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PREFACE :LXXXVII
in sixteen types of Vaimānika gods.
Just as tha Jaina tradition believes in absence of carnal desire amongst the Graiveyaka and Anuttara-vimāna gods, the Buddhist tration also believes in its absence amongst the Rūpadhātu gods. There are seventeen sub-types of Rūpadhātu gods and the last five types have been termed as Suddhāvāsikas. Just as the Jainas believe in three triads of the Graiveyaka gods, the Buddhists also believe in three dhyānas each consisting of three types (triads) of the Rūpadhātu. The fourth dhyāna, of course consists of three types besides the five Suddhavāsikas. Like this, though there are differences of names etc, generally there is some commonality in the concept pertaining to the gods in these two traditions.
Though there is no similarity in the concepts pertaining to the life-spans and body-statures of the Rūpadhātu gods of the Buddhists with those of the Vaimānika gods of the Jainas, it is seen that the life-spans of the gods of the higher heavens are longer than those of the lower ones. There is a marked difference in the concept of body-stature. While the Jaina belief is that the bodystature reduces as we go into the higher heavens, the Buddhist belief is quite the opposite. However, both the traditions believe that the gods in these heavens are born by sudden manifestation (Upapāduka or Aupapātika). The Buddhist belief has it that the heavenly beings (gods and goddesses) are born by sudden manifestation on the thies of their parents, the Jaina belief is that they are born on the same bed in each heaven.
The most significant difference in the concept of gods in
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