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Article: Cycles of time

The Jain concept of time is one of the most distinctive elements of Jain cosmological thought. It also demonstrates the repetitive and mathematical nature of Jain cosmology.

Time is endless and only exists in certain parts of 'world space' in Jain belief. In some areas it is a repeating cycle while in others it is not cyclical.

The current age is the fifth or unhappy stage – duṣamā – of a regressive cycle.

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Lands of Action

Cyclical time is found only in some areas of the central continent of Jambū-dvīpa of Jain cosmology.

Jambū-dvīpa has several regions. In the Lands of Enjoyment people do not need to make any effort and can enjoy life. Here there is no cycle of time. However, in the Lands of Action, where human beings live and where they suffer and must work to live, time forms a repeating cycle.

Here a single cycle or kalpa is made up of two equal phases. Each phase or half-cycle has six periods of time, which vary in length. Each phase follows another without a break.

Cycle of time

In the part of the universe where human beings live, time moves in cycles. Each cycle has 12 parts of different length, moving through half-cycles where things gradually get worse – avasarpiṇi – and then gradually get better – utsarpiṇi. Then the cycle be

Cycle of time
Image by Anishshah19 © public domain

The cycle of time is traditionally represented as a wheel with 12 spokes, known as the Kālacakra. In the first phase – of six half-cycles – the quality of life gradually deteriorates while in the second one it slowly improves over the six periods.

In traditional Jain cosmology, time is endless and for humans is an unbroken sequence of cycles of time. Each cycle or kalpa is made up of two half-cycles or phases. Each half-cycle has six periods, lasting different lengths of time. Each of these periods of time is enormously long, far longer than a human lifetime, but has a fixed length.

In the first phase – of six half-cycles – the quality of life slowly worsens while in the second one it gradually gets better over the six periods. A full cycle of time therefore has 12 periods of time in total, half of them deteriorating, half of them improving.

The 'Descending Phase'

The Sanskrit term for 'descending phase' is avasarpiṇi. Also called the 'regressive half-cycle', it sees the gradual worsening of conditions over the six eras. Life gradually declines in terms of knowledge, lifespan, stature, pleasure, morality and spirituality. In this phase, the conditions begin at 'extremely happy' and get worse over the course of the epochs until they end at 'extremely unhappy'.

Descending cycle of time
English description	Sanskrit	Duration
extremely happy	suṣamā-suṣamā	4 crore of crore of sāgaropama
happy	suṣamā	3 crore of crore of sāgaropama
more happy than unhappy	suṣamā-duṣamā	2 crore of crore of sāgaropama
more unhappy than happy	duṣamā-suṣamā	1 crore of crore of sāgaropama
unhappy	duṣamā	21,000 years
extremely unhappy	duṣamā-duṣamā	21,000 years

In the first phase – of six half-cycles – the quality of life gradually declines while in the second one conditions steadily rise over the six periods. A full cycle of time therefore has 12 periods of time in total, half of them deteriorating, half of them improving.

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Glossary

Bhoga-bhūmi

'Lands of Enjoyment' in Sanskrit, where people do not need to make any effort because all their needs are met by wish-fulfilment trees. The Lands of Enjoyment are in Jambū-dvīpa, in the Middle World where humans live.

Jambū-dvīpa

The innermost island-continent in the Middle World, in Jain cosmology. It is divided into seven continents separated by six mountain ranges. It takes its name - 'Rose-Apple Continent' - from a rock formation that resembles a rose-apple tree, which is found on Mount Meru in the centre of the island.

Jñāna

'Knowledge', of which there are five main types:

mind-based and sensory knowledge – mati-jñāna
scriptural knowledge – śruta-jñāna
extra-sensory knowledge or clairvoyance – avadhi-jñāna
knowledge of others’ minds or telepathy – manaḥparyaya-jñāna
omniscience or absolute knowledge – kevala-jñāna.

With spiritual progress, one can gain the different types of knowledge.

Also one of the 14 'gateways' or categories of investigation of mārgaṇā or 'soul-quest'.

Kāla

Time. One of the five insentient non-material substances that make up the universe along with the sentient substance, called jīvastikaya.

Karma-bhūmi

'Realm of action', used in Jain cosmology for the lands in the Middle World where people must work to live. However, here they can progress on the path of salvation. These lands are Bharata-kṣetra, Airāvata-kṣetra and Mahā-videha. However, Uttara-kuru and Deva-kuru in Mahā-videha are Lands of Pleasure or bhoga-bhūmi.

Mokṣa

The 'liberation' of the soul from its body and thus from the cycle of rebirth because it has no karma and becomes omniscient. The ultimate aim of Jainism is to achieve mokṣa and become a liberated soul in siddha-śilā.

Saṃsāra

Cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth caused by karma binding to the soul as a result of activities. Only by destroying all karma can this perpetual cycle finish in mokṣa – liberation. The karma gained in life affects the next life, and even future lives, for example:

in which of the three worlds the life is lived out
which of four conditions – gati – the body takes, namely human, divine, hellish or as a plant or animal.

Sanskrit

A classical language of India, originally used by priests and nobility. Sanskrit has a rich literary and religious tradition. With only a few thousand native speakers nowadays, it is predominantly used in Hindu religious ceremonies and by scholars.

Themes

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Related Manuscripts

Modern paper – shelfmark of Erskine collection

With commentary by Pārśva-candra. British Library. Add. 26374. Ratnaśekhara. 1769
Five Great Entities – Pañca-parameṣṭhins

British Library. Or. 2116 ms. C. Śrīcandra. Perhaps 16th century

Related Manuscript Images

Two suns and moons, and Capricorn

With commentary by Pārśva-candra. British Library. Add. 26374. Ratnaśekhara. 1769
Winter solstice

With commentary by Pārśva-candra. British Library. Add. 26374. Ratnaśekhara. 1769

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