Although the empowerment from the Buddha-dharma is real, in order to receive any benefits or use from any empowerment, one’s three karmas of conduct, speech and thought must correspond with the teachings of one’s Master. The number of people who have received empowerment from the Elder Dharma King is too high to count. Examples of the potency of such empowerments are too numerous to recount. We will now give examples of the empowerments of only a few people.
A follower of Esoteric Buddhism by the name of Mr. Zhang Cheng-Ji led a group of people to pay a formal visit to Elder Dharma King Dorje Losang in order to respectfully request empowerment. Within this group were people who operated a restaurant, engaged in trading, operated a hotel and did business in general merchandise. Their businesses did not make money and their personal finances were in ruins. After the Elder Dharma King performed the Fire Offering Empowerment, within a short time their wealth increased dramatically.
Right after the empowerment the Elder Dharma King told them, “This empowerment dharma is a set dharma. It is called Humo Fire Offering. It is not an ordinary fire offering. Rather, it is the dharma of the Inner Esoteric Fire Offering. Therefore, supernormal dharma powers were exhibited on the spot. Within one-half year from the time you leave here and return home, your wealth will definitely increase by a few times. However, anyone here who operates a restaurant must close the restaurant upon your return. You cannot continue to engage in an impure occupation. You must also remember that you absolutely cannot kill living beings.” The Elder Dharma King practiced the dharma for them for two full days.
Nine of them practiced according to the instructions of the Dharma King. Sure enough, within one-half year their wealth increased dramatically, their businesses prospered, they made lots of money and things went smoothly. There were those whose families were in a constant state of discord. Within one-half year of their return home, these families were in a state of harmony.
A few of these people got together and decided to make an offering to the Elder Dharma King. They made a special trip to the Dazhao Temple in Tibet. Using their connections, they were able to bring back a set of Buddhist instruments made of pure gold and pure silver as an offering to the Elder Dharma King. Unexpectedly, the Elder Dharma King immediately threw these Buddhist instruments down the cliff into the valley below. We do not understand why the Elder Dharma King did this.
However, there were three people who did not receive any benefit from the empowerment. Afterwards, it was discovered that they did not act according to the methods set down by the Elder Dharma King. They committed offenses by engaging in numerous killings of living beings and by violating other precepts. Therefore, they received no benefit whatsoever. They were unable to increase their wealth. It is like when we use a computer. If we do not follow instructions when we use the computer, then not only will we not obtain the material we seek, we may also destroy material or cause the computer to malfunction. Thus, it is not enough just to receive teachings from an enlightened Master. The key to receiving benefits is to make one’s three karmas correspond with the teachings of the Master and live according to the teachings of Buddhism.