Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings
Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings
四王天 (Skt Chatur-maharaja-kayika; Jpn Shio-ten)
The abode of the four heavenly kings—Upholder of the Nation, Wide-Eyed, Hearer of Many Teachings (Skt Vaishravana), and Increase and Growth—and their followers. This heaven is the lowest of the six heavens of the world of desire, located halfway up Mount Sumeru. Upholder of the Nation, Wide-Eyed, Hearer of Many Teachings, and Increase and Growth abide halfway up the eastern, western, northern, and southern slopes of Mount Sumeru, respectively. It is said that the life span of beings in this heaven is five hundred years, and that one day in the life of beings in this heaven is equal to fifty years in the life of a human being. This means that their life span is equal to about nine million human years.
See also; four heavenly kings.
