Yong Peng wrote: "I am in fact very keen in physical (scientific)
cosmology, but not so much in religious cosmology, I am not so much into
Buddhist cosmology."
Same with me from a personal standpoint, but to understand Burmese
historical writings I need to understand Buddhist cosmology (and maybe
even my neighbors since they have photos of monks that fly on their
altars, haven't really asked them about this much though)
U Kala's Mahayazawingyi historical chronicle written in early 1700s
starts off with cosmology and has frequent cosmological references like
the following that I was translating just before I checked my email:
"Queen Bwa Saw addressed the king trying to comfort him, "O great king
who is an embryo Buddha (a-laung min-gyi) all the suffering creatures
who wander in the three worlds will not be freed from the eight Dan Taya
(eight predicaments), even the Sa-kya-wa-dei (universal monarch) Mandat
(Mandhata) king who governs over the four great islands surrounded by
2000 smaller islands, as well as the two-tiered country of the Nats, is
not free from the law of Na Na bawa (ghosts and evil spirits) and Wi Na
bawa (separation after death), when from the preaching of the law (of
the Buddha), you realize this through wisdom (binnya-daw-hpyin
hsin-chin-daw-mu-thi), your heart will be free from hindrance (a-naut
a-shet). "
Pe Maung Tin and Luce, Glass Palace Chronicle, 1923:
'O king Alaung, all suffering creatures who wander in the three worlds
must need endure the eight world-predicaments. Thine heart will not be
comforted until thou weighest these words of the Law : "Not ever the
universal monarch, king Mandhata, sovereign ruler of the four great
Islands and two thousand lesser isles surrounding them, and of the two
limboes of the world of spirits, is free from rise and fall separations,
and the breach of death" '
This comforting from his queen takes place just after the Chinese (Yuan
dynasty) have invaded his kingdom around 1285, though it may be largely
literary embellishment.
Maybe Buddhist Cosmology is being used here to convince the king that
even though he is a king and therefore very important in his kingdom, in
the grand scheme of things he is very small, similar to the message of
Mahasudassana Jataka (No. 95) maybe.
The chronicle also has nissaya Burmese with Pali for some of the early
more cosmological sections.
[Note: Some details of cosmology even seem to detract from religious
practice. Like the detail that Steven Collins gives about deva realms
that can experience sexual pleasure. I found this a little distracting.]