El tabaco como problema

Consider the growth and decline of this eon, and that it is also impermanent. In the distant past, when the eon began, there were neither sun nor moon in the sky and all human beings radiated their own light. With miraculous power they could travel through space, and their bodies were many leagues tall. For food they had amrita, divine nectar. Their perfect happiness and well-being equalled that of the gods. Over time, however, the influence of negative emotions and nonvirtue gradually reduced human beings to their present condition.

The cycle of growth is when the life and wealth of beings increase and the cycle of decline is when they diminish. Together, the cycles of growth and decline constitute the twenty eons of abiding. Twenty eons each for the formation, abiding, destruction and emptiness of the universe makes eighty eons, also known as a great eon. Within the twenty eons of abiding are eighteen eons of growth and decline; when the initial eon of growth and the final eon of decline are included, this adds up to twenty eons. The duration of the initial eon of growth and one eon of growth and decline is the same. Likewise, the final eon of decline is as long as an intermediate eon of growth and decline. Thus, the cycles of growth and decline are impermanent.

The first age of this eon was known as the Golden Age. People in the Golden Age illuminated the things around them with light emanating from their bodies. They had miraculous powers, could fly and were clairvoyant. With no need for ordinary food, they lived for many eons. While human beings of the Golden Age had no manifest negative emotions and thus did not accumulate nonvirtuous actions, they did have dormant negative emotions. Over time, they began to decline; their physical radiance faded and the sun and moon appeared in the sky. Their miraculous powers weakened; the divine nectar was exhausted and they had to eat rice. In this way, the human race slowly degenerated.

As human beings’ negative emotions become ever more gross, their lifespan and fortune diminish further. Whereas earlier human beings lived for unfathomable numbers of years, lifespan will decrease down to ten years. People will die from epidemics, warfare and famine. Those who survive the epidemic diseases will be tormented by periods of warfare when their hatred will increase. When they meet others, they will see them as the enemies who killed their fathers. Whatever they touch will transform into weapons. Like the demi-gods, they will fight continually. Most will die from the fighting. Those who yet endure will perish in a great famine. Hence, human beings of the degenerate times will generally pass away from the sequential occurrence of disease, warfare and famine. All who die during these times will be born in lower realms. In particular, those who die of hatred during the eon of warfare will be born in hell.

To those who survive the eon of epidemics, warfare and famine will come an emanation of Maitreya to teach them to stop killing each other. This will end the negativity of killing through harmful intentions. Consequently, lifespan will begin to increase, first to twenty years and then gradually longer and longer. When lifespan reaches eighty thousand years, Lord Maitreya will come, display attaining enlightenment at the Vajrasana in Bodh Gaya, India, and turn the wheel of Dharma in Varanasi.

Eighteen such cycles of growth and decline will take place. Initially human beings will live for uncountable years and then their lifespan will gradually decrease to ten years. Lifespan will later increase back to eighty thousand years before again diminishing to ten. After eighteen cycles, lifespan will increase to an incalculable number of years. The buddhas of the Fortunate Eon will generally appear when beings’ lifespan grows. Buddha Shakyamuni was an exception since he came when lifespan was declining and beings lived for only one hundred years. All the other nine

hundred and ninety nine buddhas will appear only when beings live for either uncountable years or eighty thousand years.

Only our teacher Shakyamuni Buddha holds with compassion humans who live for a mere hundred years and who live during the time of the five degenerations. When he generated bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment, Shakyamuni aroused immense altruistic concern for the benefit of the beings of degenerate times and made five hundred extra aspirations on our behalf. Because of these wishes his altruistic motivation is considered greater than that of other buddhas. Even the buddha Great Shakyamuni, before whom Shakyamuni Buddha took the Bodhisattva vow, praised him to be as rare as the white lotus.

Other Buddhas do not appear during degenerate times when lifespan is in decline. At the time of beings living for incalculable years, Buddha Mopa, the last of the thousand buddhas of the Fortunate Eon, will appear. The lifespan of this buddha, whose name means Infinite Aspiration, will equal the lives of all the previous nine hundred and ninety-nine buddhas. His activities to benefit beings will likewise equal the activities of all previous buddhas combined. Following his appearance, the universe will begin undergoing destruction. The period of destruction will be the same as the duration of the eon of remaining.

Thus, the increase and decline of eons renders them also impermanent. Sometimes the universe is forming; sometimes undergoing destruction. Sometimes full, it is also sometimes empty.