Editing Akasha (section)

==Buddhism==
In [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] [[Phenomenology (philosophy)|phenomenology]], ''akasha'' is divided into limited space (ākāsa-dhātu) and endless space (ajatākasā).<ref>{{cite book |title=Buddhist Dictionary |author=Nyanatiloka |publisher=Buddhist Publication Society |year=1998 |pages=24–35 |isbn=955-24-0019-8}}</ref> The [[Vaibhāṣika]], an early school of Buddhist philosophy, hold the existence of ''akasha'' to be real.<ref>{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy |editor1-first=Oliver |editor1-last=Leaman |first=Oliver |last=Leaman |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2001 |isbn=0-415-17281-0 |page=476}}</ref> Ākāsa is identified as the first [[Dhyana in Buddhism|arūpa jhāna]], but usually translates as "infinite space."<ref>{{cite book |title=The Ideas and Meditative Practices of Early Buddhism |first=Tilmann |last=Vetter |publisher=Brill |place=Leiden |year=1988 |isbn=978-9004089594 |page=65}}</ref>

'''Ākāśa''' (Sanskrit: "space") holds two primary meanings in [[Abhidharma]] analysis:<ref name=":0">Buswell, Robert E; Lopez, Donald S. ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', p. 26. Princeton University Press, Nov 24, 2013.</ref> 

# '''Spatiality''': Ākāśa is defined as the absence that delimits forms. Like the empty space within a door frame, it is an emptiness that is shaped and defined by the material surrounding it.
# '''Vast Space''': Ākāśa is also described as the absence of obstruction, categorized as one of the ''nityadharmas'' (permanent phenomena) because it remains unchanged over time. In this sense, it is likened to the Western concept of ether—an immaterial, luminous fluid that supports the four material elements (''mahābhūta''). Its radiant quality often serves as a metaphor for buddhahood, which is described as shining like the sun or space.

In meditation, ''ākāśa'' is significant in the context of the sphere of infinite space (''ākāśānantyāyatana''), the first of the four immaterial absorptions (''arupa''-''[[Dhyana in Buddhism|dhyānas]]'').<ref name=":0" /> 

Philosophically, ''ākāśa'' is considered one of the uncompounded phenomena (''asaṃskṛtadharmas'') in six Buddhist schools, including the ''Sarvāstivāda'', ''Mahāsāṃghika'', and later ''Yogācāra''. However, three schools, including the ''Theravāda'', reject this interpretation.<ref name=":0" />