According to my understanding and the latest data analysis, I have come to realize that the key figures who currently bear the most responsibility as Dhamma protectors—specifically in safeguarding sacred sites, guarding Buddhist temples, and watching over practitioners—are:
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Bodhisatta Metteyya (Maitreya): The future Buddha, presently residing in Tusita heaven, who will continue to support the Dhamma even before his final birth.
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Cātummahārājika Devas (Four Great Kings):
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Dhataraṭṭha (Guardian of the East)
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Virūḷhaka (Guardian of the South)
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Virūpakkha (Guardian of the West)
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Vessavaṇa (Kuvera) (Guardian of the North)
These deities collectively protect the sacred sites and the wider Buddhist world.
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Indra (Sakka): King of the devas, who upholds righteous order and supports practitioners in times of need.
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Hemavata:A prominent yakkha protector who once personally approached me in a diplomatic inquiry regarding a crucial voting decision about the selection of the relics custodian and their supportive care mandate.Actually He also conducted a psychological test on me to assess any potential for corruption.
Tāṇo Yakkho: (??)
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Notable Yakkha Protectors: These beings revealed themselves to me briefly in a cave—showing their bodies only for a moment before disappearing—demonstrating their role as hidden guardians of sacred sites.
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Notable Devas: Similar to the yakkhas, these devas appeared in a cave for only a moment, then vanished, underscoring their watchful presence.
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One Young Man: From my understanding, he may be the one who will assume future custodianship of the relics after my own duty is fulfilled.
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One Vijjadhora Monk: He was the one who led me to that cave and facilitated my meeting with these protective beings.
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The Most Powerful Vijjadhora, known as The Venerable Ariya Vijjadhora Sayadaw: He is the authorized person who holds the authority to establish the “Dhātu-parinibbāna Society (Theravāda-based),” an organization dedicated to the protection and management of sacred relics.
About Dhātu-parinibbāna (The Final Extinction of Relics):
Beneath the Bodhi Tree in Gaya’s sacred shade,
Where whispers of devotion linger, the Buddha’s relics remain preserved for centuries—a timeless testament to his teachings and a legacy that endures.
These relics—teeth, hair, bones, and ashes—embody the Buddha’s wisdom. In silent radiance, they inspire generations of followers and devotees, who seek blessings and solace in their presence.
As time unfolds its relentless scroll, a prophecy reveals itself: a day will come when these relics, neglected by mortals in their mundane struggles, fulfill their final destiny.
According to the Anāgatavaṃsa tradition and related Buddhist texts, when the Buddha’s teachings (sāsana) near their end, a wondrous event will unfold at the Bodhi Tree.
On that day, unseen forces—Devas from ten thousand world systems—will gather in silent reverence. The relics will miraculously assemble from their scattered resting places—first at the Great Stupa of Anuradhapura, then at Nagadipa, and finally beneath the Bodhi Tree itself.
In this final hour, the relics will rise into the air, forming the complete body of the Buddha. Six-colored rays will illuminate the heavens, and Devas—witnesses of the spiritual realm—will pay their respects. Human eyes will not perceive this ethereal dance; only the Devas, in their celestial brilliance, will behold the final fiery dance of the relics.
This is the Final Fire Burning—the relics consumed by a self-generated flame (dhātu-parinibbāna), leaving no trace in the physical world. This marks the Buddha’s last stand, his final transcendence beyond the cycle of rebirth.
In Myanmar, inspired by these prophecies, some groups and associations and some society dedicate themselves to preparing for this extraordinary day. Some even aspire to become Vijjadhora—seekers of deep wisdom—hoping to witness the relics’ final moment and hear the Buddha’s Dhamma one last time. Others, including famous scholar monks, express their wish to become Rukkha-soe—tree guardian spirits—believing that by doing so they can witness the event from a vantage point under the Bodhi Tree and listen to the final Dhamma teaching, hoping to attain enlightenment there.
Their vision: to participate and listen to the Dhamma talk of the relics on the Final Fire Burning Day—a day awaited by countless devotees and even Devas.
According to AN 3.70, time in the Deva realms is vastly different from the human realm:
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One day in the Catumahārājika Deva realm equals fifty human years.
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Thirty such days make one Deva month, and twelve months make one Deva year.
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Devas in this realm live for five hundred Deva years—equal to nine million human years.
Yet, even such long lives are ultimately impermanent. They too are subject to the cycle of death and rebirth unless they achieve liberation through Dhamma practice.
That is why these groups aspire to be reborn as Catumahārājika Devas or tree guardian spirits—not to be bound by endless cycles of birth and death, but to patiently await the final day beneath the Bodhi Tree. Until then, they dedicate themselves to preserving and protecting the Buddha’s relics, nurturing them with devotion and care.
In this way, they honor the timeless nature of the relics and the final flame that will one day set them free, leaving behind the Buddha’s teaching as an echo renewed in the hearts of all who seek the path to enlightenment.
"Note: As the author of this article, I am an ordinary young monk writing about traditional Buddhist teachings and my experence regarding custodian Devas, Yakkhas, and Vijjadharas. This writing is based on scriptural sources and traditional accounts. I make no claims of personal supernatural abilities or direct experience with these beings. This article is purely for educational purposes and sharing traditional Buddhist knowledge.
I wish to clearly state that this work does not involve any claims of jhāna, magga, or superhuman states. It is simply an academic exploration of these finding."
Sao Dhammasami
Research Scholar/Author
THE FINAL FIRE BURNINGBeneath the Bodhi Tree in Gaya's sacred shade,Where whispers linger and devotion is displayed,Buddha, in relics, preserved for ages past,A testament to teachings, a legacy that would last.Tooth, hairs, bones, and ashes divine,Symbols of wisdom, in silence they shine.Followers and devotees, in worship they partake,Seeking blessings and solace, the relics they make.
But as time unfurls its relentless scroll,A day arrives when the relics console.Neglected by mortals, in their mundane strife,Yet destiny weaves the fabric of Buddha's afterlife.
At the Bodhi Tree, a mystical scene unfolds,Where unseen forces, in the sacred story, are told.Rays of light, a celestial dance they perform,Devas, the audience, witness the spiritual norm.
Human eyes blind to this ethereal show,Yet Devas perceive, in their heavenly glow.The relics, aglow with the final fiery dance,A cosmic finale, a mystical trance.
For this is the moment, the Buddha's last stand,No mortal witness, just the Deva band.In the final seconds, the relics transcend,The flame consumes, and the teachings find their end.
As the Bodhi Tree stands in silent witness,A chapter closes, a tale of enlightenment's finesse.The relics, once vibrant, now return to the ether,The Buddha's essence, a timeless feature.
In the realm beyond what mortal eyes can see,The Final Fire Burning, the relics set free.A celestial goodbye, an eternal adieu,The Buddha's teaching, in echoes, renew.Bhikkhu Indasoma
References
Bodhi, B. (Trans.). (1995). The Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (DN 16). In The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya (pp. 231–277). Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications.
Bodhi, B. (Trans.). (1995). The Four Noble Places of Pilgrimage (Cullavagga X). In The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta Nikāya (pp. 1675–1680). Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications.
Ñāṇamoli, B., & Bodhi, B. (Trans.). (1995). The Doctrine of Impermanence (Dhammapada, vv. 277–279). In The Path of Purification (pp. 10–11). Seattle, WA: Pariyatti Publishing.
Rhys Davids, T. W., & Oldenberg, H. (Trans.). (1881). The Symbolism of the Relics (Cullavagga X). In Vinaya Texts: The Mahāvagga, Part I and II. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press.
Thanissaro Bhikkhu. (Trans.). (1997). The Teaching of Striving Diligently (AN 4.180). Retrieved from https://www.accesstoinsight.org.
Walshe, M. (Trans.). (1987). The Rays of Light at Enlightenment (Suttanipāta, vv. 684). In The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya. Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications.
