ritai

Ritai refers to a concept in Japanese Buddhism, often translated as "end of the Dharma" or "Latter Day of the Law." It is a period believed to follow the passing of Shakyamuni Buddha, characterized by a decline in the understanding and practice of his teachings. This decline is typically divided into three stages: the Dharma-age (shōbō), the counterfeit Dharma-age (zōbō), and the latter-day Dharma (mappō). Ritai specifically denotes the final, mappō era, where the Buddha's teachings are said to become corrupted and ineffective, leading to widespread suffering and moral decay.

The concept of ritai is central to the teachings of some Mahayana Buddhist schools, particularly Nichiren Buddhism. Nichiren Daishonin, a 13th-century Japanese monk, taught that ritai was the current age and that his own teachings offered the only effective means to overcome its difficulties. He believed that chanting the Lotus Sutra's mantra, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, was the practice that would allow individuals to achieve enlightenment even in this degenerate age. The understanding and interpretation of ritai can vary among different Buddhist traditions, but it generally signifies a time of spiritual challenge and the diminished efficacy of Buddhist practice as it was originally taught.