Statement of Apology Regarding a Report about H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
July 6, 2015
World Journal
On April 21 of this year, a news report about H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was published on the “Southern California News” page of the San Francisco edition of World Journal. The article was translated from a local English news medium in southern California. Because of the time pressure of publishing the article and careless mistakes made in proofreading and checking the article, our newspaper was unable to investigate and verify the contents mentioned in the article before it was published. We hereby express our sincere apology to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, who is broadly revered by believers and who was commended by a resolution passed by the United States Congress.
Our newspaper has always upheld the principle of “Publishing a Newspaper in an Upright Manner.” We believe in justice, freedom, and other basic values of a civilized world. Besides defending freedom of speech and people’s right to know, we respect freedom of religious belief and all normal religious activity. Our newspaper has always done its utmost to report and condemn incidents of religious persecution occurring in various places around the world, especially acts of political intervention and suppression that violate freedom of faith in regions inhabited by Chinese people.
Based on our mission of serving our readers, our newspaper does all that it can to timely report and publish activities and information associated with various Chinese religious organizations in the San Francisco Bay area. We do so to meet the needs of all types of believers and form bonds of kindness. The editorial and reporting teams of our newspaper strictly abide by the moral code and duties of journalists. Regarding the above-mentioned careless mistakes in our work, we have completed a serious review and implemented a more rigorous editorial and checking process to prevent similar incidents from happening again. We sincerely thank the International Buddhism Sangha Association for pointing out and correcting our mistakes.
According to material provided by the International Buddhism Sangha Association, believers, and readers, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is “the highest leader of Buddhism, who has been unanimously recognized and corroborated as such by dharma kings, regent dharma kings, and rinpoches of various sects of Buddhism.” Although He has undergone persecution and attacks, He has over a long period of time served a vast number of Buddhists and is held in great esteem by them. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has received many awards, including the World Peace Prize, the United States Presidential Gold Award, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Award for International Service and Leadership, and many others. The United States Senate passed a resolution that affirmed and commended the service rendered by and contributions made by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.
To help readers know more about H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, we are publishing below the complete translation of Resolution No. 614 passed by the United States Senate in 2012: (Please refer to: https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-resolution/614 for the original text of Resolution No. 614 passed by the US Senate)
US Senate Resolution 614 Celebrating the World Peace Corps Mission and the World Peace Prize. DECEMBER 12, 2012
Whereas the World Peace Corps Mission is an international organization that operates according to the
core spirit of advancing peace, justice, and inter-religious collaborations;
Whereas the World Peace Prize is a prestigious award presented by the World Peace Corps Mission that celebrates individuals who have contributed tremendously to peace and enlightenment for humanity;
Whereas past recipients of the World Peace Prize include President Ronald Reagan of the United States, President Abdurrahman Wahid of Indonesia, and President Nakamura of Palau;
Whereas in 2010, the World Peace Prize Awarding Council recognized His Holiness Dorje Chang Buddha III (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III’’) for his devotion to an immensely wide scope of humanitarian activities directed at individuals from different communities throughout the world;
Whereas H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has received numerous awards, including the United States Presidential Gold Award, which the Chairman of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders presented on behalf of President George W. Bush to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III for the outstanding contributions of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III to the arts, medicine, ethics, Buddhism, spiritual leadership, and United States society; and
Whereas in 2010, the World Peace Prize Awarding Council also recognized the Honorable Benjamin A. Gilman for being a life-long champion of human rights who has fought world hunger, narcotics abuse, and narcotics trafficking: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) commends the World Peace Corps Missionfor advancing peace, justice, and inter-religious collaborations; and
(2) celebrates the World Peace Award and the recipients of the World Peace Award.
