The Buddha uses a simile of a cracked drum to illustrate that the profound teachings of the Tathāgata will disappear in the future as people lose interest in them.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthi.
“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, dasārahānaṁ ānako nāma mudiṅgo ahosi. Tassa dasārahā ānake ghaṭite aññaṁ āṇiṁ odahiṁsu. Ahu kho so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ ānakassa mudiṅgassa porāṇaṁ pokkharaphalakaṁ antaradhāyi. Āṇisaṅghāṭova avasissi.
Bhikkhus, in the past, the |Dasārahā::the Dasārahā were a warrior-noble clan, so called because they took a tenth portion of wealth as revenue or tribute [dasārahā]| had a kettle drum called the Summoner. When the Summoner became cracked, the Dasārahas inserted another peg. There came a time, bhikkhus, when the previous drum-frame of the Summoner disappeared, leaving only a framework of pegs.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhavissanti bhikkhū anāgatamaddhānaṁ, ye te suttantā tathāgatabhāsitā gambhīrā gambhīratthā lokuttarā suññatappaṭisaṁyuttā, tesu bhaññamānesu na sussūsissanti na sotaṁ odahissanti na aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpessanti na ca te dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññissanti.
So too, bhikkhus, in the future there will be bhikkhus who, when those discourses spoken by the |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]| that are profound, deep in meaning, supra-mundane, and connected with emptiness are being recited, will not listen, will not lend an ear, and will not apply their minds to understand them. They will not think those teachings should be learned or mastered.
Ye pana te suttantā kavikatā kāveyyā cittakkharā cittabyañjanā bāhirakā sāvakabhāsitā, tesu bhaññamānesu sussūsissanti, sotaṁ odahissanti, aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpessanti, te ca dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññissanti. Evametesaṁ, bhikkhave, suttantānaṁ tathāgatabhāsitānaṁ gambhīrānaṁ gambhīratthānaṁ lokuttarānaṁ suññatappaṭisaṁyuttānaṁ antaradhānaṁ bhavissati.
But as for those discourses that are composed by poets, poetical, sweet sounding and well-worded, created by outsiders, spoken by disciples are being recited, they will listen, lend an ear, and apply their minds to understand them. They will think those teachings should be learned and mastered. Thus, bhikkhus, there will be the disappearance of those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata—profound, deep in meaning, supra-mundane, and connected with emptiness.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘ye te suttantā tathāgatabhāsitā gambhīrā gambhīratthā lokuttarā suññatappaṭisaṁyuttā, tesu bhaññamānesu sussūsissāma, sotaṁ odahissāma, aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpessāma, te ca dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññissāmā’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘When those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata that are profound, deep in meaning, supra-mundane, and connected with emptiness are being recited, we will listen, lend an ear, and apply our minds to understand them. We will consider those teachings should be learned and mastered.’ Thus you should train yourselves, bhikkhus.”
At Sāvatthi.
Bhikkhus, in the past, the |Dasārahā::the Dasārahā were a warrior-noble clan, so called because they took a tenth portion of wealth as revenue or tribute [dasārahā]| had a kettle drum called the Summoner. When the Summoner became cracked, the Dasārahas inserted another peg. There came a time, bhikkhus, when the previous drum-frame of the Summoner disappeared, leaving only a framework of pegs.
So too, bhikkhus, in the future there will be bhikkhus who, when those discourses spoken by the |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]| that are profound, deep in meaning, supra-mundane, and connected with emptiness are being recited, will not listen, will not lend an ear, and will not apply their minds to understand them. They will not think those teachings should be learned or mastered.
But as for those discourses that are composed by poets, poetical, sweet sounding and well-worded, created by outsiders, spoken by disciples are being recited, they will listen, lend an ear, and apply their minds to understand them. They will think those teachings should be learned and mastered. Thus, bhikkhus, there will be the disappearance of those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata—profound, deep in meaning, supra-mundane, and connected with emptiness.
Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘When those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata that are profound, deep in meaning, supra-mundane, and connected with emptiness are being recited, we will listen, lend an ear, and apply our minds to understand them. We will consider those teachings should be learned and mastered.’ Thus you should train yourselves, bhikkhus.”
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, dasārahānaṁ ānako nāma mudiṅgo ahosi. Tassa dasārahā ānake ghaṭite aññaṁ āṇiṁ odahiṁsu. Ahu kho so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ ānakassa mudiṅgassa porāṇaṁ pokkharaphalakaṁ antaradhāyi. Āṇisaṅghāṭova avasissi.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhavissanti bhikkhū anāgatamaddhānaṁ, ye te suttantā tathāgatabhāsitā gambhīrā gambhīratthā lokuttarā suññatappaṭisaṁyuttā, tesu bhaññamānesu na sussūsissanti na sotaṁ odahissanti na aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpessanti na ca te dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññissanti.
Ye pana te suttantā kavikatā kāveyyā cittakkharā cittabyañjanā bāhirakā sāvakabhāsitā, tesu bhaññamānesu sussūsissanti, sotaṁ odahissanti, aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpessanti, te ca dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññissanti. Evametesaṁ, bhikkhave, suttantānaṁ tathāgatabhāsitānaṁ gambhīrānaṁ gambhīratthānaṁ lokuttarānaṁ suññatappaṭisaṁyuttānaṁ antaradhānaṁ bhavissati.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘ye te suttantā tathāgatabhāsitā gambhīrā gambhīratthā lokuttarā suññatappaṭisaṁyuttā, tesu bhaññamānesu sussūsissāma, sotaṁ odahissāma, aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpessāma, te ca dhamme uggahetabbaṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ maññissāmā’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.