⚠ A Wake-Up Call: We Are Already in the Age of Declining Dharma 请警惕：我们已生活在末法时代
What is the “Age of Declining Dharma”?
一、何谓“末法时代”
In Buddhist scriptures, the Dharma is said to pass through three stages after the Buddha’s passing: the Age of True Dharma, the Age of Semblance Dharma, and the Age of Declining Dharma.
True Dharma (正法): The first 1,000 years after the Buddha’s passing — monastics upheld the precepts, meditation and wisdom flourished, and the Dharma was practiced with real effectiveness.
Semblance Dharma (像法): The following 1,000 years — images, temples, and rituals prospered, but genuine practice began to decline.
Declining Dharma (末法): In the thousands of years thereafter, scriptures still circulate, yet beings lack the capacity to truly follow the teachings, often reducing practice to empty formality or even distorting the Dharma.
The sutras foretell that in this age, obstacles to practice are heavy, defilements are rampant, and true insight is rare.
佛经中将佛陀教法的住世分为三个时期：正法、像法、末法。
正法时期：佛陀入灭后一千年，僧众严持戒律，禅定智慧兴盛，佛法实践力极强。
像法时期：其后的千年，佛像、寺庙与仪轨繁盛，但真实修行逐渐式微。
末法时期：再往后数千年，虽有经律论流传，但众生根性浅薄，难以依教奉行，往往流于形式，甚至曲解佛法。
经典多有预言：末法时代，修行障缘沉重，烦恼炽盛，正知正见稀有难得。
Signs of the Declining Dharma in Today’s World
二、末法时代的现实映照
Looking at today’s world, we see the signs exactly as the scriptures described:
Declining faith: Many hear the Dharma yet lack confidence, relying instead on technology and worldly power, while disregarding the Buddha’s wisdom.
Practice reduced to formality: Temples are built, statues erected, and rituals held, yet few truly cultivate precepts, meditation, and wisdom.
The Five Defilements raging: Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt permeate society; wars, disasters, ecological destruction, and broken families abound.
The Dharma distorted: Buddhism is often reduced to therapy or philosophy for comfort, losing its essence of ending suffering and liberating from birth and death. In some cases, its doctrines are even misinterpreted or twisted.
This is the reality of the Declining Dharma: the teachings remain, but hearts drift away.
放眼今日社会，正如经典所言：
信心退失：许多人虽听闻佛法，却缺乏坚定信心，更依赖科技与权力，而轻视佛陀智慧。
修行流于形式：建寺庙、塑佛像、办法会者虽多，但以戒定慧为核心的修行却少之又少。
五浊炽盛：贪欲、嗔恨、愚痴、傲慢与怀疑遍布世间，战争、灾难、环境破坏、家庭失和层出不穷。
正法被曲解：佛法常被简化为心理安慰或生活技巧，而失却“离苦得乐、解脱生死”的本质。更有甚者，对佛理妄加误解。
这正是末法时代的写照：佛法犹在，人心渐远。
A Call to Vigilance and the Way Forward
三、警惕与出路
Since we live in the Declining Dharma age, we must be vigilant, not despairing. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have already shown the remedies:
Strengthen faith: The Buddha said, “Faith is the source of the Way, the mother of virtues.” Faith in karma, the Pure Land, and the Buddha’s wisdom protects us from false views.
Uphold the precepts: Even if not perfectly, we should strive to avoid evil and preserve purity of mind.
Rely on the Pure Land path: The sutras affirm that in this age, reciting Amitabha Buddha’s Name and aspiring for rebirth in the Western Pure Land is the safest, most direct way to liberation. Nianfo with faith and vow, by reciting “Namo Amituofo” we can rely on Amitabha Buddha’s compassionate vow to receive us to His Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Rely on wise teachers: A true Dharma teacher is like a guiding lamp, helping us discern right from wrong and remain on the path.
既然我们身处末法时代，更应警醒，而非绝望。佛菩萨早已为此开示对治之道：
坚固信心：佛说“信为道源功德母”，信心在末法尤为珍贵。信因果、信净土、信佛陀智慧，方不被邪见动摇。
持戒为本：纵难圆满，也当尽力远离恶行，护持清净之心。
专修净土：佛经指出，末法时期念佛求生西方极乐，是最稳妥、直接的解脱之道。信愿持名，真信切愿念这句“南无阿弥陀佛”，便能蒙佛慈悲接引。
依止善知识：善知识如明灯，能提醒我们不偏不倚，助我们辨邪正，走上正道。
Conclusion
四、结语
The Age of Declining Dharma is not a time of despair, but a time for greater vigilance and self-awareness. The darker the world, the more precious and powerful a single recitation of the Buddha’s Name becomes.
May we all guard the pure mind amidst this defiled world, remain steadfast on the path, entrust ourselves to Amitabha, and attain rebirth in the Pure Land, fulfilling the supreme awakening.
Namo Amituofo 🙏
末法时代并非绝望，而是更需警惕与自觉的时代。外境越浊，修行越难，一句佛号、一个正念，便显得殊胜不可思议。
愿我们在浊世中守护清净心，不随波逐流，坚定道心，归命弥陀，往生净土，圆满菩提。
南无阿弥陀佛 🙏
