Fwd: Re: [Triplegem] Re: Duration of sasana

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The Coming Buddha, Ariya Metteyya
Research Papers by Sayagyi U Chit Tin

The Duration of the Sasana of Buddha Gotama
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahatto Sammasambuddhassa



During the period from the time of Buddha Gotama to the minimum life
span,
the Buddha's Dispensation (Buddha-sasana) will disappear. When the
Buddha
agreed to create the Bhikkhuni Sangha, he told Ven. Ananda that the
Sasana
would last only half as long because of this. Instead of lasting one
thousand years, it would last five hundred years. The commentary on
the
Abhidhamma text, Dhammasangani, says that when the First Buddhist
Council
convened by Ven. Maha-Kassapa rehearsed the Pali Canon, this made it
possible for the Sasana to endure for five thousand years.[48]

The commentaries on the Vinaya Pitaka[49] and the Anguttara-nikaya
[50] say
that the eight important rules which the Buddha gave to the Bhikkhuni
Sangha
will make his Teachings last for five thousand years rather than five
hundred. There will be one thousand years for Arahats who attain
analytical
insight, one thousand years for Arahats without those attainments, one
thousand years for Non-returners, one thousand years for Once-
returners, and
one thousand years for Stream-winners. After these five thousand
years of
penetration of the true Doctrine (pativedha-sadhamma),[51] the
accomplishment in the texts (pariyatti-dhamma) will remain. After the
accomplishment in the texts disappears, the signs (linga) will
continue for
a long time.

In the commentary to the Theragatha[52] the Sasana is said to consist
of
five periods: (1) the age of deliverance (vimutti-yuga), (2) the age
of
concentration (samadhi-yuga), (3) the age of morality (sila-yuga),
(4) the
age of learning [the texts] (suta-yuga), and (5) the age of generosity
(dana-yuga). Ven. Dhammapala says, conerning the disappearance of
learning,
"In a region where there is no purity of morality, accomplishment (in
the
texts) remains through taking up great learning, through the desire to
acquire, etc. But when accomplishment in the summary [i.e., the
Patimokkha]
is completley ended, it disappears. From that time on, only the mere
sign
(linga) remains. Then, having accumu- lated riches in various ways,
they
give away gifts (dana); this, truly, is the last right practice.
Then, [the
period starting] after the disappearance of learning is the last time
(pacchima-kala). Others say that it is from the time of the
disappearance of
morality." According to the tradition in Burma, the Sasana will last
five
thousand years. The five periods will occur twice. The first half of
the
Sasana has just passed, with each of the five periods lasting five
hundred
years. We are now in the second half, when these periods will be
repeated,
each lasting for another five hundred years.

In the Anagatavamsa commentary, the Buddha is said to preface the
account of
the future Buddha Ariya Metteyya by saying his own dispensation will
disappear in five stages: (1) the disappearance of analytical insight
(patisambhida), (2) the disappearance of the Paths and Fruition
States, (3)
the disappearance of the practice (patipatti), (4) the disappearance
of the
texts (pariyatti), and (5) the disappearance of the Sangha.

Other commentaries also speak in terms of five stages of disappearance
(antaradhana) of the Sasana:[53] (1) First, there will be the
disappearance
of attainment (adhigama), which would correspond to the age of
deliverance.
(2) The second disappearance is of the practice (patipatti), which
corresponds to the ages of concentration and morality. (3) The
disappearance
of accomplishment in the texts (pariyatti) is third and corresponds
to the
age of learning. (4) The fourth disappearance is of the signs (linga).
During this period, the only good action left is making gifts to
those who
wear a yellow strip of cloth around their necks, so this would
correspond to
the age of generosity. When this disappearance occurs, five thousand
years
will have passed.[54] After this period there occurs (5) the
disappearance
of the relics (dhatu). When the relics no longer receive honour, they
will
assemble at the seat where the Buddha attained Awakening under the
Great
Bodhi tree. There, they will make an effigy of the Buddha and perform
a
marvel similar to the Twin Marvel and will teach the Doctrine. No
human
being will be present, only Devas from the ten thousand world systems
will
listen, and many of them will attain release. After that, the relics
will be
burned up without remainder.[55]



FOOTNOTES:


48. As 27, see Expos. 35.
49. Sp 1291.
50. Mp IV 136f.
51. Ven. Ledi Sayadaw (MB 169) calls these five thousand years the
age of
Ariyas (Noble Ones).
52. Th-a III 89.
53. ] See the commentary on A (Mp I 87), Moh 201-203, and the extract
from
the Anag commentary (JPTS, 1886, pp. 33-36; translated in BT 481-486).
54. The number of years are mentioned only in the Anag commentary.
55. Some texts speak of three disappearances. See CPD under
antaradhana for
references.
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