Buddhist Cosmology in Culanikasutta

Abstract

The Buddhist cosmology as presented in the Cūḷanikāya Sutta, the sutta divides the world or universe into three categories based on the size of the universe: small world, medium world, and large world. The small world has one thousand universes, the medium world has one million universes, and the large world has one hundred billion universes or one trillion universes. The human world is a small world with one thousand universes. In addition to the division of the universe based on size, the Cūḷanikāya Sutta also discusses the benefits of faith in the Buddha, called ´Tathagata Bodhisatta.ª This faith can lead a person who is faithful and believes, even if they have not yet attained arhatship in the present life, to be reborn in a happy heavenly world and eventually enjoy the bliss of liberation.

The Buddhist cosmology as presented in the Cūḷanikāya Sutta, the sutta divides the world or universe into three categories based on the size of the universe: small world, medium world, and large world. The small world has one thousand universes, the medium world has one million universes, and the large world has one hundred billion universes or one trillion universes. The human world is a small world with one thousand universes. In addition to the division of the universe based on size, the Cūḷanikāya Sutta also discusses the benefits of faith in the Buddha, called ´Tathagata Bodhisatta.ª This faith can lead a person who is faithful and believes, even if they have not yet attained arhatship in the present life, to be reborn in a happy heavenly world and eventually enjoy the bliss of liberation.