Shozomatsu

Japanese: 正像末 - しょうぞうまつ

A period division based on the Buddhist view of history, called the three periods of the True Law, the Semblance Law, and the Latter Days of the Law. There are various theories about the content of these three periods. For example, the period after the death of Shakyamuni when all of his teachings, practice, and enlightenment were present is called the True Law, the Semblance Law is the period when only teachings and practice exist, the Latter Days of the Law is the period when even Shakyamuni's teachings no longer remain. There are also various theories about the length of time that these periods should span. This view of history is also found in India, but developed in China as the idea of the Latter Days of the Law, and became popular in Japan from the Heian period onwards.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

仏教の歴史観に基づく時代区分で，正法 (しょうぼう) ，像法 (ぞうほう) ，末法 (まっぽう) の3つをいう。この3つの時期の内容には諸説あり，たとえば，釈尊の滅後，その教えと修行実践と悟りがすべてそなわっている時代を正法，教えと実践だけの時代を像法，教えだけ存在する時代を末法，釈尊の教えすら残っていない時代を法滅の時代といったりする。それらの時間的な長さについても諸説がある。この歴史観はインドにもみられるが，中国では末法思想として発展し，日本でも平安時代の頃から盛んとなった。

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