An Analytical Study of Āyu and Causes Leading to Its Deterioration and Prosperity in Buddhist Scriptures

Abstract

Āyu in Buddhist scripture has an especially meaning in “lifespan” or “duration of life”.
The causes leading to the deterioration of āyu are ten unwholesome originate from the tree
roots of evil which are greed hatred and delusion leads to doing bad deeds in physical, verbal
and mental that causes misery, moreover it can affect mind diseases and lead to the physical
diseases the causes of the deterioration of āyu and in contrary the prosperity as a result of
ten unwholesome originate from non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion, leads to longevity,
healthy, cheerful and powerful. These causes are work together with the mechanism and the
relation of the law of kamma. A clear understanding of the prosperity and the deterioration
of āyu will help us to avoid bad deeds and strive to do good deeds to get the highest benefit
from long life in the world and be beneficial to fulfill the supreme human goal to extremely
accumulate of the merits to reach the purity of mind to follow the footsteps of Buddha.