140. What are they called?
A. Gati Sampatti, Upādhi Sampatti, Kāla Sampatti and Payoga Sampatti.
141. Q. Is that consistent or inconsistent with common sense and the teachings of modern science?
A. Perfectly consistent: there can be no doubt of it.
142. Q. May all men become Buddhas?
A. It is not in the nature of every man to become a Buddha; for a Buddha is developed only at long intervals of time, and seemingly, when the state of humanity absolutely requires such a teacher to show it the forgotten Path to Nirvāna. But every being may equally reach Nirvāna, by conquering Ignorance and gaining Wisdom.
143. Q. Does Buddhism teach that man is reborn only upon our earth?
A. As a general rule that would be the case, until he had evolved beyond its level; but the inhabited worlds are numberless. The world upon which a person is to have his next birth, as well as the nature of the rebirth itself, is decided by the preponderance of the individual's merit or demerit. In other words, it will be controlled by his attractions, as science would describe it; or by his Karma, as we, Buddhists, would say.
144. Q. Are there worlds more perfectly developed, and others less so than our Earth?
A. Buddhism teaches that there are whole Sakwalas, or systems of worlds, of various kinds, higher and lower, and also that the inhabitants of each world correspond in development with itself.