Reasons for Depopulation

‘Master Gotama, I have heard older Brāhmins who are aged, burdened with years, Teachers of Teachers, saying: ‘In the past this world was so thickly populated one would think there was no space between people. The villages, towns, and capital cities were so close that roosters could fly between them.’ Why is it, Master Gotama, that at present the number of people has declined, depopulation is seen, and villages, towns, cities, and districts have vanished?’

At present, Brāhmin, people are excited by unwholesome lust, overcome by unrighteous greed, affected by wrong harmful teachings. As a result, they take up weapons and slay one another. Hence many people die.

This is a reason why at present the number of people has declined, depopulation is seen, and villages, towns, cities, and districts have vanished.

Again, at present people are excited by unwholesome lust, overcome by unrighteous greed, affected by wrong harmful teachings. When this happens, sufficient rain does not fall. As a result, there is a famine, a scarcity of grain; the crops become spoiled and turn to straw. Hence many people die.

This is another reason why at present the number of people has declined, depopulation is seen, and villages, towns, cities, and districts have vanished.

Again, at present people are excited by unwholesome lust, overcome by unrighteous greed, affected by wrong harmful teachings. When this happens, the Yakkhas (indigenous ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent) release wild spirits. Hence many people die.

This is yet another reason why at present the number of people has declined, depopulation is seen, and villages, towns, cities, and districts have vanished.

(Reference: AN 3.56)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares the reasons why depopulation occurred.

He explains that due to unwholesome lust, unrighteous greed, and wrong harmful teachings that:

1. People take up weapons and slay one another. Hence many people die.

   
   

2. Sufficient rain does not fall. As a result, there is a famine, a scarcity of grain; the crops become spoiled and turn to straw. Hence many people die.

   
   

3. The Yakkhas (indigenous ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent) release wild spirits. Hence many people die.

During Gotama Buddha’s lifetime in the region of the world he lived, modern day Nepal and Northeastern India, there were several communities of roaming Ascetics that continued to share what they felt were the teachings that lead to Enlightenment. There were different communities that felt they had discovered The Teachings that lead to Enlightenment. So, there were many competing views and opinions of what Enlightenment is, The Teachings to attain Enlightenment, and the methods of training that would produce Enlightenment.

There were competing communities of Ascetics with a Master Teacher all claiming it was their teachings that would produce Enlightenment. Various members of these communities would listen to talks on the teachings and applied various amounts of effort to implementing the teachings into their daily life.

Due to the environment of competing views and opinions, along with there being no way to confirm for others that Gotama Buddha was indeed a Buddha, various Teachers shared their teachings throughout the community.

Gotama Buddha refers to these as “wrong harmful teachings”.