https://DevOpsCloud.io -- Cloud Monk Losang Jinpa

Five hundred years most commonly refers to the:

• Proper Dharma Age - when the Buddha is in the world in his Nirmana Kaya as Shakyamuni. It is from that period up until five hundred years after the Buddha entered Maha Pari Nirvana.

• Dharma Image Age (also called Dharma Semblance Age) refers to the five hundred years after the Proper Dharma Age.

• Dharma Ending Age - starts 1000 years after the Buddha entered Maha Parinirvana until the time billions of years into the future when Maitreya Buddha will enter this world.

See Also