Religious cosmology

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See: Cosmology (disambiguation).

Religious cosmologies are ways of explaining the history and evolution of the universe based, at least in part, on the acceptance of principles that cannot or need not be justified on the basis of accepted scientific arguments (See also: physical cosmology). Most frequently, such theories begin by positing the existence of a god (or gods) who created and/or maintain(s) the universe. Some religious cosmologies have their basis in the teachings of particular religions or religious texts, whereas others are more general reactions to the perceived difficulties in explaining the entire universe without the actions of a planning / coordinating intelligence.

Although religious cosmologies have been under attack from rationalistic science, they are now commonly accepted as epistemologically valid ways of thinking. The main reason for this change is the belief that science itself strongly depends on assumptions that derive from our worldview or religious convictions.

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Buddhist Cosmology

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Hindu Cosmology

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According to the Rig Veda the origin of the cosmos could not be known:

Neither being (sat) nor non-being was as yet. What was concealed? And where? And in whose protection?…Who really knows? Who can declare it? Whence was it born, and whence came this creation? The devas were born later than this world's creation, so who knows from where it came into existence? None can know from where creation has arisen, and whether he has or has not produced it. He who surveys it in the highest heavens, he alone knows-or perhaps does not know. (Rig Veda 10. 129)

The later puranic view asserts that the universe is created, destroyed, and re-created in an eternally repetitive series of cycles. In Hindu cosmology a universe endures for about 4,320,000,000 years (one day of Brahma or kalpa) and is then destroyed by fire or water elements. At his point, Brahma rests for one night, just as long as the day. This process, named pralaya, repeats for such 100 years (or 311 trillion human years, period that represents Brahma's lifespan. We are currently in the 51st year of the present Brahma and so about 155 trillion years have elapsed since He took over as Brahma.

The current Kali Yuga (Iron Age) began at midnight 17 February / 18 February in 3102 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar.

After Brahma's "death", it is necessary that another 100 of his years pass until he is reborn and the whole creation begins anew. This process is repeated again and again, forever.

Brahma's life is divided in one thousand cycles (Maha Yuga, or the Great Year). Maha Yuga, during which the life, including the human race appears and then disappears, has 71 divisions, each made of 14 Manvantara (1000) years. Each Maha Yuga lasts for 4,320,000 years. Manvantara is Manu's cycle, the one who gives birth and govern human race.

Each Maha Yuga consists of a series of four shorter yugas, or ages. The yugas get progressively worse from a moral point of view as one proceeds from one yuga to another. As a result each yuga is of shorter duration than the age that preceded it.

Jain Cosmology

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According to Jain beliefs, the universe was never created, nor will it ever cease to exist. It is eternal but not unchangeable, because it passes through an endless series of cycles. Each of these upward or downward cycles is divided into six world ages (yugas). The present world age is the fifth age of one of these "cycles", which is in a downward movement. These ages are known as "Aaro" as in "Pehelo Aaro" or First Age, "Beejo Aaro" or Second Age and so on. The last one is the "Chhatho Aaro" or Sixth Age. All these ages have fixed time durations of thousands of years.

When this reaches its lowest level, even Jainism itself will be lost in its entirety. Then, in the course of the next upswing, the Jain religion will be rediscovered and reintroduced by new leaders called Tirthankaras (literally "Crossing Makers" or "Ford Finders"), only to be lost again at the end of the next downswing, and so on.

In Jain thought, the shape of the inhabited universe has been described as that of the figure 8 or a man standing akimbo. The dimension from the top to bottom has been described as 14 Rajjus. (One Rajju is the distance covered by a deva flying for six months at the rate of 2,057,152 Yojans in a quarter second.) At the top and at the middle point it is 1 Rajju wide but the width of the bulges varies from 5 to 8 Rajjus. Thus the distance between the two ends of the middle world is approximately 5.2 billion light years.

See also

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