Remembering all Details of a 1000 Universal Cycles!
Once when the Venerable Anuruddha was dwelling at Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapindika's Park, a number of Bhikkhus went to the Venerable Anuruddha and exchanged polite greetings with him. Then they sat down and asked the Ven. Anuruddha: Venerable Sir: What has the Venerable Anuruddha developed and cultivated so that he has attained to his famous greatness of direct knowledge? He answered: It is, friends, because I have developed and cultivated these four Foundations of Awareness that I have won great direct knowledge. What four? Here, friends, I dwell constantly contemplating upon: 1: The body only as a frame of transient form, neither as I, me, mine, nor a self... 2: The feelings only as passing sense reactions, neither as I, me, mine, nor a self... 3: The mind only as habitual & transient moods, neither as I, me, mine, nor any self... 4: All phenomena only as momentary mental states, not as any real static existents... while eager, clearly comprehending, and acutely aware, by that removing all desire and therefore also all frustration rooted in this world! It is thus, friends, because I have developed and cultivated these Four Foundations of Awareness, that I have attained to greatness of direct knowledge. Furthermore, friends, it is indeed, because I have developed and completely refined these 4 Foundations of Awareness, that I clearly & easily can remember all the historical details of a Thousand Aeons... !!!
Comments: In Buddhist cosmology an Aeon(kappa) means a universal cycle, where space first expands, then stands almost still, then contracts and lastly implodes usually caused by extreme heat. This is said to happen, when 7 suns, due to the contraction of space, have come so close, that they can be seen from earth. All the oceans will have evaporated, when 5 suns can be seen! It is worth noting that this non-steady-state model of the universe described in detail by the Buddha ~ 2500 years ago, first was "rediscovered" in the 1920ties as the Big Bang theory...
