Chapter Four
The Signs of Destruction of the Great Stupa at the Ending Time of Dharma
The king Trisong Deutsen once again asked Guru Padmasambhava: "Great master, at the ending period of dharma, the era filled with conflicts and war, the teaching of the Buddha like the echo of emptied cliff, at that time will the wish-fulfilling Maha Buddha Stupa be destroyed or damaged? Will the great stupa be decayed? If the great stupa was neglected by people and was damaged, what would be the sign of destruction that appear? At the ending period of dharma in the contaminated world, this place will appear what type of evil sins? When these signs occurred, what should be done?"
Guru Padmasambhava answered: "Maharaja, you please listen well. The great buddha stupa's great self-essence is indestructible, unstainable, cannot be damage. It is like all the buddhas' infinite dharmakaya. But the great stupa's outer building will be decayed and destroyed, this is the temporary existence within samsara, it is also possible to be damage by the four great elements. The damaged great buddha stupa shall be repaired by the essence of the three lineage yidams, which are the three bodhisattva Manjushri, Avalokitesvara and Vajrapani, including Arya Tara and Wrathful Yidam Likuzit's emanations."
"At the dharma ending period toward the last end of the aeon's great fire, human lifespan will be reduce, darkness shall pervade, but if there are people who propagate the buddhadharma and following the precepts of dharma, it shall be able to slow down the corruption and destruction process. When approaching the end of the aeons, the human lifespan from 60 years will be reduced to 50 years. The sentient beings' selfish desire and self-clinging will corrupted and decayed. At such time they shall appear the following situations, showing that the great stupa will be facing destruction: When the family occupied the monastery, making conflicts at the monasteries; the monasteries become the places of slaughter; those practitioners who do solitary retreat in the wild area of mountain return back to the cities; the yogin practitioners become merchants; robbers and thieves become wealthy, the animals filled up the whole mountain; those who are ordained (as monks) become ordinary men, and the masters and religious leaders become robbers, who frequently steal and rob. The society lost its order and transform into great civil strife, the people scared and helpless, the strife like fire burned the land. The selfish and evil one become the leaders, while the abbots (of monasteries) lead the sangha into war. The nuns killed their own sons. The sons saw their property being taken away by people. The rude and wild politician become leader, while young girls become the school teachers. The magical practices of Bonpo were practiced and studied by yogins, the assets of the monasteries being robbed. The sutra, buddha statue, drawing, stupas and temples and so forth were being destroyed and contaminated, being sold by robbers, the monasteries were occupied by animals, and filled with shits."
"The people no longer value religious practices, those evil demons and spirit hosts who were restricted by the power of the religious practice in the past, become crazy without restriction, controlling the hearts' spirits of those whom they have possessed. Some evil spirits with burning hatred controlled the sanghas, desire-attached and deceptive evil demons controlled the mantrayana yogins and demon magicians, the non-men who spread diseases occupied and controlled the practitioners of Bonpo religion, the non-men who spread diseases spreading diseases in the human realm. The desire-attached and fighting non-men controlled women, the unrestrained lustful non-men also controlled the girls, the corrupted evil spirits controlled the nuns. The non-men who are rebellion and full of hatred controlled the children. The whole country's men, women, old and young people were controlled by the great power of darkness. The signs of those times are the new, strange and extreme clothing style, people no longer remember the traditional way of life. The monks wearing modern clothing and robe, the nuns in front of the mirror doing make-up. Every one bringing sword and arrow for self-defense, every one fear that the food is being poisoned. The monastery abbot and great monks contaminate the hearts and spirits of their disciples. The politician and laws manipulating each other. The men are lustful and unrestrained, the women are promiscuous, unfaithful. The sangha do not uphold precepts, the mantrayana yogins do not guide the samaya. Due to various types of evil desires, the disturbance of angered and cruel evil spirits, every one was in danger, there will be rapid changes of clothing and wear."
"The crazy people propagate the path of liberation, which are delighted to be heard by their worshipper. The evil masters and heredicts giving disciples empowerments that are not in accord with ritual procedure. The flattery and touchy speeches were viewed as wisdom. The arrogant one speak out dirty words, the ordinary people ruled the country, the king become poor man, the butcher and cruel people become leaders, the shameless opportunists occupied the high seat. The great master of Anuttarayoga Tantra wandering like wild dog in the street, and they lacked faith and confused their disciples, in the wilderness they wondered like lions. The selfish evil person become master respected by people. On the contrary, the accomplishment of mantrayana yogins was laugh by people shamefully, the Vajra Achaya's guidance was hated by people. No one respect the precepts of Buddha, the disclosures of yogins and the wise were being look down by people. Stupid people and evil men wearing sangha's robe. The people desirous of evil magical rite, reciting mantra for the sake of selfish benefits. The ordained monks prepared to make poisonous medicines, to provide people who create profit by forcing others for money. The evil master intentionally contrived the buddhadharma, the evil paths become like the buddhadharma which it isn't. Those erroneous path which hasn't being spoken in the past become respected and followed by people. Many evil practices widely spread. Those actions not acceptable by people in the past, will be ever to be seen by eyes. The reasons and thoughts which contradict tradition will then be believed by people without doubt. The good and auspicious cultures were unaccepted by people, the shameful, lowly and strange culture wind causing people to lose their will. The assets of monasteries were robbed by people, or being wasted by the monasteries' abbots. The people wandering in the erroneous path of confusion, they fell into the fruit of retribution of their own evil paths. The protectors of dharma who are attached to desire and pretending, no longer doing their best in their duty to protect the buddhadharma."
