The Four Heavenly Kings stand guard on the four slopes of Mount Meru, the axis of the Buddhist cosmos, warding its approaches against the incursions of asuras and malevolent spirits.
Indra (Shakra) rules from the summit of Mount Meru in the Trayastrimsha heaven, presiding over the thirty-three gods and the cosmic mountain itself.
Mount Meru stands at the center of the universe in both Hindu and Buddhist cosmology — the same golden mountain ringed by concentric oceans and continents, adopted directly from Vedic and Puranic tradition into the Buddhist Abhidharma framework.
The asuras dwell at the base of Mount Meru, perpetually envious of the devas who feast above. They wage war to seize the wish-fulfilling tree whose roots are in their realm but whose fruit ripens in the heavens — a central image of the asura realm's jealousy and futile aggression.
We use cookies to understand how you use our site and improve your experience. Learn more