The Fractured Time: Cosmology and Temporal Dimensions in Buddhist Thought

This article examines the Buddhist concept of time (kāla) within the framework of cosmology and Abhidhamma philosophy. It focuses on the comparative understanding of celestial and human time where one day in the heavenly realms may equal decades or even millennia on Earth based on canonical sources describing the transformation of the universe (Lokadhātussa vipariṇāmo). By analyzing temporal structures such as kappa (aeon), mahākappa (great aeon), and asaṅkheyya-kappa (innumerable aeon), as well as the lifespan of deities in realms like Cātummahārājika (where one day equals fifty human years), the study reveals the Buddhist view of time as cyclical, relative and psychophysical rather than linear. Time in Buddhism is thus portrayed as an expression of karmic states and consciousness rather than a uniform flow, bridging cosmology, psychology and spiritual insight.