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Jambudvīpa
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(Pāli, Jambudīpa).
‘The island of the Jambu tree’. Name of the southernmost of the four great continents of traditional Buddhist mythology, corresponding to the known world at the time and most probably to be identified with the Indian subcontinent and south-east Asia (especially when contrasted with Tambapaṇṇi-dīpa.or the island of Sri Lanka). The Jambu tree, from which the continent takes its name, is a vast tree thought to be located in the Himalayan region. Buddhas and Universal Rulers (cakravartin) are said to arise only on this continent.
From: Jambudvīpa in A Dictionary of Buddhism »
Subjects: Religion
