釋氏要覽 2.344

2.344

即釋迦牟尼佛所化境也。世界何義○首楞嚴經云。世為遷流。界為方位。又云。東西南北四維上下名界。過去未來現在名世。又文殊問經云。有二世。一眾生世。即一切眾生也。二行世。即眾生住處○長阿含并起世因本經等云。四洲地心。即須彌山（梵音正云蘇迷盧。此名妙高）。此山有八山遶外。有大鐵圍山。周迴圍繞。并一日月晝夜回轉照四天下。名一國土。積一千國土。名小千世界。積千箇小界。名中千世界。積一千中千界。名大千界。以三積千故。名三千大千世界。

This is the realm converted by Śākyamuni Buddha. What is the meaning of 'world' (loka-dhātu)? The Śūraṅgama-sūtra states: "'World' (shi) means passing flux; 'realm' (jie) means spatial direction." It also says: "East, west, south, north, the four intermediate corners, above, and below are called the 'realm'. Past, future, and present are called the 'world'." Furthermore, the Mañjuśrīparipṛcchā-sūtra states: "There are two kinds of worlds: first, the world of sentient beings, which is all sentient beings; second, the world of conditioned formations, which is the dwelling place of sentient beings." The Dīrghāgama and the Qishi yinben jing and other texts state: "At the center of the four continents is Mount Sumeru (the correct Sanskrit sound is Sumeru; here translated as 'Wondrous Height'). Around this mountain are eight surrounding mountains, and outside them is the Great Iron Ring Mountain, circling all around. Together with one sun and moon revolving day and night to illuminate the four divisions under heaven, it is called one world system (kṣetra). An accumulation of one thousand world systems is called a minor chiliocosm. An accumulation of one thousand minor chiliocosms is called a medium chiliocosm. An accumulation of one thousand medium chiliocosms is called a great chiliocosm. Because it accumulates three thousands, it is called a trichiliocosm (three-thousand-great-thousandfold world)."