Reading guide
A question about the future, asked at the poem's start
An unnamed seer of the Paṇḍara clan puts a single question to Phussa: in future times, what desire, motivation, and behavior will people have? Everything from verse three onward is Phussa's extended answer.
A specific, dispiriting forecast
Phussa predicts anger, hostility, and jealousy (4); shallow understanding mistaken for depth (5); the unlearned becoming powerful in running Saṅgha affairs while the conscientious grow weak (7–8); monastics accepting money, land, livestock, and servants (9); and fools who find fault in others while unsteady in their own ethics (10).
A historical dispute over robe color, per Sujato's comment
Verses eleven through eighteen describe monastics abandoning the ocher robe for robes of blue or white, wanting to look like ascetics of other religions rather than wear the deep-dyed banner of the perfected ones. Sujato's own comment identifies this as likely reflecting real historical tensions — the Mahīśāsaka school is recorded elsewhere as having worn blue robes, and two specific verses (7.4, 9.2) are flagged as probable indirect references to the Second Buddhist Council, whose central dispute concerned monastics accepting money.
An embedded Jātaka story about a wounded elephant
Verses nineteen through twenty-two shift abruptly to tell of a six-tusked elephant, struck by a hunter's arrow, who spontaneously speaks two verses about who is and isn't worthy of the ocher robe — only those free of stains, possessing self-control and truth, deserve to wear it. Sujato's comment identifies this as the story told at Ja 514, with the same two verses also found at Dhp 9–10; this reading guide does not currently have that Jātaka's fuller narrative among its selections, so only the two verses embedded here are given.
Closing on exhortation rather than despair
Like this site's own Thag 16.10, this poem does not end on its bleak forecast. Its final verses (30–32) turn to direct instruction — be easy to admonish, courteous, and respectful; have hearts of love and compassion; be energetic and vigorous; see negligence as fearful and diligence as a sanctuary — before the poem closes with 'develop the eightfold path, realizing the state free of death.'
Key terms
The text
§1Seeing many who inspire confidence, evolved and well-restrained, the seer of the Paṇḍara clan, asked the one known as Phussa:
§2“In future times, what desire and motivation and behavior will people have? Please answer my question.”
§3“Listen to my words, O seer known as a Paṇḍara, and remember them carefully, I will describe the future.
§4In the future many will be angry and hostile, offensive, stubborn, and devious, jealous, holding divergent views.
§5Imagining they understand the depths of the teaching, they resort to the near shore. Superficial and disrespectful towards the teaching, they lack respect for one another.
§6In the future many dangers will arise in the world. Idiots will defile the Dhamma that was taught so well.
§7Though bereft of good qualities, unlearned prattlers, too sure of themselves, will become powerful in running Saṅgha proceedings.
§8Though possessing good qualities, the conscientious and unbiased, acting in the proper spirit, will become weak in running Saṅgha proceedings.
§9In the future, simpletons will accept currency and gold, fields and land, goats and sheep, and bonded servants, male and female.
§10Fools finding fault in others, but unsteady in their own ethics, will wander about, insolent, like cantankerous beasts.
§11They’ll be haughty, wrapped in robes of blue; deceivers and flatterers, pompous and fake, they’ll wander as if they were noble ones.
§12With hair sleeked back with oil, fickle, their eyes painted with eye-liner, they’ll travel on the high-road, wrapped in robes of ivory color.
§13The deep-dyed ocher robe, worn without disgust by the free, they will come to loathe, besotted by white clothes.
§14They’ll want lots of possessions, and be lazy, lacking energy. Weary of the forest, they’ll stay within villages.
§15Being unrestrained, they’ll keep company with those who acquire profit, and who always enjoy wrong livelihood, following their example.
§16They won’t respect those who don’t get lots of stuff, and they won’t associate with the attentive, even though they’re very amiable.
§17Disparaging their own banner, dyed a vermilion color, some will wear the white banner of those of other religions.
§18Then they’ll have no respect for the ocher robe. The mendicants will not reflect on the nature of the ocher robe.
§19This awful lack of reflection was unthinkable to the elephant, who was overcome by suffering, inflicted by an arrow strike.
§20Then the six-tusked elephant, seeing the deep-dyed banner of the perfected ones, straight away spoke these verses connected with the goal.
§21‘One who, not free of stains themselves, would wear the robe stained in ocher, bereft of self-control and truth: they are not worthy of the ocher robe.
§22One who’s purged all their stains, steady in ethics, possessing truth and self-control: they are truly worthy of the ocher robe.’
§23Devoid of virtue, a simpleton, wild, doing what they like, their minds astray, indolent: they are not worthy of the ocher robe.
§24One accomplished in ethics, free of greed, serene, their heart’s intention pure: they are truly worthy of the ocher robe.
§25The restless, insolent fool, who has no ethics at all, is worthy of a white robe—what use is an ocher robe for them?
§26In the future, monks and nuns with corrupt hearts, lacking regard for others, will disparage those with hearts of loving-kindness.
§27Though trained in wearing the robe by senior monks, simpletons will not listen, wild, doing what they like.
§28With that kind of attitude to training, those fools won’t respect each other, or take any notice of their mentors, like a wild colt with its charioteer.
§29Even so, in the future, this will be the practice of monks and nuns when the latter days have come.
§30Before this frightening future arrives, be easy to admonish, courteous in speech, and respect one another.
§31Have hearts of love and compassion, and please do keep your precepts. Be energetic, resolute, and always staunchly vigorous.
§32Seeing negligence as fearful, and diligence as a sanctuary, develop the eightfold path, realizing the state free of death.”
Self-check quiz
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