Home
Preface
5 Planes of Existence
Introduction
Five Planes of Manifestation
A to Z
Related Information
BIBLE VERSES
|
NIDĀNAS, TWELVE
A symbol of the twelve divisions, or departments,
of the Cycle of Life; the same as the Zodiac.
"Out of this ignorance (Avijja), as out of some sort of counterpart
of the primordial cell, the Buddha has his Buddha-world issue in
twelve distinct stages; the twelve Nidānas, as they are called,
whereof the final phase of development, the bloom of sorrow, takes
shape as old age, disease, death, misery and distress, grief and
despair." - DAHLKE, Buddhist Essays, p. 34.
The cycle of life commences on the lower planes as a world-germ
developing from the homogeneous protoplasm of matter which implies
ignorance of all else, and passing on to greater and greater
heterogeneity as the qualities and forms appear. This world-process
occupies twelve stages,-six of Involution, and six of Evolution. At
the close of the final stage the soul is perfected, while the death
and distress in the process are of the personality as it casts off
the last vestiges of the lower nature:-the cry of despair being, "My
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
|
See Also
|