{"id":71945,"date":"2025-06-28T15:47:45","date_gmt":"2025-06-28T23:47:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/?p=71945"},"modified":"2025-11-22T09:38:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T17:38:04","slug":"preface","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/preface\/thus-have-i-seen\/","title":{"rendered":"Preface \u2013 Thus Have I Seen"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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FIGURE 1: H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III photographed during the ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol when the Buddha received the World Peace Prize.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Preface \u2013 Thus Have I Seen<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Reposted from Thus Have I Seen<\/em><\/a> by Zhaxi Zhuoma Rinpoche p.10-16<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I want this book to be first, a description of what I have seen and heard while following my Buddha Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III (FIGURE 1). I will tell the stories, the miracles, the practices, the steps forward and back, warts and all. It includes my aspirations, the aspirations the Buddha Master has for me, and my resistance. And, most importantly, it includes an introduction to the Buddha Dharma1<\/a><\/sup> brought to this world by my Buddha Master. I must offer an important caveat; it does not attempt to discuss the entire body of Dharma imparted by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. It is only about the part that this humble student is aware of, as I do not read or understand Chinese. I believe it does offer an overview of what is known to English-speakers and I hope it can help you know how to learn from the Buddha and realize that you, too, can and will become a Buddha.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 But second, I want to share what I think all of this means\u2014what I have learned or understand from all this. I am sure there are many errors in this book, so many that I cannot even ask my Buddha Master to critique or approve it. However, I believe and hope that it will be useful to others who will (I hope) soon have access to more of the Buddha\u2019s teachings and can make their own evaluation. There are many Dharma Teachings available in Chinese by my Buddha Master, but not many English translations of the books and recorded discourses have yet been published. The karmic conditions have not yet matured, but the time is near.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Late in 2019, while leading a Dharma class in San Diego on a draft translation of the book Learning from Buddha<\/strong><\/em><\/a>,\u00a02<\/a><\/sup> it became clear to me how exquisitely all the varied teachings given by my Buddha Master that I know of, fit together and supported one another. It was like solving a giant puzzle. I do not yet have all the pieces and don\u2019t fully understand some of the pieces I do have, but I had the overall vision of how the teachings we do have complemented each other. It was then that I became determined to share that vision with whomever I could. I want to be clear that I am not qualified to explain or teach the correct Buddha-Dharma that can enable you to become enlightened. However, what I can do and want to do in this book is introduce you to that Dharma and share what I have seen and understand about the Dharma so that you can gain access to the wonders and joy of what the Buddhas teach. I can also transmit some of the dharmas you need to start on this path.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I started with a sort of curriculum in my head with classes at the temporary site of the Xuanfa Holy Heavenly Lake Dharma Center in Hesperia, California. There were some good old students finding ways to participate and some eager new students who seemed to have good karmic roots for learning the Dharma. Then COVID-19 hit and the classes had to stop. Only they didn\u2019t. They grew. We started holding large weekly international virtual classes via Zoom on Sunday afternoons and held smaller, more intimate Saturday morning open mike-like sessions to further discuss what we were learning and anything else that came up. The Dharma came alive. I wrote this book in the hope that by sharing my unique experiences, I can help make the Dharma come alive for others and that they will be motivated to learn and follow that Dharma to find joy and a good life and ultimately become enlightened beings. From my experience with these online classes and creating a virtual international temple online with students from all over the world joining us to chant and sing our praises to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and to sit together in both silent meditation and to reflect on what we have learned from the Buddha, I realized that there was much more I could and should do. This book is part of that effort.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I had for the past few years become quite frustrated\u2014even despondent\u2014over my own Dharma practice, my lack of progress, and my inability to bring people to the Dharma. It started when we lost the ability to provide recordings of preliminary translations of the Buddha Master\u2019s Dharma discourses to those wanting to start Dharma listening centers. True, they could still come to my temple in Sanger, California and I could read them these draft translations, but Sanger is a long way from just about anywhere and most of the students did not have the time or the resources or priorities to take the time to come to Sanger to do that. A few did and they progressed, but most did not. Besides they needed Dharma discourses and translations of the basic texts to be able to study and practice on their own and develop their own Dharma centers and bring people to the Dharma. I know I made mistakes and alienated students as well, for which I am truly sorry.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Even when I was able to have preliminary translations of the amazing Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation<\/strong> <\/em>and the profound Imparting the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra<\/strong><\/em> at the temple, it only attracted a very few to my temple to hear or read them. The ones who came and were able to hear and read even preliminary translations were thrilled and some became quite accomplished. I can see how their practice has prospered as a result. But they were few in number. I knew others who I thought would also benefit, but they simply could or would not come to Sanger. The Seven-Dharma Seminars, discussed later, generated some interest as did the Xuanfa Five Vidyas University, but nothing sustainable. Again, we needed authorized translations of the discourses and Dharma texts. But what could we do until that happened? What can those of us who do not and probably will never be able to understand or read Chinese do? What can I share of my experiences that might be helpful? Many of these stories and events I have reported before on the temple website and more recently in my blog, \u201cThus Have I Seen (Heard)<\/a>.\u201d That was really the beginning of this book, but some I have not shared before. Still, they were merely random news articles. I wanted to publish these events in a, hopefully, more coherent format that would be more helpful to others.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The Phoenix and the Chicken<\/strong><\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Recently (2019), the Buddha Master gave me a scathing \u201cPhoenix and Chicken\u201d<\/strong> discourse when I went to him for advice. I tend to think \u201cpigeon\u201d would have been a better metaphor for me than chicken, but I finally got the idea. My translator was laughing so hard when he explained what the Buddha Master had just said that I could barely hear what he was saying. I had the distinct feeling that it was much better in Chinese, or at least more colorful. I often suspected that there was some editing on the part of the translators, but in all fairness, I think they probably also edited my questions to the Buddha Master to make them more respectful and appropriate. To be honest, I do not believe that the Buddha Master needed any translation to understand my intent. Many times, He understands my situation before I even think it, let alone understand it. Other disciples have had that experience as well. Sometimes I have received instruction and guidance that was outside of the restraints of language.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 In essence, His Holiness sees me as a phoenix with all its grandeur, fancy plumage and abilities. Whereas, I still see myself as a pigeon or chicken. I guess both of the ordinary birds are appropriate, if not very flattering. I certainly share undesirable qualities attributed to both\u2014stupidity, greed, and lack of courage or timidity. I know, chickens don\u2019t really lack courage, but we do use that expression. In fact, chickens can be vicious cannibals and deadly fighters. The Buddha Master sees me as the holy person I could be, and I, unfortunately, resist rising to that level even though He has tried so hard to teach me and give me the necessary initiations and empowerments.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The same thing happened when I was recognized as a rinpoche.3<\/a><\/sup> I still remember the argument before His dais when I fiercely fought having my photo installed at Hua Zang Si<\/a>, our temple in San Francisco, as an elder or something like that. Suddenly, with no warning, one of the Buddha\u2019s Dharma instruments on His dais, I think it was His bell, started flying ever so deliberately across the room on its own volition. The Buddha Master had not touched it. It must have been a Dharma Protector4<\/a><\/sup> making a statement. I shut up then and the portrait was installed.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I had not wanted to be a rinpoche. I did not think I knew enough or was virtuous enough to be one. I considered myself an \u201caspirational rinpoche.\u201d And that was probably true. It was the phoenix-chicken syndrome again. I have struggled with this ever since I started following the Buddha Master. I finally accepted the rinpoche role, realizing that I could probably help more people in that role than being at a lesser status. Could it be that anyone with the karmic affinity to seriously follow the Buddha Master, has enough virtue and merit from past lives to be a reincarnated lama no matter what they \u201cknew\u201d or how virtuous they were in this life? Maybe. I also reflected on an important teaching from the Buddha Master on the role of faith in esoteric Buddhism whereby you had to have faith not only in the Buddha and the Dharma, but also in yourself that you, too, could become a Buddha. \u201cDivine Pride or Arrogance\u201d is a part of some tantric practice. This is not just what you do on your cushion.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 And I think there was a dark side to my rejecting the high-status positions. It wasn\u2019t all modesty or humility. There was a very real fear that I would like it. I did not need anything more to be attached to. I often joked about this, but on my part, it was pure gallows humor. I had laughed when the Buddha told me I would have assistants with parasols, but I found the idea very unlikely and ridiculous. However, when it happened, it wasn\u2019t all bad.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 But it was not until I was discussing The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation<\/strong><\/em> during a retreat at the temple that I think I really understood what the Buddha Master had been trying to teach me and it shook me to the bone. All my being cute about being an aspirational rinpoche was wrong. The Buddha Master\u2019s analogy to the Phoenix and Chicken was spot on. As long as you were just aspiring to something, you were not really committed to being that thing\u2014you still had doubts and there was no room for doubt in this process. This is exactly what you do with your yidam5<\/a><\/sup> practice of becoming the yidam. How could you succeed, if you did not totally believe you could do so?<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 You had to take seriously and believe the Four Great Mahayana Vows even though you know no ordinary person could possibly accomplish them. These were not vows for the chicken-hearted. These are phoenix-level vows.<\/p>

