Miscellaneous Topics – 2416
all evil persons perish during the last seven days of the period. Such a round of
time is called a period of famine (
dubbhikkhantara-kappa
).
If the decline is due to the particularly overpowering state of bewilderment,
then there occurs an epidemic of diseases and all evil persons perish during the
last seven days of the period. Such a round of time is called a period of diseases
(
rogantara-kappa
).
If the decline of lifespan is due to the particularly overpowering state of hatred,
then there occur killings of one another with arms, and all evil persons perish
during the last seven days of the period. Such a round of time is called a period
of weapons (
satthantara-kappa
).
According to the sub-commentary to the Path of Purification (
Visuddhi-
magga
), however, a period of diseases (
rogantara-kappa
) is brought about
by the particularly overpowering state of greed; a period of weapons
(
satthantara-kappa
) by the particularly overpowering state of hatred; and
a period of famine (
dubbhikkhantara-kappa
) by the particularly
overpowering state of bewilderment; either way, evil persons perish.
The naming of each pair of lifespans – one increasing and the other decreasing –
as an inclusive period (
antara-kappa
) may be explained thus: Before all is
dissolved either by fire, water or the air element at the end of the devolving
immeasurable period (
vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyi-asaṅkhyeyya-kappa
) and whenever the
lifespan becomes ten years, all evil persons perish through famine, diseases or
weapons. In accordance with this statement, here it refers to the inclusive period
of decrease between one period of total destruction and another.
After the calamity that happens during the final seven days of each inclusive
period (
antara-kappa
), the name: The period ending in disease (
rogantara-
kappa
), the period ended by weapons (
satthantara-kappa
) or the period ending
in famine (
dubbhikkhantara-kappa
), is given to this period of misfortune, which
falls before the ten years lifespan, not in the whole world, but in a limited region,
such as a town or a village.
If there appears an epidemic of diseases, we say there is a period ending in
disease (
rogantara-kappa
) in that region; if there is an outbreak of war, we say
there is a period ended by weapons (
satthantara-kappa
) in that region; if there
occurs starvation, we say there is a period ending in famine (
dubbhikkhantara-
kappa
) in that region. Such a saying is just figurative because the regional
incident is similar to the cosmic. When in chanting one mentions “three periods”