Introduction
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
2.1.15 Phussattheragāthā - 2500 Years Are Over! The Clock of Vipassana Has Struck! Make Use of This Rare Opportunity!
Gāme vā yadi vāraññe, ninne vā yadi vā thale;
Yattha arahanto viharanti, taṃ bhūmirāmaṇeyyakaṃ.1
Wherever an Arahant dwells,
Whether in a village, or a forest, in a lower region or higher,
This is a delightful region (to be).2
At one time there lived a saint by the name of Phussa who had established himself in the insight of Vipassana, and had acquired the six supernormal powers and was therefore renowned for his far vision and foresight.3 Once another saint4 by the name of Paṇḍarasagotto approached Phussa Thera and asked the following question:
Kiṃchandā kimadhippāyā, kimākappā bhavissare;
Anāgatamhi kālamhi, taṃ me akkhāhi pucchito.
What kinds of desire will people have, of what intention
And of what conduct will they be in future times,
Tell me this when being asked thus?
Phussa’s far reaching reply was this.
Suṇohi vacanaṃ mayhaṃ, sakkaccaṃ upadhārehi, ācikkhissāmyanāgataṃ5
Listen to my words and consider them carefully, I will proclaim the future times!
ācikkhissāmyanāgataṃ is partly represented in this last lesson. According to the commentary, it lays the base for the firm Burmese belief that the Sāsana will remain for 5000 years divided into two halves of 2500 years with each half marked by five periods of 500 years.
There can be no question that the prophesy based on this foresight of Phussa Thera proved to be true. Not only that, the Dhamma is available in both its theoretical aspect of pariyatti and its practical implementation of paṭipatti through the applied meditation practice of Vipassana practiced by householders of every generation.
While the Introductions to the lessons in this chapter tried to provide a condensed summary of the historical accounts and the indispensable efforts of those who enabled the Dhamma to be maintained, one should also consider the changes in what one may call the ‘Zeitgeist’. About fifty years ago the term ‘meditation’ hardly existed at all. Likewise the Buddha’s teaching was scarcely known and its theoretical aspect was hardly accessible.
Then philosophers like Arthur Schopenhauer and writers like Hermann Hesse with his book Siddhartha, as well as others began embracing the spirit of the Buddha’s teaching. Because of translations by Rhys Davids, Edward Conze, and monks such as Nyanaponika and Nyanatiloka, the theory of Dhamma became more accessible. The foundation of the Pāli Text Society (PTS) with its publications in Roman-Pāli script, the first Pāli-English dictionary by R. Childers, followed by the PTS Pāli Dictionary along with some Pāli grammar publications enabled individual study of the words of the Buddha. The Buddhist Publication Society (BPS) made various translations and essays, by a wider range of authors, available so that different aspects of the teaching were elaborated. More and more previously unknown literature was made accessible and thus provided many texts in different translations.
A ‘far cry’ started ‘calling’ travellers of the younger generation to follow the ‘hippie trail’ towards India and Asia, in search of ‘something’ they felt lacking in western cultures. This proved to be exactly the time when S. N. Goenka started teaching the practical aspect of Dhamma through Vipassana. Now paṭipatti could be experienced, its accompanying spirit and philosophy comprehended and valued. Many of those travellers — especially those who also visited Buddhist countries like Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka — became attracted to what they saw and started to practice various meditation techniques that were hitherto available only in the East.
While at that time one had to travel to India to learn meditation, over the last decade meditation centres spread throughout the world and ‘meditation’ is no longer a foreign word. With the advance of technology and the internet today, all aspects of the Buddha’s teaching are available and just a mouse-click away. This may have some side effects as well. The introspective term ‘mindfulness’, once promoted by the Buddhist monk Nyanaponika as an approach to deeper insight, has become mainstream in a ‘despoiled’ form by disregarding the basic wholesome principles of ethics and thus disabling the potential of developing paññā.6
That the Sāsana would be maintained and the Dhamma available for 5000 years was explained in Gotamīsuttavaṇṇanā, the commentary to the establishment of the ‘eight garudhamma for Bhikkhunis.7 Here it is announced that the duration of ‘5000 years’ (pañca vassasatāni ṭhassatīti) was that:
a) Arahants would attain complete analytical knowledge in the first 1000 years:
paṭisambhidāpabhedappattakhīṇāsavānaṃ vaseneva vuttaṃ;
b) The next 1000 years would be characterised by the existence of ‘dry-insight Arahants’ without any impurities remaining:
sukkhavipassakakhīṇāsavavasenavassasahassaṃ;
c) Followed by 1000 years of non-returners: anāgāmivasena vassasahassaṃ;
d) Again followed by a period of 1000 years of ‘once-returners’ inhabiting the world: sakadāgāmivasenavassasahassaṃ;
e) With the final 1000 years concluding these 5000 years where ‘stream-enterers’ will dwell in the world: sotāpannavasena vassasahassanti.
