H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III expounded Dharma to our Headquarters: “In the field of Buddhism nowadays, evil masters and liars pretend they had true Buddha Dharma but are totally clueless about sutra teaching and Buddha Dharma. This kind of person can be seen everywhere in the world. Especially some people who have the titles of a world-renowned patriarch of a generation are also clueless, though they take religious positions. Every liar would say they are wonderful and often hang out with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. You see them every day. They flaunt the flag of the patriarch of a lineage or religious leader and make the pretense of a great Bodhisattva. What is their basis? Their basis is erroneous theories and fraudulent arguments. They fool those neophytes into total confusion and think they are great Bodhisattvas. They let Buddhist disciples fall into the trap of deceit, harming people for a lifetime and making them extremely miserable.
“Actually, the level of Dharma power that a master realizes cannot be seen by regular Buddhist disciples. People cannot tell if the master truly has the Dharma power or not and how deep or shallow the master’s Dharma power is. The well-decorated and inflated outside look usually covers the Buddhist disciples’ eyes, causing many true believers to help the evil do evil things and share the black karma with their evil master. In the end, they receive retributions from causality and become unbearably miserable. Though Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions feel compassionate for them, most of them still cannot be saved. I think of Shakyamuni Buddha’s holy power and capabilities from Buddha Dharma when He abided in this world, which many parts of the Sutras have recorded. Who could have known the holy powers of Buddha Dharma ended up being empty talks, or even erroneous, evil arguments and cheating lies, when it comes to the rinpoches and dharma masters nowadays?
“Your United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters have established the levels and the Dharma attires to check and validate the holy and virtuous ones. It renders those evil masters and liars nothing but false titles and no hiding place. The so-called great Bodhisattvas dare not to even go near the sidelines of the test site. They appear so wretched and embarrassed at this time. That tells people that an ordinary person, a fake holy being, or a self-claimed god or deity king is a fake holy being and a fake Buddhist disciple if they cannot wear the dharma attire that indicates the level of holiness. Your Headquarters aims to benefit living beings and protect Buddhist disciples. It is the correct practice and correct deed.”
The teachings of Dharma by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III incisively describe the chaos in Buddhism’s Dharma-ending era. Our Headquarters will implement the change to benefit living beings as soon as possible.
Now, we will reply to a few letters of inquiry that we received recently.
The Buddhist Dharma attire with the level indicating buttons will clearly show the wearer’s levels. Blue buttons indicate the Sumita Wheel, and gold buttons indicate the Sun-moon Wheel. One button indicates one grade. The levels are star wheels. For example, one blue button means Blue Button Level 1, which equals the One-Star Sumita Wheel. Two blue buttons are Blue Button Level 2, which equals the Two-Star Sumita Wheel. Three blue buttons are Blue Button Level 3, which equals the Three-Star Sumita Wheel. A gold button added on top of three blue buttons is Gold Button Level 1, which equals the One-Star Sun-moon Wheel. Two gold buttons added on top of the three blue buttons are Gold Button Level 2, which equals the Two-Star Sun-moon Wheel.
The number and type of buttons given to those who are selected by the test for the holiness levels are the results that are achieved in three aspects—Dharma State and Realization Capabilities, the Keeping of One’s Practice and Moral Ethics, and Sutra Teachings and Sastra Learning. They are not definitive but are just levels of differentiation in a vague, conceptual way. But you can also say they are definitive. Whatever Yidam Dharma you practice, you can attain accomplishment and realize the different star-wheel levels. The only difference is the dharma practice. For example, the Nirvana Path-fruit (泥丸道果) would be at the minimum Blue Button Level 1, and the Vajra Change-body Dhyana (金剛換體禪) would be at the minimum Blue Button Level 2.
Let’s use Vajra Change-body Dhyana for our illustration. Regarding the Dharma State and Realization Capability, one who practices the Dharma has realized Blue Button Level 3 (i.e., 3-star Sumita Wheel). However, they have not reached level 3 regarding “Keeping One’s Practice and Moral Ethics“ or “Sutra Teachings and Sastra Learning“ and only attained level 2, level 1, or even less. Therefore, that person is not 100% Level 3 in all three aspects of the Vajra Change-body Dhyana. And that is why it is only a vague concept.
