The Cosmic Wheel of Time


Jain belief states the universe is eternal and so is time; there is no beginning or end. The Jains believe in a cosmic time wheel that never stops rotating.  There are two half rotations—an ascending time cycle and a descending cycle. Within the half cycles, there are further divisions of time. The ascending cycle ushers in prosperity and happiness and increasing time scales. The opposite is true for the descending time cycle. Sorrow, misery, and immorality are hallmarks of this cycle of time. As the wheel descends, the time cycles decrease in their duration. People and animals were much larger in the first four divisions of the descending cycle and the last four divisions of the ascending cycle. As sorrow and misery increased, living things became smaller; their lifespans also markedly decreased. Jain giants correspond to the Cosmic Wheel of time.

During the time of utmost happiness and prosperity—a time which lasts for an inconceivable duration—people live three palyopamas. One Palyopama = The time required to empty a well that is sixty-four cubic Gau (512 cubic miles) filled with hairs of a seven-day-old newly born baby and one hair is removed every 100 years. People in the happiest age reached heights of six miles. The Jain giants are an unthinkable size during this time!

As the wheel of time descends, the duration of the next age is 100 trillion sāgaropamas less than the previous age. People lose one palyopama year from their life expectancy and reach a height of four miles. In the next cycle, people live one palyopama; their height reaches two miles.

Our age, set to last 21,000 years, people experience much misery and sorry with very little happiness. Immorality runs rampant and its toll can be measured in our height and lifespan—about six feet give or take and a maximum lifespan of 120 years. The next period of time will also last 21,000 years. It will be a time without happiness at all and extreme misery. Life expectancies will max out at about 20 years and the height of people will only reach about two feet. Fortunately, though, when this period ends the half cycle will be complete; the cycle of time will then begin to ascend with brighter days ahead.

There are parallels with other belief systems that we can draw from to get a bigger picture:

In the Bible, lifespans before the Flood averaged about 900 years. There were also giants on the earth, a leading reason for the flood. Noah reached 950 years of age. Shem, Noah’s son lived to be 600. Arphaxad, son of Shem, lived to be 438. His grandson, Eber, lived to be 464. But his son Peleg died at age 239. Peleg’s great, great grandson Terah lived to be 205. His son, Abraham, died at 175. Moses, several generations later, died at 120.

The same holds true for the antediluvian rulers recounted in the Sumerian King list. Before the Flood, the longest reign was 43,000 years and the shortest 18,600. After the flood, the first dynasty in Kish the longest reign 1,400 years, shortest 140. And it continues the decrease with different dynasties.

In Hesiod’s Ages of Man, during the Golden Age people lived great ages in comfort while in the Iron Age babies are born with gray hair and life is miserable.

Vine Deloria, Jr., the late Native American author and activist wrote of giant legends and also mentioned tribal elders who spoke of a time when people lived 200 years.

These are but a few examples which link giants and extreme longevity across cultures. 



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