DHARMA ENDING AGE | Zen Wisdom

QUESTION:
What is the meaning of the Dharma Ending Age? Does it mean the world is getting worse? Are there realms where there are no Buddhas at all? If bodhisattvas return to help sentient beings, how can there ever be a Dharma Ending Age? Are there people who cannot be enlightened?

SHIH-FU:
Everything, including our world, goes through a process of creation, abiding, decay and destruction. All that comes into being eventually disappears. Furthermore, we must admit that in many ways the world is not as good as it used to be. Yes, people today live longer and there is better technology, but people today have more vexations than did people in the past; and obviously, the environment is in bad shape.

Beings are born in worlds according to their karma. Beings with good karma will be born in worlds that are better. Our world was better in the past, so the beings who came into the world then had better karma. Likewise, the beings who were around Sakyamuni Buddha also had good karma. But as time goes on and the world becomes less wholesome, those beings with meritorious karma who reside here are fewer. Beings who practice and penetrate the Dharma become scarce, until there are nearly none left. These days it is very difficult to practice Buddhadharma and attain sainthood.

The idea of the Dharma Ending Age can be found in all of the ancient sutras ─ Mahayana, Hinayana and Agama. It means that people have always had a sense that Buddhadharma would not be around this world forever. They knew that as time went on after the Buddha passed away, the number of people who would be enthusiastic about the Dharma and practice wholeheartedly would diminish. It does seem that the number of people in the world attaining high levels of practice is scant these days. In the past, it was possible for large numbers of people to devote their entire lives and energies to practice, to leave society and practice in monasteries. These days it is difficult to find isolated environments to practice in, and there is a lot more temptation to cope with.

On the other hand, some might say that as long as someone practices diligently and has profound attainment, then it is the right Dharma age for that person. That is correct; it is the right Dharma period for that individual.

Of course, there are innumerable realms in the universe, and many of them do not have the presence of the Dharma and Buddhas. Even in this world during the time of Sakyamuni, only a small percentage of the world knew of him, and fewer still understood and practiced the Dharma. For such people there was no Buddha and no Dharma. The percentage of the world population today that accepts and practices the Dharma is negligible. Not everyone has a karmic connection with the Dharma.

Bodhisattvas may manifest in any place in order to help sentient beings. They may be here right now, but people without the right karmic roots would not be aware of them. Furthermore, bodhisattvas are not limited to planet Earth and the human realm. There are many other worlds and realms where bodhisattvas appear.

STUDENT:
All of this is perplexing. It would seem that the number of good practitioners should increase as the years go on. As Buddhism spread in the early years and more and more people experienced high levels of attainment, that would just increase the amount of exposure to the Dharma people could have. There should be thousands of saints today and they should be more recognizable. It seems, instead, that the power cannot sustain itself, that it is going to end, and that bothers me.

SHIH-FU:
Just because some practitioners consider themselves seekers does not mean that they have deep enough karmic roots to meet and interact with a bodhisattva. Secondly, as I said before, this is not the only world. People who lived here once do not have to be reborn here again. Bodhisattvas do not come only to this world. Finally, it depends on the karmic roots of the sentient beings in the world. If bodhisattvas come and see that sentient beings are not ready, they may plant a few seeds for future generations and then leave.

I am not sure if the Buddha himself ever spoke of a Dharma Ending Age. But the idea definitely exists in all of the sutras and sastras, so the authors and compilers obviously noticed that interest in Buddhadharma waned as time passed. To have an idea of a Dharma Ending Age is, in fact, good. It makes us vigilant. It keeps us alert to the fact that, unless we are serious and dedicated, our attainment will be small or nonexistent. And if we do not practice diligently, the next time we are born we may find ourselves in an environment with no Dharma.

STUDENT:
What about the icchanti. or beings who cannot get enlightened? I thought Buddhism stated that all sentient beings can get enlightened.

SHIH-FU:
Icchanti are people who have not planted any seeds in Buddhadharma. If they have not done so yet, then their chance of doing so later, when the Dharma Ending Age is further along, is highly unlikely. On the other hand, if you look into the infinite future and acknowledge the infinite number of worlds, than I suppose anything is possible. Since all things change, then perhaps all beings do have a chance to attain Buddhahood.

In the Mahaparanirvana Sutra, it is said that all sentient beings can attain Buddhahood. In some earlier sutras, it is written that there are some beings who are incapable of becoming enlightened. Some beings have certain characteristics that make it impossible for them to learn and practice Buddhadharma successfully. Even though the sutra says that all beings can attain Buddhahood, I believe this was spoken by the Buddha more out of compassion than anything else ─ to encourage every sentient being to study and practice Buddhadharma. The Buddha’s words were meant for practitioners as well as teachers and the Sangha. If the Sangha believed in icchanti, they might begin to prejudge people as to whether they were worthy of being taught Buddhadharma.

STUDENT:
I thought that, according to Buddhadharma, all things were mutually interacting and penetrating. If that is true, then the Dharma will always be with us and there will always be the possibility of attainment.

SHIH-FU:
What you say comes from the Avatamsaka Sutra. But you can only experience that truth once you attain high levels of practice. It is said that all things are mutually related, mutually connected, mutually penetrating; but if you are just an ordinary sentient being, you cannot experience that condition. Your body is your body and not mine. Your home is your home and not someone else’s. If we as unenlightened people tried to incorporate this ultimate principle into our daily lives, society would fall into chaos. Although all phenomena interpenetrate, we as ordinary sentient beings do not experience it that way.

STUDENT:
I suppose the best attitude to take is to make a vow to practice now and do the best possible, regardless of what age it is said to be. Perhaps I should vow to be reborn where Buddhadharma flourishes, so that I may continue to practice in the future.

SHIH-FU:
Ch’an says there is no coming or going, so it does not matter where you are reborn. What matters is now, this life. What matters is your practice in the present moment. Don’t worry about Dharma Ending Ages and other worlds. Just practice and cultivate Buddhadharma.

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