Why is human population increasing? Better kamma?

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Human population is increasing whether we like it or not and might even hit 10bn in the next few decades. But why is this happening according to a Buddhist's perspective?

Since life expectancy on average is falling (famine, wars, etc.), the needed Karma need to gain human birth is falling.

Some that I know that don't believe in kamma use this as a counter example saying that if people are becoming more sinful they ask how come the population is increasing.

When humans become sinful the criteria to become human falls and life expectancy falls and life in the human realm becomes hellish with more conflicts.

While I have my own understanding (devas being born back among humans, kamma alone doesn't determine the next birth "cuti sitha" does) I would like your expert opinion this.

Cuti sitha is determined by Karma.

Upvote:1

here's an interesting perspective on this from the Pali Canon, which implies that it's rather when human morals are high that the population is growing, not the other way round

superstitious quite a bit

Depopulation

Then a certain affluent brahmin approached the Blessed One … and said to him:

“Master Gotama, I have heard older brahmins 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 c**ks 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?”

(1) “At present, brahmin, people are excited by illicit lust, overcome by unrighteous greed, afflicted by wrong Dhamma. 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.

(2) “Again, at present people are excited by illicit lust, overcome by unrighteous greed, afflicted by wrong Dhamma. When this happens, sufficient rain does not fall. As a result, there is a famine, a scarcity of grain; the crops become blighted 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.

(3) “Again, at present people are excited by illicit lust, overcome by unrighteous greed, afflicted by wrong Dhamma. When this happens, the yakkhas 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.”

“Excellent, Master Gotama! … Let Master Gotama consider me a lay follower who from today has gone for refuge for life.”

Paloka sutta (AN 3.56)

Upvote:3

Here is not an expert opinion: which is that I don't know why you expect that the total number of sentient beings is finite, countable, and constant.

The perspective in the OP seems to be that the total number is constant, and is asking, "If the number of humans is increasing, then where (which realms) are they (pre-existing beings) coming from and why?"

It has a view of, "this used to be (countably) one old sentient being, and that (same) being is now being reborn as (countably) one new sentient being" ... it has a view that, the type of being and/or realm might change (hell, animal, human, deva), but the total number of beings must be constant.

I don't see why you'd expect that view to be true, though: it seems to me an atman (self/soul) view, not an anatman view.

So far as I know a more anatman view might be look "there's no person now" (there are are just skandhas, an assemblage of parts, c.f. the parable of the Milinda's chariot), "the number of sentient beings isn't countable" (except perhaps to the Buddha), and fabricated things are inconstant.

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