About 2600 years ago, The Buddha spoke about a future, and He mentioned several things, which to me, is very interesting.
As such, I would like to share with everyone some of the things He said.
Something for all of us to reflect on, and consider carefully and seriously.
1) In the far future, when rulers are stingy,
When citizens are unrighteous and unwholesome,
When the world is perverted, and when good is waning (decreasing) and evil is waxing (increasing),
In those days of the world decline, rains would fall in the wrong seasons, the crops will wither, and famine will stalk the land.
At that time, immense clouds will gather from the 4 directions as if for rain. The thunder will roar and the lightning will flash, but these clouds will retreat without giving any rain.
2) In the far future, passions will be so strong that even young girls will cohabit with men.
They would want to get married and have families because they're filled with passion and desire. Their minds would crave for sensual pleasures.
They would enjoy body, sound, smell, taste and touch and crave for sexual pleasure and gratification.
They would feel unashamed to indulge in sex like animals. Despite their immaturity, they will get pregnant and have children.
When they're pregnant, they will find ways to get rid of the babies.
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3) There will come a time when young people will have no regard for their parents. They will take over the savings of their elderly parents and give them to their own children.
Parents would have to please and flatter their children all the time.
And if the children are pleased with them, they would provide for the old folks.
If not, the elderly parents would get nothing.
Thus, the old people, destitute and dependent, will be at the mercy of their own children, and survive only depending on their children's whims and fancies.
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4) In the far future, people would tend to let young graduates assume heavy administrative duties of the country.
Young people had knowledge, BUT they lacked experience, capacity, well roundedness and carefulness in management of economic, political and social problems.
They would make mistakes and destroy things.
Their lack of responsibility would cause trade deficit and damage to the country and its development.
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5) In the distant future, unwholesome and irresponsible rulers will appoint unrighteous and greedy judges.
These judges are not concern about upholding justice, and being blind to virtue and honesty, will take bribes.
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6) In the far future, foolish people would let Lord Buddha's Teachings, The Dhamma, be abused and destroyed by many religious cults by way of modifying Dhamma to fit their impure and immoral teachings.
They would then announce that Lord Buddha's teachings were part of their beliefs.
Many people would misunderstand that Lord Buddha's teachings and other beliefs were compatible, and therefore were the same.
In fact those cults do NOT understand the value of Lord Buddha's teachings at all.
People like these would exist when Lord Buddha had gone in Nibbana.
There would be so many cults claiming that they were the right religions.
7) A time will come in the far-off future when women will have greater cravings.
They will desire men, strong liquor, extravagant clothes, jewelleries, entertainment and all sorts of useless possessions.
They will neglect their homes and families and spend a lot of time shopping.
The women will get drunk with their lovers and carry on shamelessly, wasting all the money for drinks, amusements and sensual pleasures.
8) In the distant future, people would be full of greed and desire.
They would not want clean, honest but low-paying jobs which could not satisfy their greed.
They would seek power in the national assembly and only unwholesome rulers will be in power.
They will not care about morality, wholesomeness and justice,
But more interested in increasing their wealth than in the well-being of the citizens.
9) There will come a time when everyone from the rulers to the officials, ministers, priests, home makers, holy men, gods etc are unwholesome.
The weather will be in chaos : Winds may sometimes blow too hard, and sometimes not at all.
In one place the heavy downpour will damage the crops, while in others, the crops will wither from drought.
The whole world will be in chaos.
10) In the far future, people would be split in their beliefs.
One group would believe in Lord Buddha's teachings, the right Dhamma, which when practised to the final stage could really eradicate sufferings.
This group would believe in Nibbana, the extinction of defilements and suffering, as the goal of The Noble Path.
They would believe that Hell and Heaven exist -
That good merits and evil acts cause good and bad results accordingly (i.e. Kamma),
And that woeful states would follow the person who does evil.
Another group would be uncertain about whether the Noble Path still exist in the time when Buddhism was very old.
They would not be sure if Lord Buddha's teachings were still perfect, and whether there were still good Buddhist monks who could reach the stage of Nibbana.
They would be full of doubts.
Yet another group would refuse to believe in The Noble Path, its result and Nibbana all together.
Among this group there would be no such things like hell or heaven, nor would there be any consequence of merits and sins, or any life after death.
They'll be completely DELUDED.
Toward the end of Buddhism, people would have more and more wrong views.
11) In the far future, when The Buddha Teachings (Dhamma) is waning,
There will be a group of people, including greedy immoral bhikkhus (monks) who would trade The Dhamma (The Buddha's Teachings) for money and fame.
They would write books about them and sell them for a living.
They would also DISTORT The Truth to gratify their stomachs, and their preaching will NOT lead to Nibbana.
They will use fine words and sweet voices to induce lay believers to give them costly robes, delicate food and every comfort, turning the 4 essential / necessities of food, clothing, shelter and medicine to luxuries,
And having much more in excess than what they really need.
For the sake of luxuries, they will do many kinds of unseemly and inappropriate things.
They will stoop to preach for money.
They will teach the worthlessness of luxuries and the unwholesomeness of greed by preaching Non-attachment,
BUT in return for preaching, they will ask for money and luxuries.
