三千大千世界

Calque of Sanskrit त्रिसहस्र महासहस्र लोकधातु (trisahasra mahāsahasra lokadhātu).

三千大千世界

1. (Buddhism) a trichiliocosm (a universe containing a billion worlds).

   Synonyms: 大千世界 (dàqiānshìjiè), 三千世界 (sānqiān shìjiè)

   • 譬如三千大千世界所有地種。假使有人磨以為墨。過於東方千國土乃下一點。大如微塵。又過千國土復下一點。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     譬如三千大千世界所有地种。假使有人磨以为墨。过于东方千国土乃下一点。大如微尘。又过千国土复下一点。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Lotus Sūtra, translated by Kumārajīva circa 5^th century CE

     Pìrú sānqiāndàqiānshìjiè suǒyǒu dì zhǒng. Jiǎshǐ yǒu rén mó yǐ wèi mò. Guòyú dōngfāng qiān guótǔ nǎi xià yīdiǎn. Dà rú wēichén. Yòu guò qiān guótǔ fù xià yīdiǎn. [Pinyin]

     Suppose someone were to grind all the earth in the trichiliocosm into ink powder and then suppose he passed through a thousand lands to the east and then dropped a particle the size of a mote of dust, and then passing through another thousand lands deposited another mote.

   • 須菩提！於意云何？三千大千世界所有微塵，是為多不？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     须菩提！于意云何？三千大千世界所有微尘，是为多不？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: The Diamond Sutra, translated by Kumārajīva circa 5^th century CE

     Xūpútí! Yú yì yúnhé? Sānqiāndàqiānshìjiè suǒyǒu wēichén, shì wèi duō fǒu? [Pinyin]

     Subhūti, what do you think? Are there very many atoms contained in three thousand great thousand-worlds?

• 小千世界 (xiǎo qiān shìjiè)
• 中千世界 (zhōng qiān shìjiè)
• 三千世界 (sānqiān shìjiè)

• Ding, Fubao (丁福保) (1922), “三千大千世界” in 佛學大辭典 [A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms].