Hindu and Buddhist End of World Beliefs

Hindu End Of World Beliefs

Hindus believe that the world and its population goes through four reiterating cycles. These are the Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. We are currently in the Kali Yuga, which is characterized by a general deficiency of virtue.

At the end of this epoch, Kali will judge everybody. The wicked will be destroyed, the righteous will be saved and a new Satya Yuga will start.

The Satya Yuga is the new Golden Age, or the Age of Truth, the start of the new cycle when people are nearest to God. It is said that people live for 4,000 years in this period. In the Treta Yuga, people begin to move away from God and even more so in Dvapara Yuga, by which time human lifespan has dropped to 1,000 years.

Then Kali Yuga starts again, cleansing the planet and its people. Progression through the four Yugas is characterized by rising depravity, sickness, hunger, war and a decreasing lifespan.

It is said that every Yuga lasts for different spans of time. So, the Satya Yuga lasts 1,728,000 human years (4,800 God years); the Treta Yuga lasts 1,296,000 human years (3,600 God years); the Dvapara Yuga last 864,000 human years (2,400 God years and the Kali Yuga 432,000 human years (1,800 God years).- a God year being equal to 360 human years.

The degeneration is gradual, each phase melting into the following worse one, except, obviously, the giant leap from the end of the Kali Yuga to the beginning of the new Satya Yuga. Every 1,000 cycles the Earth is destroyed too at the end of the last Kali cycle and a new one is formed.

Buddhist End Of World Beliefs

Buddhists believe in a cycle of creation and destruction on personal, global and universal scales Everything but God is transient and so God is the sole thing worth seeking. Buddha predicted that the Earth would end in the following way.

First, the Earth would suffer a severe drought due to deficiency of rain. All forms of life will vanish.

Secondly, a second sun will appear on the horizon and the heat will evaporate many streams and lakes

Thirdly, a third sun will come and even great rivers like the Ganges will dry up.

Fourthly, after a long lapse of time, a fourth sun will show up and the great lakes will evaporate as well.

Fifthly, after another long period of time, a fifth sun will appear and even the oceans will dry up until they are merely a finger deep,

Then after a further long interval of time, a sixth sun will appear causing such temperatures that the Earth will break out in volcanic eruptions.

Finally a seventh sun will show up and the Earth will boil and melt and explode and vanish altogether.

The only method to get off this planet before the drought is to follow the Eightfold Path, leave the cycle of rebirth and death and join with the Godhead.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now involved with non-religious beliefs. If you want to know more go to What is Religious Belief?