瑜伽師地論略纂 1.97

1.97

The second section has two parts: first, explaining the deterioration caused by the three disasters; next, from "Furthermore, they are able to abandon those [unwholesome dharmas] that reduce lifespan..." downward, explaining the subsequent gradual increase. The first text again has two parts: first, explaining the three minor disasters; next, explaining the three deteriorations. The *Kośa* says: The three minor disasters all arise when [human lifespan] is ten years, each occurring in separate kalpas. Now in the Mahāyāna, they occur within the same kalpa, at thirty, twenty, and ten years of age respectively, giving rise to famine, pestilence, and swords in this distinct order. As the *Kośa* says, famine has three aspects: first, white bones; second, moving tally-sticks; third, gathering together. It is detailed there. The disaster of famine lasts seven years, seven months, seven days, and seven nights; the disaster of pestilence lasts seven months, seven days, and seven nights; the disaster of swords lasts seven days. Because of the inferior grade of unwholesome karma—stinginess and greed—it brings about famine of long duration lasting seven years, seven months, days, and nights, in which grain and food are completely exhausted before beings perish of distress. Because of the middling grade of unwholesome karma—harming—it brings about the disaster of pestilence lasting seven months, days, and nights, tormenting body and mind before causing death. Because of the superior grade of unwholesome karma—killing—it brings about the disaster of swords lasting only seven days; since malicious intent is already fierce, whatever grass or wood they take up turns into an instrument of slaughter, and lives are easily snuffed out without requiring much time. Seeing each other in broad daylight, killing is easily accomplished; in the darkness of night, acts of killing are few, so nights are omitted from mention. Another sūtra states: By donating a single mouthful of food to the saṅgha, one is not born in a kalpa of famine; by donating a single harītakī medicine to the saṅgha, one does not fall into a kalpa of pestilence; by upholding the precept against killing for one day and night, one does not fall into a kalpa of weapons. Thus now [these merits] gradually diminish, and the three unwholesome karmas arise. "Sugarcane loses its flavor" refers to boiling sugarcane to make sugar, which causes the taste of sugarcane to change. "Furthermore, they are able to abandon the bad, unwholesome dharmas that reduce lifespan..." and so on explains the gradual increase following the period of decrease. By abandoning the karma of killing and the like that leads to the disaster of swords and so forth, lifespan and the rest gradually increase: a father of ten years produces a child of fifteen years, and so on progressively up to eighty thousand. It does not mention eighty-four thousand, giving only the round number.