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B J making apertures in various places, access to that body of water is afibrded to the wind. Thus bj the effect of the wind it be- comes further concentrated, and acquires further consistency. It then begins to evaporate, and gradually subsides." — Common ta^ on the Patisambhidan. I. THR SYSTEM OF THE UNIVERSE. 29 Sekra appears, which is the first formation. Then the lower farahma-16kas and the d6wa-16ka8 are formed in the place of those destroyed ; and some of the brahmas from the upper Idkas, either on account of the inferiority of their merit, or because their period of residence in those 16kas is complete, appear in the brahma-ldkas now formed, whilst others appear in the four superior d6wa-16ka8. The water gradually diminishes, until it reaches the place of the former earth, when a great wind arises, and by its influence completes the evaporation of the water. The earth is at first formed of a mould that in taste is like the food of the d^was, ot like the honey that is distilled in the cup of the lotus. The whole surface of the earth is of a golden colour, like the kinichiri flower, a delightful fragrance arising therefrom ; whilst a liquid like the drink of the dewas is exuded* The part where the sacred tree of Budha is to appear is the first spot of earth that is formed, as it is the last spot destroyed at the end of a kalpa. To point out this place, a lotus appears ; and if a Budha is to be bom in that kalpa a flower will be expanded : but if there is to be no Budha there will be no flower. If more Budhas than one are to appear, this will be revealed by the number of flowers that are seen ; and near each flower there ap- pears a complete set of pirikaras (the requisites of the priesthood) that are to be used by the Budha for whom they have been formed. The ruler of the brahma-16ka called Awiha descends to the earth in order that he may see whether a Budha will be bom in that kaJpa or nofc ; in a moment he disperses the darkness of the world, and if he finds that there are any sets of pirikaras, he takes them with him on his return. Some of the brahmas from the 16ka called Abhassara are then bom here by the apparitional birth, with shining bodies, able to pass through the air, and their age is an asankya. When rice is boiled, a number of bubbles are formed at once upon the surface of the water, and there are some parts of that surface that are high, some depressed, and some level ;* in like manner, at the formation of the earth, inequalities are apparent, forming hills, valleys, and plains. It is on this wise that the destruction of the earth is effected, * The irae figure of the eai'th stands in the same relation to a regular figure " as the uneven surface of ruffled stands to the even surface of un- ruffled water." — Humbolt's Kosmos. 30 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. when fire is the agent. For the spaoe of a hundred, a thousand, and a hundred thousand years, there is no rain. All plants that bear spioes ; all medicinal herbs ; all pahns and banjans ; all trees of the five kinds, whether produced from the root, trunk, fruit, leaf, or seed ; are entirely destroyed, so as never to spring up again. A hundred thousand years previous to the commencement of this destruction, one of the d6waa from a K4m&wachara d6wa- Idka,* pitying the condition of the world, appears with disordered hair, eyes streaming with tears, and a form of woe. Arrayed in garments of a red colour, he proceeds throughout the whole of the sakwalas that are to be destroyed, crying out as he passes on, " In a hundred thousand years the kalpa will come to an end ; a kelalaksha of worlds will be destroyed by fire ; and as many earths, sakwala rocks, Himila forests, rocks encircling Meru, heavens, suns, and moons, will be involved in this destruction, which will extend to the brahma-16kas ; whosoever would escape from this csdamity, let him assist his parents, respect his superiors, avoid the five sins, and observe the five obligations, "f The beings in the world, in great fear, approach the d6wa, and ask him whether he has learnt this by his own wisdom, or has been taught it by another ; when he replies, that he was sent by Maha Brahma, the d6wa of many ages.^ On hearing this declara- tion, the men and d^was of the earth regard each other with affection, from the fear that comes upon them, by which merit is produced, and they are bom in a brahma-16ka. When the hundred thousand years have elapsed, rain begins to fall at the same time in each of the sakwalas, at the appearance of which men rejoice, and the husbandmen begin to cultivate their fields ; but when the grain has risen so high as that cattle might nibble it, no more rain will descend. The clouds entirely dis- appear ; there is no more rain for a hundred thousand years ; all * All the worlds under the brahma-ldkas are called k&m^wachara. t This warning ifl called kappa-k<51ihala. There are in all five warnings, or presentiments . — 1. Kappa-k<5Uhala ; prerious to the destruction of the world. 2. Cbakrawartti ; a hundred years previous to the birth of a uniyersal monarch. 3. Budha ; a thousand years preyious to the birth of a Sudha. 4. Mangala; twelve years before Budha preaches the Mangala-siitra. 6. Moneyya ; seven years before Budha explains the Moneyya>piliwet, or ordinances of the rahats. X This mission of the d^wa bears some resemblance to that of Noah, the preacher of righteousness, during the respite of 120 years preyious to the deluge. Gen. yi. 3 ; 1 Pet. iii. 20 ; 2 Pet. ii. 6. I. THE SYSTBM OF THE UNIVERSE. 31 forests are parched up ; men suffer much from hunger and thirst, and then die ; the d^was who reside in flowers and fruits, the jak^ garondas, nagas, and other beings of a similar description, after the endurance of mnch suffering, pass away, and are bom in the d6wa-16kas, and afterwards in the brahma-ldkas ; and the beings that have no merit are bom in the hells of some outer sakwala. After a long period, a second snn appears suddenly in the sky, and by its rays the 11,575 rivers, and the smaller ponds, tanks, and other places, are dried up, and white sand is formed. After another long period a third sun appears, that bums up the five great rivers. Of these three suns, one traverses the sky, one is behind the mountain Hastagiri, and the other remains continually in the centre of the sky, causing its rays to fall without ceasing upon the whole of the four great continents. The d^wa of the previously existing sun, terrified by the greatness of the heat, is bom in a brahma-16ka, through the power of dhydna. The sun stiU remains in the sky, but there is no living existence con- nected with it. Sekra, and the rest of the d^was, through the power of the rite called wayokasina, are bom in the Parittasubha and other brahma-16kas. After another long interval, a fourth sun is produced. By this the waters of the Anotatta and other great lakes are dried up ; they boil as if agitated by a great fire, and then entirely disappear. Thus all the elements, from the Awichi-naraka below to the Maha Brahmaldka above, are entirely destroyed. In due tune, a fifth sun appears. By means of this sun the waters of the great ocean are dried up to the depth of 100 yojaoas, then of 200 yojanas, and gradually on to 1000 yojanas. They are afterwards dried up to the depth of 10,000 yojanas, and the diminution of the water proceeds until it has extended to the depth of 80,000 yojanas ; and thus there will be only 4000 yojanas of water left. But the decrease goes on until there is only 1000 yojanas, then only 100 yojanas ; and the process continues until the water is reduced to the depth of seven talas (or palm-trees each 80 cubits long). Thus all the water in the great oceans, from the Aswakarna to the sakwala rocks, is entirely eva- porated. There is at last about the depth of one tala, then of seven porisas (the height of a man when his hand is held up over his head, or five cubits) ; giadually it diminishes to the height of a 32 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. man, to the loins, the knee, and the ancle, to as much as would fill the feet-marks of cattle, jnst as the rain does on the surface of the earth in April or October ; and finally, out of all the water of the lakes, seas, and oceans, not so much is left as would moisten the end of the finger.