Does Buddhism teach about "Parallel worlds"

Question

I have heard something called "Mangala Sakwala" (The special universe or galaxy where lord Buddhas are born)

This is a real puzzle for me because does it mean that there are many other worlds like this where the words of lord Buddha will never reach?

If such places exist what causes a being to be born there instead of here?

For example if i die now and get a birth as a human what would cause me to be born here (This galaxy/universe) or there (the unknown galaxy/universe)?

The exact word ( "parallel universes" ) hasn't being used in Buddhism but if you search you will find stories about Human like or Humanoid creatures who are just like us (Beings in the human realm) but not with the chance to reach Dhamma because Lord Buddhas never born there. I am referring to some Theravada teachings i heard many years ago.

Hope someone can help!

Answer 1

Coming together of 31 planes of existance forms an universe. (At least when it is not collapsed.) Likewise there infinite universes¹. Also there is view that each universe contains multiple humanoid planets which is called the human plane².

Out of these universes there is only one universe a Buddha can appear. This is called the Mangala Sakwala (The special universe or galaxy where lord Buddhas are born). This can be viewed in terms of the number line where there is infinite numbers but there is only one zero. Likewise in the infinite universe there is only one universe conducive for a Buddha to appear.

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¹Abhidhammattha Pradeepika By Amaradasa Rathnapala, Volume 1, page 27, paragraph starting at line 6.

² Perhaps based on: Kosala Sutta: The Kosalan

"As far as the sun & moon revolve, illumining the directions with their light, there extends the thousand-fold cosmos. In that thousand-fold cosmos there are a thousand moons, a thousand suns, a thousand Sunerus — kings of mountains; a thousand Rose-apple continents, a thousand Deathless Ox-cart [continents], a thousand northern Kuru [continents], a thousand eastern Videha [continents]; four thousand great oceans, four thousand Great Kings, a thousand [heavens of the] Four Great Kings, a thousand [heavens of the] Thirty-three, a thousand [heavens of the] Yamas, a thousand [heavens of the] Tusitas, a thousand heavens of the Nimmanaratis, a thousand heavens of the Paranimmitavasavattis, and a thousand Brahma worlds. And in that thousand-fold cosmos, the Great Brahma is reckoned supreme. Yet even in the Great Brahma there is still aberration, there is change. Seeing this, the instructed disciple of the noble ones grows disenchanted with that. Being disenchanted with that, he becomes dispassionate toward what is supreme, and even more so toward what is inferior.

"There comes a time when this cosmos devolves. When the cosmos is devolving, most beings head to the [heaven of] the Radiant. There they remain for a long, long time — mind-made, feeding on rapture, self-radiant, faring through the sky, abiding in splendor. When the cosmos is devolving, the Radiant Devas are reckoned supreme. Yet even in the Radiant Devas, there is still aberration, there is change. Seeing this, the instructed disciple of the noble ones grows disenchanted with that. Being disenchanted with that, he becomes dispassionate toward what is supreme, and even more so toward what is inferior.

Answer 2

I have not heard of such a “Parallel world”. But to know the definition of a "World" according to the lord Buddha; please study Rohitassa Sutta.

"I tell you, friend, that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away, or reappear. But at the same time, I tell you that there is no making an end of suffering & stress without reaching the end of the cosmos. Yet it is just within this fathom-long body, with its perception & intellect, that I declare that there is the cosmos, the origination of the cosmos, the cessation of the cosmos, and the path of practice leading to the cessation of the cosmos."
Rohitassa sutta -AN 4.45

Answer 3

I never heard that Buddhism teach about parallel universes. Buddhism teaches only one Human world, which is exists here on earth.

There are other worlds (loka dhathu) for gods (dewa) and others. And there are some worlds which are even thousand Buddhas tries at once, can't be reach. 'Aroopa thaala Brahmana' worlds are such worlds.

Can not answer your second part as it assumes first part is true and it is not true as per my answer.

Answer 4

One school of Buddhism is the Huayan, also known as the Flower Garland school. They teach that the flower garland, which represents all of reality, is made up of infinite universes which all reflect one another. Others have likened this to a net, a string of pearls in dimensions. This infinitely large net has a jewel at each vertex, which each reflects on another.