Thus these 5000 years make up the period of the penetration and realisation of Dhamma.8
evaṃ pañcavassasahassāni paṭivedhasaddhammo ṭhassati
According to the Burmese tradition these 5000 years, during which the Sāsana will be maintained, is separated into two divisions of 2500 with each further divided onto five groups of five-hundred years and each with repetitive predominance of the specific qualities of deliverance: vimutti, concentration (samādhi), moral standards (sīla), learning (suta), and generosity (dāna). The first half of the Sāsana has passed and one is fortunate to encounter the beginning of the second half: the era of the practical application of meditation. It is the cycle where the clock of Vipassana has again struck and Dhamma is bound to spread throughout the world on the base of the feasible application of paññā. This is the period of Vipassana, the period of applied insight and thus it enables the accomplishment in the three trainings, the tīsu sikkhāsu of sīla, samādhi, paññā.
This understanding of two cycles of the Sāsana is based on the commentary9 on the verses of Thera Phussa as presented in this lesson. With clairvoyance he foresaw the decline in the conduct of Bhikkhus and admonished them firmly to get established in proper behaviour by putting forth all exuberance as long as the last period, the last time (pacchimo kālo) may not have arrived:
Evaṃ anāgataddhānaṃ,10 paṭipatti bhavissati;
Bhikkhūnaṃ bhikkhunīnañca, patte kālamhi pacchime.
Thus in future times will the practice of the Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis
Develop when the last time is reached.
This is the exposition of the commentary:
“Evan”ti-ādi vuttassevatthassa11 nigamanaṃ.12 Tattha evanti vuttappakārena. Anāgataddhānanti anāgatamaddhānaṃ, anāgate kāleti attho. Taṃyeva sarūpato13 dassento “patte kālamhi pacchime”ti āha.14
Starting with: “In this way” here is the explanation of the meaning of what has been set forth. Here “In this way” is the exposition of what has been said.15 Here the future time is the period in the future; the meaning refers to the time in the future. Therefore with reference to what has been said it should be understood of: “when the last time is reached.”
Tattha katamo pacchimakālo? “Tatiyasaṅgītito paṭṭhāya pacchimakālo”ti keci, taṃ eke nānujānanti.16
Thus what is the last time? The last time starts, according to some, from the third saṅgīti, but this is not acknowledged by others.
Sāsanassa hi pañcayugāni vimuttiyugaṃ, samādhiyugaṃ, sīlayugaṃ, sutayugaṃ, dānayuganti. Tesu paṭhamaṃ vimuttiyugaṃ, tasmiṃ antarahite17 samādhiyugaṃ vattati, tasmimpi antarahite sīlayugaṃ vattati, tasmimpi antarahite sutayugaṃ vattateva.
Because the sāsana is divided into five parts:
The period of deliverance (vimutti); the period of concentration (samādhi); the period of upholding of moral principles (sīla); the period of learning, what has been heard (suta) and the period of generosity (dāna). Of these, the first period is that of vimutti; after the disappearance of it the period of samādhi comes into existence; after the disappearance of it the period of sīla evolves; after the disappearance of it the period of suta comes into existence.
Aparisuddhasīlo18 hi ekadesena pariyattibāhusaccaṃ paggayha19 tiṭṭhati lābhādikāmatāya.20 Yadā pana mātikāpariyosānā21 pariyatti sabbaso antaradhāyati22, tato paṭṭhāya liṅgamattameva avasissati, tadā yathā tathā dhanaṃ saṃharitvā23 dānamukhena vissajjenti,24 sā kira25 nesaṃ carimā sammāpaṭipatti. Tattha sutayugato paṭṭhāya pacchimakālo, “sīlayugato paṭṭhāyā”ti apare.
Because sīla does not get completely purified in a certain region, theoretical studies through exertion in great learning are maintained because of the desire beginning with gain. But when achievements of theoretical knowledge completely terminate, it vanishes. From henceforth only outward signs (liṅga) remain. After that, having accumulated wealth in various ways, they begin giving donations (dāna); this, truly, is the final right practice. Then, after the disappearance of the period of learning (suta) commences the last time. Others say26 that it is from the time of the disappearance of morality.
