Answer 5 On Day 5 of the Lunar New Year
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III expressed His opinion to our providing answers to the questions raised. His Holiness the Buddha said, “In your replies to people’s questions, you keep saying that it is required to ‘Present a Petition to a Bodhisattva’ per the stipulation of the Dharma; or there is an emphasis on ‘Manifesting Holiness with a Vajra Pill’ in an Inner-tantric Initiation. There are many such things in writing, and you mention many holy states or phenomena revelations. Those have little to do with learning from Buddha to cultivate oneself, which is what I want. I am not saying that your emphasis on the stipulation of the Dharma is not good, nor do I regard what you say as mysterious. Shakyamuni Buddha expounded many more revelations of holy states and phenomena in the sutras than you said. They are also more miraculous, powerful, subtle, and marvelous than you said. I am a Buddhist. I do not have the slightest doubt about what the Buddha said. I completely respect the World-Honored One and praise the sutras expounded by the Buddha.”
What H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said is so correct. Let’s not mention the holy feats shown by the Buddha. The Venerable Udaayin, one of The Sixteen Venerables among the Buddha’s disciples, did reveal many sacred miracles. They included such things as touching the head and showing a big topknot, having his intestine come out of his belly, producing marvelous substances in a bowl, flying with the supernormal power of a Pratyeka, and walking in the sky as a bhikkhu. If one doubts these as strange or paranormal phenomena, would the many holy states manifested by Sakyamuni Buddha not be true Tathagata Dharma? If someone doubts the many manifested divine states and phenomena Shakyamuni Buddha mentioned, that person is undoubtedly slandering the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III also said, “However, it is a different story regarding the mistakes and errors introduced in recalling and recording the Buddha’s words by the Venerable Ones when compiling the sutras. Additionally, people of later times made incorrect interpretations in translating the sutras. I remind several of you. In today’s world, very many people are learning Buddhism. Where can so many holy masters be found? How many masters who are great holy ones are there to teach them? Just take me as an example. I am only a cultivator learning from Buddha. I am not a holy one. I need not mention that several of you cannot teach so many people. Even if Sakyamuni Buddha were in the world now, there would still be no way to edify those who are unqualified. The Buddha would not teach them because they lack sincerity and even speak falsely. Because of this situation, many people still have not been saved successfully in the world today. Have you thought about that?
Furthermore, speaking of qualified Buddhist disciples who can meet such high-standard requirements of yours, how sincere and pious do they have to be to contribute to the Buddhist undertakings that benefit living beings? How many such Buddhist disciples are there? Does this mean that those who can’t receive a successful inner-tantric initiation do not need to learn Buddhism?”
“It is true that my name is H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III! This title of Buddha was not proclaimed by myself. It came from written recognitions and corroborations by the dharma kings, regent dharma kings, and rinpoches of various Buddhist sects and schools. Am I able to deny this fact and say that I am not H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III? Although I am H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, I know that eminent monastics and holy virtuous ones gave me the title of Buddha. However, in terms of my fundamental quality, I am just a common Buddhist member. I don’t deserve the words holiness and virtue and do not qualify as the leader of Buddhism at all. I am still cultivating my body and mind. However, my Buddhist teachings and Buddha Dharma are the true and correct teachings and Dharma without a doubt! They are the highest and most perfect great Dharma for attaining perfect good fortune and wisdom, liberation, and accomplishment! They are the same as the dharmas of all Buddhas in the ten directions! Those who attained accomplishment and liberation have tangibly proven this fact!”
“However, I do not have the capabilities as you imagined to partake in the rigorous dharmic stipulations of your inner-tantric initiations. I advocate that those who learn from Buddha and cultivate themselves should select a sect or school they like according to their dharmic affinity. It has its strengths as long as it is a Buddhist sect or school. All sects and schools are equal at my place here. The 84,000 dharma gates the World-honored Sakyamuni Buddha expounded are to respond to the various karmic conditions for benefiting living beings.”
“Regardless of which sect or school, one should first learn to be a good person and start by focusing on the law of cause and effect. Once you can truly abstain from all evildoings and commit to kind deeds, your human character can elevate to the holy character. If you can’t act like a good person, how can you learn from Buddha and realize the holy fruit? Furthermore, many Buddhist sects and schools have come into being nowadays. For example, in the Exoteric Buddhist sects, there is not much teaching or Dharma about having an initiation. Still, it doesn’t mean you cannot attain accomplishment from learning the exoteric Buddhism, does it?”
