The Three Ages of Buddhism, also known as the Three Ages of the Dharma (), are three divisions of time following
Shakyamuni Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
's death and passing into
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
in
East Asian Buddhism.
Three Ages
The Three Ages of Buddhism are three divisions of time following Buddha's passing:
# Former Day of the Dharma — also known as the “Age of the Right Dharma” (; Japanese: shōbō), the first thousand years (or 500 years) during which the Buddha's disciples are able to uphold the Buddha's teachings;
# Middle Day of the Dharma — also known as the “Age of Semblance Dharma” (; Japanese: zōhō), the second thousand years (or 500 years), which only resembles the right Dharma;
# Latter Day of the Dharma — also known as “the Degenerate Age of Dharma” (; Japanese: mappō), which is to last for 10,000 years during which the Dharma declines.
In the
Sutra of the Great Assembly (Sanskrit: ''Maha-Samnipata Sutra''; Japanese: ''Daijuku-kyō''), the three periods are further divided into five five-hundred year periods (五五百歳, Chinese: wǔ wǔ bǎi sùi; Japanese: go no gohyaku sai), the fifth and last of which was prophesied to be when the Buddhism of
Shakyamuni Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
would lose all power of salvation and a new Buddha would appear to save the people. This time period would be characterized by unrest, strife, famine, and natural disasters.
The three periods are significant to
Mahayana
''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing br ...
adherents, particularly those who hold the
Lotus Sutra
The ''Lotus Sūtra'' ( zh, 妙法蓮華經; sa, सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्रम्, translit=Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram, lit=Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma, italic=) is one of the most influ ...
in high regard, namely the
Tiantai
Tiantai or T'ien-t'ai () is an East Asian Buddhist school of Mahāyāna Buddhism that developed in 6th-century China. The school emphasizes the ''Lotus Sutra's'' doctrine of the "One Vehicle" (''Ekayāna'') as well as Mādhyamaka philosophy ...
and
Tendai
, also known as the Tendai Lotus School (天台法華宗 ''Tendai hokke shū,'' sometimes just "''hokke shū''") is a Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition (with significant esoteric elements) officially established in Japan in 806 by the Japanese m ...
and
Nichiren Buddhism
Nichiren Buddhism ( ja, 日蓮仏教), also known as Hokkeshū ( ja, 法華宗, meaning ''Lotus Sect'') is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222–1282) and is one o ...
, who believe that different Buddhist teachings are valid (i.e., able to lead practitioners to enlightenment) in each period due to the different capacity to accept a teaching (機根, Chinese: jīgēn; Japanese: kikon) of the people born in each respective period.
Latter Day of the Dharma
Traditionally, this age is supposed to begin 2000 years after Shakyamuni Buddha's passing and last for 10,000 years or more. Shakyamuni, in the Sutra of the Great Assembly ''(Jpn. Daijuku-kyō)'', describes the Latter Day of the Dharma ''(Jpn. Mappo)'' as "the age of conflict", when “Quarrels and disputes will arise among the adherents to my teachings, and the Pure Dharma will become obscured and lost.” In this evil latter age, when society is disordered, Shakyamuni's Buddhism will lose its power to benefit the people, as people born into the Latter Day of the Dharma, do not have the seed of Buddhahood sown into them.
According to the interpretation of
Nichiren Buddhism
Nichiren Buddhism ( ja, 日蓮仏教), also known as Hokkeshū ( ja, 法華宗, meaning ''Lotus Sect'') is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222–1282) and is one o ...
, in the
Lotus Sutra
The ''Lotus Sūtra'' ( zh, 妙法蓮華經; sa, सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्रम्, translit=Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram, lit=Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma, italic=) is one of the most influ ...
''(Jpn. Myōhō-Renge-Kyō)'' Shakyamuni Buddha entrusted the propagation of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Dharma to the Bodhisattva named Superior Practices ''(Jpn. Jogyo Bosatsu)'', the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Shakyamuni predicted in the 21st Chapter of the Lotus Sutra ''(jinriki)'', that Bodhisattva Jogyo, the ephemeral figure of the Original Buddha, would appear in the Latter Day of the Dharma, dispel the fundamental darkness of all mankind, and lead the people to attain enlightenment.
The
Nichiren Shoshu
Nichiren (16 February 1222 – 13 October 1282) was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period.
