The worlds are defiled by the decay of the kalpa, by illusions, by the deterioration of the living beings, by wrong views, and by the shortening of lives.

Beings in the earlier generations were of a natural disposition, clean and void, and their bondages (lei) were minimal and thin. Compared with them, the contemporary generation can be characterized only as “defiled.” Kalpa refers to time. Being in this evil state, beings sometimes encounter armed soldiers and sometimes face the scarcity of grains, diseases, or epidemics.

[Beings] being entangled with various delusions, how can the Tao be stimulated to arise [in them]?

[Deterioration] refers to the evil (or sufferings?) arising from the full-orbed activities of the aggregates (skandhas), five in total.

The five false views are in opposition to the true and are in conflict with li. Hence, they are listed separately.

The false [views] and life get intertwined, keeping (beings) from encountering the Path (Tao). How could this not be defilement?