"Inconceivable is the beginning, disciples, of the round of rebirth. A first point is not known of beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving rushing on and running about [from life to life in SAMSARA]."
The Buddha then explains how, in the distant future, the world-system will come to an end. This possibly settles a question made famous by the American poet ROBERT FROST:
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
THERE WILL COME A TIMEFirst the great ocean dries up: "There will come a time, disciples, when the great ocean dries up, evaporates, and is no more.
"In the distant future the world will be destroyed in one of three ways [16]: destroyed by fire, by water or by wind" [20]. Here, the Buddha describes what happens when the world is destroyed by fire [21]. "First of all, a 100,000 years beforehand, certain sky-DEVAS [literal beings from space] will appear before people with disheveled hair, and pitiful faces, wiping their tears with their hands [22].
They will announce the end of the world and urge people to develop the four Divine Abidings (BRAHMA VIHARAS): loving-kindness ("metta"), compassion, joy in others' joy, and impartiality (equanimity) up to the level of absorption (JHANA). And they will advise people to look after their parents and respect their elders. Most people will take these words to heart and practice loving-kindness towards each other. In this and other ways they accomplish wholesome karma.
Those who are able will develop the meditative-absorptions. Those who are "unable" to develop [any of the eight] absorptions will, because of their past profitable karma, be reborn in the "deva" world. Then as "devas" they will develop absorption.
Dependent on ignorance and craving, the karmic potency of their absorption causes all of these beings to be reborn in the BRAHMA WORLD [23]. [This is the result of the weighty good karma of absorption held at the time of dying.]
After a long period, a great cloud appears, and heavy rain falls throughout the hundred thousand million world spheres. People sow crops, but when the crops have grown high enough for an ox to graze, the rain stops [24]. With no more rain, plants dry up and are no more. Soon there is famine. Human beings die and also earthbound-"devas" ("bhumma-deva"), for they live on flowers and fruits.
Owing to their past profitable karma, they are reborn in the "deva" world. And as "devas" they develop absorption using meditative disks ("KASINA"). Again, dependent on ignorance and craving, the karmic potency of their absorption serves as the cause of rebirth in the "brahma" world.
After a long time, the water in the world begins to evaporate. Fish, turtles, and other creatures that live in the water die. Owing to their past profitable karma, they are also reborn in the "deva" world, where as "devas" develop absorption. Dependent on ignorance and craving, the karmic potency of their absorption causes them to be reborn in the "brahma "world.
According to a "law of nature" ("niyama"), the beings residing in hellish planes also escape from hell and are reborn in the human world [25]. They develop loving-kindness and are reborn in the "deva" world, where as "devas" they develop absorption. Dependent on ignorance and craving, the karmic potency of their absorption causes them to be reborn in the "brahma" world.
But the beings who were reborn in the [lowest worlds, the eight great] hells as a result of holding persistent wrong views ("niyata-miccha-ditthi") [26] do not escape: Dependent on ignorance and craving, the karmic potency of their persistent wrong view causes them to be reborn in an interstitial hell ("loka-antarika-niraya", see e.g., "The Darkness Discourse, Andhakara Sutra, S.V.XII.v.6"), one of the unfortunate destinations situated in the space between world-systems [27]. Thus, even though the world system is coming to an end, the continued rushing on and running about of beings does not come to an end.
The Buddha goes on to declare [28], "Not even then, disciples, is the suffering of beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving (who rush on and run about) brought to an end, I declare.
"After a long period without rain, by the time all beings have been reborn elsewhere, a second sun appears [29]. As one sun sets the other rises, so there is no more telling night from day: THE WORLD IS CONTINUOUSLY SCORCHED BY THE HEAT OF TWO SUNS. Streams and smaller rivers dry up.
"After yet another very long period, a third sun appears, and now the great rivers dry up [30]. Then after yet another very long period, a fourth sun appears, and the great lakes that were the source of the great rivers dry up [31]. After yet another very long period, a fifth sun appears, and the seas dry up. There is not enough water left to wet a finger [32]. Again, after yet another very long period, a sixth sun appears. Now the great MOUNT SINERU [33] and the very Earth itself begin to burn and give off clouds of smoke.
"Eventually, after yet another very long period, a seventh sun appears. Now all bursts into flames, into one great sheet of flame. Great Mount Sineru and the Earth burn and disintegrate. Powerful winds carry the fire right up to the "brahma" worlds [high in space]. And just as burning ghee [creme de la creme] or oil leave no ashes, so the burning Mount Sineru and Earth leave no ashes [34].
"Even so," the Buddha explains, "there is no end to the rushing on and running about of beings in the round of rebirth [35].
"There will come a time, disciples, when Sineru, King of Mountains, is burned, destroyed, and is no more. Not even then, disciples, is the suffering of beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving (who rush on and run about) brought to an end, I declare.
"There will come a time, disciples, when the great Earth, is burned, destroyed, and is no more. Not even then, disciples, is the suffering of beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving (who rush on and run about) brought to an end, I declare."
Having explained "how" beings continue to rush on and run about in the round of rebirth ("samsara"), the Buddha then discusses why. MORE (P. 23)
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