The dharma will not disappear too soon, but is in the process of
slow degeneration. But the signs are that it will last for another
thousands of years. According to one prediction, first 500 years
are the true dharma age, second 1000 years are dharma semblance
age, and the third 10000 years are the dharma ending age. We're
somewhere in the dharma ending age, but the dharma is still
available for us to practise.
The Bodhisattvas will keep returning, but humanity will eventually
degenerate away. When the human lifespan reduces to somewhere like
10 years old, at that time, people will be fighting with each other
everywhere and the world is in chaos. At that time, there are still
Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and other practitioners, but the people will
not want to seek dharma from them. As a matter of fact if you try
to advise them you'll probably get killed too. So in this period of
chaos, the Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and the practitioners will retreat
into the wilderness to be protected from all the mess.
There will come a time where great catastrophes will happen and
most of humanity will be wiped out. Only few will survive, and
those that survive vows to make the world a better place because
they're just sick of it. At that time, the Bodhisattvas and
practitioners will return to society and once again the people are
receptive to the teachings.
More info: http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol8no2a.htm
