Articulated by Supreme Master (Dharma King) Cherchee Janyang Chingjeng and Translated by Mi-Kong practitioner
The noble picture of Dharma King Cherchee Janyang Chingjeng (H.E. Dharma King Queji Jiangyang Qingzhen ), a disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu. A brief biography and account of some of his achievements are included in the book H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III: A Treasury of True Buddha-Dharma.
Buddhism has been taught in this world for more than 2,500 years. During this period, countless practitioners have attained the great realization and supernatural power. However, many people still have doubts. Some of the most prevalent doubts include the following:
- Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are never born and never die. They can stay alive forever. They can traverse the three realms (spheres) at their leisure, and possess endless miraculous powers. But why can we not see these things? What do Buddhas and Bodhisattvas look like?
- If one chants the name of Amitabha, then he will be born again in the Pure Land ( Superlative Joy) after death. What does the Pure Land look like? Has anyone ever seen the Pure Land? Why cannot we see pictures of the Pure Land?
- People often ask that a Buddhist teacher (monk) perform religious services to save the souls of the dead. However, has anyone ever witnessed the process by which these souls are saved?
- People sometimes treat certain Buddhism teachers as Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. Why do these teachers behave like regular people instead of displaying supernatural powers? When they teach they are able to explain every theory, but they do not transcend physical earthly powers. Are these stories of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas only fairytales (or stories passed on from generation to generation)? Are their miraculous powers only another fabrication?
- When a number of disciples receive the Nectar Empowerment, a Vajra Master simply uses water in a vase to pour on their heads. Is this divine nectar? Or is this ordinary river water, well water, or tap water? Is this nectar a fabrication or not?
- Based on Buddhism’s Sutra, Vinaya and Abhidharma (Tripitaka), dharma’s miracle realms are endlessly listed as being part of another world or dimension, the correct knowledge and comprehension of which is taught by Buddha. Consequently, why do today’s masters’ and great virtuous ones’ (great, home practitioners’) capabilities have nothing to do with what is described in the Tripitaka? They do not appear to display any supernatural power; on the contrary, they assert that dharma does not rely on miracles to save sentient beings. If this is the case, then why did Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples frequently use their supernatural powers to save sentient beings as recorded in the Sutras? Is it possible that these rinpoches and teachers did not learn the true dharma? Or, is it possible that there is no dharma at all, thus allowing these teachers to use the excuse that dharma does not rely on miracles to save sentient beings?
There are many other questions similar to those listed above, all of which seem to make sense. Dharma contains not only theories, but it also provides a realization. Shakyamuni Buddha, Avalokitesvara and Guru Padmasambhava performed boundless miracles. As a result, it is reasonable to assume that great masters and great virtuous ones certainly have the dharma power to illustrate such miracles to disciples. In order to make disciples believe and thus obey Buddhism, these teachers must do more than simply rely on dozens of books or talk about theories.
The crucial point is that these teachers themselves do not have any dharma capability, and yet they ask their disciples to follow the methods in their books or teachings to gain a supernatural capability! Thus, practice appears to be some kind of joke. Many people have written books to establish their theories, but they simply do not possess any miracle capability. If disciples ask these teachers (or theorists) to confer a profound empowerment, they simply are unable to do so.
In addition to their lack of supernatural capabilities, there are many false rinpoches and masters who pretend to teach Buddha dharma but incorrectly explain the meaning of the Tripitaka. Through conversations or publications, people are led down false paths. As a result, people no longer believe the true Buddha’s dharma and the existence of masters.
For this very reason, Buddha generously explained how to teach the two utmost, profound categories of empowerments—including the Inner Tantra and Supreme Tantra—based on the backgrounds and causes of sentient beings. The dharma and miracle, which were defined by kind Buddhas, appear in a mandala to demonstrate the dharma power. Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and dharma protecting deities personally come to the mandala to inspect and permit the empowerment of disciples using genuine Buddha’s dharma. The disciples receiving such empowerment can witness the appearance of the miracle dharma power in order to assess the qualification of the true dharma and the great virtuous ones.
Furthermore, a disciple washes the dark red bowl and puts the cover on the bowl during the Nectar Empowerment. After the master performs the dharma ritual, the nectar emanates from the sky, passes through the cover of the bowl and descends into the bowl. The nectar is certainly not one of our worldly elements, nor is it the water that results from the blessing of chanting mantras.
For saving the soul of a dead person, the relatives of the deceased would witness the soul clinging to a standing straw mannequin (scarecrow), obtaining the expiation and being saved. In another empowerment, dozens of documents were hidden inside a mandala dish, and Buddhas and Bodhisatvas would personally remove the correct documents placed there by a disciple. Such boundless miraculous powers sufficiently prove that Buddhism is an experimental science and contains more than bragging theories. Of course, only a supreme master of true dharma can possess these capabilities. Nowadays, it is difficult to find even one out of a million rinpoches and teachers who possess these capabilities. However, there does exist one such Greatest Virtuous One in our world. Supreme Master (Dharma King) Tsungsheng [Zun Sheng] gave the prophecy in tantra that he will have a successor who can harmonize Sutra and Tantra teachings and command the five sciences with the perfect attainment. This successor will be famous all over the world and become a Dharma King. He will correct the inaccurate explanations of dharma provided by many great monks and great virtuous ones.
Unfortunately, Supreme Master Tsungsheng [Zun Sheng] did not identify the successor. I have had the opportunity to meet this Anonymous Master/Professor and receive his Inner and Supreme Tantra Empowerment summary. Since Mahavairocana—the Great Sun Buddha, Supreme Master Tsungsheng—did not clearly point out this ultimate opportunity, I will therefore follow his sacred perspective and temporarily withhold his name. I only hope that a virtuous person who possesses the proper cause and has the opportunity will come forth to carefully seek this Supreme Master and sincerely follows his teaching.