Translated by the Tripiṭaka Master Xuan Zang of the Great Tang Dynasty by Imperial Command
Thus have I heard:
At one time, the Bhagavān was in Kuśinagara, in the Śāla Grove of the Mallas—the birthplace of strong warriors—surrounded by countless arhats, bodhisattvas, devas, humans, asuras, and others. At that time, the Bhagavān was approaching parinirvāṇa, and out of compassion for sentient beings, he spoke to Ānanda with a gentle and compassionate voice: “I will soon enter parinirvāṇa. All conditioned phenomena will be relinquished; all the Buddha’s work is complete. I have already proclaimed the Dharma that frees from the evil world, the Dharma of obtaining the nectar, the Dharma of attaining liberation, and the Dharma of supreme bliss. These teachings are profound, marvelous, and difficult to understand and realize. They are inconceivable—beyond even imagination. All great sages must seek inwardly and personally verify them. I have again turned the unsurpassed Dharma Wheel three times. This wheel is mighty, possessing twelve characteristics, and none among my disciples or among the brahmins, māras, or Brahmā gods have been able to turn it so truly. I have sounded the great conch of Dharma for all devas and humans, beaten the great drum of Dharma to awaken them from the long night of ignorance and delusion. I have erected the great banner of Dharma for devas and humans, and ignited the great torch of Dharma to illuminate all and dispel the darkness. I have built the great Dharma ship for all sentient beings, to rescue those submerged in the flood and lost in confusion. The sentient beings I ought to liberate, I have already liberated; those not yet liberated have had the causes and conditions for liberation planted. I have subdued all non-Buddhist paths, demolished all erroneous doctrines, overturned the palaces of all māras, shattered all demon armies. I have performed the great Buddha-work by roaring the lion’s roar of true Dharma, and have completely fulfilled the vow I made—to protect the Dharma Eye from any flaw or destruction. I have taught the śrāvakas and given predictions to the bodhisattvas. I have opened the eye to the Buddha-path for the future world, guiding the world toward an unbroken continuation. Ānanda, you must diligently uphold and protect this true Dharma so that it does not perish. Ānanda, I now have nothing further to do, only Great Parinirvāṇa is the destination of my departure.”
At that time, Ānanda, upon hearing the Buddha’s words, was overwhelmed with sorrow and grief. After a long while, he asked: “I do not know, Tathāgata, this unsurpassed true Dharma which you have transmitted for the sake of sentient beings, and which you attained through countless koṭis of kalpas of diligent cultivation and hardship—after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa, how long will it remain in the world, continuing to benefit devas, humans, and asuras, before it gradually disappears?”
Then the World-Honored One, with a compassionate voice, again said to Ānanda: “All Buddhas who guide and teach the world do so in the same manner. Do not grieve or be sorrowful. After my parinirvāṇa, the unsurpassed true Dharma will remain in the world for one thousand years, continuing to benefit devas, humans, and asuras, and then it will gradually fade away.
“Ānanda, you should know that in the first hundred years after my parinirvāṇa, the practice of learning the Dharma will flourish within my teachings. My disciples will be intelligent, possessing extensive knowledge. Their fearless eloquence will be able to refute all wrong views. They will have great spiritual powers and show much kindness to all sentient beings. Thus, the devas and nāgas will be fond of them and will diligently guard and protect the disciples. Kings, ministers, elders, and lay supporters will also do the same. Recognizing the merit fields, they will have deep faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and will make offerings, revere, respect, and praise the sons of the Buddha. Near the end of the first hundred years, there will be a great king named Aśoka who will rule Jambudvīpa. With great power, he will build eighty-four thousand splendid and towering stupas to enshrine the relics of my body. He will cause countless beings to see them and rejoice, thereby creating the karma for ascending to heaven and attaining liberation.
“In the second hundred years after my parinirvāṇa, the practice of tranquility will flourish within my teachings. My disciples will be wise and knowledgeable, possessing the great majesty of teachers of devas and humans. They will benefit others in many ways. Thus, the devas and nāgas will be fond of them and will diligently guard and protect the disciples. Kings, ministers, elders, and lay supporters will also do the same. Recognizing the merit fields, they will have deep faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and will make offerings, revere, respect, and praise the sons of the Buddha.
“In the third hundred years after my parinirvāṇa, the practice of pure conduct will flourish within my teachings. My disciples will realize the wisdom of liberation, and countless beings will attain liberation. Because many will achieve the fruits of the path, the devas and nāgas will be fond of them and will diligently guard and protect the disciples. Kings, ministers, elders, and lay supporters will also do the same. Recognizing the merit fields, they will have deep faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and will make offerings, revere, respect, and praise the sons of the Buddha.
“In the fourth hundred years after my parinirvāṇa, the practice of renunciation will flourish within my teachings. My disciples will delight in solitude and diligently cultivate meditative concentration. Thus, the devas and nāgas will be fond of them and will diligently guard and protect the disciples. Kings, ministers, elders, and lay supporters will also do the same. Recognizing the merit fields, they will have deep faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and will make offerings, revere, respect, and praise the sons of the Buddha.