Defilements are countless; I vow to put an end to them.<\/em>
Dharma methods are limitless; <\/em>I vow to learn them.
Living beings are innumerable; <\/em>I vow to save them.
Buddhahood is unsurpassable; <\/em>I vow to realize it.<\/em><\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 There is one more confessional statement I want to make. Many years ago I wanted to establish a website to tell the world about my Buddha Master and Guru and explain how a Buddha had incarnated into this world to make the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha more relevant to our troubled times and to correct mistranslations and errors that had crept into the original teachings over the millennia. This Buddha, an incarnation of Dorje Chang Buddha, the teacher of Shakyamuni Buddha in another time and place, was living in America and I wanted other Americans to know about it. I requested guidance on how I should do this and received an image of a sun and moon riding on clouds that contained seven rainbow-colored gems. The meaning of this image was explained to me and although I found it very interesting and used it on my website for years, I never fully understood its significance or what I should do with it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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FIGURE 2: Xuanfa Institute Logo<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 When I redesigned my website, I dropped the logo and had not given it much thought until I started to write this book. Just as I had the flash of recognition of how all the bits and pieces of Dharma I had received over the years fit together, I was also able to see how beautiful and important the symbolism of this logo was and how useful it was to telling my story (FIGURE 2).<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 With this background, I begin the journey and will, hopefully, be able to end with the synthesis of what happened and what other non-Chinese speakers need to be able to find and practice the true Buddha Dharma that can enable them to become enlightened.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Footnotes<\/h3>

