When visiting various temples in Bhutan, it is not surprising to see the three Buddha statues in the main hall. The Dīpankara Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha and Maitreyaare are arranged from the left to the right accordingly. They represent the three generations of Buddha – the past, the present and the future.

The Maitreya’s statue (future) is not always sitting on the ground. Interestingly, it is in the half-sitting position. Caiwang explained, “if there is any disasters happened in the world, Maitreya stands up immediately to save us."

Seemingly, there are many religions have doubts about our future.

Caiwang told us the Buddhist’s vision. He said that the Buddha believe people would become shorter in the future (only of a few centimeter height) and people’s lives would become shorter too (around ten years old). When this become true, it means the age of Sakyamuni is passed, and the age of Maitreya begins. Many Buddha would return to the world with Maitreya. They will teach people about Buddhism.

The replacement of the Buddha reminds me about the Judgement Day that mentioned in the Bible. It seems the replacement of the new generation of the Buddha is not that horrible, when compared to the Judgement Day.

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2018年10月底，上大佛的路還未建好

參觀許多不丹佛寺時，大殿很多時候都會有三個佛像平排，三個佛像中，正中當然是我們最熟悉的釋迦牟尼佛，而左右兩邊各有一座大小差不多的佛像，這三個佛稱為縱三世佛*。左邊的是過去佛，中間的釋迦牟尼佛是現在佛，右邊的則是未來佛。

有別於過去佛和現在佛，未來佛*並不一定是盤膝而坐，而是半蹲的。Caiwang 解釋說:「如果人間些什麼災難，未來佛便會站起來，拯救世人。」

對於未來的世界，許多宗教似乎都不甚樂觀。

Caiwang 說了他們眼中的一套末日觀。

許多年以後，人類壽命會越來越短，短得只有十歲、而身體也會越來越矮，個子只有一個手臂的長度高。那時候便是現在佛（第七代佛祖）釋迦牟尼佛時代的終結。面對這樣的困境，也代表未來佛時代的來臨，未來佛便會下凡，要人們重新學佛，令人的壽命變長。許多佛陀從天而降，導人學佛。

現在許多活佛出現在不同地方也是為傳揚佛法。

不丹以前信奉苯教，後來許多法師由西藏前來傳教，令不丹漸漸成為佛教國家。

對於末日的來臨，人類總有很多想像，以末日作題材的電影，每幾年就有一套，山崩地裂、大洪水等等，盡是滿滿的感官刺激。然而我又會想，真正的末日又是怎樣?無可否認這個地球因我們人類的活動，變得異常。物種滅絕、極端天氣頻繁，自然界或許正提示：我們已身於末日之中，但我們仍然懵然未覺。

預期幻想世界會像電影般毀於一旦，倒不如阻止世界一步一步的走向滅亡，重新思考如何才是讓人類可以永續發展的良策。

* 除了縱三世佛外，也有橫三世佛，分別是東方藥師佛，中央釋迦牟尼佛和西方阿彌陀佛。

*未來佛也就是我們常聽到的彌勒佛。