法苑珠林 1.12

1.12

According to the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra, what is called a kalpa? The answer states: According to the correct Sanskrit phonetics of the West, it is called a kalpa-bhadra. 'Kalpa' (also named jiepo; in the language of Qin, it means 'discriminating periods of time'). 'Bhadra' (in the language of Qin, it means 'good existence'; it is also named 'worthy' [xian], because many worthy persons appear in the world, it is therefore named the Bhadrakalpa). Furthermore, the Lokasthitābhidharma-śāstra states: The Buddha, the World-Honoured One, taught that one antarakalpa is called one kalpa; twenty antarakalpas are also called one kalpa; forty antarakalpas are also called one kalpa; sixty antarakalpas are also called one kalpa; and eighty antarakalpas are called one mahākalpa. In what sense is one antarakalpa called one kalpa? At that time, when the monk Devadatta abides in hell receiving the karmic retribution of his maturation, the Buddha taught that his lifespan lasts for one kalpa. In what sense are twenty antarakalpas also called one kalpa? Like the heavens of the Brahmā predecessors, twenty antarakalpas are their lifespan; the Buddha taught that their lifespan lasts for one kalpa. In what sense are forty antarakalpas also called one kalpa? Like the lifespan of the Brahmapāriṣadya heaven, which is forty antarakalpas, the Buddha taught that their lifespan lasts for one kalpa. In what sense are sixty antarakalpas also called one kalpa? Like the lifespan of the Mahābrahmā heaven, which is sixty antarakalpas, the Buddha taught that their lifespan lasts for one kalpa. In what sense are eighty antarakalpas called one mahākalpa? In the Sutra on the World Within Kalpas taught by the Buddha, it says: for twenty antarakalpas it is destroyed; next, it passes through twenty antarakalpas where, having been destroyed, it is empty; next, it passes through twenty antarakalpas where it arises and forms; next, it passes through twenty antarakalpas where, having arisen and formed, it abides. Among these twenty antarakalpas of arising, forming, and abiding, how many have already passed and how many have not yet passed? Eight antarakalpas have already passed, eleven antarakalpas are yet to come, and the ninth kalpa is presently not yet exhausted. In this ninth kalpa, how much has passed and how much is yet to come? There definitely remain 690 years in the future (taking the yimao year at the end of the Liang dynasty, when this treatise was translated, as the benchmark). In the interval of these twenty antarakalpas, there are three minor calamities that revolve in succession: first, the calamity of pestilence; second, the calamity of weapons; and third, the calamity of famine. (These three minor calamities are listed in different orders across various sutras and treatises. If relying on the Dīrghāgama, Madhyamāgama, Qishi jing, and so on, weapons are listed first, famine next, and pestilence last. If relying on the Abhidharmakośa, Abhidharma, Vibhāṣā, and so on, weapons are listed first, pestilence next, and famine last. If relying on the Yogācāra-bhūmi, Abhidharma-samuccaya, and so on, famine is listed first and weapons last. In terms of the succession according to the length of years and months, relying on the Yogācāra-bhūmi and Abhidharma-samuccaya is correct.) Now, provisionally relying on the Lokasthitābhidharma-śāstra, it states: this is within the ninth, corresponding precisely to the third calamity; this kalpa will end on account of famine. The Buddha said: during the first kalpa among those where these twenty antarakalpas of the world arise, form, and come to abide, when the minor calamity arises, there is a great pestilence, and all manner of illnesses arise without exception. In all the lands within Jambudvīpa, all the people suffer a great pestilence. All the ghosts and spirits arouse wrathful and evil minds to harm the people of the world. Lifespans become short and fleeting, lasting only ten years. Their physical forms become stunted and small, either two spans or three spans, though by their own measure they consider it eight spans. For provisions and food, darnel and wild millet are considered the best. Human hair garments are considered the finest. They have only weapons with which to adorn themselves. At that time, people do not practice the saddharma; unrighteous greed, wrong views, and similar deeds grow day and night. Evil ghosts and spirits harm people everywhere. At that time, the lineages of great kings all collapse and perish, and all realms become deserted and ruined one after another. Only small commanderies and counties are what remain, far removed from one another and each isolated in its own place. Such people are afflicted and tormented by illness, with no one to give medicines, food, or drink. Due to these causes and conditions, countless