Views of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III on Being Recognized as an Ancient Buddha

By | April 3, 2008

by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha  from the book H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III:

The Treasure Book "H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III"

The Treasure Book “H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III”

Before my identity was recognized by others, it is only natural that I did not make my position known. However, I have now been recognized as the third Dorje Chang in accordance with the dharma rules. I will now discuss my views on whether or not I am the third Dorje Chang .
If I said that I am Dorje Chang III , I would undoubtedly be expressing an unbridled form of “attachment to self” or egocentrism and would thereby be acting like an ordinary person. How could that be even slightly in accordance with the enlightened conduct of a Buddha? On the other hand, it would be even more serious if I said that I am not the incarnation of Dorje Chang. That would be the conduct of a demon rather than the conduct of an ordinary person. That would be slandering the Buddhas, the dharma, and the sangha. It would mean denying the existence of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the Buddha-dharma. It would undoubtedly be saying that those holy dharma kings, rinpoches, and eminent monks who issued recognition certificates and written congratulations are in fact not holy and therefore issued documents that contain false words and deceive living beings. If one denies the recognition certificates and written congratulations of those dharma kings and rinpoches, who are incarnations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, wouldn’t that be slandering the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas by claiming that they speak falsely? Wouldn’t that be slandering those eminent monks by claiming that they speak recklessly and act irresponsibly toward living beings? That would be completely tantamount to labeling those dharma kings, rinpoches, and eminent monks as ordinary people or deceivers, which would mean that eminent monks and people of holy virtue do not exist. As such, how could there still be Buddhism and Buddha-dharma in this world?
However, living beings should understand that for the past few thousand years Buddhism and Buddha-dharma have been true, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have benefited living beings, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have bestowed upon living beings good fortune and wisdom. Countless beings have attained liberation from the cycle of birth and death and even have attained the rainbow body. Those eminent monks who recognized my identity and offered written congratulations to me are present-day dharma kings of great holiness and rinpoches of the highest order who have been universally recognized as such. They are also leaders within dharma lineages of great accomplishment. buddhas and Bodhisattvas never reach false conclusions. This is undeniable. Thus, the documents they wrote are in accord with the rules of the Buddha-dharma. They are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They are models for living beings to emulate in their self-cultivation.
I would like to state clearly the following. This matter involves the true words of those Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the karmic conditions of good fortune that living beings have. Actually, before they recognized my identity, I thought of myself as an ordinary person. Nonetheless, I am Dorje Chang III . After they recognized my identity, I am still Dorje Chang III and still think of myself as an ordinary person. Nothing has increased and nothing has diminished. I am still I. When practitioners realize the truth of and practice the contents of my discourse “What Is Cultivation?” they will be able to truly receive the liberating empowerment of Dorje Chang III. They will also be able to receive the liberating empowerment of Dorje Chang I. Throughout history, Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and other Buddhas have incarnated into this world. They have provided living beings with a model of self-cultivation by being humble, patient, and greatly compassionate. Since even the Buddhas are like this, I, an ordinary person, should of course be even more like this.