Meaning and origin
The Buddhist cosmology is not a literal description of the shape of the universe; rather
Spatial cosmology
The spatial cosmology displays the various worlds in which beings can be reborn. Spatial cosmology can also be divided into two branches
Horizontal cosmology – Sahasra cosmology
Sahasra means "one thousand". All of the planes
Temporal cosmology
Buddhist temporal cosmology describes how the universe comes into being and is dissolved. Like other Indian cosmologies
See also
• Buddhism and evolution• Fourteen unanswerable questions• Hindu
Buddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and evolution of the Universe according to Buddhist scriptures and commentaries. It consists of a temporal and a spatial cosmology. The temporal cosmology describes the timespan of the creation and dissolvement of alternate universes in different aeons.
The Buddhist cosmology is presented in commentaries and works of Abhidharma in both Theravāda and Mahāyāna traditions, being the end-product of an analysis and reconciliation of cosmological comments found in the Buddhist sūtra and vinaya traditions – altough no single sūtra sets out the entire structure of the universe; in several sūtras the Buddha describes other worlds and states of being, and other sutras describe the...
Buddhism has an extremely complex and detailed cosmology that is both spatial (different worlds or realms) and temporal (how the universe comes into being and is then dissolved). We can look at Buddhist cosmology in this way: they are teachings of
impermanence, dependent origination, and karma, among other things.
Buddhist cosmology forms an integral part of a Buddhist worldview, without which it would be impossible to understand Buddhist teachings on karma, reincarnation, and soteriological theories. It is also closely related to Buddhist metaphysics, phenomenological theories, meditative practices, and, in some cases, even to Buddhist social theories.The Buddhist cosmology is not a literal description of the shape of the universe; rather, it is the universe as seen through the
divyacakṣus (Pali: dibbacakkhu दिब्बचक्खु), the "divine eye" by which a Buddha or an arhat can perceive all beings arising (being born) and passing away (dying) within various worlds; and can tell from what state they have been reborn, and into which state they will be reborn.
Overview about the criticism of Buddhism
Criticism of Buddhism has taken numerous different forms, including philosophical and rational criticisms, but also criticism of praxis, such as that its practitioners act in ways contrary to Buddhist principles or that those principles systemically marginalize women.
There are many sources of criticism, both ancient and modern, stemming from other religions, the non-religious, and other Buddhists.
Hell in Buddhist mythologies
Naraka is a term in Buddhist cosmology usually referred to in English as hell or purgatory.
The Narakas of Buddhism are closely related to Diyu, the hell in Chinese mythology.
A Naraka differs from one concept of hell in Christianity in two respects: firstly, beings are not sent to Naraka as the result of a divine judgment or punishment; and secondly, the length of a being's stay in a Naraka is not eternal, though it is usually incomprehensibly long.