found already:
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.[
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/Metteyya/arimet03.htm
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