Eight subcontinents

Mount Meru surrounded by the four continents and eight subcontinents.

Eight subcontinents (Skt. aṣṭa kṣudradvīpāh [alt. aṣṭa kṣudradvīpāni]; T. gling phran brgyad གླིང་ཕྲན་བརྒྱད་) — there are two subcontinents for each of the four continents which surround Mount Meru according to Buddhist cosmology. The subcontinents "are the same color and shape as their respective main continents and are half their size."

The four continents and eight subcontinents are:

Purvavideha in the East:

1. Deha (T. lus) and

2. Videha (T. lus 'phags)

Jambudvipa in the South:

3. Cāmara (T. rnga yab) and

4. Aparacāmara (T. rnga yab gzhan)

Aparagodaniya in the West:

5. Shatha (Skt. Śāthā; T. g.yo ldan) and

6. Uttaramantriṇa (T. lam mchog 'gro)

Uttarakuru in the North:

7. Kurava (T. sgra mi snyan) and

8. Kaurava (T. sgra mi snyan gyi zla)

Sources

• Dudjom Rinpoche (2011), A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom: Complete Instructions on the Preliminary Practices, translated by Padmakara Translation Group, Shambhala