Buddhist eschatology information

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (November 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Buddhism
Part of a series on

Glossary Index Outline
History Timeline The Buddha Pre-sectarian Buddhism Councils Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Decline in the Indian subcontinent Later Buddhists Buddhist modernism
Dharma Concepts Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Dharma wheel Five Aggregates Impermanence Suffering Not-self Dependent Origination Middle Way Emptiness Morality Karma Rebirth Saṃsāra Cosmology
Buddhist texts Buddhavacana Early Texts Tripiṭaka Mahayana Sutras Pāli Canon Sanskrit literature Tibetan canon Chinese canon Post-canon
Practices Three Jewels Buddhist Paths to liberation Five precepts Perfections Meditation Philosophical reasoning Devotional practices Merit making Recollections Mindfulness Wisdom Sublime abidings Aids to Enlightenment Monasticism Lay life Buddhist chant Pilgrimage Vegetarianism
Nirvāṇa Awakening Four Stages Arhat Pratyekabuddha Bodhisattva Buddha
Traditions Theravāda Pāli Mahāyāna Hinayana Chinese Vajrayāna Tibetan Navayana Newar
Buddhism by country Bhutan Brazil Cambodia China India Indonesia Japan Korea Laos Malaysia Mongolia Myanmar Russia Singapore US Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Tibet Vietnam
Religion portal
v t e

Eschatology
Part of a series on
Buddhist Maitreya Three Ages
Christian — Biblical texts — Book of Revelation Book of Daniel Olivet Discourse Sheep and Goats — Major figures — Jesus Two witnesses Four Horsemen Antichrist — Different views — Preterism Idealism Historicism Futurism — Millennialism — Premillennialism Amillennialism Postmillennialism — Other events — Events of Revelation (Apocalypse) Rapture Armageddon Seven Seals Second Coming
Hindu Kalki Kali Yuga Shiva
Islamic — Figures — Beast of the Earth Dhul-Qarnayn Dhul-Suwayqatayn Isa Israfil Mahdi Dajjal Muhammad Al-Qa'im Sufyani Yajuj and Majuj — Events — Swallowing in Bayda Coming of the Mahdi Return of Isa Resurrection
Jewish — Biblical texts — Book of Isaiah Book of Ezekiel Book of Zechariah Book of Daniel — Other sources — Rabbinic literature (Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash) Medieval Jewish scholars Kabbalah — Figures — Elijah the Prophet, Messiah (Mashiach Ben David, Mashiach Ben Yosef), Gog and Magog, Armilus — Events and terms — Atchalta De'Geulah, Kibbutz Galuyot, Third Temple, War of Gog and Magog, Resurrection of the dead, Olam Haba
Norse — Figures and items — Bound monster Gjallarhorn Líf and Lífþrasir Naglfar — Events — Fimbulwinter Ragnarök Vígríðr
Taoist Li Hong Divine Incantations Scripture
Zoroastrian Frashokereti Saoshyant
Inter-religious 2012 phenomenon Afterlife Apocalypticism Fate of the unlearned Gog and Magog Last Judgment Messianism (Messiah / Age) Millenarianism Universal resurrection
v t e

Buddhist eschatology, like many facets of modern Buddhist practice and belief, came into existence during its development in China, and, through the blending of Buddhist cosmological understanding and Daoist eschatological views, created a complex canon of apocalyptic beliefs. These beliefs, although not entirely part of orthodox Buddhism, form an important collection of Chinese Buddhist traditions which bridge the gap between the monastic order and local beliefs of Imperial China.

Although the main source of writings describing eschatological beliefs in Chinese Buddhism are so called “apocryphal” texts, these are an invaluable source of information in the study of Buddhism as it was actually practiced, as the available monastic sources depicting Buddhism are merely the tip of an iceberg, of which the body is still mostly submerged and hidden from view (Zürcher (Perspectives) 169). These eschatological Buddhist groups began to appear in China from 402 CE on (Overmyer 46), and escalated in number and intricacy from the Sui until the Song dynasty. Therein is where many lay and cleric groups (of laymen and clergy) such as the White Lotus Society and Amida Buddhist clergy appeared and took to propagating eschatological scriptures.

There are two major points of Buddhist eschatology: the appearance of Maitreya and the Sermon of the Seven Suns.

Buddhist eschatology information

and 27 Related for: Buddhist eschatology information

Buddhist eschatology

Eschatology

Soteriology

Maitreya

Buddhism and Christianity

Three Ages of Buddhism

Three marks of existence

Christian eschatology

List of eschatological topics

Eight Cold Hells

Comparison of Buddhism and Christianity

Hindu eschatology

Buddhist texts

Islamic eschatology

Jewish eschatology

Ketumati

List of Buddhists

Buddhist councils

List of theological demons

Persecution of Buddhists

Buddhism

Buddhist deities

Schools of Buddhism

Dalit Buddhist movement

Buddhist art

Buddhism and violence

Vajrayana