Nichiren declared that the Lotus Sutra alone contains the highest truth of Buddhist teachings suited for the Third Age of ...
school of Buddhism, believes that
Nichiren Daishonin is Votary of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Dharma. Shakyamuni declared that the Votary of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Dharma would be "spoken ill of and cursed", "would be wounded by swords and staves and pelted with stones and tiles" and "again and again banished." Nichiren Shoshu states that Nichiren Daishonin's actions matched the prediction that Shakyamuni Buddha taught. They cite the Izu and Sado Exile ("again and again banished") and the Tatsunokuchi Persecution where the government attempted to execute the Daishonin ("wounded by swords and staves") for propagating Myōhō-Renge-Kyō throughout Japan. Thus, the Shoshu states that Nichiren Daishonin proved he was the ''votary of the Lotus Sutra'' by "reading the Lotus Sutra with his very life."
Furthermore, when viewed from the standpoint of his ephemeral or transient (''shaku'') identity and his external function, Nichiren Daishonin is defined as the rebirth of Bodhisattva Superior Practices (''Jogyo Bosatsu''). However, when viewed from the standpoint of his true (''hon'') identity and his inner realization, Nichiren Daishonin is defined as the Buddha of Intrinsically Perfect Wisdom from the infinite past of ''kuon-ganjo (kuon-ganjo jijuyu hoshin nyorai).''
Maitreya
Buddhist temporal cosmology assumes a cyclical pattern of ages, and even when the current Buddha's teachings fall into disregard, a new Buddha will at some point (usually considered to be millions of years in the future) be born to ensure the continuity of Buddhism. In the
Lotus Sutra
The ''Lotus Sūtra'' ( zh, 妙法蓮華經; sa, सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्रम्, translit=Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram, lit=Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma, italic=) is one of the most influ ...
,
Viśiṣṭacāritra is entrusted to spread Buddhist dharma in this age and save mankind and the earth. He and countless other ''
bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood.
In the Early Buddhist schools ...
s'', specifically called
Bodhisattvas of the Earth Bodhisattvas of the Earth ( Chinese: 地涌菩薩; Japanese: 地涌の菩薩, 地湧の菩薩, 上行菩薩), also sometimes referred to as "Bodhisattvas from the Underground," "Bodhisattvas Taught by the Original Buddha," or "earth bodhisattvas," ...
(of which he is the leader), vow to be reborn in a latter day to re-create Buddhist dharma, thus turning the degenerate age into a flourishing paradise. Gautama Buddha entrusts them instead of his more commonly known major disciples with this task since the Bodhisattvas of the Earth have had a karmic connection with Gautama Buddha since the beginning of time, meaning that they are aware of the Superior Practice which is the essence of Buddhism or the Dharma in its original, pure form.
Kṣitigarbha is also known for his vow to take responsibility for the instruction of all beings in the six worlds, in the era between the death of Gautama and the rise of
Maitreya. Teacher
Shavaripa
Shavaripa (Sanskrit: Śabara) was an Indian Buddhist teacher, one of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas, honored as being among the holders of the distant transmission of Mahamudra. He was a student of Nagarjuna and a teacher of Maitripa. He is one of t ...
would also live in the world to teach someone.
Teachings of different groups
The teaching appeared early. References to the decline of the
Dharma over time can be found in such
Mahayana sutras
The Mahāyāna sūtras are a broad genre of Buddhist scriptures (''sūtra'') that are accepted as canonical and as ''buddhavacana'' ("Buddha word") in Mahāyāna Buddhism. They are largely preserved in the Chinese Buddhist canon, the Tibet ...
as the
Diamond Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, but also to a lesser degree in some texts in the
Pāli Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from the Tamrashatiya school.
During ...
such as the ''
Cullavagga
Khandhaka is the second book of the Theravadin ''Vinaya Pitaka'' and includes the following two volumes:
* Mahāvagga: includes accounts of Gautama Buddha's and the ten principal disciples' awakenings, as well as rules for uposatha days and monast ...
'' of the
Vinaya Pitaka
The Vinaya ( Pali & Sanskrit: विनय) is the division of the Buddhist canon ('' Tripitaka'') containing the rules and procedures that govern the Buddhist Sangha (community of like-minded ''sramanas''). Three parallel Vinaya traditions rem ...
.
Nanyue Huisi
Nanyue Huisi (, 515-577), was an eminent Chinese Buddhist monk, traditionally regarded as the third patriarch of the Tiantai school.
According to Sasaki, Huisi "was the leading authority on the ''Lotus Sutra'' of his time."
Biography
The earli ...
was an early monk who taught about it; he is considered the third Patriarch of the Tiantai.
The
Sanjiejiao The Sanjiejiao ( "Three degrees religion") or Pufazong ( "Popular faith religion") was a religious movement based on the teachings of the Chan Buddhist monk Xinxing (, 540-594).
