One day when the Buddha Gotama was residing in the banyan grove in Kapilavatthu, Venerable Sariputta approached Him
and asked the Blessed One about the next Buddha. Venerable Sariputta said:
"The hero that shall follow you
As Buddha, of what sort is He?
The account in full, I fain would learn
Declare to me, thou Seeing One."
The Buddha then declared:
"...Our cycle is a happy one
Three leaders (Buddhas) have already lived
Kakusandha, Konagamana and the leader Kassapa.
The Buddha now supreme am I
But after me Metteyya comes
While still this happy cycle lasts..."
(Sasana Year 5,000 - See Anagata-Vamsa Desana)
The Buddha then continued, telling Venerable Sariputta how these events would occur. He said,
"After my decease first will be the decline and ending of my teachings. This will happen in five stages as follows:
1. The disappearance of the attainments
2. The disappearance of the method
3. The disappearance of the learning
4. The disappearance of the symbols
5. The disappearance of the relics."
The Buddha said that after His parinibbaana, only for 1,000 years will the monks be able to acquire the analytical knowledge (Patisambhida), or what we know as
Arahanthship or deep knowledge. Then, as time goes on, they will only be able to attain Anaagami (Never return). And then only Sakadagami (Once return), and finally,
only Sotapanna (Stream enterer). With the death of the last disciple who has attained Sotapanna, the attainments will disappear.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE METHOD
The Buddha then said that His disciples, unable to realize the mental absorptions, the insights, the paths and the fruits, will keep only the four purities of conduct
(Catu-paarisuddhi sila).
1. Restraint with regard to the disciplinary code for monks (paatimokka-samvara-sila)
2. Restraint of the senses (Indriya-samvara-sila)
3. Purity with regard to one's livelihood (Aajiva-paarisuddhi-sila)
4. Morality with regard to the four requisites (Paccaya-sannissita-sila)
Then, as time goes on, they will only keep the discipline of the four deadly sins (paaraajika).
1. Refraining from sexual conduct
2. Refraining from taking that which is not given to them
3. Refraining from killing human beings
4. Refraining from claiming to have attained the four spiritual levels
When the last monk has broken the precepts, or dies, the method will have disappeared.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE LEARNING
As long as the texts of the tripitaka - Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma - which constitute the words of the Buddha are with us, the disappearance of learning will
not have occurred. But as time goes on there will be irreligious kings and courtiers under irreligious governments. Then the people throughout the kingdom or countries will be irreligious.
The country will not prosper, there will be drought and other hardship with famine and scarcity of food. The devotees will gradually stop providing the four requirements to the monks
(Sangha): robes, alms, support for the sick, and dwelling places. The pious, not receiving the requirements, will not enter the order (Sangha), and the learned will
not teach their knowledge to the novices. Learning will slowly disappear.
When the learning disappears, it will be the great work, the Abhidhamma, which will first disappear, starting with the Patthaana, the Yamaka, the Katha-vatthu,
the Puggala-pa-atti, the Dhatu-kathaa, and so on. When the Abhidhamma Pitaka has disappeared, the Sutta Pitaka will disappear. First the Anguttara Nikaaya,
then the Samyutta Nikaaya, the Majjhima-Nikaaya, the Digha Nikaaya, and so on. Only the Jaataka stories will be remembered. Then, slowly, the Jaataka stories
will disappear, first the Vessantara Jaataka, then the Apannaka Jaataka, and so on until all of the Jaataka are forgotten. Then the people will only remember the
Vinaya Pitaka. And then slowly the Vinaya Pitaka will disappear. So long as four lines of the Dhamma remain the learning will be with us. But when the people are
unable to recall four lines of a stanza of the Dhamma, then the learning will disappear.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE SYMBOLS
Without the learning the monks will deteriorate and take on the ways of ascetics. They will discard the robe and have but a yellow strip of cloth which they will
wear tied around their neck, their ear, their hair, etc. They will take to a trade and support a wife and children.
As time goes on they will even give up this symbol of the Sangha, discard the yellow cloth and take to the killing of birds and animals. When this happens the symbols will
have disappeared.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE RELICS
As the dispensation of the Buddha being 5,000 years old, the relics of the Buddha will fail to receive due honor and respect. Eventually they will not receive
honor and respect in any place. The relics from all over, the world of men, Gods and Brahma, will congregate together under the great Bodhi tree at Buddha Gaya where
He attained enlightenment.
They will form an effigy of the Buddha and perform a miracle, resembling the twin miracle, and will teach the whole doctrine again. Not a single human being will be found at that place,
but the Gods from ten thousand world system will come and listen to the doctrine. Many thousands of them will attain Nibbana. And these will cry aloud, "The One possessing
the ten forces will attain Nibbaana." Then they will weep, saying, "From henceforth we shall be in darkness." Then the relics will light up to flames and burn up the effigy
with no remains. Thus will be the disappearance of the relics.
In this way, within 5,000 short years, in less than 2,500 more years, the Buddha Sasana (Dispensation) of the Gotama Buddha will come to an end.
Note - The message further clarifies that – the Buddha relics from ten thousand world system will first assemble at the Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka at Anuradhapura
where Devas and Brahmas from the ten thousand world system will gather to pay their last reverence to the Gotama Relics. The event will be participated by Devas and Brahams
led by Sakka, the king of all Devas, for a duration of seven days. The island of Sri Lanka will lit up with brilliance of radiance and miracles of the Buddha Relics will appear with radiance.
After the celebration, the assembled relics will then be carried to Buddha Gaya where He attained enlightenment for total destruction to mark the end of Gotama Sasana.
Whoever are fortunate enough to be reborn in the Deva world will be able to participate in the Miracle Buddha Relic’s celebration and will attain Nibbana.
Those who aspire to see the Metteyya Buddha must wait through another world cycle when a new kingdom named as Ketumati appear in India.
(Sasana Year 5,000 - See Anagatavamsa Desana)
It is said in Pali Canon that upon Gotama Buddha's parinibbana, human lifespan will
continue to decrease until its lowest point, which is 10 years old. Human greed, hatred, envy, Anger, Ill-Will, delusion and ignorance will increase as the lifespan
decreases and they will behave so badly that it will be despicable, although technologically they will keep on advancing. What is happening today is just the beginning.
Then a mishap occurs which will eliminate a great number of human beings.
The remainings will realize the benefits of good deeds and start practicing them. Thus human lifespan
will increase until asankhayas. Then it will fall again. This cycle will continue many times.
Then Metteyya Buddha will appear when human life sapn is within the range of 100,000 and 100 years, for a
Buddha will only appear when human lifespan is on decrease. It is said that Metteyya Buddha will appear when human life sapn is 80,000 years.
A Buddha cannot appear when human lifespan is on the increase or at the peak or more than 100,000 years or less than 100 years because the environment is not right.
They do not even see a death of a human that often when human live over 100,000 years. In other words, death of a human is a very raer event. Environment is not right for the
understanding of impartment, ill, not-self and four Nobel Truth. When human lifespan is less than 100 years, like present time, human behave horribly and commit horrendous
crimes.
They will not listen what Buddha is teaching. So, Buddha will not appear during that time.
Human lifespan decreases 1 year in every 100 years. During Buddha's time human lifespan was 100 years. So, Buddha appeared. But, Buddha's dispensation can still continue like
today, when human lifespan is 75 years and it will continue to stay until human lifespan is about 50 years, i.e. 5,000 years after Buddha passed away.
Why human live over 75 years at this time? During Buddha's time human lifespan was 100 years but Buddha said human could live 160 years, which means 60 percent more, provided
they have the kamma to live. It is recorded in Buddhist scriptures that some monks lived 160 years. According to that calculation 60 percent of 75 is 45 and adding 45 to 75
is 120 years. Therefore, today there is the possibility human can live up to 120 years. But we do not see a single human being live 120 years today. Again according to that
rate of decrease of human lifespan, it will take another 6,500 years when human will live only 10 years.
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There are three separate periods in which the Bodhisatta did his aspirations and worked on the perfections. The first is called the Mano-panidhana kala,
the period where our Bodisatta made the mental aspiration to become a Buddha in front of another Buddha. The period lasted fro 100,000 world cycles interspersed with
7 incalculable periods. The period started when King Atideva (our Bodisatta at the time) saw the Buddha Brahma-Deva from his balcony. King Atideva went down and started
to worship him making a mental aspiration to become a Buddha. There were 125,000 Buddha that came after the Buddha Brahma-Deva and to each of them, our Bodhisatta went
and made a mental aspiration to become a Buddha. The Bodhisatta started to work on the perfections during this period. The Bodhisatta made his first verbal aspiration to
Buddhahood in the period called the Vaci Panidani Kala. There was a king and queen who had a son. He gave up his royal life and attained enlightenment in fourteen days.
