Buddhism FAQ0 >> 16. Future Predictions
Buddhism FAQ[]
(Frequently Asked Questions About Buddhism)
16. Are there any predictions of future by Buddha?[]
Ans : In Mahasupina Jataka (great dreams), Buddha has told about moral degradation of society in the future :
Mahāsupina-Jātaka[]
This about a king having 16 dreams and when advised by his priests, he was about to kill many animals for sacrifice, Buddha explained all dreams and also stopped the killing of animals by teaching him the virtue of non-violence too. Buddha explains the 16 dreams which are related to future moral degradation of society.
Cakkavattisihanada_Sutta[]
Notes: Here Buddha tells about future moral degradation of society. Peoples of nations will become immoral & also start fighting with each other. Buddha's teachings, which are based on 1.morality(sheel) i.e. non-violence, non-immoral-sex, non-stealing, non-intoxication 2. Meditation(Samadhi) 3. Enlightenment(Panna) will be forgotten, then after that, people will again start to realize that righteousness is good, there will come another future Buddha Matteyya during the reign of rulership Sankha(can also be sankgha), who will again establish Dhamma i.e. moral laws as well as the practical path to enlightenment.
Future[]
"Monks, a time will come when the children of these people will have a life-span of ten years. And with them, girls will be marriageable at five years old. And with them, these flavors will disappear: ghee, butter, sesame-oil, molasses and salt. Among them, kudrusa-grain will be the chief food, just as rice and curry are today. And with them, the ten courses of moral conduct will completely disappear, and the ten courses of evil will prevail exceedingly: for those of a ten-year life-span there will be no word for 'moral', so how can there be anyone who acts in a moral way? Those people who have no respect for mother or father, for ascetics and Brahmins, for the head of the clan, will be the ones who enjoy honor and prestige. Just as it is now the people who show respect for mother and father, for ascetics and Brahmins, for the head of the clan, who are praised and honored, so it will be with those who do the opposite.
"Among those of a ten-year life-span no account will be taken of mother or aunt, of mother's sister-in-law, of teacher's wife or of one's father's wives and so on--all will be promiscuous in the world like goats and sheep, fowl and pigs, dogs and jackals. Among them, fierce enmity will prevail one for another, fierce hatred, fierce anger and thoughts of killing, mother against child and child against mother, father against child and child against father, brother against brother, brother against sister, just as the hunter feels hatred for the beast he stalks...
"And for those of a ten-year life-span, there will come to be a 'sword-interval' of seven days, during which they will mistake one another for wild beasts. Sharp swords will appear in their hands and, thinking: 'There is a wild beast!' they will take each other's lives with those swords. But there will be some beings who will think: 'Let us not kill or be killed be anyone! Let us make for some grassy thickets or jungle-recesses or clumps of trees, for rivers hard to ford or inaccessible mountains, and live on roots and fruits of the forest.' And this they will emerge from their hiding-places and rejoice together of one accord, saying: 'Good beings, I see that you are alive!' And then the thought will occur to those beings. 'It is only because we became addicted to evil ways that we suffered this loss of our kindred, so let us now do good! What good things can we do? Let us abstain from the taking of life, and, having undertaken this good thing, will practice it. And through having undertaken such wholesome things, they will increase in life-span and beauty. And the children of those whose life-span was ten years will live for twenty years.
"Then it will occur to those beings: 'It is through having taken to wholesome practices that we have increased in life-span and beauty, so let us perform still more wholesome practices. Let us refrain from taking what is not given, from sexual misconduct, from lying speech, from slander, from harsh speech, from idle chatter, from covetousness, from ill-will, from wrong view; let us abstain from three things: incest, excessive greed, and deviant practices; let us respect our mothers and fathers, ascetics and Brahmins, and the head of the clan, and let us persevere in these wholesome actions.'
"And so they will do these things, and on account of this they will increase in life-span and in beauty. The children of those whose life-span is twenty years will live to be forty, their children will live to be eighty, their children to be a hundred and sixty, their children to be three hundred and twenty, their children to be six hundred and forty; the children of those whose life-span is six hundred and forty years will live for two thousand years, their children for four thousand, their children for eight thousand, and their children for twenty thousand years will live to be forty thousand, and their children will attain to eighty thousand years.
