 Buddhist scholars living during the time of the Liao dynasty predicted that the mofa ( <unk> ) , an age in which the three treasures of Buddhism would be destroyed , was to begin in the year 1052 . Previous dynasties , including the Sui and Tang , were also concerned with the mofa , although their predictions for when the mofa would start were different from the one selected by the Liao . As early as the Sui dynasty , efforts were made to preserve Buddhist teachings by carving them into stone or burying them . These efforts continued into the Liao dynasty , with Emperor Xingzong funding several projects in the years immediately preceding 1052 . 
