BuddhaSasana Home Page | English Section |
Buddha Ariya Metteyya
ananna-sarana dhamma-dipa dhamma-sarana ananna-sarana. Kathan ca bhikkhave bhikkhu
atta-dipo Idha bhikkhave bhikkhu kaye
kayanu-passi Dwell, bhikkhus, with yourselves
as an And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu
dwell Here (in this Teaching), bhikkhus, a Digha-nikaya III 58, 77 This quotation begins the discourse in which the Buddha describes the coming of the next Buddha, Metteyya.[45] The Buddha first describes the ideal conditions that existed on earth long ago when there were a succession of seven Wheel-turning Monarchs. Eventually, there was a king who neglected to provide for the poor. As a consequence, theft arose in the world. Gradually, people became more and more immoral and killed others. Because of this, their life span declined from eighty thousand years to forty thousand years. Then people began to tell lies, and the human life span declined to twenty thousand years. Next, malicious speech became prevalent, and the life span decreased to ten thousand years. Then sexual misconduct became prevalent, with the result that people lived for five thousand years. Harsh speech and frivolous talk became prevalent, and people lived for two and a half thousand years and two thousand years. With the advent of covetousness and ill will, the life span declined to one thousand years. When people began to entertain wrong beliefs, their life span decreased to five hundred years. Then three things became rampant: incest, unnatural greed, and homo-sexuality.[46] As a result, the human life span decreased to two hundred and fifty years and two hundred years. Then there was a lack of filial duty towards parents, failure to fulfil duties towards religious leaders (samanas and brahmanas), and failure to respect community leaders; and the life span decreased to one hundred years. This was the human life span at the time of Buddha Gotama. When the life span is shorter than a hundred years, there can be no Buddha in the world.[47] The Buddha explained that immorality
will continue to increase and the human life span will continue to
decrease until it is only ten years. Girls will be married at five years
of age. At that time, people who have no respect for their parents, for
religious leaders, or for community leaders will be honoured and
praised. Promiscuity will be so common, human beings will be like
animals. Animosity, ill will, and hatred will be so strong, people will
want to kill the members of their own family. There will be a seven-day
war with great slaughter. But some people will hide for the seven days,
and afterwards they will rejoice to see those who have survived. They
will determine to stop killing, and their life spans will increase to
twenty years. Seeing this, they will undertake to keep other moral
precepts, and gradually the human life span will increase again.
-ooOoo- FOOTNOTES:
Published by the
Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, IMC-UK, Splatts House, Heddington,
Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0PE, England, This publication
is one of several marking the tenth anniversary of Mother Sayamagyi and
Sayagyi U Chit Tin's The gift of the Dhamma surpasses all other gifts. Dedicated to our
much revered teacher the late Sayagyi U Ba Khin (Thray Sitthu) -ooOoo- |
Source: Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, IMC-UK, http://ubakhin.com/
[Back
to English Index]
updated: 01-09-2001