Announcement 20190101: A Vajrayana disciple asks on behalf of those being put to Zejue

        A question was raised by a disciple of the Vajrayana tradition on behalf of the candidates attending the Determination by Holy Selection (aka. Zejue):

        “I attended the Determination by Holy Selection of the Dharma of Yamantaka Vajra this time. I am grateful to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the holy and virtuous ones for giving me this opportunity, which enabled me to have the good fortune of seeing the true appearance of Yamantaka Vajra in my current lifetime. However, we cannot understand that among the 27 candidates attending the Determination by Holy Selection, only two successfully practiced the Dharma of Yamantaka Vajra and manifested the true appearance of Yamantaka Vajra. The other 25 of us have been practicing the Dharma of Yamantaka Vajra and made diligent efforts for several decades. We practiced according to the Dharma and took the red-white Bodhi nectar pills to sustain our affinity with the Dharma. We have never had a hiatus, but few of us received benefits. In particular, there are practitioners whose ages are between 70 and 80 or close to 100. There is a well-respected, virtuous person who has established the merit of expounding and explaining the sutras and commentaries to benefit people at large. For several decades, he gave discourses to people on the Lamrim Chenmo (The Great Treatise On The Stages Of The Path To Enlightenment), the Treatise on the Middle Way, the Abhidharma-Kosa Treatise, the Prajna Treatise, and the Treatise on the Mahayana Liberation Path. He practices at least one session of the Dharma of Yamantaka Vajra ritual daily. With such merit and practice, he still could not manifest the Vajra state.”

        “Speaking of lineage, my dharma lineage is the authentic lineage of Tibetan Buddhism from Master Tsongkhapa. I received the initiation and dharma transmission from the same master and in the same mandala as Master Panchen of the last generation. Master Panchen already accomplished the non-decaying flesh, but I cannot see any benefit in myself. Why? Where do I not accord with teachings or correspond to the Dharma? Where am I wrong? We pray that the holy and virtuous ones will give the practitioners a discourse and empower us. Please apply loving-kindness and compassion to us.”

Reply:

        Before replying to your question, we would like to give a brief introduction. Your question is important and a matter of principle. To broadly benefit Buddhists, a recorded Dharma discourse should have been produced, but WBAH does not have any holy, virtuous person who qualifies to give one.

        Wangzha Shangzun said, “As a humbled monk of Gold Button Level 3, how can I be qualified to give a Dharma discourse? People in the world have such a description, ‘A person not possessing a mental strategy and a physical capacity is a common person, not a talented person.’ Within Buddhism, a person unable to present the Three Vajra Pestles in terms of physical capacity or not possessing the holy wisdom of the Five Vidyas in terms of mental strategy is not qualified to give discourses on the Tripitaka or the Tantrics. Although I have the physical capacity to present the pestles, my mental intelligence is scant, with a smattering of Five Vidyas of up to 20 or 30%. Presenting a petition to a Bodhisattva is like a high mountain for me to look up, and I have no confidence that I can accomplish that. Being so inferior and incomplete, how dare I speak of the way or talk about the Dharma in an audio recording for the world?”

        However, since you are seeking the way on behalf of many people, we at the World Buddhism Association Headquarters had no choice but to pray to our beneficent Buddha Master. But our beneficent Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, does not agree to make an audio recording to speak for us. The reason is that His Holiness the Buddha has unfavorable opinions toward Tantric Buddhism and the many deeds of some masters from Tantric Buddhism. Thus, we could only reply to the question raised through an announcement. We are willing to bear this tremendous responsibility on causality because, led by Wangzha Shangzun, what we jointly researched, studied, and now expound on are the meaning and the principles of the correct cultivation and the correct Buddha Dharma. We would also like to inform everyone that the Determination by Holy Selection is not limited to Vajrayana and can be equally applied to the conduct of Bodhisattvas, Arhatship, and so on.

        We, the members of the Holy Gurus, are not in a position to give a discourse to all of you, who are the great virtuous ones of Vajrayana. Since the question has been raised, we will tell you truthfully based on the meaning of the Dharma we know.

        Speaking of Buddhism, the first thing to know is that there are four parts: 1. precepts, 2. cultivation, 3. dharma practice, and 4. the study of Buddhism. Precepts are inseparable from cultivation and dharma practice. The study of Buddhism is theoretical knowledge, including the studies of the commentaries. The study of Buddhism is independent and has no relationship to Buddha-Dharma. Nonetheless, Studying Buddhism can broaden one’s views, knowledge, and understanding and is related to worldly Buddha-dharma. When we say it has no relationship to Buddha Dharma, we mean the Holy Buddha Dharma. That is because a Yidam does not respond to requests related to studying Buddhism.