"Among the people with an eighty thousand-year life-span, girls will become marriageable at five hundred. And such people will know only three kinds of disease: greed, fasting, and old age. And in the time of those people this continent of Jambudipa(Indian sub continent) will be powerful and prosperous, and villages, towns and cities will be but a cock's flight one from the next. This Jambudipa, like Avici, will be as thick with people as the jungle is thick with reeds and rushes. At that time the Varanasi of today will be a royal city called Ketumati, powerful and prosperous, crowded with people and well-supplied. In Jambudipa there will be eighty-four thousand cities headed by Ketumati as the royal capital.
"And in the time of the people with an eighty thousand-year life-span, there will arise in the capital city of Ketumati a king called Sankha, a wheel-turning monarch, a righteous monarch of the law, conqueror of the four quarters...
"And in that time of the people with an eighty thousand-year life-span, there will arise in the world a Blessed Lord, an Arahant fully-enlightened Buddha named Metteyya, endowed with wisdom and conduct, a Well-Farer, Knower of the worlds, incomparable Trainer of men to be tamed, Teacher of gods and humans, enlightened and blessed, just as I am now. He will thoroughly know by his own super-knowledge, and proclaim, this universe with its devas and maras and Brahmas, its ascetics and Brahmins, and this generation with its princes and people, just as I do now. He will teach the Dhamma, lovely in its beginning, lovely in its middle, lovely in its ending, in the spirit and in the letter, and proclaim, just as I do now, the holy life (brahmacarya/celibacy) in its fullness and purity. He will be attended by a company of thousands of monks, just as I am attended by a company of hundreds.
"Then King Sankha will re-erect the palace once built by King Maha-Panada and, having lived in it, will give it up and present it to the ascetics and Brahmins, the beggars, the wayfarers, the destitute. Then, shaving off hair and beard, he will don yellow robes and go forth from the household life into hermit life under the supreme Buddha Metteyya. Having gone forth, he will remain alone, in seclusion, ardent, eager and resolute, and before long he will have attained in this very life, by his own super-knowledge and resolution, that unequalled goal of the holy life (brahmacarya), for the sake of which young men of good family go forth from the household life into hermit life, and will abide therein.
What to Do[]
"Monks, be islands unto yourselves, be a refuge unto yourselves with no other refuge. Let the Dhamma be your island, let the Dhamma be your refuge with no other refuge. And how does a monk dwell as an island unto himself...? Here, a monk abides contemplating(meditating on) body as body(kaya as in Anapana), ardent, clearly aware and mindful, having put aside hankering and fretting for the world, he abides contemplating sensations(Vedana) as sensations,...he abides contemplating mind as mind(citta),...he abides contemplating mind-objects(or cause & effect) as mind-objects, ardent, clearly aware and mindful, having put aside hankering and fretting for the world.
"Keep to your own preserves, monks, to your ancestral haunts. If you do so, your life-span will increase, your beauty will increase, your happiness will increase, your wealth will increase, your power will increase.
"And what is length of life for a monk? Here, a monk develops the road to power which is concentration of intention accompanied by effort of will, the road to power which is concentration of energy..., the road to power which is concentration of consciousness..., the road to power which is concentration of investigation accompanied by effort of will. By frequently practicing these four roads to power he can, if he wishes, live for a full century, or the remaining part of a century. That is what I call length of life for a monk.
"And what is beauty for a monk? Here, a monk practices right conduct, is restrained according to the discipline, is perfect in behavior and habits, sees danger in the slightest fault, and trains in the rules of training he has undertaken. This is beauty for a monk.
"And what is happiness for a monk? Here, a monk, detached from seven-desires...enters the first jhana(trance),...the second, third, fourth jhana,...purified by equanimity and mindfulness. This is happiness for a monk.
"And what is wealth for a monk? Here, a monk, with his heart filled with loving-kindness, dwells suffusing one quarter, the second, the third, the fourth. Thus he dwells suffusing the whole world, upwards, downwards, across--everywhere, always with a mind filled with loving-kindness, abundant, unbounded, without hate or ill-will. Then, with his heart filled with compassion,...with his heart filled with sympathetic joy,...with his heart filled with equanimity,...he dwells suffusing the whole world, upwards, downwards, across, everywhere, always with a mind filled with equanimity, abundant, unbounded, without hate or ill-will. That is wealth for a monk.
