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Sāsana
Sāsana (Pāli) or śāsana (Skt.). Teaching, instruction, message of the Buddha; however, the term by custom has come to mean the Buddhist religion (Buddha-sāsana) or tradition itself, especially with respect to the period of its duration as a historical phenomenon. So sāsana refers to the ‘dispensation’ of the teaching. When a sammāsambuddha discovers and imparts the dharma, his message and its impact on society and the world endures for a limited period of time only. The circumstances or fortunes of the dharma change, being subject, like all things, to the law of impermanence (anicca), although the dharma itself, of course, never changes. Gradually Buddhist tradition wanes until it eventually disappears from the earth altogether. It remains lost until the next sammāsambuddha appears and introduces dharma to the world again.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Sāsana." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Sāsana." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Ssana.html JOHN BOWKER. "Sāsana." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Ssana.html |
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śāsana
śāsana (Skt.; Pāli, sāsana). A term used by Buddhists to refer to their religion. It has a range of possible translations, including teaching, doctrine, and as ‘Buddha-śāsana’, ‘the teachings of the Buddha’, especially in the context of their historical continuity as religious tradition. Various predictions are made about the duration of the teachings. In the Pāli Canon it is said that the Buddha's decision to admit women reduced the lifespan of the śāsana from 1,000 to 500 years. Later sources predict various durations ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 years, usually passing through phases of continual decline until the teachings disappear altogether from the world (see mappō). It is thought that in due course a new Buddha will arise and the teachings will be proclaimed anew. See also Buddhism.
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Cite this article
DAMIEN KEOWN. "śāsana." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAMIEN KEOWN. "śāsana." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-sana1.html DAMIEN KEOWN. "śāsana." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-sana1.html |
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