Today, Trailokya is a highly relevant topic that has captured the attention of a wide audience. As time progresses, Trailokya has become a key point of discussion in different areas, from politics to science, culture and technology. In this article, we will thoroughly explore the various facets of Trailokya and its impact on our society. From its origins to its consequences, we will analyze in depth the importance and relevance of Trailokya in today's world. Without a doubt, Trailokya is a topic that will continue to generate debate and reflection in the near future, so it is essential to be aware of all its implications.
Three worlds of Hindu cosmology
Trailokya (Sanskrit: त्रैलोक्य; Kannada: ತ್ರೈಲೋಕ್ಯ; Pali: tiloka, Tibetan: khams gsum; Chinese: 三界; Vietnamese: Tam Giới) literally means "three worlds". It can also refer to "three spheres," "three planes of existence," and "three realms".
The concept of three worlds has a number of different interpretations in Hindu cosmology.
Traditionally, the three worlds refer to either the earth (Bhuloka), heaven (Svarga), and hell (Naraka), or the earth (Bhuloka), heaven (Svarga), and the netherworld (Patala)
The Brahmanda Purana conceives them to be Bhūta (past), Bhavya (future), and Bhavat (present)
In Vaishnavism, the three worlds are often described to be bhūr, bhuvaḥ, and svaḥ (the gross region, the subtle region, and the celestial region)
In the Nilanamatapurana, Vamana covers his second step on the three worlds of Maharloka, Janaloka, and Tapoloka, all of which are regarded to be a part of the seven heavens
Kāmaloka the world of desire, typified by base desires, populated by hell beings, preta (hungry ghosts), animals, humans and lower demi-gods.
Rūpaloka is the world of form, predominantly free of baser desires, populated by dhyāna-dwelling gods, possible rebirth destination for those well practiced in dhyāna.
Arūpaloka is the world of formlessness, a noncorporeal realm populated with four heavens, possible rebirth destination for practitioners of the four formlessness stages.
Together, they make up all of existence.
Jain cosmology
The early Jain contemplated the nature of the earth and universe and developed a detailed hypothesis on the various aspects of astronomy and cosmology. According to the Jain texts, the universe is divided into 3 parts:
^ abcFischer-Schreiber et al. (1991), p. 230, entry for "Triloka". Here, synonyms for triloka include trailokya and traidhātuka.
^ abBerzin (2008) renders khams-gsum (Wylie; Tibetan) and tridhatu (Sanskrit) as "three planes of existence" and states that it is "ometimes called 'the three realms.'" Tridhatu is a synonym of triloka where dhatu may be rendered as "dimension" or "realm" and loka as "world" or even "planet."
^www.wisdomlib.org (18 November 2017). "Trailokya: 19 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
Fischer-Schreiber, Ingrid, Franz-Karl Ehrhard, Michael S. Diener and Michael H. Kohn (trans.) (1991). The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen. Boston: Shambhala Publications. ISBN0-87773-520-4.