大乘入道次第開決 1.83

1.83

初漸起時者。此三千界初漸起時。如俱舍論第十一二及顯宗論第十六七頌及長行廣釋其相。今恐文繁但舉其頌。就中更以取要而言。欲令學者易知解故。安立器世間。風輪最居下。其量廣無數。厚十六洛叉。次上水輪深。十一億二萬。下八洛叉水。餘凝結成金。此水金輪廣。徑十二洛叉。三千四百半。周圍此三倍於此金輪上。乃有九大山。蘇迷盧處中。餘八而圍繞。於大洲等外。有鐵輪圍山。前七金所成。蘇迷盧四寶。入水皆八萬。妙高出亦然。餘八半半下。廣皆等高量。山間有八海。前七名為內。最初廣八萬。四邊各三倍。餘六半半狹。第八名為外。三洛叉二萬。四千二百餘。於中大洲相。南贍部如車。三邊各二千。南邊有三半。東毘提訶洲。其相如半月。三邊如贍部。東邊三百半。西瞿陀尼洲。其相如滿月。徑二千五百。周圍山三倍。北俱盧畟方。面各二千等。中洲復有八。四洲邊各二。此下過二萬。無間深廣同。上七捺落迦。八增皆十六。謂煻煨屍糞。鋒刃烈河增。各住彼四方。餘八寒地獄。日月迷盧半。五十一五十。夜半日沒中。日出四洲等。雨際第二月。後九夜漸增。寒第四亦然。夜減晝翻此。晝夜增臘縛。行南北路時。近日自影覆。故見月輪缺。妙高層有四。相去各十千。傍出十六千。八四二千量。堅手及持鬘。恒憍大王眾。如次居四級。亦住餘七山。妙高頂八萬。三十三天居。四角有四峯。金剛手所住。中宮名善見。周萬踰繕那。高一半金城。雜飾地柔軟。中有殊勝殿。周千踰繕那。外四苑莊嚴。眾車麁雜喜。妙地居四方。相去各二千。東北圓生樹。西南善法堂。此上有色天。住持空宮殿。如彼去下量。去上數亦然。離通力依他。下無昇見上。更有文義恐繁不錄。此等皆是漸起相也。

Regarding “when it first gradually arises”: when this trichiliocosm first gradually arises, its characteristics are explained at length in the verses and prose commentary of the eleventh and twelfth fascicles of the Abhidharmakośa and the sixteenth and seventeenth fascicles of the Samayapradīpikā. Now, fearing that the text would be too cumbersome, I only cite the verses, and within them, select the essentials so that students may easily understand. “In establishing the vessel world, / the wind-wheel is at the very bottom; / its extent is immeasurably broad, / and its thickness is sixteen hundred thousand (lakṣas) [yojanas]. / Above that, the water-wheel is deep: / eleven hundred thousand and twenty thousand. / Below are eight hundred thousand [yojanas] of water; / the remainder condenses to form gold. / This water-and-gold wheel is broad: / its diameter is twelve hundred thousand, / three thousand four hundred and a half, / and its circumference is three times this. / Upon this golden wheel / there are nine great mountains: / Sumeru is in the center, / and the other eight surround it. / Outside the great continents and so forth, / there is the Iron Enclosing Mountain. / The former seven are made of gold; / Sumeru is made of four treasures. / Submerged in water, all are eighty thousand [yojanas]; / the wondrous high mountain emerges by the same amount. / The other eight decrease by half and half, / and their widths are equal to their heights. / Between the mountains are eight oceans; / the former seven are called inner: / the first is eighty thousand wide, / and on each of the four sides, it is three times that. / The other six narrow by half and half; / the eighth is called the outer [ocean], / three hundred thousand and twenty thousand, / four thousand two hundred and more. / Among them, the shape of the great continents: / southern Jambudvīpa is like a cart, / its three sides are each two thousand, / and its southern side is three and a half. / Eastern Videha continent / has a shape like a half moon, / its three sides are like Jambudvīpa, / and its eastern side is three hundred and a half. / Western Godānīya continent / has a shape like a full moon, / its diameter is two thousand five hundred, / and the surrounding mountain is three times that. / Northern Kuru is square, / each side being two thousand and equal. / In the middle there are also eight sub-continents, / two flanking each of the four continents. / Below this, past twenty thousand, / Avīci is equal in depth and breadth. / The upper seven hells (narakas) / each have sixteen additional [hells], / namely ember, corpse excrement, / blade, and boiling river additions, / each situated in its four directions. / The other eight are cold hells. / The sun and moon are halfway up Meru, / fifty-one and fifty [yojanas]. / Midnight, sunset, midday, / and sunrise are equal across the four continents. / In the second month of the rainy season, / the nights gradually lengthen after nine [days]; / the same occurs in the fourth [month] of the cold [season]; / the decrease of the nights and the [increase of] the days is the reverse of this. / Day and night increase by lava. / When traveling the southern and northern paths, / being near the sun and covered by its own shadow, / one therefore sees the moon's disk wane. / The wondrous high mountain has four tiers, / each separated by ten thousand [yojanas], / projecting outwards by sixteen thousand, / eight, four, and two thousand in measure. / Firm-Handed, Garland-Bearing, / Ever-Intoxicated, and the Great Kings’ hosts / reside in order on the four tiers, / and also dwell on the other seven mountains. / The summit of the wondrous high mountain is eighty thousand [yojanas], / where the Thirty-Three Devas dwell. / At the four corners are four peaks, / the dwelling places of Vajrapāṇi. / The central palace is named Sudarśana, / ten thousand yojanas in circumference, / its golden walls a yojana and a half high, / decorated with various ornaments, its ground soft. / In the center is a supreme palace, / a thousand yojanas in circumference. / Adorned with four outer parks: / Caitraratha, Pāruṣyaka, Miśrakā, and Nandanavana. / Wondrous grounds lie in the four directions, / each separated by two thousand. / In the northeast is the Pārijāta tree; / in the southwest is the Sudharma hall. / Above this are the form devas, / holding and sustaining empty palaces; / just as their distance from below, / the distance to the upper [heavens] is the same in number. / Apart from supernormal powers or relying on others, / those below cannot ascend to see those above.” There are further texts and meanings, but fearing prolixity I do not record them; these are all the characteristics of its gradual arising.