Speaking of a kalpa, suppose there is a huge blue agate, an 80,000 ri cube, which does not erode even if it were filed for aeons. Suppose an angel descends once in three years to caress it with her extremely beautiful and light robe. The length of time required for the angel to wear out the blue agate is referred to as a kalpa.

Matsuno-dono Goshōsoku, Letter to Lord Matsuno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Page 66

Today the wife and I helped out at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church for the annual year-end cleaning. Rev. Igarashi and his son clean the altar. Other church members mop the church floor. My job is always polishing the brasswork.

I was laughing with the wife today about how her enthusiastic polishing would greatly accelerate the definition of a kalpa. Imagine if every three years that angel buffed the 80,000 ri cube the way she was rubbing that brass vase. Then it occurred to me that this was an example of the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings’ fifth unimaginable power for beneficial effect – “abbreviating one hundred kalpas into one day—thereby inspiring other living beings to become joyful and trusting.”