        What you asked about is a Vajra Dharma. Vajra Dharmas are related to the Vajra Division of the Supreme Yoga Division in Tibetan Tantras. The Vajra Division separately exists in Nyingma, Kagyu, Gelug, Sakya, Jonang, Tang Esoteric, Eastern Esoteric, and other sects. Each sect has Vajras specific to the sect, such as White Peace and Joy Master Vajra, Lion Vajra, Kalachakra Vajra, Ucchusma Vajra, Yamantaka Vajra, Chakrasamvara Vajra, Hevajra, Vajrakilaya, Mahakala Luga, Mahakala, and others. Moreover, each Vajra Dharma can have different ways of practice. Take, for example, the Dharma of Yamantaka Vajra in the Determination by Holy Selection performed this time. There were the Single-Zun, the Double-Zun, the Four-faced Eight-armed, the Nine-headed Vajrabhairava, and so on.

        Ancient virtuous persons and patriarchs all successfully performed the Vajra Dharmas mentioned above. Yet, many people have not received benefits after practicing the Dharmas for an entire lifetime. The primary key is whether the disciple obtained a genuine transmission at the time of receiving it, especially whether the master transmitting the Dharma has received an authentic transmission or not.

        In transmitting and receiving Dharmas, a fundamental principle is that there are two major types. The Dharma is either transmitted through the “master-transmission” lineage, which is worldly, or directly by the Yidam, which is holy. Simply stated, the master transmission involves exoteric-tantric initiations, i.e., oral inner-tantric transmissions, where there is no actual Dharma manifestation. On the other hand, the Dharma transmitted by the Yidam is a holy inner-tantric initiation, where a sacred state is manifested right there and then. For instance, when the Dharma of Determination by Holy Selection was performed this time, the holy state of the Yidam Yamantaka Vajra was manifested in reality. Yidam is the sacred being in charge of each Dharma. For example, Kalachakra Vajra is the Yidam of the Dharma of Kalachakra Vajra. Yidam is not a human like the master.

        You can ask people who cultivate within the scope of Tibetan esoteric Buddhism. In Tibet, Qinghai, Mongolia, India, and other regions, the total number of people among followers of Tibetan esoteric Buddhism who practice Vajra Dharmas exceeds one million. When a dharma king or rinpoche holds an initiation ceremony to transmit Dharma, the number of attendees easily ranges from several dozen to several thousand. However, in the end, how many have practiced it successfully to attain accomplishment? Almost none. Including the dharma kings, rinpoches, khenpos, geshes, and masters who sit on the dharma dais transmitting the Dharma to you, it is challenging to see any of them genuinely attaining accomplishment by practicing it, let alone you, disciples. You can forget about successfully practicing it to manifest the proper form of a vajra. You are far from touching the shadow of a Bodhisattva!

        Shakyamuni Buddha stipulated that a Bodhisattva’s accomplishment can be seen through the five vidyas. Which one among you indeed possesses the five vidyas? Where can your five vidyas be seen? Also, where are the five vidyas of the masters who transmit the Dharma to you? If you don’t have any ability in the vidyas, how can you manifest the Vajra wisdom? How can the standards of a Bodhisattva stipulated in Buddhist sutras be met? Such masters only have fake Five Vidyas that are commonplace.

        Shakyamuni Buddha also said that one who does not possess the five vidyas should possess holy power. Do those masters have such divine power? Can they present the three pestles? They cannot lift even the first pestle, which is the most basic. How can a weak physical body have any holiness? How many vidyas do they possess? Simply speaking, one who cannot present the three pestles or does not possess the five vidyas is only a master of ordinary quality, no matter how high his status may be.

        The minimum requirement is verification by the holy exam. If not verified by the Holy Exam, it is a master-transmitted lineage and not a transmission by the Yidam; it is an oral inner-tantric initiation and not a proper inner-tantric initiation, much less a holy inner-tantric initiation! Check yourself. Which type is the Dharma you learned?

        Only when you receive a holy inner-tantric initiation, directly transmitted by the Yidam, will the Yidam, a Vajra Bodhisattva, immediately appear before you and accept the petition from a heart disciple from you. That involves something tangible, something that can be looked at and felt rather than just a concept on the spiritual level or some hollow theory possessing only thoughts and feelings without any actual material matter. The so-called Yidam manifesting Himself in reality is entirely different from the Dharma of Empowerment by Avalokitesvara’s Great Compassion. It is not an illusory phenomenon generated from a contemplative visualization but an actual and lively entity you can see with eyes wide open, just like what happened in the Determination by Holy Selection by Yamantaka Vajra this time. It is also like when the Vajra Maternal Buddha appeared in the sky and ignited the fire in the fire-offering cauldron in the Holy Fire-offering Dharma Assembly held on September 19, 2018.

        According to what you said, 25 of the 27 attendees received an inner-tantric initiation while learning the Dharma. That should be the orally transmitted inner-tantric initiation commonly used in Tibetan esoteric Buddhism, which is, in fact, not genuinely inner-tantric. Among the two holy virtuous ones, whose determination by holy selection manifested in tangible form this time, one practiced the “Yamantaka Yidam,” and the other practiced the “Duhsiong Nengbu Yidam.” Both received a holy inner-tantric initiation transmitted directly by the Yidam while learning the Dharma. The Dharma transmitted directly by the Yidam stipulates the different numbers of practices for the practitioner to attain the various stages of Bodhisattva. It is that simple. It is not something that can be replaced by your studying a commentary or a treatise, no matter what that is.

