"As a result, the three calamities* in time appear in the world, and the region within the four seas is most likely to be beset by the seven disasters**. At that time living beings for the first time learn the meaning of suffering and joy." - Nichiren
*The three lesser calamities are warfare, pestilence (malaria, coronavirus, locusts in Africa), and famine: Anger leads to war: Stupidity leads to pestilence: and Avarice leads to famine.
The three greater calamities are fire (Australia, California), water (floods, tsunamis), and wind (typhoons, hurricanes, cyclones).
** In the Benevolent King Sutra, the seven disasters are: Extraordinary changes of the sun and moon, for example, eclipses, water on the moon, sun flares, and spots; extraordinary changes of the stars and planets, for example, betalgeuse soon to become a supernova and global warming; fires; unseasonable floods, as in Tennessee and Mississippi; storms, as in the UK and Japan; drought, leading to deserts; war, including enemy attacks from without (Middle East) and rebellion from within (USA).
The Medicine Master Sutra defines the seven disasters as pestilence; foreign invasion; internal strife; extraordinary changes in the heavens; solar and lunar eclipses; unseasonable storms; and drought.
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