Editing Religious cosmology (section)

===Buddhism===
{{Main|Buddhist cosmology}}
In [[Buddhism]], like other Indian religions, there is no ultimate beginning nor final end to the universe. It considers all existence as eternal, and believes there is no creator god.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Blackburn|first1=Anne M.|last2=Samuels|first2=Jeffrey|title=Approaching the Dhamma: Buddhist Texts and Practices in South and Southeast Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ktWAQAk7XPkC|year=2003|publisher=Pariyatti|isbn=978-1-928706-19-9|pages=128–146}}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Harvey |first=Peter |title=An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u0sg9LV_rEgC&q=buddhism%20introduction&pg=PA5 |year=2013 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |edition=2nd |isbn=978-0-521-67674-8 |pages=36–38}}</ref> Buddhism views the universe as impermanent and always in flux. This cosmology is the foundation of its [[Samsara]] theory, that evolved over time the mechanistic details on how the wheel of mundane existence works over the endless cycles of rebirth and redeath.<ref name="Trainor2004p63">{{cite book|author=Kevin Trainor |title= Buddhism: The Illustrated Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_PrloTKuAjwC |year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-517398-7 |pages=62–63 }}</ref> In early Buddhist traditions, ''Saṃsāra'' cosmology consisted of five realms through which wheel of existence recycled.<ref name=jeffwilsonbudsam/> This included hells (''niraya''), hungry ghosts (''pretas''), animals (''tiryak''), humans (''manushya''), and gods (''devas'', heavenly).<ref name=jeffwilsonbudsam/><ref name="Trainor2004p63"/><ref>{{cite book|author=Robert DeCaroli |title=Haunting the Buddha: Indian Popular Religions and the Formation of Buddhism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q_2XtkSRyTYC|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-803765-1|pages=94–103}}</ref> In latter traditions, this list grew to a list of six realms of rebirth, adding demi-gods (''asuras'').<ref name=jeffwilsonbudsam/><ref>{{cite book|author=Akira Sadakata|title=Buddhist Cosmology: Philosophy and Origins|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bcYGAAAAYAAJ|year=1997|publisher= Kōsei Publishing 佼成出版社, Tokyo|isbn=978-4-333-01682-2|pages=68–70}}</ref> The "hungry ghost, heavenly, hellish realms" respectively formulate the ritual, literary and moral spheres of many contemporary Buddhist traditions.<ref name=jeffwilsonbudsam/><ref name="Trainor2004p63"/>

According to Akira Sadakata, the Buddhist cosmology is far more complex and uses extraordinarily larger numbers than those found in Vedic and post-Vedic Hindu traditions.<ref>{{cite book|author=Akira Sadakata|title=Buddhist Cosmology: Philosophy and Origins|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bcYGAAAAYAAJ|year=1997|publisher=佼成出版社|isbn=978-4-333-01682-2|pages=9–12}}</ref> It also shares many ideas and concepts, such as those about Mount Meru.<ref>{{cite book|author=Akira Sadakata|title=Buddhist Cosmology: Philosophy and Origins|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bcYGAAAAYAAJ|year=1997|publisher=佼成出版社|isbn=978-4-333-01682-2|pages=27–29}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Randy Kloetzli|title=Buddhist Cosmology: From Single World System to Pure Land: Science and Theology in the Images of Motion and Light|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=6QbvIDk3cJQC|year=1983|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass  |isbn=978-0-89581-955-0|pages=13, 23–31}}</ref> The Buddhist thought holds that the six cosmological realms are interconnected, and everyone cycles life after life, through these realms, because of a combination of ignorance, desires and purposeful [[karma]], or ethical and unethical actions.<ref name=jeffwilsonbudsam>{{cite book|author=Jeff Wilson|year= 2010|title= Saṃsāra and Rebirth, in Buddhism| publisher= Oxford University Press|isbn= 978-0-19-539352-1| doi=10.1093/obo/9780195393521-0141}}</ref><ref name="Trainor2004p63"/>