Whether this prophesy may prove true or not, one does not know. But the fact is that the teaching of the Buddha is fully available. May these present five-hundred years enable a multitude of beings to make use of the generously distributed teaching by walking on the Path for the benefit and wellbeing of many! May many beings gratefully accept that inheritance of a few leaves offered by the Enlightened One, as long as we will be able to, for our own safety and the welfare of others!
With his previous foreboding, Venerable Phussa Thera proved a true kalyāṇamitta27 by encouraging and stirring his listeners to make best use of the remaining period. The next four hundred fifty years of pañña are about to start.
The following eight units depict the respective constituents of the Eightfold Noble Path in more detail. May the readers be likewise stirred to establish themselves fully in each and every component of the Ariyo Aṭṭhaṅgiko Maggo and be enabled to delve deeper, with proper understanding and right endeavor, into the application of the teaching and to realize all the eight constituents.
Añjalikatva, kataññū katavedī
saṅghaṃ taṃ paṇamāmyahaṃ
1. bhūmirāmaṇeyyakaṃ: bhūmi + rāmaṇeyyaka — earth, country + pleasant, agreeable.
2. Sāriputtattheragāthā, Tiṃsanipāto, Theragāthāpāḷi, Khuddakanikāye.
3. … jhānāni nibbattetvā jhānapādakaṃ vipassanaṃ paṭṭhapetvā nacirasseva chaḷabhiññoahosi. Phussattheragāthāvaṇṇanā. On the‘chaḷabhiñño’ see footnote at 1.3.8 Caṅkamasuttaṃ - Bound Together by Inclinations.
4. Isīti tāpaso.
5. ācikkhissāmyanāgataṃ: ācikkhissāmi + y + anāgataṃ — I will tell, show, announce + the future.
6. For more on mindfulness see 3.8.1 Vibhaṅgasuttaṃ-8 – What is Sammāsati - Right Awareness? - A Concern Expressed!
7. See 2.1.7 Paṭhamapaṭipadāsuttaṃ - How to Walk the Path Correctly.
8. It is also said that after that there will be no Dhamma of learning (pariyatti) which also only exists during these 5000 years, as only based on learning there will be penetration of Dhamma, otherwise not: Pariyattidhammopi tāniyeva.Na hi pariyattiyā asati paṭivedho atthi, nāpi pariyattiyā sati paṭivedho nahoti.
Gotamīsuttavaṇṇanā, Gotamīvaggo, Dutyapaṇṇāsakaṃ, Aṭṭhakanipāta-aṭṭhakathā Aṅguttaranikāye.
9. Phussattheragāthāvaṇṇanā.
10. anāgataddhānaṃ: anāgata + addhāna — future + time, period.
11. vuttassevatthassa: vuttassa + eva + atthassa — said, spoken of + indeed + of the meaning.
12. nigamana: explanation, illustration.
13. sarūpato: (abl.) with reference to.
14. āha: said, spoken of, told.
15. vuttappakārena: vutta + p + pakārena — what has been said + explanation: this refers to the description of the conduct and practice of the Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis as depicted by Phussa Thera in his verses.
16. nānujānanti: na +anujānanti — not + agree, consent to.
17. antarahito: disappearance, passing away, vanishing.
18. aparisuddhasīlo: a + pari + suddha + sīlo — not + completely purified + sīla.
19. paggayha: stretching forth, taking up, exerting.
20. lābhādikāmatāya: lābha + ādi + kāmatāya — gain, receiving + starting from + desire, craving (this phrase probably refers to the standard: lābhasakkhārasiloka: gain, offerings and renown).
21. mātikāpariyosānā: mātikā + pariyosānā — order, list, summary + termination; (mātikā is the introductory summary, or presented concept of texts in the Abhidhamma. For more details see 3.1.13 Abhidhamma - Introduction and Terminology).
22. antaradhāyati: vanish, disappear.
23. saṃharitvā: saṃharati (ger.) — collect, accumulate, gather.
24. vissajjeti: sending forth or away, to emit, discharge.
25. kira: truly, really, they say.
26. apare: by others, another interpretation: the commentators in general collect, mention or dwell on diverging views introducing them with these words. There are also slightly varying interpretations of the predominance of the respective stages of the 5000 years in the Anāgatavaṃsa, which are neglected here.
27. See 3.1.8 Upaḍḍhasuttaṃ - The Importance of a Kalyāṇamitta.