SuttaCentral
Are they similar to Abrahmic God who create the world?
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the Devas Delighting in Creation are more splendid & more refined than the Contented Devas… the Devas Wielding Power over the Creations of Others are more splendid & more refined than the Devas Delighting in Creation…
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka … .than.html
The link is broken.
I assume you are referring to nimmānaratīnaṃ devā and paranimmitavasavattīnaṃ devā found in suttas like the AN8.42, AN7.52, AN3.70, SN5.70 etc - right?
I am not sure we have in the EBTs any clear explanation about what is the nature of their “creation”, which by the way seems to be rendered in the original Pali as nimmāna and nimitta. These two terms are not translated as creation in their isolated forms!
Maybe is it the case that we have an issue of yet un-checked, yet unchallenged and possibly incorrect translation of the names of these specific group of devas?
Hi Sarath,
can’t answer that question.
But if you are looking for an enlightening explanation of how the idea of an (Abrahamic) creator god came into being, you might want to check M49. It’s a Brahma himself, who thought that he was the creator of this universe. No wonder, people worshipping him took over that idea.
Kind Regards
I found this on wikipedia:[quote]10 - Devas Delighting in Creation (Nimmanarati deva): These devas delight in the sense objects of their own creation. They are capable of changing appearance to please themselves. The lord of this world is Sunirmita (Pāli Sunimmita).[/quote]According to this (uncited) wikipedia source, they are devas who “create” illusory (real?) realms and sensations for their own sense-pleasure.
That might be a place to start.
EDIT: I found two better sources, one is kosher for Theravāda forums, one is not.
From http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/n/nimmanarati.htm: [quote]Nimmānaratī
A class of devas, inhabiting the fifth of the six deva-worlds. (D.i.218; M.i.289, etc.; S.i.133, etc.; A.i.210, etc.
For their life span see Compendium 140f).
They are so called because they delight in their own creations. They can create any form in any colour. NidA.109; RA.234; VibhA.519.[/quote]From the Chinese Buddhism Encyclopedia (http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php/Nimmanarati):[quote]nimmanarati; A class of devas, inhabiting the fifth of the six deva worlds. (D.i.218; M.i.289, etc.; S.i.133, etc.; A.i.210, etc.
For their life span see Compendium 140f).
They are so called because they delight in their own creations. They can create any form in any colour. NidA.109; RA.234; VibhA.519
The gods here can create objects and mansions for sensual enjoyment by thought.
There are six types of Heavens described in Buddhism.
(I) Chathummaharajhika (Heaven of Four Great Kings) - One day is 50 Earth years.
(II) ([[[Thaawatissa]] ( Heaven of Thirty-three) - One day is 100 Earth years.
(III) Yama (Heaven of Yama) - One day is 200 Earth years.
(IV) Tusita (Heaven of Tusita) - One day is 400 Earth years.
(V) Nimmanarati (Heaven of Nimmanarati) - One day is 800 Earth years.
(VI) Paranimmitavasavatti (Heaven of Paranimmitavasavatti) - One day is 1600 Earth years.
Also, six desire heavens or six heavens of desire. In ancient Indian cosmology as adopted by Buddhism, the six heavens located in the world of desire and situated between the earth and the Brahma Heaven.Beings in the six heavens are dominated by desire.The six heavens are, in ascending order, the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, the Yama Heaven, the Tushita Heaven, the Heaven of Enjoying the Conjured, and the Heaven of Freely Enjoying Things Conjured by Others.The Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings is located halfway up Mount Sumeru, and the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, at its summit.The other four heavens are in the air, that is, between the summit of Mount Sumeru and the Brahma Heaven.Among them, the Heaven of Freely Enjoying Things Conjured by Others, often called the sixth heaven, is known as the abode of the devil king.See also threefold world.[/quote]
It is not broken.
It is just that SarathW is plainly copying his posts from DW, without even making the effort to update the links.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn55/sn55.054.than.html
Robot-like AI questions; mirrored-like.
I don’t see why “creation” has to imply “creation of the universe”. We talk about creating knowledge, creating art, creating machines, and so on…
So what stops these Devas to create some think like the earth?
Technically, I suppose, nothing. There is not precedent, in Buddhism, I don’t think, for the “realms” (more accurately dhátu), “created” by creation-deváḥ, to be populated by sentient beings, although there is also not precedent for this “not” being the case (if you know what I mean).
This world may well have been created by a deva for his sense-pleasure. Does that change or impact Buddhadharma? I suspect: no.
I agree.
It also remembered some Devas protecting this world as per Buddhist teaching. Perhaps they created the earth.
Who knows? 
Aganna sutta says the earth was already there when the Universe started expanding again. Nimmana (Sinhala nirmana) sounds more to do with creativity than ‘creation’. It doesn’t sound like the created planets, maybe objects. But then who knows. If there was a creator God the Buddha would have mentioned it.