法苑珠林 2.7

2.7

According to the Dīrghāgama, the Qishi jing, and other texts: The centre of the earth of the four continents is Mount Sumeru. Beyond the mountain there are separately eight mountains, circling Mount Sumeru. The great ocean beneath it is eighty-four thousand yojanas deep. Bordering these eight mountains, the great ocean is initially eight thousand yojanas wide, and within it is water of eight virtues. (According to the *Nyāyānusāra*, it says: "First, sweet; second, cold; third, soft; fourth, light; fifth, pure; sixth, without foul odour; seventh, does not harm the throat when drunk; eighth, does not upset the stomach after drinking.") Gradually diminishing in this manner down to the foot of the seventh mountain, the water is one thousand two hundred and fifty yojanas wide. Beyond it, the salt ocean is boundlessly wide. Beyond the ocean there is a mountain, which is the Great Iron Ring Mountain, forming a surrounding wheel around the four quarters. Along with one sun and one moon revolving day and night, illuminating the four under-heavens, this is called one realm. Taking this as a unit and counting up to a full thousand encircled by iron [mountains], it is called one small-thousand [world system]. Reaching once more a thousand encircled by iron [mountains], it is called a medium-thousand world. Counting medium-thousands until again reaching a full thousand encircled by iron [mountains], it is called a great-thousand world. Within it, the four continents, the king of mountains, the sun, the moon, and up to the Peak of Existence each number ten thousand kotis (the older rendering of "a hundred kotis" was an error of calculation).