"And what is power for a monk? Here, a monk, by the destruction of the corruptions, enters into and abides in that corruptionless liberation of heart and liberation by wisdom which he has attained, in this very life, by his own super-knowledge and realization. That is power for a monk.
"Monks, I do not consider any power so hard to conquer as the power of Mara. It is just by this building-up of wholesome states that this merit increases."
Buddha's Words in Pali from Cakkavattisihanada_Sutta[]
Dasavassāyukasamayo
103. ‘‘Bhavissati , bhikkhave, so samayo, yaṃ imesaṃ manussānaṃ dasavassāyukā puttā bhavissanti. Dasavassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu pañcavassikā [pañcamāsikā (ka. sī.)] kumārikā alaṃpateyyā bhavissanti. Dasavassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu imāni rasāni antaradhāyissanti, seyyathidaṃ, sappi navanītaṃ telaṃ madhu phāṇitaṃ loṇaṃ. Dasavassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu kudrūsako aggaṃ bhojanānaṃ [aggabhojanaṃ (syā.)] bhavissati. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, etarahi sālimaṃsodano aggaṃ bhojanānaṃ; evameva kho, bhikkhave, dasavassāyukesu manussesu kudrūsako aggaṃ bhojanānaṃ bhavissati.
‘‘Dasavassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu dasa kusalakammapathā sabbena sabbaṃ antaradhāyissanti, dasa akusalakammapathā atibyādippissanti [ativiya dippissanti (syā. pī.), ativyādippissanti (sī.)]. Dasavassāyukesu , bhikkhave, manussesu kusalantipi na bhavissati, kuto pana kusalassa kārako. Dasavassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu ye te bhavissanti amatteyyā apetteyyā asāmaññā abrahmaññā na kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino, te pujjā ca bhavissanti pāsaṃsā ca. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, etarahi matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino pujjā ca pāsaṃsā ca; evameva kho, bhikkhave, dasavassāyukesu manussesu ye te bhavissanti amatteyyā apetteyyā asāmaññā abrahmaññā na kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino, te pujjā ca bhavissanti pāsaṃsā ca.
‘‘Dasavassāyukesu , bhikkhave, manussesu na bhavissati mātāti vā mātucchāti vā mātulānīti vā ācariyabhariyāti vā garūnaṃ dārāti vā. Sambhedaṃ loko gamissati yathā ajeḷakā kukkuṭasūkarā soṇasiṅgālā [soṇasigālā (sī. pī.)].
‘‘Dasavassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu tesaṃ sattānaṃ aññamaññamhi tibbo āghāto paccupaṭṭhito bhavissati tibbo byāpādo tibbo manopadoso tibbaṃ vadhakacittaṃ. Mātupi puttamhi puttassapi mātari; pitupi puttamhi puttassapi pitari; bhātupi bhaginiyā bhaginiyāpi bhātari tibbo āghāto paccupaṭṭhito bhavissati tibbo byāpādo tibbo manopadoso tibbaṃ vadhakacittaṃ. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, māgavikassa migaṃ disvā tibbo āghāto paccupaṭṭhito hoti tibbo byāpādo tibbo manopadoso tibbaṃ vadhakacittaṃ; evameva kho, bhikkhave, dasavassāyukesu manussesu tesaṃ sattānaṃ aññamaññamhi tibbo āghāto paccupaṭṭhito bhavissati tibbo byāpādo tibbo manopadoso tibbaṃ vadhakacittaṃ. Mātupi puttamhi puttassapi mātari; pitupi puttamhi puttassapi pitari; bhātupi bhaginiyā bhaginiyāpi bhātari tibbo āghāto paccupaṭṭhito bhavissati tibbo byāpādo tibbo manopadoso tibbaṃ vadhakacittaṃ.
104. ‘‘Dasavassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu sattāhaṃ satthantarakappo bhavissati. Te aññamaññamhi migasaññaṃ paṭilabhissanti. Tesaṃ tiṇhāni satthāni hatthesu pātubhavissanti. Te tiṇhena satthena ‘esa migo esa migo’ti aññamaññaṃ jīvitā voropessanti.
