I respect venerable thero's extensive knowledge in both Buddhism as well as in science. Very interesting programme. I learnt many things and about an alternative explanation which is very rational I would also like to see the evidence of ancient humans in next programmes. I also personally do not believe that evolution happened from apes and there must have been some unknown , complex thing that is still not known to us. As per the Buddhist Sutras a length of Kalpa is so long that it cannot be given in numbers. There have been several antarkalpa vinashas but when they happen the populations decline and the life spans become shorter. When they are over the the survivors repopulate the earth and the life spans increase. But kapla winasa happens destroying everything and everybody up to Akassara brahmaloka gets destroyed. I have read in sapta suryodgamana sutra that seven suns appear and the entire earth gets destroyed. As per the modern science Ice age has begun 2.4 million years ago and lasted until 11,500 years. So I have two questions, 1. If the entire earth gets destroyed and the other heavens up to Akassara brahma loka, how can any other creatures (other than humans) survive? They would have no food supply and the heat would destroy them all. So I really doubt the explanation that other animals survive while humans arrive from Brahma loka on each destruction of kalpa. So when you say other creatures must have survived what kind of creatures was meant. Please explain for our information 2. The venerable thero also mentioned that the ice age happened and humans originated from the brahmas arriving from Akassara brahma loka towards the end of of Ice age ( because what they tasted was a fungus, which should appear towards the end). But if this statement is be taken as true, then the few antarkalpa vinashas have to happen in very short gaps (in few thousands of years) and all four previous Lord Buddhas have to appear in short gaps when the time is concerned. Therefore at what time period do you believe that they arrived from Brahma loka, because if they arrived more recently that means the span of the kalpa is short. I would really appreciate it if the two questions can be answered. I apologize for not showing my references due to lack of time. Ideally I should give my references I believe that Kalpa is so long as in the Sutras and the kalpa vinasha deals with the times of origins of earth rather than more recent ice age. I also wonder if the humans and apes had separate family lines how were the genetics were similar. Hope this will be also answered next time Instead is it possible that the arrival of brahmas have happened at the beginning of earth/ beginning of ice age and other creature have originated from what ever the life was left on earth (maybe single celled ones , viruses or even amino acids) , after the previous destruction. But it is a very informative programme and I hope there will be more and more episodes like this in the future.
