5. Asaṅkhyeyya-kappa
Asaṅkhyeyya =
(asaṅkheyya) literally means 'innumerable.' Some take it to be the figure
one followed by 140 zeros.
Kappa = What is called ((kambhā) in Myanma is kappa in Pali.
Therefore it is said in the text of the Buddhavaṁsa:
"kappeca satasahasse, caturo ca asaṅkhiye" etc.
The Duration of a Kappa cannot be
calculated by the number of years. It is known only by inference. Suppose there
is a big granary which is one yojana each in length, breadth and height and
which is full of tiny mustard seeds. You throw out just one seed each century;
then all the mustard seeds may have been thrown out, but the period called
kappa may not have come yet to an end. (From this, it is to be inferred that
the word kappa in Pali or the word kambhā in Myanmar is an extremely long
portion of time. But nowadays that the word kāmbhā exactly means such a period
is forgotten, and the word is used in the sense of the mass of the earth as in
the expressions (earth surface), (the globe), etc.
64 Antara-kappas is made up of one Asaṅkhyeyya-kappa.
Antara-kappa
At the beginning of the Vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyī
Asaṅkheyya kappa (i.e. at the beginning of the world) people live for
incalculable (asaṅkheyya) years. As time goes on, they are overcome by such
mental defilements as lobha (greed), dosa, (anger), etc., and
consequently their life-span gradually decreases until it becomes only ten
years. Such a period of decrease is called Hāyana-kappa in Pāli or (aeon of
decrease) in Myanmar.
On the contrary,
owing to the occurrence and uplift of such wholesome principles as sublime
states of mind, namely, metta (loving-kindness), etc., the life-span of
generations of their descendents doubles up step by step until it becomes
incalculable years. Such a period of increase in life-span from ten years to
incalculable years is called Vaddhana-kappa in Pāli or (aeon of increase) in
Thus
the life-span of human beings goes up and down between ten years and
incalculable years as they develop meritoriousness or are overcome by their
demeritoriousness. A pair of life-span, an increasing one and a decreasing one,
is called an Antara-kappa.
6.
Kolāhala means a verbal agitation
started by a few persons who say, "Thus will it happen", before the
predicted event actually takes place; it arises among people brought together
speaking of the impending matter in same language and in same voice.
There are five kolāhalas in this world:
(1) Buddha-kolāhala,
(2) Kappa-kolāhala,
(3) Cakkavatti-kolāhala,
(4) Maṅgala-kolāhala,
and
(5) Moneyya-kolāhala.
1.) The
uproar announcing appearance of a Buddha (Buddha-kolāhala)
Deva Setaketu, the Future
Buddha, enjoyed the supreme divine bliss in the abode of Tusita for four
thousand years according to Devareckoning, which is equivalent to five hundred
and seventy-six million years in the human world. Then one thousand years by
human calculations before the end of his life-span in Tusita, Suddhāvāsa Brahmās
proclaimed:
"Friends, in a thousand
years from today, there will appear in the human abode an Omniscient
Buddha!"
Because of this proclamation
from the vault of heaven, the uproar announcing the appearance of a Buddha (Buddha-kolāhala), "An Omniscient Buddha will be appearing! An Omniscient
Buddha will be appearing!" reverberated across the entire human world one
thousand years ahead of the event.
2.) The uproar announcing the dissolution of the
world (Kappa-kolāhala)
The kolāhala that warns people of the
dissolution of the world is kappa-kolāhala. When the time for the
destruction of the world is drawing near, the deities named Lokavyūha of the
realm of sensual pleasures (Kāmāvacara-Devas), wearing red garments, letting their hair
down, wiping the tears off their weeping faces, roam in a distressed manner
about roads and highways used by people, and cry aloud to human beings at all
places a hundred thousand years ahead of the event: "Friends, a hundred
thousand years from this, the world will dissolve! The great oceans will dry
up! The great earth,
3.) The uproar announcing appearance of the
universal monarch (Cakkavatti-kolāhala)
The kolāhala that arises in the world of
human beings proclaiming that "A Universal Monarch will appear" who
rules over the human realm including the four great island-continents and their
satellite smaller islands, two thousand in all, is called Cakkavatti-kolāhala. The guardian deities of the world (Lokapāla), those
Kāmāvacara-Devas,
knowing in advance of the appearance of a Universal Monarch, roam about public
roads and highways and cry aloud to human beings at all places a hundred years
ahead of the event: "Friends, a hundred years from today a Universal
Monarch will emerge in this world!" The uproar of the multitude caused by
such loud cries is known as Cakkavatti-kolāhala.
4.) The uproar announcing the giving of a discourse
on Maṅgala (Maṅgala-kolāhala)
Undecided as to the exact
meaning of Maṅgala (auspiciousness), people gather and define the word each in
his own way, saying "This is called Maṅgala!", "This is called
Maṅgala!", which gives rise to a tumult voicing: "They say it is Maṅgala."
Such a tumultous voice is called Maṅgala-kolāhala. Suddhāvāsa Brahmās knowing in advance that the Buddha
will give a discourse on Maṅgala and being aware of the thought of people who
yearn for the truth about auspiciousness, roam about public roads and highways
and cry aloud to human beings at all places twelve years before the event:
"Friends, twelve years from today the Buddha will teach the Doctrine of Maṅgala!"
The uproar of the multitude caused by such loud cries is known as Maṅgala-kolāhala.
5.) The uproar announcing the asking of the Moneyya Dhamma (Moneyya-kolāhala
The kolāhala concerning the ascetic practice of Moneyya is called Moneyya-kolāhala (An elaboration on the Moneyya Practice is made in the section on Nāḷaka Thera as part of the History of Elders in the Saṅgha Jewel.) Suddhāvāsa Brahmas, knowing in advance that a bhikkhu in the human world will approach the Buddha to ask about Moneyya ascetism, similarly roam about public roads and highways and cry aloud to human beings at all places seven years before the Buddha's teaching: "Friends, seven years from today a bhikkhu will approach the Buddha and ask Moneyya Dhamma!" The uproar of the multitude caused by such loud cries is known as Moneyya-kolāhala.
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