The money and luxuries only fuel an increase in craving, rather than show the way towards liberation from craving.
Because they desert The Truth,
And because they side with the sectarians, heretics and the occult, and practising it,
Their preaching will NOT lead to Nibbana.
12) In the distant future THE World WILL be in chaos because
Good, knowledgeable, intelligent, wise and capable people, both monks and laymen, would NOT be admired by society.
Pure good-hearted monks who practised according to The Noble Path, would not be respected.
People would not come to hear their teachings. They would be regarded as old fashion.
People would pay no attention and no respect to them.
There would be fewer and fewer good monks in Buddhism.
HOWEVER, the unwholesome teachings of immoral monks will be followed and adored.
Whenever there are enquires about proper behaviour, rules of conduct or discipline,
Only the counsel of wicked, corrupt and immoral monks will be considered.
The advice of modest monks will be ignored.
13) During the end of the religion, this event would occur -
Where only the false and evil will be respected and honoured,
While The Truth and honest ignored and abandoned.
At the end of Buddhism, when the wise speak, the ignorant will laugh at them with scorn.
The teachings of the wise will NOT penetrate deep into the hearts of men.
In addition, monks who are undeveloped in bodily conduct, virtue, mind and discernment,
When giving a talk on higher Dhamma, or a talk composed of questions and answers,
WILL fall into DARK mental states without their being aware of it.
Similarly, bad and sinful people, who did not observe any precept and were immoral, wicked, flattering and unashamed, would be admired in the society.
They would gain power and fame and have many followers and servants.
Laymen like this would be respected highly, welcome and pleased by the public.
In fact they were like a mirror reflecting the situation of the society and the country.
Whether the society was developing or deteriorating could be seen from this big mirror in the national assembly.
It was the indicator, the window or the door of the society.
In a country, the kind of representatives elected by the people would reflect the kind of people themselves.
In the society of monks and nuns in the case of Buddhism, the religion WILL deteriorate.
A monk is made famous by laymen who spread words of admiration about the monk's supernatural and sacred qualities.
It was according to laymen's belief which is a Noble One.
In that time, The Arahants, the ones who were truly free from defilements and sufferings, would not be honoured.
Followers from different sects would have their own definition of an 'arahant' - a term which they don't even know or understand.
They would publicize the practice of their 'monks' very excessively.
The monks made famous in this way would use the monks' outfits for their business.
They made use of the religion for their living and self-benefit, and because of that,
Toward the end of Buddhism, people would lose their respect in the religion.
Their faith would decline, because they saw misconducts among the monks.
ONLY Wise people who were firm in reasoning would seek the right monks.
14) In the far-off future when the world is in decline,
People's desires will be so strong that they are enslaved by their cravings.
Men's passions will be so strong that they will be infatuated with young brides, losing all judgement and self-respect.
In the assembly of monks and nuns,
Famous popular (BUT unenlightened) monks spoke with impressive speech.
They preach like cobras spreading their hoods,
Play great roles in the society and commanded respect and faith from the people who are totally UNaware of how monks should be.
The false monks will receive great wealth, fame and title so much so that they forgot themselves and completely lose their minds.
They would not have control over their eyes, ears, noses, tongues and minds, and allow them to enjoy forms, sounds, smell, tastes and tactile sensations until sensual pleasure filled up their minds.
In addition, there will be monks who will live in close association with nuns, female practitioners and novices.
As they interact with nuns, female practitioners and novices, they can be expected to lead the holy life dissatisfied,
Or to fall into one of the grosser offences, leaving the training, returning to a lower way of life.
15) Towards the end of Buddhism, immoral monks who were good at acquiring possessions, would increase in numbers.
They being undeveloped in bodily conduct, virtue, mind and discernment, will give full ordination to others, and take on others as students,
But will not be able to discipline them in heightened virtue, heightened mind and heightened discernment.
The junior monks who look up to the senior monks for guidance,
Would take the lead from the behaviour of the immoral senior monks, and would NOT observe the monks' rules (Vinaya).
They would NOT know about right and wrong, and / or what their duties are.
They would enter monkshood ONLY because it's a tradition.
16) In the far future, people would be unsatisfied with ruling by the king.
They would protest against this type of ruling and seek democracy, in which the king's role and power were reduced, and all were under the same laws.
When the king refused, they would seize his power by force, according to the needs of the people.
Any king who refused would be overthrown and forced out of the country, together with his family.
In addition, bad monks will rule the day,
And evil monks will harass the good, worthy monks until The Worthy Ones flee from the monasteries to the jungle.
The good and The Noble will live in fear of the powerful and the Evil.
There WILL BE lesser and lesser good honest folks.....
So, is our present age 'The Future' which The Buddha spoke about?
You be the judge.
You decide.
"From corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline;
From corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.
- The Buddha
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Reference :
1) Samyutta Nikaya
2) That the True Dhamma might last a long time - Readings selected by King Asoka, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
3) Buddha's 16 Prophesies by Phra Acariya Thoon Khippapanno.
4) The Jakata Tales.