people die untimely deaths before their lifespans should naturally end. In a single day and night, immeasurable sentient beings die of illness. Because of practicing evil dharmas, they receive this retribution, being born within this [time] where the kalpa turbidity arises; after abandoning their lives, they fall into the three evil destinies. Then a commandery or county in turn falls into desolation, with only a few households remaining, increasingly far apart and each in an isolated place. For those who die of pestilence, there is no one to send them off or bury them. At that time, the land is covered with white bones, until houses and dwellings in turn become completely emptied. When only seven days remain at the end of this kalpa, during these seven days immeasurable sentient beings perish entirely from pestilence. Even if there are survivors, they are dispersed in different places. At that time, one person gathers together the men and women within Jambudvīpa, leaving only ten thousand to remain as the human seed for the future. Only these ten thousand people are able to maintain virtuous conduct. Because the good ghosts and spirits wish to keep the human seed from being severed, they protect these people, causing fine flavors to enter their pores; through karmic power, the human seed is not severed. After seven days pass, this great pestilence is extinguished all at once. All the evil ghosts abandon them and depart. As for the food, drink, and clothing of these sentient beings, heaven rains down whatever is required in accordance with their thoughts. The yin and yang balance in harmony, delicious flavors spring forth, and their bodies become lovely, peaceful, joyful, and free from illness. They are like beloved kin who have not seen each other for a long time: suddenly brought together, they give rise to joy and delight, holding each other by the hand and refusing to part. While the people of the previous kalpa had a lifespan of ten years, the people of the subsequent kalpa born from them have a maximum lifespan of twenty thousand years. Merits such as these are naturally achieved; they are aligned with good dharmas, and good in body, speech, and mind. After abandoning their lifespans, they are born into good destinies. Relinquishing their lives in heaven, they are born back into the human destiny; they are naturally worthy and good, complete with the categories of moral discipline. After relinquishing their lives, they are born again into heavenly destinies. It continues like this for a long, long time. The pestilence in the middle of the first kalpa comes to an absolute end, and the second kalpa then follows with [lifespans of] twenty thousand years. This is the first lifespan measure in the interval of this kalpa. These people are born from those former people of twenty thousand years; their spiritual powers are unhindered, their material necessities are abundant, and their lifespans reach forty thousand years. Being born in the human and heavenly destinies, it continues like this for a long, long time. This is termed the second kalpa. The second lifespan measure in the interval is forty thousand years, with material necessities abundant, and lifespans reach sixty thousand years. It continues like this for a long, long time, termed the third kalpa. The third lifespan measure in the interval is sixty thousand years. From sixty thousand years it reaches eighty thousand years. At this time, a woman marries only when she reaches five hundred years of age. At that time, people have only seven ailments: namely, urination, defecation, cold, heat, sexual desire, hunger, and old age. During such a time, all lands are wealthy, noble, abundant, and joyful, without hostile bandits, rebellion, or theft. Villages are contiguous, so that the crowing of roosters can be heard by one another. Although farming is minimal, the harvest is immensely great. Clothing, wealth, and jewels are abundant and to their satisfaction; they sit in peace receiving joy, running after nothing. When the lifespan reaches eighty thousand years, it abides for an asaṃkhyeya of years, until sentient beings do not give rise to the ten unwholesome deeds. Once they give rise to the ten unwholesome deeds, because of this, every hundred years [lifespan] decreases by ten years; in the next hundred years it decreases again by ten years, gradually decreasing in succession until ten years remain. When the final ten years are reached, it abides and decreases no further. The longest reaches eighty thousand, and the shortest reaches ten years. If a Buddha does not appear in the world, the sequence proceeds like this. If a Buddha appears in the world, as long as the saddharma abides, the lifespan of sentient beings temporarily halts and does not decrease. As the saddharma diminishes slightly, the lifespan gradually decreases.