“In the fifth hundred years after my parinirvāṇa, the practice of doctrinal learning will flourish within my teachings. My disciples will delight in the true Dharma, diligently study and practice it, and frequently engage in discussion and discerning examination. Thus, the devas and nāgas will be fond of them and will diligently guard and protect the disciples. Kings, ministers, elders, and lay supporters will also do the same. Recognizing the merit fields, they will have deep faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and will make offerings, revere, respect, and praise the sons of the Buddha.
“In the six hundred years after my parinirvāṇa, the Dharma teaching shall flourish within my dispensation. My disciples will focus greatly on establishing the teachings, diligently and tirelessly reciting the scriptures, benefiting countless sentient beings. Thus, the devas and nāgas will be fond of them and will diligently guard and protect the disciples. Kings, ministers, elders, and lay supporters will also do the same. Recognizing the merit fields, they will have deep faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and will make offerings, revere, respect, and praise the sons of the Buddha. However, regarding the meaning and principles, they will harbor much doubt.
“In the seventh hundred years after my parinirvāṇa, gain and profit will prevail within my dispensation. Gods, nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, and others shall make offerings, show respect, and give praise to the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, but my disciples will mostly seek others’ offerings, admire fame, and not be diligent in cultivating the superior dharmas such as discipline, concentration, and wisdom.
“In the eighth hundred years after my parinirvāṇa, disputes will flourish within my dispensation. Many of my disciples will despise each other, collude with evildoers, and, like ordinary people, will belittle, slander, and rebuke those who uphold precepts and vinaya. They will look down on those with extensive knowledge, fail to observe the six principles of harmony and respect, and instead seek contention with others. Their views will be unskillful. They will show no respect for teachers and elders, lack right understanding, yet deceive and flatter, speaking coarse and vulgar words, resembling caṇḍālas. They will cling to kings, ministers, and elders, recklessly spend Buddhist resources, form alliances with wicked factions, and suppress virtuous people.
“In the ninth hundred years after my parinirvāṇa, worldly enterprise will flourish within my dispensation. My disciples will engage extensively in secular occupations such as farming and commerce, treating the mission of human life like a business, gradually abandoning and violating the precepts established by the Tathāgata.
“In the tenth hundred years after my parinirvāṇa, frivolous discourse will flourish within my dispensation. Most of my disciples will abandon the supramundane true teaching of the Buddhas, namely the sūtras, gāthās, prophecies, verses, self-spoken discourses, discourses on causes and conditions, accounts of disciples’ former lives, former births, extensive teachings, teachings on rare dharmas, parables, treatises; instead, they will study all sorts of frivolous discourses, such as: discourses on kings, discourses on thieves, discourses on war, discourses on food, discourses on drink, discourses on clothing, discourses on vehicles, discourses on self, discourses on lust, discourses on men, discourses on women, discourses on various lands, discourses on rivers and oceans, and discourses of non-Buddhists. Because the disciples delight in such frivolous talk, the śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas will scornfully slander my dispensation. In the vinaya of my True Dharma, various corrupt bhikṣus and bhikṣunīs will not practice discipline and mental wisdom, but instead will fiercely slander and defame each other, indulge in various expensive robes, houses, sleeping furnishings, and gather with all kinds of wicked factions. Although the discipline of the True Dharma has been upheld for many years, in an instant it will all be violated and destroyed. The wholesome scriptures and treatises accumulated over many years in the Golden Land will vanish due to doubt and anger. Thus, the gods, nāgas, and others will feel sorrow and regret, no longer offering protection. Kings, ministers, elders, and laymen will no longer sincerely believe in the Three Jewels, but instead slander and belittle them. Due to this condition, the True Dharma perishes.
“After this, the evil committed by the bhikṣus will grow increasingly severe, and kings, ministers, elders, and laymen will become even more disrespectful. However, the residual power of the Three Jewels will still seem not entirely extinguished, so at that time, there will still be bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, and others who are few in desire, content with little, uphold the precepts, cultivate meditative concentration, diligently study and broadly propagate the teachings, bringing benefit and peace to countless sentient beings. There will also be some kings, ministers, elders, and laymen who love the Buddha’s teaching, make offerings, show reverence, respect, and praise the Three Jewels, and protect them without stinginess. You should understand that these are inconceivable bodhisattvas, who, through the power of their vows, are reborn at this time to protect the Tathāgata’s unsurpassed True Dharma, bringing great benefit to all sentient beings.”
At that time, Ānanda, the śrāvakas, the bodhisattvas, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, humans, and non-humans, upon hearing the Bhagavān’s prophecy about the future state of the abiding of the True Dharma and the different karmic results of the bhikṣus’ practices—were all moved to sorrow and lamentation, and faithfully accepted and upheld it.
Dharma Torch 