        Additionally, mind you, if you say you have received an inner-tantric initiation in Tibetan esoteric Buddhism, did you keep a live Yamantaka Vajra Pill that can change its size and height in your hand? If not, then the initiation is undoubtedly the oral inner-tantric in the Tibetan lineage. If yes, then the initiation is truly inner-tantric in Tibetan esoteric Buddhism. Though not a holy inner-tantric initiation transmitted by the Yidam, such an initiation is still relatively high. If you practice it by the Dharma, you will become accomplished.

        Yinhai Shengzun and Gar Tongstan Rinpoche separately manifest world-astounding accomplishments, precisely because They had received holy inner-tantric initiations transmitted by the Yidam. Although Yinhai Shengzun went to the Buddha-land having attained great accomplishment, at the place where the Shengzun’s revered body was worshiped inside the Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva Hall in the Holy Miracles Temple, a great holy miracle is manifesting itself now! Placed for worship where His revered body once lay, His photo is for the public to view respectfully. Everyone can see the awe-inspiring holiness that not even science can explain. Such is a manifestation of the magnificent supreme Buddha Dharma and not what anyone can achieve with worldly Buddha Dharma.

        Additionally, regardless of whether you learned the Dharma in a worldly way or a holy way, it also depends on which type of the Dharma you learned. Some dharmas require 90% in cultivation and 10% in dharma practice, while others may require 80% in cultivation and 20% in dharma practice. Some may require the practitioner to study the sutras and commentaries at the same time, but others may not have this requirement at all. For example, Patriarch Milarepa did not emphasize the study of the sutras and commentaries because he had received a holy inner-tantric initiation transmitted by the Yidam. Whether fast or slow, easy or difficult, significant differences exist in learning the Dharma to attain accomplishment, as long as a holy dharma practice is transmitted to you by a Buddha or a Maha Bodhisattva (a Bodhisattva of Equal or Marvelous Enlightenment) based on your conduct of kindness and merit of protecting the Dharma, you can easily practice it to manifest the tangible form of the Yidam with no effort at all. Liberation from the cycle of birth and death can be attained as easily as snapping a finger. Even if you cannot receive a holy inner-tantric initiation, at the minimum, if you can receive an inner-tantric initiation of the Tibetan tradition, you will still definitely attain accomplishment. But can you? What is your qualification? Are you truly sincere and pious? What Buddhist work have you done that can move the holy beings to transmit the supreme Dharma to you directly by the Yidam or to confer you with a proper inner-tantric initiation?

        Meanwhile, you should also understand that no matter how difficult it is to get a Dharma, there exists no obstacle before a sincere person. Even if you are not qualified to receive an initiation directly transmitted by the Yidam now, you should have the persistent determination to strive for an authentic inner-tantric initiation of esoteric Buddhism. Just as the Buddha said, “Dharma gates are countless, and you should vow to learn them all; afflictions are endless, and you should vow to cut them all off.” Even if you temporarily cannot receive a proper inner-tantric initiation, you should clearly see that we are all highly fortunate in countless eons with our current karmic conditions. We have the affinity to encounter His Holiness the Buddha who transmits Buddha-Dharma to us in person in this lifetime; we are learning from the Dharma jewels of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III—the teachings in the utmost precious recorded Dharma discourses that possess special empowerment in themselves. As long as Buddhists follow the teachings and practice according to the Dharma, they will naturally attain accomplishment. Not any master who is reincarnated from a Bodhisattva or Arhat can come close.

      We also want to inform everyone that the Headquarters has decided to hold a Determination by Holy Selection on practitioners of the Kalachakra Vajra Dharma between January and February 2019. At that time, attendees and practitioners will all be able to see the Yidam manifesting Himself with their own eyes. It will be similar to the manifestation of the tangible form of the Vajra during the Determination by Holy Selection of the Yamantaka Vajra in this month and the manifestation of Vajra Maternal Buddha in the sky applying mighty holy power to ignite the fire cauldron with a flame emitted between Her eyebrows, which were seen by the attending congregation during the Holy Fire-Offering Dharma Assembly in September last year, There will be an Uncovering of Terma With Direct Verification between March and May. After that, there will be dharma assemblies of Determination by Holy Selection for practitioners of the Vajra Division, the Lotus Division, the Karma Division, and the Yoga Division. The specific dates will be scheduled. We now provide this information to all of you.

World Buddhism Association Headquarters
January 14, 2019

(Benxin worked on the first translation from Chinese to English. Eric Huang edited the translation on 2019-03-10, 2024-05-30, 2024-06-04, and 2024-11-16)