“I must seriously tell you, holy virtuous ones. You must study the book Learning from Buddha and the two great mind essences in The Supreme and Unsurpassed Mahamudra of Liberation well and put what you learn into practice. It is vital! Otherwise, no initiation is useful. When one’s karmic hindrances lessen, one will understand from reading Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra and awaken to the absolute truth within it. Also, one will thoroughly awaken to the Sutra on Understanding and Realizing Definitive Truth, the Diamond Sutra, and so on. With such a solid foundation, one will not have the slightest problem for receiving an initiation and dharma transmission.”
Although H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said that He is not a Buddha and does not deserve the words holiness and virtue, you must not misunderstand it. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III applies selfless humility to benefit living beings and for people to follow his example. He is a role model with His speech and conduct. If H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was not a Buddha, wouldn’t all the leaders, great dharma kings, regent dharma kings, and great rinpoches of various major Buddhist sects be swindlers? They are the ones who recognized and corroborated, who wrote: “H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is the Vajradhara and Buddha.” If H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III were not a Buddha, then there would be no Buddha in the world. Even those Tibetan Buddhist rinpoches recognized in history would all be false since they were all identified through recognition. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has received much more recognition than those dharma kings and rinpoches. If we cannot establish the status of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, how can we accurately recognize those rinpoches’ status when they got so little recognition? The answer is, of course, no. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is a Buddha just by His holy realization and accomplishments unmatched in the world, without mentioning the recognition from the leaders of various sects and schools. The World Supreme Court of Buddhism judged that the teachings and the truth expounded by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III are in the same system as Sakyamuni Buddha and that H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is the highest leader of Buddhism.
Let’s put the above ironclad evidence aside for now since there is simply no need to use it to support H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. Look only at H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III’s accomplishments. Which holy one or patriarch in history has surpassed H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III in achievements?
We do not speak hollow words today. Let’s juxtapose the real accomplishments in the open for comparison. Let’s check the history to see if there was another patriarch or Bodhisattva who had comparable achievements, and then we can prove these facts. Look at His Craftsmanship Vidya (one of the Five Vidyas) creations: A Rock of Horizontal Charm or Mist Carved inside a Boulder. You cannot find another holy one who could replicate even just ten percent of the artwork.
We can say frankly that with the numerous and vast accomplishments of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, not even one person, past or present, can be found to hold the candle. In the history of Buddhism, only H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III let people see the apex of marvelous mastery in the Five Vidyas by a Buddha. By this fact alone, He is a Buddha, not to mention that He is the only Buddha in all of the several-thousand-year Buddhist history, recognized by the eminent monastics and holy virtuous ones in the world. That is unprecedented in Buddhist history.
The status of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is that of the supreme Buddha. Still, He acts so modestly and humbly to manifest the holy character of the selfless, great enlightenment of Bodhi. That makes us, the disciples under the beneficent Buddha Master, extremely ashamed. We even wear the laurel of a holy, virtuous one. That is truly embarrassing!
Regarding the stipulations of the inner-tantric Dharma, what H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said is very thorough and in accord with the truth. However, people have already raised 35 questions to seek a reply. We will certainly reply to Buddhists with the correct dharma stipulations and doctrines because we bear the responsibility of causality. We must let people who cultivate themselves know the right answers that they seek regarding the requirements of the Dharma, the meaning of the Dharma, cultivation, inner-tantric initiations, and so on to prevent them from being deceived by swindlers. We must reply truthfully to protect the highest Buddha Dharma!
Of course, only the Dharma expounded by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III on cultivation is the fundamental cause of seeking liberation for living beings. If your underlying cause is planted wrong, you will not receive an Inner-tantric Initiation, and even if the Initiation happens, you cannot receive it successfully. If your cause is correct, you will naturally receive an initiation to learn a great Dharma. You will consequently transcend the worldly realm to realize holiness or even directly enter the holy realm to become holy!
The Inquiry Center of the World Buddhism Association Headquarters
Written on behalf of the Great Holy Gurus
February 20, 2018
(Eric Huang translated this announcement into English. It was last edited 2024-08-30)