法苑珠林 1.16

1.16

According to the Lokasthitābhidharma-śāstra: From one antarakalpa up to eighty antarakalpas, during the period of maintenance of the kalpa, when the minor calamity of the third kalpa arises, it arises on account of a great famine. When the calamity is about to arise, due to heaven's extreme drought all the people encounter a great pestilence. All spirits and ghosts give rise to wrathful and evil intentions to harm the people of the world. Their lifespans are shortened, lasting only ten years. Their bodily forms are stunted and small, perhaps two or three spans long. What they eat is wild tare and barnyard grass; human hair serves as clothing and is still considered the finest garment. They adorn themselves with weapons and have no reverence for one another. Poverty, distress, foolishness, and false views grow day and night. Grain is dear and there is famine; begging with bowls is practiced. Seeing others' provisions, they forthwith go and snatch their food. By this cause and condition, countless people starve to death. All sentient beings are born amidst the kalpa impurity; it arises spontaneously. They commit evil deeds. Heaven does not send down rain for four or five years; due to the severe drought, even fresh grass and wild herbs cannot be found, how much less rice and grain! All birds and beasts are caught and eaten. In a single day and night, those who starve to death are immeasurable in number. Prefectures and counties become empty and desolate, with only a few families remaining, situated farther and farther apart. They do not practice the true Dharma, and the three poisons flourish ever more. Poverty and misery correspond day and night. At this time, for six or seven years, heaven does not send down rain. Due to the severe drought, even the wish to see water cannot be fulfilled, how much less cooked rice! During this kalpa, only seven days remain [of the disaster]. In a single day and night, countless starve to death. Even if there are survivors, they are dispersed in different places. At that time, one person gathers together the males, females, young, and old within Jambudvīpa, ten thousand persons in all, leaving them as human seed for the future. The people are capable of practicing goodness. All good spirits and ghosts, wishing not to allow the human seed to be cut off, protect these people, causing fine nourishment to enter their pores. Due to the power of karma, the human seed is not cut off. After seven days have passed, this famine ceases all at once. All evil ghosts depart completely. According to what clothing and food are needed, heaven immediately rains them down. Yin and yang harmonize, and delicious flavors are born. Bodily forms become lovely, and their marks and features are restored. All good dharmas arise spontaneously; it is refreshing, tranquil, peaceful, joyful, and without sickness. Compassion enters their minds, and there is no intent to harm. Just as when loved ones have not seen each other for a long time, suddenly reuniting, joy arises in their joyful minds; they hold each other by the hand and do not part. From ten years of age, practicing goodness by degrees, they are born among humans and devas, with lifespans long and extended, reaching twenty thousand years and even eighty thousand years. The remaining dharmic causes are all identical to the initial exposition. (According to the Lokasthiti[-abhidharma-śāstra], each of the three calamities lasts seven days. If according to other sūtras and treatises, famine lasts seven years, seven months, and seven days; pestilence lasts seven months and seven days; and weapons last at most seven days.) Therefore, the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states: When the human lifespan is thirty years, [the famine] only begins to be established. At that time, exquisite food and drink can no longer be obtained; they only boil rotten bones together for a feast. If they happen to obtain a single grain of rice, wheat, millet, or barnyard grass, it is prized like a maṇi jewel, stored in chests and guarded. Those sentient beings for the most part have no vigor, collapsing upon the ground and no longer able to rise. Due to famine, the race of sentient beings is nearly wiped out. Only after such a calamity of famine has passed for seven years, seven months, seven days, and seven nights is it finally surmounted. Those sentient beings then gather together again and give rise to an inferior degree of revulsion; by this cause and condition, lifespan does not decrease further, and the calamity of famine ceases. Furthermore, when the human lifespan is twenty years, the revulsion originally arisen is now abandoned. At that time, there are many epidemic vapors, malarial miasmas, and disasters of fever arising in succession. Sentient beings encountering these illnesses mostly perish. Only after such a calamity of illness has passed for seven months, seven days, and seven nights is it finally surmounted. Those sentient beings then gather together again and give rise to a middling degree of revulsion; by this cause and condition, lifespan is not reduced further, and the calamity of illness ceases. Furthermore, when the human lifespan is ten years, the revulsion originally arisen is again abandoned. At that time, sentient beings seeing one another give rise to fierce and violent intentions to kill. By this cause and condition, whatever grass, trees, tiles, or stones they grasp all become exceedingly sharp swords; they slaughter one another until they are dead and wiped out. Only after such a calamity of weapons has passed for at most seven days is it finally surmounted.