four continents ［四洲］ ( shi-shū): Also, four great continents. The continents located in the outermost circular sea surrounding Mount Sumeru, according to the ancient Indian worldview. They are Pūrvavideha in the east, Aparagodānīya in the west, Uttarakuru in the north, and Jambudvīpa in the south. According to The Dharma Analysis Treasury, the shapes of these continents are, respectively, semicircular, circular, square, and roughly triangular with the base in the north and the apex in the south. Human beings inhabit them all, the shape of their faces resembling that of the continent in which they live. Among the four continents, Jambudvīpa is said to be the only continent where Buddhas appear.