14 CEYLON BRANCH ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



medial, and paneetan or eminent. The performance of the 

 first, or initial jhana, procures a birth in the three following 

 Brahma Lokas, viz. the inferior performance of it admits 

 to the world called Brahma parisajja, the duration of life 

 in which is one-third of a kalpa : the medial performance 

 admits to that named Brahma purohita, the length of ex- 

 istence being half a kalpa : the eminent performance of it, 

 admits to the world called Maha Brahma, which is the one 

 called in this discourse the Brahma Wimana, being the 

 present residence of the supposed Creator, the duration of 

 life being an entire kalpa. The present standing, therefore, 

 of the being reputed to be the Creator, is an inferior one ; 

 and only connected with the correct performance of the first 

 or lowest course of abstract meditation. 



The performance of the second jhana gives admission to 

 the following Brahma worlds, viz. the inferior performance 

 to Parittab'ha, duration of life two kalpas : the medial to 

 Appamanab'ha, duration of life four kalpas ; the eminent to 

 Abassara, duration of life eight kalpas. It is from this last 

 mentioned Brahma world that the supposed Creator is re- 

 presented to have transmigrated. 



The third jhana admits to the world named Paritta- 

 sub'ha, duration of life sixteen kalpas ; to Appamana sub 'ha, 

 duration of life thirty two kalpas ; and to sub'hakinnaka, 

 duration of life sixty four kalpas. 



The fourth jhana to six worlds : viz. Asannyasatta, (in 

 which there is corporal existence but no consciousness) du- 

 ration of existence 500 kalpas ; Wehapp'hala, duration of 

 life also 500 kalpas, Awihana, length of life 1000 kalpas. 

 Atappa, length of life 2000 kalpas ; Suddassa length of life 

 4000 kalpas; and Akanitt'ha, length of life 16000 kalpas. 

 Above these sixteen Brahma worlds the four Arupa worlds 

 are placed ; from these bodily form is entirely excluded. 



When, therefore, Budha represents the supposed Creator 

 as migrating from Abassara to Brahma wimana, he ranks 

 him among the innumerable multitudes of sentient beings, 

 from the insect to the God, who are in a state of constant 

 change ; dying in one world and reproduced in another, 

 according to the merit or demerit of their conduct : he also 

 declares him to be of only moderate attainments, and throws 

 in an intimation that probably his previous merit was not 

 sufficient to ensure him a residence for the entire period 

 allotted to the inhabitants of Abassara, but that he ceased 

 to exist there before the expiration of the eight kalpas, for 



