More than 2,500 years ago, Gautama Buddha explained the destruction of the universe and the emergence of a new world.
It is surprising to see that the destruction and emergence of the universe as taught by the Buddha are very similar to the ideas and thoughts of today’s scientists.
With his omniscience, the Buddha explained the destruction of the universe, its existence as it is, its rebirth, and its existence as it is in four (4) eras.
An era is a state of being –
1-Ayukka
The lifespan of beings is the period of time that is determined by the period of time.
At the beginning of the world, the lifespan of beings was an infinite period. (This infinite period is said to be one hundred thousand years.)
From then on, the lifespan gradually decreased until it decreased to (10) years.
The decline in lifespan is due to the gradual increase in the unwholesome qualities of beings, such as lust, anger, delusion, pride, attachment, and mischief.
Then, as beings gained enlightenment and resumed performing charity, virtue, and the Dhamma, the lifespan increased from (10) years to the infinite period.
When lifespan decreases, it gradually decreases and increases, and when it increases, it increases again and again.
This pattern of decline and increase in life span was explained by the Buddha in the Dīgha Nikāya Sutta, the Sakkāvattī Sutta.
The Loka Pānyātti says that every hundred and twenty years, there is a decline and increase in life span.
Some teachers say that every hundred years, there is a decline and increase in life span. For example, there are 2 years, 4 years, 8 years, 16 years, and so on.
As mentioned earlier, at the beginning of the world, the lifespan of beings was one hundred thousand (100,000) years. The beings who were born at that time lived long lives and had excellent moral conduct.
1. Ayukā Era (Lifespan Era)
In this era, beings lived for ten (10) years, and the age was determined by morality. When people’s morality declined, lifespan decreased; when morality improved, lifespan increased.
2. Ayukā-Ma Era
In this era, people lived for five (5) years, and when morality improved, lifespan began increasing again.
3. Mānusā Era
In this era, people lived six (6) years. Depending on the virtue or lack thereof (whether people were good or bad), lifespan fluctuated around six years.
Why Lifespan Declines: Buddhist Moral Explanation
(When morality declines)
When people lose moral values and commit bad actions—such as killing, stealing, lying, and breaking moral precepts—the result is a decline in the collective lifespan of humanity.
When those who should teach the Dhamma fail to do so, and the people themselves turn away from right actions, the decline intensifies. The influence of unwholesome qualities such as greed, hatred, and delusion grows, leading to violence, unrest, and loss of peace in society.
As long as people engage in wrongful deeds, disrespect morality, and ignore wisdom, their lifespan continues to shorten generation after generation.
However, when people once again practice generosity, uphold precepts, respect elders and teachers, and follow righteous teachings, their lifespan gradually increases.
This cycle of decline and improvement in lifespan continues repeatedly.
Source:
- Sakkapaṭṭhāna Sutta, Dīgha Nikāya
- Lokapaññatti Text
How the Universe Was Destroyed by Fire?
When beings arrived in the Brahma realms that were not present during the destruction of this universe, after a while a second sun appeared with intense heat.
Due to the heat of that second sun, the water in five hundred small rivers dried up. Since one sun appeared after another, there was no more day or night.
After two such suns appeared in a hundred thousand universes, a third sun soon appeared. The heat was more intense than before, and the water in the five great rivers, the Ganges, the Yamuna, the Asiravati, the Mahi, and the Sarabhu, dried up. After a while a fourth sun appeared, and the lakes of the Thihapapata, the Sakamunda, the Rathakara, the Anotta, the Saddanta, The seven great lakes of Kundalini dried up.
They dried up. When the fifth sun rose, all the great oceans dried up.
When the sixth sun rose, the entire universe and the hundred thousand worlds burned with fire, burning up the celestial realms and the first three jhanas.
(The emergence of one sun after another up to the seventh is similar to the phenomenon of the contraction of the universe, which is presented by scientists today, in which star (solar) systems, galaxies, galaxy groups, and large groups of galaxies are added.
Thus, due to the burning of the world, the ground, land, water, and air of the era of power have disappeared, and in the first jhana, the Brahma realm, not even a single particle of matter, matter, or even a small atom of matter remains. The entire era of power has become a continent of darkness.
The period from the time when the great rain that destroyed the universe (world) fell until the flames and flames died out is called the kassela samvakta asancheya kaka.
(This kaka is only one fourth of the mahakaka, the period that existed as it was before the rain that would build a new universe (world) It is called the Sanvathaya Tsingchaya Kappa. This Kappa is also about one of the four great Kappas.
How the Universe Was Destroyed by Water ?
After the worlds destroyed by fire had been destroyed for the (7th) time, this world was destroyed by water for the (8th) time.
(If the world was about to be destroyed by water, the warning of the gods of the worlds was the same as the worlds destroyed by fire.)
In the world destroyed by water, the second sun did not appear and a heavy rain of salt began to fall. Due to that rain of salt, everything in the world (world) from the mountain of the horse to the second Brahma world was destroyed, and the buildings of the world (world) were destroyed.
It became a vast continent of darkness, as deep as the worlds (worlds) of the era of power.
How the Universe Was Destroyed by Wild?
Thus, this world was destroyed by fire continuously, and there were (56) worlds destroyed by fire. The world destroyed by water for the (8th) time had (7) worlds.
After the (56) fire, (7) water, and (64) destructions, the (64) destruction of the world occurred.
At the second sunrise, a very strong wind storm came, and starting with dust, sand, and stones, rocks, trees, forests, mountains, earth, the seven-story Myinmo mountain, the Sattrava mountain, etc., were turned upside down and blown up into the sky.
In the open sky above, the Myinmo mountains fought each other, and the Myinmo mountains fought each other, and it was more fierce than the eight chariots that were driving fast from the eight directions. In the sky, there were gooseberries, As if a glass jar were being rolled, the celestial bowl of the era of power, containing a hundred thousand million horses and horses, etc., was attacked, and not a single particle remained, and the three realms of the third jhana Brahma were destroyed.
Thus, this universe (world) has (8) worlds, namely (7) fire-destroying worlds and (1) water-destroying worlds, and (8 × 8 = 64) worlds are destroyed by the wind.
In the infinite cycle of the infinite universes, all the worlds of fire, water, and air are destroyed when the three elements of fire, water, and air are strong and can destroy the world. When the world is restored, even if these elements are used, it is restored.
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