"The procedure of the movement of celestial objects went wrong, as such on Earth will appear contagious diseases, famine and warfare. The stars and planets rotate crazily and confusingly, went out of orbit. The huge flying stars appeared and bring disasters that were unheard of. The rains will frequently lose their timing. The mountain valley were covered by flood. Famine, falling snow and rains of ice will torture for many years. The desire-attached female demons and the 12 female dharma protectresses will fiercely and angrily given out sicknesses and contagious diseases, like great fire pervading, transmitted to people and animals. The earth quake will cause flood. Great fire, hurricane, huge down-pour and wind will suddenly destroyed monasteries, buddha stupa and cities. At this time, the Maha Buddha Stupa will naturally collapsed. When this darkness covered the great earth, the dharma wheel of Bodhi Gaya will stop rotating. War and hurricane will attacked Nepal for many years. In India, everywhere they will be famine. Kademandu flat land will be filled with contagious diseases. The earth quake will killed many people of Tibet's western part of Arli region. The contagious diseases will also destroyed the people of Tibet's central region. At population of Lasachit river's flat land will decrease. At the place of Mongolia's Himalaya mountain peak will sinked into the flat land. At the Wufung mountain top will be build with three strong wall. The yogins will gathered at the place of Mongolia's 'Shiun' cave river valley. At Shikang will appear 2 sons. The king of China suddenly die. From the border suddenly there will be four directional army troops intruding Tibet's central region. The Muslim will invade India. Galo army troops will threatened the buddhist disciples at Kamu Mi-er. The Mongolia army will occupied Tibet. Lasa great 'Chou' monastery will gradually approaching destruction, the Samye monastery being destroyed. The buddha stupa at Bhutan will be shaking, the dharma wheel no longer turning."
"The courtyard of all the great monasteries of the whole country will be abandoned, the Bonpo ritual procedures can be seen everywhere. In the monasteries, those great masters will learning and practice will all be poisoned and murdered, causing the lineage transmissions' explanatory teaching and practice to be scattered or lost. The lineage holders will frequently meet with accidents. The evil masters and magicians will cheat the people, ghosts and demons will pervade the whole country. The sacred samaya rope that bound the ghosts and demons already loosen, the rope that bind people's faith already broken. The law of the country lost its power and trust, the society will be spread apart and collapsed. The people belittled tradition, the people's ocean of satisfaction already dried up. The individuals' morality died out, the outer jacket of self-constrain already being thrown. The morality already weaken, declined and tired, and were freely determined by unconstrained, inconsiderate rulers. Great monks, teachers, and the wise become the leaders of armies, while the ignorance lead the sangha assembly, and propagate dharma, giving empowerment. Those ambitious one open out their mouth with crazy words to defend themselves, the butchers and crazy men lead the people. The small roads, flat valley and dark lane filled with robbers. The people are fierce and without law, who fear no authority, they fight against one another, being selfish and self-profit minded. Tibet shall become the place of corruption and contamination. This is the sign of the middle of the ending period of dharma, when the human lifespan was at 50 years. This is the sign of the destruction of the Maha Buddha Stupa."
"These painful scenes shall cause the hearts of everyone to be awaken, he shall be tired of the afflictive situation of human lives, his heart shall be full of compassion towards the suffering sentient beings, his action shall be protected, he shall diligently rebuild the Maha Buddha Stupa. His wishes shall be accomplished, and wishes to rebuild the great stupa."
When Guru Padmasambhava finished saying, the king Trisong Deutsen and all the other high officials were astonished and furied. Later the master Padma Kunchen of Kodi arise and prostrated to Guru Padmasambhava for a hundred times and said: "Great master, I wish to be able to reborn at the dharma-ending period of degeneration, when the human lifespan was very short to rebuild the great stupa."
Guru Padmasambhava promised to him that his wishes shall be accomplished. King Trisong Deutsen also request to help to rebuild the great stupa, furthermore all his official also make wishes to be able to participate in the rebuilding of the great stupa.