The end of the world as we know it?

According to some readings of the Mayan calendar, the world will end on Friday, Dec 21. China Daily canvassed the views of a popular Buddhist monk, a student who invented a clock that tells people how much longer they have to live, an astrologer, a best-selling science fiction writer, and an entrepreneur.

Master Yancan is the abbot of Shuiyue Temple in Cangzhou, Hebei province, and also vice-chairman of the provincial Buddhist Association. Renowned for his easygoing personality and lively sense of humor, the abbot has more than 4 million followers on Sina Weibo.

A1: There is no such concept as Doomsday in Buddhism. This is a word from Western culture. I see it (Chinese people talking about it) as a result of East meeting West, and some people are confused by that idea. Personally, I don't see any sign of doomsday approaching; it's just a joke the Mayans left us. People have never thought the Mayans were humorous. However, they were good at black humor and that humor has frightened a lot of people.