. The second explanation states: The first dhyāna is like a minor chiliocosm. The second dhyāna is as extensive as a medium chiliocosm. The third dhyāna is as extensive as a great trichiliocosm. The ground of the fourth dhyāna is broad and boundless, its boundaries beyond description. (Evaluating this, the various masters consider the second explanation to be correct.) Question: If the first dhyāna is as extensive as a minor chiliocosm, up to the ground of the fourth dhyāna being boundless, we do not know whether above other great chiliocosms there is collectively a single first-dhyāna Brahmā Heaven up to collectively a single Akaniṣṭha Heaven, or whether above each individual four-continent world there is separately a first-dhyāna Brahmā Heaven up to separately an Akaniṣṭha Heaven? Answer: As the Loutan jing states, above each individual four-continent world there is separately [one of each], all being distinct. Thus it says that within a trichiliocosm there are one billion four-continent worlds, Sumerus, great oceans, Cakravāḍas, and Cāturmahārājakāyika Heavens, up to each stating one billion Akaniṣṭha Heavens. This text is quite clear; there is no need to raise doubts. Furthermore, as the Nyāyānusāra says: “Minor” has the meaning of inferior, because the superior are excluded; just as a dehorned ox, though small parts accumulate into another [whole], does not subsume the other. Question: Since above each individual four-continent world there is each up to an Akaniṣṭha Heaven, do these distinct places not obstruct one another? Answer: Although there are a billion of each dwelling together in one place, they do not impede one another. Just as beams of light mutually interpenetrate and pervade each other without obstruction, they too are like this, because their forms are subtle and exquisite. Therefore a sūtra says: When the devas of the rūpadhātu come down to hear the Dharma, sixty devas sit together on the tip of a single needle, yet they are not cramped and do not obstruct one another at all. Verifying with this text, what cause is there for doubt? (Therefore a metaphorical doctrinal explanation says: The first dhyāna is like a village, the second dhyāna is like a county, the third dhyāna is like a prefecture, and the fourth dhyāna is like a state.)