Chapter 13-3 The Dharma-ending Age

According to the propagation of Buddhism, it is divided into three periods. The period when the Buddha was alive and personally taught is called the period of the "True Dharma"（正法）. After the Buddha's Nirvana, when some of his disciples continued to propagate his teachings, this period still belonged to the Age of the "True Dharma" and lasted for a thousand years. Following this, the era when many scriptures were preserved and Buddhist statues and teachings remained in the world for another thousand years is known as the "Image Dharma"（像法）period. After that comes the "Dharma-ending Age". However, this does not mean that the Dharma disappears entirely; rather, it suggests that the practice of the "true" Dharmais nearing its end. Now, more than 2,500 years have passed since the Buddha's Nirvana. The era we are in today, just over 2,000 years into the Buddhist calendar, is precisely what is referred to as the "Dharma-ending Age".

Mr. Nan Huaijin（南怀瑾）once explained: "From the perspective of Buddhism, there is no real 'Dharma-ending Age'. In fact, 'the True Dharma is always present', it's just the methods and attitudes of the great Bodhisattvas' teachings that change with the times." This shows: the truth of the Dharma is imperishable in the world. It is like a truth and historical fact, simply expressed differently in different places and times.

The Dharma is not necessarily found in high mountains or temples; a true great Bodhisattva may never mention the word "Buddha" with their mouths. We should not judge people by the outward appearances of religion. The Dharma is present everywhere in society, and Bodhisattvas are found all around us.

In the "Sūtra of the Ultimate Extinction of the Dharma"《法灭尽经》, Buddha Shakyamuni described to the monks the scenes Dharma-ending Age:

When the Dharma is about to perish: In the final stage, society will be in chaos, and the demonic path will flourish. There will be demons pretending to be Buddhists, causing harm to the Dharma. Even Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Arhats who practice the Dharma and accumulate merits will inevitably face jealousy, degradation, and disruption of the right path by these demons

Demons will disguise themselves as Buddhists and attempt to destroy the Dharma. Even if Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Arhats practice the Dharma and accumulate merit, they will still be subject to the jealousy and slander of these demons, disrupting the True Dharma. These demons will build large and beautiful temples, but they will use the guise of the Dharma to pursue selfish gains, indulging in lust and immorality, harming sentient beings, and showing no respect for the Dharma. Many behaviors will be mistaken as merits, and people will think they are practicing Buddhism. Calamities will repeatedly afflict humanity: there will be wars, widespread disease, famine, environmental pollution, ecological destruction, and food crises. Despite humanity's great progress in knowledge and intelligence, with well-developed brains but degenerating limbs, human lifespans will shorten, and hearts will become malevolent, leading to mutual slaughter.

When the Dharma is nearing its end, women in the world will diligently practice and continuously perform good deeds, while men will become lazy and arrogant, regarding monks as mere dirt without a shred of respect. As the Dharma is about to disappear, even the heavens will lament and weep. Water and drought will be out of balance, crops will fail to mature properly, plagues will spread, and many will die tragically. People will toil and struggle, but the government will be harsh and unjust, failing to align with the natural order. Evil people will be as numerous as grains of sand in the ocean, while good people will be scarce. As the calamities draw to an end, the duration of the sun and moon in the sky will shorten, and human lifespans will also decrease. Some will have white hair by the age of 40, becoming old prematurely. Men will indulge in excessive desires, leading to exhaustion and early death, with an average lifespan of 60 years, while women will live to 70, 80, 90 or even 100 years. After this, Maitreya will descend to the world, Poisonous gases will disappear, the weather will be harmonious, crops will flourish, trees will grow tall, lifespans will increase, and all sentient beings will be saved.

It is said that the founder of the Vajrayana tradition, the Indian master Padmasambhava, prophesied the signs of the Dharma-ending Age in the Tibetan Buddhist scriptures: "Iron birds will soar in the sky, iron horses will gallop on the ground, carriages will move without horses; fathers will not be like fathers, and sons will not be like sons." Imagine, over a thousand years ago, how could people have conceived of the existence of airplanes and cars? Padmasambhava lamented: "People will be able to learn about the world and communicate with others just by sitting in front of a mirror without leaving their homes." Today, people with their heads bent over their cellphones, being "mirror-gazing" generation, can indeed learn about the world without leaving their homes, which was clearly foreseen by Padmasambhava.

Prof. Zeng Shiqiang once said: "Currently, society is in disorder, with the feminine principle (Kun) confused and the masculine principle (Qian) disordered. Women are not like women, and men are not like men. Who should start correcting this problem? The answer is women. The 21st century belongs to women, and the status of men will continue to decline. Men should remember the perseverance of Qian hexagram（乾卦）, while women should remember the virtues of Kun hexagram（坤卦）." He also predicted: "In the 21st century, even gods and Buddhas will need to start anew. A new generation of Jiang Ziya will soon emerge to reassign the ranks of these deities, and heroes from all directions will come forth."

From humanity to the natural world, the great calamities of "Dharma-ending Age" seem to revolve around one key word: "inversion"! This inversion distorts the true nature of things. However, according to the universal law of "formation, existence, decay and emptiness", great renewa follows great destruction. After Maitreya attains Buddhahood, the world will return to a peaceful era.