Mount Meru is the central mountain of the universe. It shares a common cosmological conception among Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains. Mount Meru is said to be eighty thousand miles high and as many miles underground. Mount Meru is a gigantic, sacred mountain that represents both the physical universe and the psychological or spiritual realm of beings. It is square with four sides. Four sides of the Mount Meru are of colors: Crystal (white), Lapis lazuli (blue), Ruby (red), and Gold (yellow).
Surrounding Mount Meru are seven circular golden mountains, and between them seven lakes, the first of which surrounds central mountain Meru itself. Outside seven golden mountains lie the sea of salt water. Four directional continents, along with two subcontinents positioned on either side, are in the sea of salt water. outside the sea of salt is surrounded by an iron wall.
How did the Earth originate?
The great Indian Buddhist master Vasubhandhu, of ancient times, states in his work, Abhidharmakosha, that the entire universe consists of a thousand million world systems and small universes, of which one of these worlds is the Earth. According to Vasubhandu, four strong directional winds, produced by collective karmas, converged in the voidness of space. These four winds caused clouds to form. After, the clouds caused rain to fall.
The lightning and the storm of wind caused rainwater on the surface to produce yellow foam. The yellow foam began to solidify into an element of the Earth. The element of Earth sank below the surface of the water. Later, with atomic density happening on the surface of water, various precious and common elements came into existence. Salt water, pure water, golden mountains, iron mountains, and continents came into existence.
The structure of Mount Meru world system
Mount Meru emerges at the center of the cosmic ocean with four directional faces. The four directional faces of Mount Meru are made of the most precious elements derived from the solidity foam crystal, Lapis Lazuli, Ruby, and Gold. Seven golden mountains and seven seas formed with rainwater surround Mount Meru. Four continents with two subcontinents on either side are in the four directions of Mount Meru. Surrounding the seventh golden mountain is an ocean of salt water, which is surrounded by the ring of iron mountains.
Four Great Continents
1. Jambhudip Island – The Southern Continent
The human world known as Jambhudip, the island of rose apple, lies on the Southern continent of Mount Meru. This is the only continent where the Buddha demonstrated the way to Nirvana. The people of just this continent have practiced dharma and sharp intelligence. Although the human world has sickness, warfare, and poverty, there are also pleasures and delightful lives. Human beings have opportunities to escape from the cycle of death and rebirth by practicing Dharma.
2. The Western Continent
The western continent is such a continent where fortunate human beings are born, and have great enjoyment of wealth in the lakes and pastures. Inhabitants of this continent are rough and live only by eating meat. Although there is Dharma, they do not practice.
3. The Eastern Continent
This continent is beautiful, and the people are fine and noble as well. Through the clear and bright light of the crystal wall of Mount Meru, the continent is as clear as crystal. The continent is full of tranquility.
4. The Northern Continent
This continent is the happiest among the four continents. The people on this continent are not involved in crimes. They do not have to die untimely, and their lives span up to a thousand years. Upon dying, one does not have to enter the hell realm. This is unlike other continents since the corn ripens of its own accord, fragrant rice is found boiling on the stove, and the trees are always in foliage and fruit. Nonetheless, like the gods, the people of this continent can not understand Dharma; they only pass their time in enjoyment.
The first celestial realm
The Four Guardian kings inhabit in beautifully jeweled palace, in a landscape where are soft, smooth, striped lands and surrounding trees, above the visible-water-line in the four directions of Mount Meru. They reign over the first realm of Mount Meru. The white Dhritirashtra, the guardian king who plays the flute, guards at the eastern side of Mount Meru. The blue Virudhaka, who unsheathes a long sword, is a guardian king of the southern side. The red Virupaksha is on the western side holding a small stupa and a snake in his hands. The yellow Vaishravana is the guardian king of the Northern side, and he holds a banner of victory and a jewel-vomiting mongoose.
The second celestial realm
The God Indra resides on the summit of Mount Meru in a palace which are surrounded by great wish-fulfilling trees and four other divine gardens. The second celestial realm is known as the heaven of thirty-three Gods. Thirty-two other gods accompany Indra in this heaven.
Third celestial realm
The third realm comprises four heavens inhabited by sky-dwelling gods. The realm is called “Realm of Sense Desire,” Kamaloka. Here, the gods possess a diversity of physical forms, and their senses are attuned to the concerns of material objects.
Both the first celestial realm of the four guardian kings and the second realm of God Indra, known as the “Heaven of Thirty-three Gods,” are earth-dwelling gods. These two realms are also called Kamaloaka.
Above these Kamaloka, there are eighteen higher heavens of desireless gods, known as Rupaloka.