Buddhist now days is in danger of extinction, because there so many buddhist dogma that different, buddhist figure that different, dhamma lesson that different, and worship in buddhist that different. It’s like Buddha Gotama said that there is 5 ways to tell if buddhist is gone to extinct.
First, when nobody is respect Buddha again especially Buddha Gotama because today we still in his era. Now days, there is so many buddhist dogma that respect other buddha which is their era still not come, or respect other person that not is Buddha, even respect other life than person. So, it look like bad sign tell that buddhist will extinct. But we can still fix it by remember what Buddha show as good example of person, then respect Buddha again,
Second, when nobody is respect Dhamma again. Now days, there is so many buddhist book that have another interpretation of sutta, or there is so many buddhist preaching that have it’s interpretation. So, it look like more bad sign tell that buddhist will extinct. But we can still fix it by learn from the source of sutta from digha nikaya, majjhima nikaya, anguttara nikaya, samyuta nikaya, and khuddaka nikaya or even if interested further you can learn in abhidhamma pitaka. After you understand it, then respect Dhamma again.
Third, when nobody is respect Sangha again. Now days, there is Sangha member that married, Sangha member that do crime, so we lose our respect to Sangha. Another bad sign of extinction of buddhist, but it’s actually wrong because it’s just one person not all the Sangha, and Sangha is one of the best place to harvest good karma. Even it’s still give same result if we funded bad Sangha member if our intention is to funded Sangha, so what you afraid of. So, let’s we respect Sangha again.
Fourth, when nobody is doing practice Dhamma. Now days people tent to have seminar than buddhist preaching, or people think Sila is not important and just rush into samadhi, or people think doesn’t need to do samadhi if we have wisdom, or just have jhana is enough. It’s look like buddhist will go in extinction faster before this buddhist era is told to be end. Because that point of think is wrong and we need all the eight way to freedom, so it is better if we mastered one or more ways but it is not enough to just have one or more. So, let’s do right practice Dhamma again and go to freedom together.
The Last, when nobody is doing Samadhi or meditasi. We are very busy so we can’t have spare time to do meditasi every day, and that is our reasonable reason to avoid have meditasi and keep our peace in mind. So, it really extinction will come very soon because all the sign is happen. We need to know that our thinking is wrong and fix it because doesn’t have time it just a reason and if really want something we somehow will have time. So what we must change is our mind and spare our time to do meditasi just 15 minutes or more.
After know all the sign of buddhist extinction, it’s up to us to preserve buddhist. Let’s we preserve buddhist and make many people going to freedom.
source : Buddhis Preaching in Waesak Days.