Three Buddhist Schools in the Context of Universal Manifestation (Houses 9-12)

Buddhist Epistemology

The top line, bracketed with the label “Universal Soul,” consists of four groups. Reading from left to right, these are the rulership of house 9, the rulerships of houses 8 and 7, the exaltation of house 9, and the exaltation of house 7.

Below this are three lines. Reading from top to bottom, these are the dignities of house 10, the dignities of house 11, and the dignities of house 12, and each line is in the order: rulerships, exaltations, detriments, and falls (reading from left to right). These are all bracketed with the label “Saturn in Aries,” indicating that the latter is the underlie of the fourth quadrant.

The Sun in Aquarius, correlated with the seventy-two dharmas and fourteen forces (Vaibhashika school), is the principle that presides over and subsumes the universe (represented by the dignities of house 12). The latter are arranged as two circles that intersect to form a vesica, with Venus in the vesica.

Below the last line are the seven planets, listed in the order as seen from the Earth—that is, from a geocentric perspective. Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars represent the vijnanas, or consciousnesses, of the Yogacara school. Venus, Moon, and Mercury represent the different types of direct and indirect cognizers in the Sautrantika school.

The Sun as image or imagination occupies a central position between the planets associated with the two schools and is their meeting point. All seven planets are bracketed with the label “18 dhatus,” the collection of six senses, six objects of sense, and the six consciousnesses (Abhidharma).