If a person has attained the realization of Level 3 in one of the three aspects (i.e., Dharma State and Realization Capabilities, Keeping One’s Practice and Moral Ethics, and Sutra Teachings and Sastra Learning), then the testing group of our Headquarters will confer the status of Blue Button Level 2 (i.e., 2-star Sumita Wheel) on the person. If someone has reached Level 3 of the Sumita Wheel in two aspects, that person will be conferred as a Blue Button Level 3 Holy Guru. If someone has attained Level 3 of the Sumita Wheel in all three aspects, then that person must be Gold Button Level 1 (1-Star Sun-moon Wheel). But you need to know that is only the standard explicitly established for the Sumita Levels of Vajra Change-Body Dhyana. It is like saying if a 10-year-old kid could lift a weight of 50 catties, he can be called a strong man, but if a 20-year mature adult is only a man of feeble strength, even if he can lift a weight of 100 catties. For Sun-moon Wheel levels, the state of realization capabilities for all three aspects is like the standard for adults. Therefore, the standards for the Sun-moon Wheel in all three aspects are higher.
Suppose a person has perfected the realization capability state in one aspect of the One-star Sun-moon Wheel and fulfilled the realization capability in the other two elements to 50%. In that case, the title of Gold Button Level 2 Holy Guru (i.e., 2-star Sun-moon Wheel) will be conferred on that person. If a person has perfected the realization capability state in all three aspects of the One-Star Sun-moon Wheel, that person is a Gold Button Level 3 Holy Guru (i.e., 3-Star Sun-moon Wheel). In other words, that person has attained the state of accomplishment for a great Bodhisattva. Therefore, anybody who is not a 3-star Sun-moon Wheel Holy Guru will make mistakes when giving teaching. Once someone has entered the 3-star Sun-moon Wheel, they will no longer just practice Vajra Change-body Dhyana but also the Dharma for advancing to Great Mahasattva. At that time, He will need to receive the Enlightenment-Practice Initiation (覺行灌頂), prepare Himself to be an Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattva, and eventually advance to become a Buddha.
To say it practically and clearly, the Blue Button Level 3 Holy Gurus (i.e., 3-Star Sumita Wheel) are already rare. In the world at the moment, the highest of those publicly accepting disciples are only those holding the Blue Button Level 3 Holy Gurus (i.e., 3-star Sumita Wheel) certificate. Not one person who possesses the Sun-moon Wheel Holy Guru certificate is publicly propagating Dharma. Therefore, you Buddhist cultivators must strive in your practice to attain the realization of Blue Button Level 3 (3-Star Sumita Wheel) and the realization of the even higher Gold Button level Holy Gurus (Sun-moon Wheel).
Why do we say it is definitive, having said that it is non-definitive? The reason is that the test has four categories according to the rules. Humans do the checking by way of three masters and seven witnesses. Since it is an artificial investigation and validation, errors are inevitable. Therefore, it is non-definitive. The validation by the Seven Masters and Ten Witnesses is to validate the Dharma state and the realization capabilities manifested by the test candidates themselves. Even though the Dharma state and the realization capabilities are actual with tangible proof, no checking is done on Keeping One’s Practice and Moral Ethics or Sutra Teachings and Sastra Learning, so it is a vague concept and, henceforth, non-definitive. Therefore, one can see that some people have incredible powers but are wholly inadequate in terms of Keeping One’s Practice and Moral Ethics or Sutra Teachings and Sastra Learning. Only the result that is asserted by the Yidam or the test that is Validated through True Dharma (正道應證) by the Dharmapalas are definitive. The former is where a Buddha or Bodhisattva asserts the Buddhist disciple as a holy guru. The Buddhist disciple can also be checked on all three aspects or just one aspect or two aspects.
For Assertion by the Yidam, there are three Dharmas. Checking by performing the Dharmas of Knowing in Advance and Foretelling the Future, Vajra Faman Initiation, or Determining via One-Hundred Bright Dharma Gates in Total Darkness in public is definitive and accurate. In these Dharmas, the Yidam, a Buddha or Bodhisattva, publicly asserts in front of a congregation. It is not something that humans can do.
Additionally, the Validation by true Dharma is also definitive. What is fake remains fake, and what is true remains true. It is not artificial, and the Dharmapalas in space do not lie to people.
If you voluntarily take the test, please do not apply for the “Knowing in Advance and Foretelling the Future“ or the “Determination through One-Hundred Bright Dharma Gates in Darkness.“ Our Headquarters has not been able to invite the Buddha or a Great Mahasattva to preside over these Dharmas.
