Big beings?

[pops]

we can't travel to Proxima b


hence per world, is logical

Who is 'we' ?

You know that for sure, that there are no beings which are able to cross vast distances from which you say, that they cant' be crossed?

Dependend on such an assumption (there are no beings which are able to cross those vast distances/its not possible to ) you state: 'per world is logical'. If you trust Buddhas teachings (some statements you can read in the suttas) you have to reevaluate your assumption.

Look at an ant (for example). For an ant the distances an elephant can cover are impossible to cross.

Instead of going into a further explanation why 'worldsystem' or 'universe' would be the right choice (instead of 'solar system' or 'world') i want to ask: why could there only be one buddha per world? What would be the reason for that?

[pops]

I'm pretty sure it's not one Buddha at a time per Solar System. I remember more like 'system of worlds'. Maybe a galaxy is meant. Care to investigate which sutta we are speaking of? I don't have any clue, where i read it. But it was a sutta, that i'm sure of.

Hi:

From MN-115

They understand: ‘It’s impossible for two perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas to arise in the same solar system at the same time. But it is possible for just one perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, to arise in one solar system.’ They understand: ‘It’s impossible for two wheel-turning monarchs to arise in the same solar system at the same time. But it is possible for just one wheel-turning monarch to arise in one solar system.’

But you are right, this "solar system" quote i have only seen it in Bhikkhu Sujato translation. I think its Bhikkhu Bodhi´s the one that translate as "world system". I do not know which one is correct, and probably some people believe its a solar system, others a universe, others a galaxy, etc.

Regards.

The word being translated as solar system is "lokadhātu" I believe. Which in most texts ive read is usually translated as "world system". Assuming im matching up the Pali words correctly then the world system includes the whole nine yards of Buddhist cosmology as a galaxy made up of one thousand of these world systems has "a thousand moons, a thousand suns, a thousand Sinerus king of mountains, a thousand Indias, a thousand Western Continents, a thousand Northern Continents, a thousand Eastern Continents, four thousand oceans, four thousand Great Kings, a thousand realms of the Gods of the Four Great Kings, a thousand realms of the Gods of the Thirty-Three, of the Gods of Yama, of the Joyful Gods, of the Gods who Love to Create, of the Gods who Control the Creations of Others, and a thousand Brahmā realms."

Which would imply more than just the solar system as we know it in modern science. I believe its one Buddha per set of 31 realms of existence is what he was saying.


https://suttacentral.net/an3.80/en/sujato

[confusedlayman]

Hi:

From MN-115



But you are right, this "solar system" quote i have only seen it in Bhikkhu Sujato translation. I think its Bhikkhu Bodhi´s the one that translate as "world system". I do not know which one is correct, and probably some people believe its a solar system, others a universe, others a galaxy, etc.

Regards.

The word being translated as solar system is "lokadhātu" I believe. Which in most texts ive read is usually translated as "world system". Assuming im matching up the Pali words correctly then the world system includes the whole nine yards of Buddhist cosmology as a galaxy made up of one thousand of these world systems has "a thousand moons, a thousand suns, a thousand Sinerus king of mountains, a thousand Indias, a thousand Western Continents, a thousand Northern Continents, a thousand Eastern Continents, four thousand oceans, four thousand Great Kings, a thousand realms of the Gods of the Four Great Kings, a thousand realms of the Gods of the Thirty-Three, of the Gods of Yama, of the Joyful Gods, of the Gods who Love to Create, of the Gods who Control the Creations of Others, and a thousand Brahmā realms."

Which would imply more than just the solar system as we know it in modern science. I believe its one Buddha per set of 31 realms of existence is what he was saying.


https://suttacentral.net/an3.80/en/sujato

1000 brahma realms is part of 31 planes.. its not 3100 planes of existance... which means one buddha at a time in unlimited world

[cappuccino]

why could there only be one Buddha per world? What would be the reason for that?

in order to learn properly

[TRobinson465]

1000 brahma realms is part of 31 planes.. its not 3100 planes of existance... which means one buddha at a time in unlimited world

Actually there is only about 20 or so Brahma realms in the 31 planes. I think in this case he was talking about the Brahma realms as a whole being one thing.

[TRobinson465]

why could there only be one buddha per world? What would be the reason for that?

Well there can only be one universal monarch per world system too because a universal monarch rules the whole world system using his wheel jewel to travel between realms. There obviously can't be two sovereigns at a time. I'd imagine it's similar with a Buddha as buddhas are perfect, peerless, and supreme among gods and men. I'd imagine having two buddhas in the same world system would cause issues with them being "peerless" since there is another Buddha who is his peer in the world system. Its also somewhat inefficient in my opinion to have more than one Buddha at a time in the same world system. Since the arising of teaching buddhas is so rare.

[pops]

why could there only be one buddha per world? What would be the reason for that?

Well there can only be one universal monarch per world system too because a universal monarch rules the whole world system using his wheel jewel to travel between realms. There obviously can't be two sovereigns at a time. I'd imagine it's similar with a Buddha as buddhas are perfect, peerless, and supreme among gods and men. I'd imagine having two buddhas in the same world system would cause issues with them being "peerless" since there is another Buddha who is his peer in the world system. Its also somewhat inefficient in my opinion to have more than one Buddha at a time in the same world system. Since the arising of teaching buddhas is so rare.

My implied question (specifically i wanted to encourage to think about why it specifially has to be one buddha only per world and not one per ....) why it can only be one Buddha per worldsystem (a term we obviously have to understand in a much larger sense, than one would normally do) aimed more at a 'technical'/''structural' answer. Kind of a 'physical law' (maybe a crude metaphor) or sort of that. Something, that simply is impossible, like (f.e.) it is impossible that enlightenmend can happen in the lower 3 or 4 (?) realms (the other translated term. At least I suppose so. That the terms realm and worldsystem are not just different translations.

I could look it up, if you are interested: There is another interesting 'figure' in the buddhist cosmolgy (beings belong to that view). I don't know the english word, in german the translation was kind of (i may be terribly wrong ... but i think ... i am not): the world stopper.

Sounded to me (fundamental) 'lawesk', also.

That's a wide field of interesting (and ... in at least some cases pretty sure unwholesome) speculations.