Thank you triple Gem Student !
It is my pleasure too.
“we spend 9 months on a good vacation while the remaining 3 months is tortured in the apaya’s?”
Indeed so – just because I may not remember reading it does not mean that statement is not correct. On the contrary, going into it further(as we are doing here) indicates it IS correct, just as you have pointed out as well.
“– I’m just wondering . . .approximately how many years is an antakkappa? 20 billion?”
“These original suddhāṭṭhaka have lifetimes of close to 20 antakkappa (or antarākappa in Sinhala), where 80 such antakkappa are in a mahā kappa.” See the post:(/abhidhamma/the-origin-of-matter-suddhatthaka/) # 8
Going by this alone, since 80 anantakappa make a maha kappa, then 20 anatakappa correspond exactly to the length of any of the four phases of : duration process of destruction, state of destruction (non- manifestation), and reformation. AND – this was written in November 2015 and revised as late as February 2020, well before Zapper brought up the matter that 10 billion years (by previous estimates) for any of the 4 phases cannot be correct. Therefore, it would indeed appear that one anantakappa corresponds to twenty billion years. I now hope I have got this right myself!!
I am delighted that you make mention of the importance of gratitude. Not many seem to do so; at least not as far as giving open expression to it goes. Without first becoming acquainted with a ‘Noble Friend’it is impossible to get a glimpse of the Path, let alone get on It. Without this compassion of the Noble Ones we would roam on and on in sansara, enmeshed in delusion and the resultant suffering. Hence, no amount of even expressing this Gratitude can do justice, can adequately recompense, that which we have been given. Best we can do is to share merits with Them; as with all other beings too – we do not know how many have helped us in the beginningless past, even if in the moral sense alone, which is a prerequisite to get to the stage where one becomes able to comprehend the Dhamma. Being ever conscious of all this in turn brings merits to ourselves. But that must not be the motive. Let that not be the motive. In fact, it CANNOT be the motive if that gratitude is deep and sincere.
However, most associations we have had have been with those who have hindered us, with the ‘wordly’ people. Even now. Towards these we must have compassion instead, having once realized for ourselves the amount of suffering in store for ordinary beings.
Lastly, it would be more beneficial to you and to everyone else, if you get answers from other readers as well.
with Metta