Teachings
Xinxing taught that in the last of the Three Ages of Buddhis ...
was an early sect that taught about Mò Fǎ. It taught to respect every sutra and all sentient life.
Late
Buddhism in Central Asia taught the building of auspicious signs or miraculous Buddhist images.
Pure Land Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism (; ja, 浄土仏教, translit=Jōdo bukkyō; , also referred to as Amidism in English,) is a broad branch of Mahayana Buddhism focused on achieving rebirth in a Buddha's Buddha-field or Pure Land. It is one of the most wid ...
in China and Japan believe we are now in this latter age of "degenerate Dharma". Pure Land followers therefore attempt to attain rebirth into the
pure land of
Amitābha, where they can practice the Dharma more readily.
Nichiren Buddhism
Nichiren Buddhism ( ja, 日蓮仏教), also known as Hokkeshū ( ja, 法華宗, meaning ''Lotus Sect'') is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222–1282) and is one o ...
has taught that its teaching is the most suitable for the recent Mò Fǎ period.
Vajrayana Buddhism
Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...
taught that its teaching would be popular when "iron birds are upon the sky" before its decline. The ''
Kalacakra tantra'' contains a prophecy of a holy war in which a Buddhist king will win.
Theravada
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
Buddhists taught that Buddhism would decline in five thousand years.
Some monks such as
Dōgen
Dōgen Zenji (道元禅師; 26 January 1200 – 22 September 1253), also known as Dōgen Kigen (道元希玄), Eihei Dōgen (永平道元), Kōso Jōyō Daishi (高祖承陽大師), or Busshō Dentō Kokushi (仏性伝東国師), was a J ...
and
Xuyun
Xuyun or Hsu Yun (; 5 September 1840? – 13 October 1959) was a renowned Chinese Chan Buddhist master and an influential Buddhist teacher of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Early life
Xuyun was purportedly born on 5 September 1840 in Fujian, Q ...
had alternative views regarding dharma decline. Dōgen believed that there is no Mò Fǎ while Xuyun thought Mò Fǎ is not inevitable.
Some
Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be filled ...
s taught that the three ages were the teaching period of
Dīpankara Buddha
Dipankara (Pali: ''Dīpaṅkara''; Sanskrit: ', "Lamp bearer") or Dipankara Buddha is one of the Buddhas of the past. He is said to have lived on Earth four asankheyyas and one hundred thousand kappas ago. According to some Buddhist or folk tr ...
, Gautama Buddha, and the current era of Maitreya.
了道金船 三佛通书
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References
Bibliography
* Buswell, Robert E., ed. (2004). ''Encyclopedia of Buddhism'' ("Decline of the Dharma"). Macmillan Reference USA. . pp. 210-213
* Chappell, David Wellington (1980). ''Early Forebodings of the Death of Buddhism'', Numen, 27 (1), 122-154
*
* Lamotte, Etienne; Webb-Boin Sara, trans. (1988). ''History of Indian Buddhism: From the origins to the Śaka era''. Louvain Paris: Peters Press, pp. 191-202
* Marra, Michele (1988). "The development of mappō thought in Japan (I)", ''Japanese Journal of Religious Studies'' 15 (1), 25-54
PDF
* Marra, Michele (1988). "The development of mappō thought in Japan (II)", ''Japanese Journal of Religious Studies'' 15 (4), 287-305
PDF
* Nadeau, Randall L. (1987)
''Asian Review'' volume 1 (transl. of the "Scripture Preached by the Buddha on the Total Extinction of the Dharma")
* Nattier, Jan (1991). ''Once Upon a Future Time: Studies in a Buddhist Prophecy of Decline'', Berkeley, Calif.: Asian Humanities Press
* Stone, Jackie (1985)
Seeking Enlightenment in the Last Age: "Mappō" Thought in Kamakura Buddhism: PART I
The Eastern Buddhist New Series, 18, (1), 28-56
* Stone, Jackie (1985)
Seeking Enlightenment in the Last Age: "Mappō" Thought in Kamakura Buddhism: PART II
The Eastern Buddhist New Series, 18, (2), 35-64
* Zürcher, Eric (1981). ''Eschatology and Messianism in Early Chinese Buddhism'', Leiden: Leyden Studies in Sinology
External links
The Buddha Speaks the Ultimate Extinction of the Dharma Sutra
The Buddhist Text Translation Society
{{Buddhism topics
Buddhist cosmology
Buddhist eschatology
Buddhist philosophical concepts
History of Buddhism
Nichiren Buddhism
Tiantai
Time in Buddhism