In Senchu Murano’s translation of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddhas says in Chapter 2, Expedients: “Śāriputra! The Buddhas appear in the evil worlds in which there are the five defilements. 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.” In Master Hsuan Hua’s translation these defilements are called turbidities.

Śāriputra, all Buddhas appear in the troubled world of the five turbidities: namely, the turbidity of the kalpa, the turbidity of afflictions, the turbidity of living beings, the turbidity of views, and the turbidity of life spans. In order to universally save living beings, all Buddhas of the ten directions may appear in the world that is turbid and troubled in five ways. The five turbidities are:

1.  The turbidity of the kalpa. What is meant by kalpa? Kalpa means time. There is no such thing as time. The past, present, and future are perceived only because living beings discriminate. Thus, the kalpa comes into being. Kalpa is a Sanskrit word translated as “measure of time.” In what way is time a turbidity? Time is made turbid by the offenses of living beings.
2. The turbidity of afflictions. This refers to the five dull afflictions – greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and doubt – mentioned in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra. These five primary afflictions are the roots from which all other afflictions are derived. In addition to the five dull afflictions, there are also five sharp afflictions, which make up the turbidity of views discussed below. These sharp afflictions arise much faster than the dull afflictions.
3. The turbidity of living beings refers to living beings’ various good and bad causes, resulting in various good and bad karmic results. Each person has created negative karma; therefore, all living beings are sullied.
4. The turbidity of views refers to the five sharp afflictions: views of individual identity, extreme views (concerning annihilationism and externalism), erroneous views regarding moral practices and austerities, views of attachment to personal views, and wrong views. These views are also turbid.
5. The turbidity of life spans. Living beings are allotted a certain amount of time in any given life span to play out their karmic consequences. Therefore, life is itself turbid.

What is “turbidity”? Let me give you an example. When you stir water that has some mud in it, the water becomes murky and unclear; this water is described as turbid. Similarly, these five turbidities taint our world. That is why it is known as the troubled world of the five turbidities.