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Buddha Sasana
Buddha Sasana
Pali: sāsana is a term used by Buddhists to refer to religion or non-religion.
It has a range of possible translations, including teaching, practice,
doctrine and Buddha Śãsana, which means “the teaching of the Buddha” (of
which there have been several). Since in Buddhism there is no divine god the term is considered more accurate than the word “religion” as it denotes an adaptable philosophy and practice rather than a non-changing divine call from an all knowing god. Also, for many Buddhist outsiders the term religion implies faith;
some might argue that faith is not a necessary feature of Buddhism,
based in spirituality and logic, thus making śāsana all the more useful a
term in definition.
Sasana may also refer to the 5000 year dispensation of a particular
Buddha. That is, we are living in the sasana of the Śakyamuni Buddha
Buddha Sasana
Dear Dhamma Friends:
Know the life span of our Buddha sasana.
The commentaries on the Vinaya Pitaka and the Anguttara-nikaya say that the
Buddha’s Teachings would last for five thousand years. The 5,000 years is spread
out in five periods:
(1) The age of deliverance (vimutti-yuga), - 
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/Metteyya/arimet03.htm
The Coming
Buddha, Ariya Metteyya
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]
-ooOoo-
FOOTNOTES:
- As 27, see Expos. 35.
- Sp 1291.
- Mp IV 136f.
- Ven. Ledi Sayādaw (MB 169) calls
these five thousand years the age of Ariyas (Noble Ones). - Th-a III 89.
- ] 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). - The number of years are mentioned
only in the Anag commentary. - Some texts speak of three
disappearances. See CPD under antaradhana for references.
- Introduction
- The Bodhisatta
Metteyya - Buddha Ariya
Metteyya - The Duration
of the Sasana of Buddha Gotama - The Coming of
Buddha Ariya Metteyya - The Birth of
the Next Buddha - The
Wheel-turning Monarch Sankha - The Career of
Bodhisatta Metteyya - How to Meet
Buddha Metteyya - Appendix A:
The Chronicle of the Future Buddha - Appendix B:
The Aspiration to Meet Buddha Ari Metteyya
- List of
Abbreviations
Published by the
Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, IMC-UK, Splatts House, Heddington,
Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0PE, England,
Tel: +44 1380 850 238, Fax: +44 1380 850 833.
Registered Charity No 280134.
This
publication is one of several marking the tenth anniversary of Mother
Sayamagyi and Sayagyi U Chit Tin’s
coming out of Burma to continue their work in the Tradition of Sayagyi U
Ba Khin
by teaching the Buddha-Dhama in the West.
The gift
of the Dhamma surpasses all other gifts.
Dedicated to our
much revered teacher the late Sayagyi U Ba Khin (Thray Sitthu)
to mark the 89th anniversary of his birth in March 1899.
-ooOoo-
one thousand years for Arahats who
attain analytical insight, at the end of 1,000 years, comes the disappearance of
analytical insight (patisambhida).
At the end of the first 1,000 years (1,000 BE) herald the disappearance of
attainment (adhigama). In this period to attain arahatship seems so easy, even
listening to a stanza of Dhamma one could attain arahatship. Note here, all
those who had attained arahatship were Bhikkhu or Bhikkhuni with the exception
of King Sudhodana and Minister Santati.
(2) The age of concentration (samadhi-yuga) - one thousand years for Arahats
without those attainments. At the end of the second 1,000 years (2,000 BE) the
disappearance of the Paths and Fruition States.
The second disappearance is of the practice (patipatti), which corresponds to the
ages of concentration and morality. In this period Bhikkhu’s have to work so
hard to attain arahatship.
(3) The age of morality (sila-yuga), - one thousand years for Non-returners, and
at the end of third 1,000 years (3,000 BE) comes the disappearance of the
practice (patipatti), the disappearance of accomplishment in the texts (pariyatti)
is third and corresponds to the age of learning.
We are now in this period, the best we could hope for is a non-returner.
Bhikkhu’s and Bhikkhuni have a better chance to attain the non-returner
stage. For the laity (householder) Sotapanna is the best we could strive to gain).
Looking at Anathapindaka and Visakaha as examples, (they the house holders
both attained Sotapanna at the time of Buddha,) we house holders should down
grade towards a more practical aspiration. In this period, it would be a miracle to
find a Bhikkhu attains arahatship. The text said, Anagami is the highest one could
hope for.
4) The age of learning [the texts] (suta-yuga), one thousand years for Once returners,
at the end of 4th 1,000 years comes the disappearance of the texts
(pariyatti), 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. The only thing left over for people to practice would be generosity.
(5) The age of generosity (dana-yuga). One thousand years for Stream-winners.
At the end of fifth 1,000 years comes the disappearance of the Sangha.
With the disappearance of generosity comes in parallel is the disappearance
of the relics (dhatu). By this time, the Buddha relics will no longer receive honor.
All the relics 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.
With this comes the total destruction of the earth to begin the new world cycle. In
10 million years from now, Mettreyya Buddha will arise in this world in
Jambudhipa in India in the city of Ketumati. Mettreyya Buddha would be born
in a Brahmin family. Everyone would be living under a wishing tree, jewels every
where and their life span would be 84,000 years as long as those in the Deva
world.
One could wish to be a Brahmin when Mettreyya Buddha arise in this world; or
One could wish to take the next rebirth in the Deva world to wait for the
formation of effigy of the Buddha Image at the end of 5,000 BE to listen to the
dhamma and attain Nibbana there as Deva.
This is the story of Buddha’s dispensation that Gotama Buddha prophesied of
his dispensation.
Ref: http://www.ubakhin.com/uchittin/arimet/ARIMET03.html
This is the writing on the wall.
Set your own itinerary
Ananta metta
Maung Paw
A Gift of Dhamma
http://www.pearltrees.com/#/N-u=1_483891&N-f=1_6699065&N-s=1_6699065&N-p=62355409&N-play=0&N-fa=4024292
Vimutti (Pāli, ‘freedom’, ‘release’, ‘deliverance’). Freedom from suffering ( dukkha ), the goal of the Buddhist path. Canonical Buddhism distinguishes two kinds: freedom through understanding (pañña-vimutti) and freedom of mind (ceto-vimutti). The former means final release from suffering, the ending of rebirth, nirvāna , and is so named because it is brought about by understanding ( prajña ) which develops out of the practice of insight meditation ( vipassanā ). The latter represents the qualified freedom from suffering which arises out of the practice of concentration meditation ( samādhi ), Ceto-vimutti can only become permanent and unshakeable ( akuppa ), synonymous with final release, if it is combined with paññāvimutti, that is, if the meditator cultivates insight as well as concentration.
Related newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles from Questia
VOICE OF SARVA SAMAJ
People of US were broad minded to elect Obama as President for the second term. This should continue. We wish Ms Mayawati to become the Prime Minister with the same kind of broad-mindedness where 25 crore people are treated as if they are believed to have no souls by the 1st, 2nd, 3rd rate souls who believes so. The Buddha never believed in no soul. He said all are equal.