ASIAN M60W Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Hungry Ghost, Mount Meru, Arhat
Document Summary
World system (understanding of the world about 2000 years ago) Key points of the hierarchy of realms (116-117 in gethin) Universe comprises uncountable world systems, each with own gods, mara and. All systems have long term cycles of expansion and contraction. Cosmology and psychology are related in buddhist tradition. Unwholesome psychological states lead to unwholesome actions and bad. Beings at lower levels benefit by moving up in rebirth. Even a hell beings always have some latent good karma. Buddha is described as a blessed one, an arhat, perfectly and completely awakened one, happy, one who understands the world, an unsurpassed trainer of unruly men, a teacher of both gods and men, a blessed buddha. Buddha"s life is a paradigm for practice. Buddha as embodiment of his teachings (dharma-kaya) Dharma = correct conduct, especially of human kings. First watch of the night under the bodhi tree (after he got the rice milk from the cow girl)