‘‘Atha kho tesaṃ, bhikkhave, sattānaṃ ekaccānaṃ evaṃ bhavissati – ‘mā ca mayaṃ kañci [kiñci (ka.)], mā ca amhe koci, yaṃnūna mayaṃ tiṇagahanaṃ vā vanagahanaṃ vā rukkhagahanaṃ vā nadīviduggaṃ vā pabbatavisamaṃ vā pavisitvā vanamūlaphalāhārā yāpeyyāmā’ti. Te tiṇagahanaṃ vā vanagahanaṃ vā rukkhagahanaṃ vā nadīviduggaṃ vā pabbatavisamaṃ vā [te tiṇagahanaṃ vanagahanaṃ rukkhagahanaṃ nadīviduggaṃ pabbatavisamaṃ (sī. pī.)] pavisitvā sattāhaṃ vanamūlaphalāhārā yāpessanti. Te tassa sattāhassa accayena tiṇagahanā vanagahanā rukkhagahanā nadīviduggā pabbatavisamā nikkhamitvā aññamaññaṃ āliṅgitvā sabhāgāyissanti samassāsissanti – ‘diṭṭhā, bho, sattā jīvasi, diṭṭhā, bho, sattā jīvasī’ti.
Āyuvaṇṇādivaḍḍhanakathā
105. ‘‘Atha kho tesaṃ, bhikkhave, sattānaṃ evaṃ bhavissati – ‘mayaṃ kho akusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ samādānahetu evarūpaṃ āyataṃ ñātikkhayaṃ pattā. Yaṃnūna mayaṃ kusalaṃ kareyyāma. Kiṃ kusalaṃ kareyyāma? Yaṃnūna mayaṃ pāṇātipātā virameyyāma, idaṃ kusalaṃ dhammaṃ samādāya vatteyyāmā’ti. Te pāṇātipātā viramissanti, idaṃ kusalaṃ dhammaṃ samādāya vattissanti. Te kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ samādānahetu āyunāpi vaḍḍhissanti, vaṇṇenapi vaḍḍhissanti . Tesaṃ āyunāpi vaḍḍhamānānaṃ vaṇṇenapi vaḍḍhamānānaṃ dasavassāyukānaṃ manussānaṃ vīsativassāyukā puttā bhavissanti.
‘‘Atha kho tesaṃ, bhikkhave, sattānaṃ evaṃ bhavissati – ‘mayaṃ kho kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ samādānahetu āyunāpi vaḍḍhāma, vaṇṇenapi vaḍḍhāma. Yaṃnūna mayaṃ bhiyyosomattāya kusalaṃ kareyyāma. Kiṃ kusalaṃ kareyyāma? Yaṃnūna mayaṃ adinnādānā virameyyāma… kāmesumicchācārā virameyyāma… musāvādā virameyyāma… pisuṇāya vācāya virameyyāma… pharusāya vācāya virameyyāma… samphappalāpā virameyyāma… abhijjhaṃ pajaheyyāma… byāpādaṃ pajaheyyāma… micchādiṭṭhiṃ pajaheyyāma… tayo dhamme pajaheyyāma – adhammarāgaṃ visamalobhaṃ micchādhammaṃ… yaṃnūna mayaṃ matteyyā assāma petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino, idaṃ kusalaṃ dhammaṃ samādāya vatteyyāmā’ti. Te matteyyā bhavissanti petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino, idaṃ kusalaṃ dhammaṃ samādāya vattissanti.
‘‘Te kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ samādānahetu āyunāpi vaḍḍhissanti, vaṇṇenapi vaḍḍhissanti. Tesaṃ āyunāpi vaḍḍhamānānaṃ vaṇṇenapi vaḍḍhamānānaṃ vīsativassāyukānaṃ manussānaṃ cattārīsavassāyukā puttā bhavissanti… cattārīsavassāyukānaṃ manussānaṃ asītivassāyukā puttā bhavissanti… asītivassāyukānaṃ manussānaṃ saṭṭhivassasatāyukā puttā bhavissanti… saṭṭhivassasatāyukānaṃ manussānaṃ vīsatitivassasatāyukā puttā bhavissanti… vīsatitivassasatāyukānaṃ manussānaṃ cattārīsachabbassasatāyukā puttā bhavissanti. Cattārīsachabbassasatāyukānaṃ manussānaṃ dvevassasahassāyukā puttā bhavissanti… dvevassasahassāyukānaṃ manussānaṃ cattārivassasahassāyukā puttā bhavissanti… cattārivassasahassāyukānaṃ manussānaṃ aṭṭhavassasahassāyukā puttā bhavissanti… aṭṭhavassasahassāyukānaṃ manussānaṃ vīsativassasahassāyukā puttā bhavissanti… vīsativassasahassāyukānaṃ manussānaṃ cattārīsavassasahassāyukā puttā bhavissanti… cattārīsavassasahassāyukānaṃ manussānaṃ asītivassasahassāyukā puttā bhavissanti… asītivassasahassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu pañcavassasatikā kumārikā alaṃpateyyā bhavissanti.
