Any Dharma Assembly That Is Not Practiced at the Site of the “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions” Is Not a “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions”
Currently, many places are making arrangements to hold the “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions.” We don’t know how to react to their action of giving this name to their dharma assemblies. Your mistake is due to not knowing what the “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions” is. You are just holding a certain kind of dharma assembly, but that is not a dharma assembly that can be legitimately named as “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions.” To say that you are holding a dharma assembly of 100 sessions is correct, which is a good deed. However, to say that you are holding a “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions” is incorrect because the “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions” are a type of holy assembly that is created by specific holy persons, rising of karmic conditions, location, time, and power of merit.
First, you all need to clearly understand what the “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions” is. The “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions” is the name of a grand dharma assembly of tremendous holiness. This is a specific name. Holy assembly refers to a dharma assembly with the practice led by tremendous holy one(s). That is why it is called a holy assembly. Furthermore, the “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions” is a holy assembly caused by specifically defined rising of karmic conditions. Just holding 100 dharma assemblies cannot be called a “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions.” Otherwise, wouldn’t practicing the dharma for 1000 sessions be called a holy assembly of 1000 sessions? Some big temples and monasteries have chanting sessions during the morning service and the evening service every day. Every session of chanting is a dharma assembly. Some of the attendees have attended several thousand such dharma assemblies already. Why haven’t these people acquired the qualification to receive an “Initiation of Dharma Affinity with the Yidam” (That initiation will enable one to meet the yidam in person and be personally told one’s affinity with the dharma.)? And why haven’t the person had one personal interview with the yidam yet? This is because, even though this person has attended many dharma assemblies, he or she still does not possess the merit of the “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions”!
Moreover, there is a fact that you all should know. The hall of the “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions” is a holy site consecrated by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III in person. At the time, before H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III performed the consecration, the sky was very dark with thick dark clouds and a rainstorm was pouring down heavily. As soon as His Holiness the Buddha started to perform the dharma, all dark clouds suddenly broke up and vanished without a trace and the rainstorm stopped immediately. The sky became completely blue without any cloud in sight. At that time, more than 1000 vajra parrots flew over from afar and were circling around the Kuan Yin Hall that had just been consecrated. This is the hall where Elder Dharma Master Yin Hai’s flesh body was to be worshipped. The roaring sound of the parrots was ear-trembling, as if the buildings and the ground were shaken by the parrots’ extremely joyful roaring. The parrots’ praising applause even caused swirling waves in a tea cup on the table. This sound was louder than that of several dozens of vehicles horning at the same time. After encircling the hall for several dozens of rounds, the parrots rested on nearby trees. Such a crowd of more than 1000 parrots has not been seen before. They performed the opening anthem for the holy assembly.
Elder Dharma Master Yin Hai and Wang Zha Shang Zun who is at the grade level of Golden Button Grade 3 were in charge of the Holy Assembly. Since the Elder Dharma Master had entered nirvana already, why do we say that He was still in charge of the Holy Assembly? We all know the facts that the Elder Dharma Master’s flesh body started a miraculous transformation 10 days after His entering nirvana. The bone frame changed. Also, not only the finger nails were growing continuously but also the fingers grew longer. Such holy manifestations broke records in the history of Buddhism and were an integral part of leading the holy assembly. Furthermore, the Elder Dharma Master manifested the dharma of Holy Assembly when worshipped at the holy site. At that time, several dozens of eagles were circling above the holy site at a low vertical height of several stories from the attending crowd, indicating the arrival of the Golden-Wing Garuda who is a dharma protector of the Buddha. Separately, a group of crows representing the Mahakala Dharma Protector were lingering at the site and singing praises in the language of birds. Moreover, every day at the beginning of the holy assembly, the eagles and birds would always encircle the holy site and sing praises. Such holy manifestations and expressions of the dharma were certainly a part of leading the holy assembly by Elder Dharma Master Yin Hai. More importantly, the “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions” must comprise 100 dharma assemblies held and completed at the site that is where the Elder Dharma Master is!!!
We will mention an example which may not be exactly appropriate as an analogy. Although the Elder Dharma Master cannot be compared to the Buddha, using a holy assembly held by the utmost supreme Buddha will be easy for you all to understand. For instance, the “Vulture Peak Dharma Assembly” held by Sakyamuni Buddha was over once it ended. There is no such a thing that any dharma master or holy virtuous one can hold his/her own “Vulture Peak Dharma Assembly” at any place. This is because the “Vulture Peak Dharma Assembly” was a specific and unique dharma assembly. As another example, the “Sutra-Gathering Assembly” held at Saptaparna-guha no longer exists after the meeting ended. Even if another 200 holy ones and Arhats gather there again to talk about and discuss the teachings from the sutras, there can never be a “Sutra-Gathering Assembly” again. The “Sutra-Gathering Assembly” is defined by its specific time, location, dharma matters, and presiding holy ones and is a unique dharma assembly with definitive characteristics. The “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions” also possesses such a nature.
It is meritorious that dharma masters, rinpoches, and masters organize their disciples to recite sutras, chant mantras, sing praises, present offerings, and dedicate merit. However, it must be made clear that such activities are not a “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions” and can only be called meritorious assemblies to respectfully congratulate Holy Venerable Yin Hai. This kind of dharma assemblies are not related to the “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions.” Wang Zha Shang Zun once announced that promotions on dharma attire buttons and grade levels and receiving an “Initiation of Dharma Affinity with the Yidam” are applicable to those who attended the “Holy Assembly of 100 sessions” perfectly and are not for attending meritorious assemblies to respectfully congratulate Holy Venerable Yin Hai.
Of course, attending meritorious assemblies to respectfully congratulate Holy Venerable Yin Hai, taking part in good deeds such as helping the poor and disaster relief, and cultivating with a genuine heart will absolutely be beneficial to accumulating one’s merit. One who cultivates well to become a kind and good person will naturally possess sufficient karmic conditions and will definitely receive an inner-tantric initiation! An inner-tantric initiation means the master conferring the initiation must possess the cultivated power of obtaining Bodhi holy water from dharma practice. Only such holy water can be the mother of dharma water used in the initiation and dharma transmission. Other than that, any verbiage of explanation using whatever excuses cannot be believed. If there is no dharma mother water, any so-called inner-tantric initiation is false.
We have a suggestion here. If you can put a planned effort of holding 100 dharma assemblies into releasing captured living beings from dying and doing good deeds instead and then dedicating the merit, you will actually accumulate great merit!! Of course, that means you have to go to the site in person and personally carry out the action, rather than have others do that for you.
United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters (Seal stamped on every page)
March 5, 2017