As we approach the world’s end on Friday according to an old Mayan calendar, we should take heart from another still older calendar contained in ancient Indian poems called the Shrimad Bhagvatam and Puranas.
According to calculations stated in them, the current world ends after 4.32 billion human years but only temporarily. It is covered by a special kind of milky liquid and everything falls into hibernation for that same length of time – 4.32 billion years. It then reappears through a process of “waking up” and evolution and stays active for another 4.32 billion years. It continues through cycles of being awake and “asleep” for 311,040 trillion years.
In each of the “awake” cycles there are 14 eras with specific characteristics. Some bloom with green, some are thoroughly arid with fiery heat and some are frozen solid with ice. In some, humans are just 36 inches tall and live for 20 years, foraging like primitive animals. In some, they are splendidly advanced creatures 11 feet tall and live for 400 years. In others, they never see sorrow, disease or poverty and live 11,000 years. And there is everything in-between.
The solar system of the earth continues for 155,521972 trillion years. So far, the solar system has disappeared and renewed 18,000 times, and is about half way through its life. It will appear and disappear another 18,000 times. Then everything will disappear for 155,521972 trillion years, only to reappear and start a new series of cycles.
And this goes on and on. We appear and disappear but we never end. The periods of appearance and disappearance are equal. But nothing is ever destroyed. We hibernate in seed form and sprout again!
Those of us hoping to throw in the towel and celebrate doomsday are out of luck. It never really happens. We never really end. We just reappear without knowing that we have been there before. So keep on moving forward. Don’t empty the bank account or sell the house just yet!