Saṅkharājauppatti
106. ‘‘Asītivassasahassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu tayo ābādhā bhavissanti, icchā, anasanaṃ, jarā. Asītivassasahassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu ayaṃ jambudīpo iddho ceva bhavissati phīto ca, kukkuṭasampātikā gāmanigamarājadhāniyo [gāmanigamajanapadā rājadhāniyo (ka.)]. Asītivassasahassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu ayaṃ jambudīpo avīci maññe phuṭo bhavissati manussehi, seyyathāpi naḷavanaṃ vā saravanaṃ [sāravanaṃ (syā.)] vā. Asītivassasahassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu ayaṃ bārāṇasī ketumatī nāma rājadhānī bhavissati iddhā ceva phītā ca bahujanā ca ākiṇṇamanussā ca subhikkhā ca. Asītivassasahassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu imasmiṃ jambudīpe caturāsītinagarasahassāni bhavissanti ketumatīrājadhānīpamukhāni. Asītivassasahassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu ketumatiyā rājadhāniyā saṅkho nāma rājā uppajjissati cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā cāturanto vijitāvī janapadatthāvariyappatto sattaratanasamannāgato. Tassimāni satta ratanāni bhavissanti, seyyathidaṃ, cakkaratanaṃ hatthiratanaṃ assaratanaṃ maṇiratanaṃ itthiratanaṃ gahapatiratanaṃ pariṇāyakaratanameva sattamaṃ. Parosahassaṃ kho panassa puttā bhavissanti sūrā vīraṅgarūpā parasenappamaddanā. So imaṃ pathaviṃ sāgarapariyantaṃ adaṇḍena asatthena dhammena abhivijiya ajjhāvasissati.
Metteyyabuddhuppādo
107. ‘‘Asītivassasahassāyukesu, bhikkhave, manussesu metteyyo nāma bhagavā loke uppajjissati arahaṃ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā. Seyyathāpāhametarahi loke uppanno arahaṃ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā. So imaṃ lokaṃ sadevakaṃ samārakaṃ sabrahmakaṃ sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiṃ pajaṃ sadevamanussaṃ sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedessati, seyyathāpāhametarahi imaṃ lokaṃ sadevakaṃ samārakaṃ sabrahmakaṃ sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiṃ pajaṃ sadevamanussaṃ sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedemi. So dhammaṃ desessati ādikalyāṇaṃ majjhekalyāṇaṃ pariyosānakalyāṇaṃ sātthaṃ sabyañjanaṃ kevalaparipuṇṇaṃ parisuddhaṃ brahmacariyaṃ pakāsessati; seyyathāpāhametarahi dhammaṃ desemi ādikalyāṇaṃ majjhekalyāṇaṃ pariyosānakalyāṇaṃ sātthaṃ sabyañjanaṃ kevalaparipuṇṇaṃ parisuddhaṃ brahmacariyaṃ pakāsemi. So anekasahassaṃ [anekasatasahassaṃ (ka.)] bhikkhusaṃghaṃ pariharissati, seyyathāpāhametarahi anekasataṃ bhikkhusaṃghaṃ pariharāmi.
108. ‘‘Atha kho, bhikkhave, saṅkho nāma rājā yo so yūpo raññā mahāpanādena kārāpito. Taṃ yūpaṃ ussāpetvā ajjhāvasitvā taṃ datvā vissajjitvā samaṇabrāhmaṇakapaṇaddhikavaṇibbakayācakānaṃ dānaṃ datvā metteyyassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa santike kesamassuṃ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajissati. So evaṃ pabbajito samāno eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṃ brahmacariyapariyosānaṃ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissati.
109. ‘‘Attadīpā, bhikkhave, viharatha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā. Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu attadīpo viharati attasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo dhammadīpo dhammasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ. Vedanāsu vedanānupassī…pe… citte cittānupassī…pe… dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ. Evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu attadīpo viharati attasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo dhammadīpo dhammasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo.