Regarding the two questions that have been frequently inquired about, the Office of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III hereby issues the following public announcement.
1. What kind of people have the qualification for learning Buddha-dharma?
The holy bright dharma lessons discoursed by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III are the supreme dharma treasures that guide living beings to do good conduct and cut off evil deeds in order to attain accomplishment. The dharma lessons teach Buddhists to cultivate according to the Sutra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma of Buddhism and to selflessly benefit others. People all have the qualification to respectfully listen to the dharma lessons. Any dharma-listening center should provide help and assistance to meet anyone’s desire of listening to dharma lessons discoursed by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, and should not use any excuse (such as not taking refuge, no offering, not possessing the suitable affinity, and so on) to keep people from listening to the dharma lessons. Regardless of whom the leader of this dharma-listening center is and regardless of what reason was provided, anyone who creates obstacles to learning Buddhism and listening to the dharma lessons has certainly lost the virtue and conduct of adhering to the great compassion that a cultivator must possess. Upon discovering such selfish conduct, anyone can choose to go to another dharma-listening center to listen to the dharma lessons and should not continue to follow such selfish people who do not care about living beings.
2. Setting up the Mandala
Whether in a dharma-listening center or in a practitioner’s own home, the most important and most fundamental setup of a mandala is to hang the Dorje Chang Buddha Lineage Refuge Tree at a high and clean place on the designated front side of the mandala. An offering table should be set up underneath. Alternatively, visage of Sakyamuni Buddha or Amitahba Buddha can be placed and worshiped. For those who practice the supreme dharma of The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation, the stipulation is to worship the Dorje Chang Buddha Lineage Refuge Tree in the mandala.
The visage of the Dorje Chang Buddha Lineage Refuge Tree can be respectfully requested from either the International Buddhism Sangha Association or the World Dharma Voice. Two different sizes are available and the prices are $10 and $5 respectively. If you are unable to request the visage in publication, you can take a photo from the visage of the Dorje Chang Buddha Lineage Refuge Tree enclosed in the treasure bookH.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and enlarge it to the size that matches your mandala. As to the offering table, its size can be what you wish and you can place either a general offering, an Eight-Offering, or a Mandala Offering. The key is to keep respect in mind. Other than this, there is no other special requirement. This is the most correct way of setting up a mandala and is applicable to all practitioners.
Only those who received in person initiation and dharma directly from H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III need to set up the mandala in accordance with the specific dharma received. No special mandala is required for those who do not.
If other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are also worshiped in the above-mentioned fundamental mandala, separate offering must be set up and the visages of those Buddhas and Bodhisattvas must be arranged at the two sides of the Dorje Chang Buddha Lineage Refuge Tree. Please make sure that the head height in those visages is no higher than the shoulder height of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha I. This is because Dorje Chang Buddha is the first sambhogakaya-Buddha and, therefore, is the holiest of all Buddhas.
May this announcement be known to all!
From the Office of H. H. Dorje Chang Buddha III,June 6, 2009-Revised July 15, 2011