Devindatthao Devendrastava

Author(s): D S Baya
Publisher: Agam Ahimsa Samta Evam Prakrit Samsthan

Page 84

PREFACE :LXXXIII
question of the existence of the completely liberated perfectly pure souls (Siddhas). They are undecided about the question as to whether the Siddhas exist or not, if at all they exist, where? However, we shall adhere to the comparison between the concepts of heavenly gods in these two traditions, without going into the details of question of existence of Siddhas.
Just as, according to the Jaina belief, the heavenly gods reside in the nether, middle and upper universe, according to the Buddhist tradition, too, (taking the Pretas also amongst the heavenly gods) they reside in the Kāmāvacara Apāya Bhumi (Adholoka or the nether universe), Kāmasugata Bhūmi (Madhyaloka or the middle universe), Rūpāvacara Bhūmi (Urdhvaloka or the upper universe) and Arūpāvacara Bhūmi (Siddhaloka or the abode of the liberated souls). Here, it must be remembered that the gods that have been thought of as residing in the Arūpavacara Bhūmi are also unembodied and exist only as pure conscious entities just like the liberated perfected souls (Siddhas) in the Jaina tradition. The only difference being that according to the Buddhist tradition, these unembodied gods existing as pure conscious entities finally liberate after living out their life-duration there without taking rebirths as human-beings. The Jaina tradition, however, believes that the Siddhas residing in the Siddhaloka are already liberated souls that are unembodied and exist as pure conscious entities.
The heavenly gods, whom the Jainas call Asura and Vyantara gods, have been termed as Pretas by the Buddhists. According to the Jainas these Asuras and Vyantara gods reside in the nether universe. Similarly, according to the Buddhists the Pretas also reside in the nether universe termed as Kāmāvacara Apāya Bhūmi. While the Jainas have thought of various heavenly kings