From Buddhism: Destruction

According to the Buddha’s explanation of existence, the concept of ‘being’ does not imply an unchanging entity but only a ceaseless process of becoming, nevertheless with the distinct identity of each retained. In this process everything is a product of antecedent conditions, these conditions themselves being merely the antecedent aspects the same incessant process. Thus origination and destruction are inevitable characteristics of all phenomena. Everything in the world is conditionally produced and the destruction of everything thus produced is inevitable.

This great truth of nature is found classically expressed in the well-known formula: “all conditioned things are impermanent: origin and dissolution is their very nature”.

In this Pali phrase the two terms uppada and vaya express this idea of origin and destruction that is continuously taking place in the world. There is nothing in the world that is exempt from this law of destruction. This destruction is said to be the culminating point in impermancence. This idea is expressed in the phrase “whatever is subject to the law of origination is also subject to the law of destruction”.

Time is the medium in which this destruction and origination takes place. When considered in this light every so-called existence turns out to be a becoming in time. Nothing remains the same for two consecutive moments. Thus it leads to a theory of universal momentariness, wherein the cause of destruction becomes nothing but origination itself.

This destructive nature of time is found expressed in this verse where it is said: “Time consumes all beings along with itself. And he who has become a time-devourer has burnt up that which consumes beings”.

This idea is further developed in the Abhidhamma to mean that entities disappear as soon as they appear. This concept of the momentary destruction of formations convert the universe into a kind of cinema, making existence a series of moments whose difference the ordinary human eye is not able to notice. This type of apparent permanence is sometimes designated as moments of duration in the three-fold process of origination, moment of duration and destruction.

Successive moments following one another evoke the illusion of stability and persistence. The dynamic concept of existence is the essence of reality as taught in Buddhism.

In contrast to this concept of momentary destruction, which, owing to its philosophic nature, could be called abstract, is the concrete kind of destruction of physical objects as exemplified by the breaking up of a pot by the stroke of a hammer. Such breaking up of the pot as well as its creation out of a lump of clay itself could also be described as outstanding moments in this dynamic process. In this case the incessant process of change has been expedited by some external cause. The breaking up of the pot only brought to the fore the destructible nature inherent in matter. Destruction of life has also to be similarly explained.

The ethical idea of the destruction of defilements is a very important concept in Buddhism. It is the doctrine on which the entire Buddhist practice is based. Destruction of the causes of rebirth, which is tantamount to the destruction of all suffering, is the duty of every individual. All spiritual exertion understood by terms such padhana and samma-viriya is always aimed at the destruction of defilements.

As an extension of the general law of destruction inherent in all phenomena this universe is also said to be periodically destroyed by water, fire and air and then re-evolved. According to this theory, a great period of cosmical evolution is to be divided into four incalculables which are (i) period of devolution, (ii) of duration of devolution, when the world remain devolved, (iii) of evolution, (iv) of evolution, when the world remains evolved. Here too, we may observe that in keeping with the dynamic nature of phenomena the world is changing continuously and these four stages are the special occasions in the process.