བསྐལ་པ། | Glossary of Terms

According to the traditional Abhidharma understanding of cyclical time, a great eon (mahākalpa) is divided into eighty lesser or intervening eons. In the course of one great eon, the external universe and its sentient life take form and later disappear. During the first twenty of the lesser eons, the universe is in the process of creation and expansion (vivartakalpa); during the next twenty it remains created; during the third twenty, it is in the process of destruction or contraction (samvartakalpa); and during the last quarter of the cycle, it remains in a state of destruction.

According to the traditional Abhidharma understanding of cyclical time, a great eon (Skt. mahākalpa) is divided into eighty lesser or intervening eons. In the course of one great eon, the external universe and its sentient life takes form and later disappears. During the first twenty of the lesser eons, the universe is in the process of creation and expansion (Skt. vivartakalpa); during the next twenty, it persists; during the third twenty, it is in the process of destruction or contraction (Skt. samvartakalpa); and during the last quarter of the cycle, complete destruction has occurred and nothing exists.

According to the traditional Abhidharma understanding of cyclical time, a great eon (mahākalpa) is divided into eighty lesser or intervening eons. In the course of one great eon, the external universe and its sentient life takes form and later disappears. During the first twenty of the lesser eons, the universe is in the process of creation and expansion (vivartakalpa); during the next twenty it remains created; during the third twenty, it is in the process of destruction or contraction (samvartakalpa); and during the last quarter of the cycle, it remains in a state of destruction. For the different kinds of kalpas according to Abhidharma teachings, see the Abhidharma­kośa­bhāṣya (Toh 4090) on AK III.89d–93 (for English translation, see Pruden 1988–90, vol. 2, 475–81). The Good Eon referenced in this text is the name Buddhists give to our current eon and generally refers to any eon in which more than one buddha appear.

The Indian concept of an eon of millions of years, sometimes equivalent to the time when a world appears, exists, and disappears. There are also the intermediate eons during the existence of a world, and the longest, which is called asamkhyeya (literally, “incalculable,” even though the number of its years is calculated).

A cosmic period of time. According to the traditional Abhidharma understanding of cyclical time, a great eon (mahākalpa) is divided into eighty lesser or intermediate eons. In the course of one great eon, the external universe and its sentient life takes form and later disappears. During the first twenty of the lesser eons, the universe is in the process of creation and expansion (vivartakalpa); during the next twenty it remains created; during the third twenty it is in the process of destruction or contraction (saṃvartakalpa); and during the last quarter of the cycle it remains in a state of destruction (saṃvarta­sthāyi­kalpa).

An ancient unit for measuring time; of variable length from several million to billions of years.

A unit for measuring time; of variable length from several million to billions of years.

A cosmic period of time. According to the traditional Abhidharma understanding of cyclical time, a great eon (mahākalpa) is divided into eighty lesser or intermediate eons. In the course of one great eon, the external universe and its sentient life takes form and later disappears. During the first twenty of the lesser eons, the universe is in the process of creation and expansion (vivartakalpa); during the next twenty it remains created; during the third twenty it is in the process of destruction or contraction (saṃvartakalpa); and during the last quarter of the cycle it remains in a state of destruction (saṃvarta­sthāyi­kalpa).

According to Buddhist cosmology it designates the timespan in which an entire universe evolves and dissolves again, thus completing a cosmic cycle. For the different kinds of kalpas according to Abhidharma teachings, see AKBh on AK III.89d–93 (for English tr., see Pruden 1988–90, vol. 2, 475–81).

An aeon or cosmic period of time.

The timespan in which a world system or universe evolves and dissolves again according to Buddhist cosmology; a complete cosmic cycle.

The Indian concept of a period of millions of years, sometimes equivalent to the time when a world appears, exists, and disappears. There are also the intermediate kalpas during the existence of a world, the longest of which is called asamkhyeya, (literally “incalculable,” even though the number of its years is calculated).

According to the traditional Abhidharma understanding of cyclical time, a great eon (mahākalpa) is divided into eighty lesser or intervening eons. In the course of one great eon, the external universe and its sentient life takes form and later disappears. During the first twenty of the lesser eons, the universe is in the process of creation and expansion (vivartakalpa); during the next twenty it remains created; during the third twenty, it is in the process of destruction or contraction (samvartakalpa); and during the last quarter of the cycle, it remains in a state of destruction.