佛說仁王般若波羅蜜經 2.48

2.48

The Buddha told King Prasenajit: "I admonish and instruct you all: after my parinirvāṇa, in the period of eighty years, eight hundred years, or eight thousand years, when there is no buddha, no Dharma, and no Saṅgha, when there are no faithful laymen and no faithful laywomen, this sūtra and the Three Jewels are entrusted to the kings and the fourfold assembly of disciples to receive, uphold, recite, expound, and explain its meaning, opening up the path of empty wisdom for the sentient beings of the three realms, cultivating the practices of the seven worthy stages and the ten good actions, and transforming all sentient beings. Later, in the age of the five turbidities, monks, nuns, the fourfold assembly of disciples, the eight classes of devas and nāgas, all divine kings, kings, ministers, crown princes, and royal princes, relying on their own nobility, will destroy and ruin my Dharma. They will clearly enact restrictive laws to restrict my disciples, the monks and nuns. They will not allow them to go forth from household life or practice the Way, nor will they allow the making of buddha images or stupas. They will establish official controllers to oversee the assembly and set up registers to record the monastics; monks will stand on the ground, while white-robed laity sit high; soldiers and slaves will be made monks; and they will follow the practice of accepting individual invitations. Monks who are acquaintances will unite in exclusive favoritism; monks will hold vegetarian banquets for them to seek worldly merit, just like the practices of non-Buddhists, which are entirely not my Dharma. You should know that at that time, the true Dharma will soon be extinguished.