A&E's The Unexplained via Doc Spot; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit
Buddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and devolution and re-evolution (in constant cycles called kalpas) of the universe according to Buddhist sutras and their commentaries.
It consists of temporal and spatial maps. The temporal cosmology is the division of the existence of a "world" into four discrete periods (coming to be, enduring, dissolving, chaotic dissolution). This does not seem to be a canonical division, however, but rather a commentarial one.
The spatial cosmology consists of a vertical arrangement of the 31 categories of "planes of existence" in a countless number of individual worlds -- and the beings who dwell there, their bodies, characteristics, nutriment, lifespans, beauty (brilliance of light emitted), and the pleasures available to them. There is also a horizontal cosmology, the distribution of these world-systems into an "apparently" boundless sheet of “worlds.”
The existence of world-periods or aeons (kalpas) is well attested to by the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni, the "Sage of the Scythian Clan."
He made reference to the existence of aeons, immense periods of geological time, staggering durations akin to Vedic and Mayan cosmic timespans. The duration of one "great aeon," for example, is explained metaphorically as follows:
Imagine how long it would take to erode a huge rock of pure marble without a fissure if that cube measured one mile in length, width, and height if were brushed with a fine silk cloth only once every century. Well, it is said, that entire mass of marble would be rubbed away and still one kalpa would not yet have elapsed.
The Buddha remembered his direct knowledge of past events, such as the dawn of human life on this (and other) planets. This is explained in brief as a devolution in the Agganna Sutra or the Buddhist "Genesis" story.
Light beings alighted on this planet and ate dense food for delight, and so doing they became coarser and cruder, and a gender-split took place.
There comes a time -- and this is cyclical, repeating -- when more than one sun is seen in the sky, and all dries up, and the planet's surface life is burned up.
The Buddha had the ability to remote view, and he was able to take himself bodily to other worlds to interact with other beings in those worlds. Not only did he possess these powers, this level of self-mastery, other disciples could do likewise.
They could travel vast distances to the brahma world, the many deva worlds, to other human worlds in this world-system (galaxy?), and to know the whole of the universe.
He also had the super-knowledge of being faring according to their karma (deeds and their results), seeing them arise (be reborn) in other worlds after death in accordance with the impersonal law or pattern of deeds-and-results.
He further knew how to bring about this wandering to a conclusion to bring about the complete end of all suffering. More
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