The Buddha Knew About Aliens: What Ancient Texts Say About Life on Other Planets

Picture this: It's 2009, and NASA launches the Kepler space telescope with a $600 million price tag, desperately searching for signs of life on other planets. Scientists hold their breath, hoping to answer the age-old question: "Are we alone in the universe?"

Meanwhile, Buddhist monks are probably chuckling in their temples. Why? Because the Buddha answered this question 2,500 years ago with a confident "Nope, you're definitely not alone."

The Universe is Basically a Cosmic Apartment Complex

According to Buddhist cosmology, thinking Earth is the only inhabited planet is like living in New York and believing you're the only person with an apartment. The Buddha taught about something called "Ananta-cakkavala" (อนันตจักรวาล) — infinite universes. Not just a few. Not millions. Infinite.

Here's where it gets wild: In just ONE universe (what we might call a galaxy), there are 2,004 worlds with human-like beings living on them. That's right — while we're spending billions trying to find E.T., Buddhist texts are basically saying, "They're everywhere, dude."

Your Cosmic Neighborhood

Let me break down your galactic neighbors according to Buddhist cosmology:

The Big Four (Major Human Worlds):

• Jambudvipa (ชมพูทวีป) — That's us! Earth. We're the southern continent.

• Pubbavideha (ปุพพวิเทหทวีป) — Eastern continent

• Aparagoyana (อปรโคยานทวีป) — Western continent

• Uttarakuru (อุตตรกุรุทวีป) — Northern continent

Plus, there are 2,000 smaller worlds scattered around these main ones, each with their own human populations. It's like Earth is Manhattan, and there are three other major boroughs, plus 2,000 smaller neighborhoods all around.

But Here's the Kicker...

These worlds aren't just randomly floating around. They're all organized around Mount Sumeru (เขาสิเนรุ), a massive cosmic mountain at the center of each world-system. Think of it as the universe's central pillar — except it's made of subtle matter that our physical eyes can't see.

The real mind-bender? This is just ONE world-system. The Buddha said there are infinite numbers of these systems, each with their own 2,004 human worlds. So when you do the math... yeah, we're talking about a lot of aliens. Or rather, a lot of humans who we'd call aliens.

Why Haven't We Found Them Yet?

Good question! According to Buddhist texts, these worlds are incredibly far apart. We're talking distances that make our current space travel look like crawling across your living room. The texts mention that even with our advanced technology, we still can't reach these other human worlds.

Plus, here's something to consider: The Buddha wasn't talking about little green men or weird tentacle creatures. He was talking about humans — beings like us, with similar bodies, similar struggles, probably complaining about their wifi speed and arguing about politics, just in their own worlds.

What Makes Earth Special?

Now you might wonder, "If there are so many human worlds, what makes Earth special?"

Buddhism says humans in Jambudvipa (Earth) have three unique qualities:

1. Courage (สูรภาวะ) — We have exceptionally brave hearts for spiritual practice

2. Mindfulness (สติมันตะ) — We can develop strong awareness and wisdom

3. Ability to live the holy life (พรหมจริยวาส) — We can ordain and follow the spiritual path fully

In other words, Earth might be like the universe's best university for enlightenment. Other human worlds might have better weather, longer lifespans, or fewer problems, but Earth has the perfect mix of pleasure and pain that motivates spiritual growth.

The Bottom Line

While modern science is still trying to pick up radio signals from space, Buddhism has been teaching about a universe teeming with life for millennia. The next time you look up at the stars, remember: according to Buddhist cosmology, you're not just staring into empty space. You're looking at a cosmic neighborhood filled with 2,004 worlds in your galaxy alone, each with their own human civilizations.

And that's just one galaxy among infinite others.

So are we alone? According to the Buddha, that's like asking if you're the only person in a packed stadium. The answer is a resounding no — we just haven't figured out how to see into the other sections yet.

Maybe instead of spending billions on space telescopes, we should spend more time on meditation telescopes. After all, the Buddha seemed to see pretty far without any NASA equipment.

Just saying. 🛸

Reference in Thai: 

• https://kalyanamitra.org/th/article_list.php?a=26 

• https://www.dmc.tv/article/15979 (beings on different planets exist, EP 1) 

• https://www.dmc.tv/article/11958 (beings on different planets exist, EP 2)