1<\/sup> Dharma can have different meanings in different contexts. Generally, it refers to the teachings of a Buddha, or the absolute truth of reality and how to comprehend that truth. Buddha Dharma is all that, but, as I understand it, used by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III to specifically refer to dharma that can enable someone to become enlightened and ultimately a Buddha. We have many Dharmas that are helpful and useful, but not so many that have the power originally propagated by Shakyamuni Buddha. \u21a9<\/a><\/em><\/p>

2<\/sup> This book, like others by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, is described later in this book. Quotes from and titles of books written by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III are printed in blue ink here. \u21a9<\/a><\/em><\/p>

3<\/sup> Rinpoche is a Tibetan term for someone who is considered to be a reincarnated lama or Dharma teacher. \u21a9<\/a> <\/em><\/p>

4<\/sup> Dharma Protectors are beings from another realm who guard the sacred teachings and those who follow them. I will describe them later. \u21a9<\/a><\/em><\/p>

5<\/sup> A yidam is the practitioner\u2019s personal or main deity for Tantric practice; i.e., the deity with which the practitioner has the strongest connection. \u21a9<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t<\/i>Prev<\/span><\/span>Previous<\/span>Illustrations \u2013 Thus Have I Seen<\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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I want this book to be first, a description of what I have seen and heard while following my Buddha Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III (FIGURE 1)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":71982,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[590],"tags":[641],"class_list":["post-71945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thus-have-i-seen","tag-zhaxi-zhuoma-rinpoche"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71945"}],"version-history":[{"count":98,"href":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71945\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78014,"href":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71945\/revisions\/78014"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cabuddhists.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}