The Duration of a Kappa (AEON) - Buddhism, Philosophy, and Khmer Literature

Breaking

Buddhism, Philosophy, and Khmer Literature

The teachings of the Buddha are aimed solely at liberating sentient beings from suffering. The Basic Teachings of Buddha which are core to Buddhism are: The Three Universal Truths; The Four Noble Truths; and The Noble Eightfold Path.

Post Top Ad

Post Top Ad

Monday, January 27, 2025

The Duration of a Kappa (AEON)

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 Myanmar. (For further details of these two periods of increase and decrease in the human life-span, see the Cakkavatti - Sutta of the Pāthika Vagga in the Dīgha Nikāya.)
           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, Mount Meru and all will burn and disintegrate. The uproar of the multitude caused by such loud cries is known as kappa-kolāhala.

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.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Post Top Ad

Privacy and cookie settings