He was called the (Purana) Gotama Buddha.
The Bodhisatta made his first verbal aspiration to Buddhahood in the period called the Vaci Panidani Kala. There was a
king and queen who had a son. He gave up his royal life and attained enlightenment in fourteen days. He was called the (Purana) Gotama Buddha.
Our Bodhisatta wanted to be like him. He made a verbal aspiration to be from a family known as Sakyan and to be known as the Gotama Buddha.
The (Purana Gotama Buddha said, "If you fulfil all the perfections you will surely achieve your desire and attain Buddhahood. Our Bodhisatta than gave up his
kingdom and followed the teachings of the (Purana) Gotama Buddha as a disciple. The period of verbal aspiration was 200,000 world cycles interspersed with 13
incalculable periods long. The Bodhisatta continued to work at completing the 10 perfections during this period.From this point onward He was known as
the Bodhisatta, the one on His way to perfection, or the aspirant to Buddhahood.
The Bodhisatta has to complete eight things to receive the definite proclamation. From this point he actively workd at completing the 10 perfections. This period is known
as the period of action.
The Bodhisatta then began the formidable task of fulfilling in the following ways
known as the ten perfections or virtues (paramita):
Generosity - Dana
Morality (restraint) - Sila
Renunciation - Nekkhamma
Wisdom - Panna
Effort - Viriya
Patience (forbearance)- Khanti
Truthfulness - Sacca
Determination (resolve)- Adhitthana
Compassion - Metta
Equanimity (imperturbability of mind in all conditions, pleasant or painful)- Upekkha
All 547 Jatakas illustrate one or the other of these ten perfections. Many of them have been accordingly grouped in Jataka-Nidana part. In Jataka-Nidana, a separate example
has been used to define each of them; as a jar of water for defining the ‘Dana’. When poured, a jar does not retain any water. So when a generous hand gives, it would not hold
back anything.
Vannupatha and Mahajanaka Jatakas reveal Bodhisatta’s great effort.
In Shaddanta Jataka, the elephant king Shaddanta removes all his six tusks with his own trunk and gives them to the hunter to take them to the queen of Banarasi,
his own jealous consort in the previous birth. At the time of Buddha, that hunter was Devadatta and the Queen was, Cinca Manvika, who falesly accuse the Buddha for her shamed,
pregnancy in a big and august assembly.
Generosity is the theme of many Jatakas in which the Bodhisatta is born as man and also as animal.
The king Shiwi, in Shiwi Jataka, donates to the Brahmin his both eyes, though the Brahmin had asked just for one.
Prince Vessantara donates his divine elephant to another state, though his own state suffers from famine as its result and he himself is deprived of his kingdom.
Shankhapala Jataka reveals exceptional forbearance, Vidhura Pandita Jataka, exceptional wisdom and imperturbability, Hansa Jataka, loving kindness...
Pre-requisite to be proclaimed by a Buddha to a Bodhisatta.
Eight conditions must be met in order to receive the definite prophecy (proclamation).
1. If one so wished one could at this point attain Arahatship and obtain one's liberation from samsara.
2. One must be a human being.
3. One must be a male.
4. One must come face to face with a living Buddha.
5. One must be an ascetic.
6. One must possess psychic powers (known as Attha-Samapatti Jhana-labhi).
7. One must be prepared to lay down one's life for the Buddha.
8. One must have the strong determination to be a Buddha even though one knows
that one might have to suffer as an animal, demon, etc., in an unhappy world. In
other words, one has to suppress one's attainment of Arahatship with determination and
remain in samsara for the benefit of mankind and Gods.
At the time of the Buddha Dipankara, over 200,000 (kalpa) world cycles and sixteen incalculable
periods after He made the first mental aspiration, our Bodhisatta met the eight requirements
and received the definite proclamation for the first time. At this point our Bodhisatta was certain He would be a future Buddha. He had to make a decision, either to attain arahanthship or to continue practicing the
perfections and become a Buddha. Our Bodhisatta decided to become a Buddha.
He later received proclamation from another twenty-three Buddhas, altogether from twenty-four Buddhas.
The journey to Buddhahood will be posted in another page!!!
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