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Sixth Chapter
JAINISM – FROM REALM OF ENJOYMENT TO
BHAGAVĀNA MAHĀVĪRA
THE CYCLE OF TIME
The nature is ever changing. These changes are evidences of the dynamism of this creation. It is never destroyed nor is it ever created. It is a continuous process of partial destruction and partial creation. In this cyclic process of destruction and creation the nature keeps its fundamental elements intact.
The wheel of time also continues to move thus. In this wheel of transformations no one can say where is the end and where is the beginning. In an ever-revolving cycle there is no scope for a beginning and an end. Time is indivisible. But for the sake of convenience we divide it into various fractions.
In Jain tradition, for the sake of convenience time-cycle has been divided into two parts. They are – Avasarpiņi kāla or regressive halfcycle of time and Utsarpiņi kāla or progressive half-cycle of time. Each one of these has been further divided into six parts - sukhamă sukhamā, sukhamā, sukhamā dukhamā, dukhamā sukhamā, dukhamā, dukhamā dukhamā. These are the twelve divisions of cycle of time. One complete cycle of these twelve parts is called a Kalpa. During one half of the kalpa the conditions in nature are always progressive or improving. During this period life span, size, attitude, health, beauty of man continue to improve. This is called the Utsarpiņi kāla or progressive half-cycle of time. The period during which life span, size, intelligence and all other attributes undergo a continuous decline is called Avasarpiņi kāla or regressive half-cycle of time. We live in the
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