The holy gurus of our Headquarters went to invite H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III respectfully. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said, “I only have the humbling practice of cultivation. I cannot preside over the test. Many test candidates are my disciples, especially. I gave them to the Bodhisattvas, Dharmapalas, and your Headquarters to test them rigorously. Therefore, I cannot participate in your test work.”
But our Headquarters has invited a great Dharma king out of the great Dharma kings, the Great Venerable Wangzha Shangzun, to do the Vajra Famen Initiation to select holy gurus. The great Holy Guru in our Headquarters will preside over the validation through faithful Dharma.
Why does a holy and virtuous one need to be reexamined annually? H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said, “Your United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters must check well for Buddhists. You must perform the annual examination every year to prevent the evil master from regressing and cheating people with evil views.”
Because a holy and virtuous one could advance or regress in their practice, starting from 2015, our Headquarters will no longer rely on the Three Masters and Seven Witnesses to investigate and validate the item determining a holy and virtuous one’s status. We will change to holding the test in public without exception. From now on, even if Yidam asserts someone who Dharmapala has determined with an authentic Dharma or the Seven Masters and Ten Witnesses have tested, they must be annually reexamined to see if they are advancing or regressing. Doing so safeguards living beings so they can safely learn correct understanding and views of Dharma, receive the benefit of perfect wisdom and fortune, and prevent those who have regressed from holy to the ordinary or the evil masters from cheating people.
However, the Greatly Holy Gurus, who have realized Gold Button Level 3 (i.e., 3-Star Sun-moon Wheel), do not need to be annually reexamined. The 3-star Sun-moon Wheel level is already at a non-retrograde Great Bodhisattva. You must pay special attention to the fact that anyone with the status of Holy Guru, regardless of their level, can apply to the United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters to be asserted by Yidam through the Dharma of Vajra Faman to determine their precise status. Nonetheless, this Headquarters does not request or proactively ask a holy guru to take this test. We suggest that you apply to take the Validation Through True Dharma to determine your level and status.
The United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters has decided that from this year on, a holy guru can either display the holiness level certificate or not when rising to the rostrum. From practice, it has shown the disciples do not dare to check the certificate even if the master presents it. Those Holy Gurus who are publicly saving people and propagating Dharma must wear the Dharma attire that indicates their level in daily life. Any master not wearing the Dharma attire that shows their level is not a good person without exception. They must have private motivations or an intention to deceive disciples. Such a person must be evil-minded because they dare not to face their disciples openly and above board. They must be a liar and an evil person. If a Buddhist disciple continues to hang out with a master who does not wear the Dharma attire, we shall deem that disciple as conspiring with the liar and evil master and an accomplice.
Additionally, we now inform everyone that you must read the public announcements issued by the Office of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. You must read the book Behind the Descending of an Ancient Buddha to This World to understand the Buddha’s realization capability of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and the teachings and practices of the correct understanding and views.
The test candidate’s accomplishment is based on the Nirvana Path-fruit or the practice of other faithful Buddha Dharma, which all results in dharma attire with star wheels and a certificate of holiness level. The certificate of holiness level must be reexamined annually. The level of a holy guru marks the class of realization they attain. Its function is to make it convenient for Buddhist cultivators to detect and prevent liars or evil masters from pretending to be holy gurus. It is just like the levels of martial arts or international chess; it is also like the ranks of military personnel. One can tell someone’s level of accomplishment from it. Please note one thing. Although a holy guru does not need to display the certificate when they rise to the rostrum, Buddhists can directly call or email the United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters Inquiry Center. They can ask to verify whether the master’s level wearing the dharma attire is correct and whether that master has passed the annual examination.
Holy Guru Dharma Master Zhengda Awang Deji must have Her status examined annually. The Three-star Sun-moon Wheel Wangzha Shangzun from the Office of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said to our United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters Chair: “Dharma Master Zhengda verbally requested to be certified separately. I could not preside over her certification process last year because I served and taught in a reclusive, closed room. We will combine Dharma Master Zhengda’s annual examination for 2014 with the one for 2015. Dharma Master Zhengda has not regressed!
Dharma King Gar Tunstan, the Chair of our Headquarters, said: “Our Headquarters executes the annual examinations according to the Dharma decree of Wangzha Shangzun. Dharma King Baden Luode and Dharma Master Longhui were waived from the annual examination because our Headquarters has been too busy with dharma affairs. I will arrange the 2015 annual reexamination for them. They can request which item they would like to take the test.”
United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters
March 7, 2015
