H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Grand Dharma Assembly
and Assembly Celebrating the First Publication of Expounding the Absolute Truth Through the Heart Sutra:
The International Buddhism Sangha Association (IBSA) carries out its mission according to the teachings, precepts, and dharma in the sutras, disciplinary rules, and treatises as well as according to the scriptures of the four divisions of esoteric Buddhism. IBSA has always followed and practiced the teachings of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and Sakyamuni Buddha to regard compassion as fundamental and thereby benefit living beings. IBSA’s mission is to make living beings happy, enable them to learn the true dharma of the Tathagatas, and enable them to attain perfect good fortune and wisdom.
Since the recorded discourses on Buddha-dharma given by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III became available in this world, Buddhism, Buddhist studies, and Buddha-dharma based on correct knowledge and correct views are now being provided to the world. Only by following the teachings of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III can the chaos of departing from reality and turning away from truth based on evil understanding and evil views over many years be rectified. Only the teachings of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III give the public a correct and complete understanding of Buddhism.
As an example of this chaotic situation within Buddhism, some people’s worshipping of esoteric Buddhism has reached the degree of superstitious reliance and adoration. They regard only esoteric Buddhism as the true Buddha-dharma and highest Buddha-dharma. On the other hand, Buddhists who revere exoteric Buddhism view esoteric Buddhism as full of heresy and nonsense. Additionally, people who believe in the Pure Land sect think that all they have to do is chant Amitabha Buddha’s name wholeheartedly, and they will be able to pass on to the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss without the need to cultivate themselves. All of this has caused the division of Buddhism into sects and schools that attack one another. Each sect says it has the truth and is unwilling to yield to other sects, resulting in slandering and ruthless struggles within Buddhism itself. Compassion and kindness have been lost. This situation truly reveals the sad state of this dharma-ending era.
The recorded dharma discourses of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III expose all of these bad practices, unify correct understanding and views, and rigorously teach living beings to recognize that each major Buddhist sect has its strengths and its shortcomings. All dharmas spoken by the Buddha are for the benefit of living beings and correspond to the different innate capacities of living beings. No particular sect is high, low, superior, or inferior. As long as a dharma corresponds to the individual’s innate capacity and the individual can experience beneficial effects from it, as long as the individual can accumulate good fortune and wisdom and can attain ultimate liberation by practicing that dharma in accordance with the Buddha’s teaching, that dharma is the best dharma for the individual who is relying on it.
Regardless of what dharma one practices, one must abstain from everything that is evil, do everything that is good, benefit living beings, and adopt correct understanding and correct views. That is cultivation based on true dharma. No matter how nice a dharma may sound, if it does not benefit living beings, if it brings living beings suffering and afflictions, if it decreases good fortune and increases karmic hindrances, then that dharma is an evil practice and an evil dharma.
It is a fact that the thoughts, conduct, and Buddha-dharma of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III are the most correct, the most perfect, and the most suited for the needs of living beings and are the highest guidance for all living beings in their learning of Buddhism, cultivation, and effort to accomplish liberation.
Because H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has manifested through His accomplishments the great compassion, holy wisdom, and enlightenment of a Buddha, He has enabled people to understand that He has the status of a Buddha. His Holiness the Buddha received more than one hundred recognitions, corroborating recognitions, and congratulations regarding His status. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is a Buddha of great holiness and virtue who has received the largest number of recognitions and the highest recognitions in the history of Buddhism. However, everyone must understand a fundamental principle. A Buddha is not a Buddha due to recognition, just as gold is not gold just because it is recognized as such. Gold does not need to be recognized as such. It is gold from the beginning. How are those of holy virtue qualified to recognize a Buddha? Having ordinary living beings recognize a Buddha is even more ridiculous!
The status of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was not obtained through recognition. Rather, His Holiness the Buddha is a Buddha because of His inherent enlightenment. Because of the manifestation of such enlightenment, many recognitions of His status were induced and inspired. The situation was the same with Sakyamuni Buddha. The Buddha’s status was not determined by recognitions from the 16 Arhats, the 500 monks, or the 8,000 Bodhisattvas. Rather, it was based on the fact that His teachings and realization matched the supreme and perfect enlightenment of a Buddha. That was why Arhats and Bodhisattvas called Him a Buddha.
In order to enable living beings to truly understand the holiness, purity, and magnificence of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and to truly understand that His dharma is indeed the true dharma of the Tathagatas, the International Buddhism Sangha Association will specially hold a H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Grand Dharma Assembly. It will at the same time hold a grand assembly celebrating the world’s first publication of the book in Chinese Expounding the Absolute Truth Through the Heart Sutra, which was spoken by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. All attendees of the dharma assemblies can respectfully request and receive a copy of this sutra in Chinese spoken by a Buddha called Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra.
Only books received on the day of the grand assembly celebrating the first publication of the book Expounding the Absolute Truth Through the Heart Sutra will be stamped with a first-publishing seal that has special and wonderful empowerment qualities leading to happiness and good fortune. This seal underwent the chanting of the Heart Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, the Amitabha Sutra, the Medicine Master Sutra, the Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma, the Great Compassion Mantra, the Suramgama Mantra, dharma practices of Mahakala Vajra, Rehula Dharma Protector, Kalachakra Vajra, Ekajati Vajra, Vajrakilaya, the Thirteen Yamantakas, and especially the dharma practices of Supreme Peace of Mind White Vajra, Wrathful Mother, Yingcuomageyi, Four-Armed Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, Green Tara, Great-Compassion Thousand-Armed Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, and others. These sutras, mantras, and dharma practices were divided into categories and assigned to groups to chant and practice for seven days. The merit was then dedicated for empowerment. Those people prayed that everyone who receives the Buddhist sutra called Expounding the Absolute Truth Through the Heart Sutra attain perfect good fortune and wisdom and soon realize enlightenment. This is a supremely wonderful sutra empowerment.
As of now, we are not quite clear as to what will be applied to empower the ink-paste to be used by the seal and thereby empower the precious books. The possibilities are nectar bestowed by the Buddhas on the spot, holy sand used to create a mandala separated by a slab of stone, the dharma of fetching a dharma manual at the other side of a mountain, the dharma of Mapeng Terma, holy bodhi water, or the dharma of holy fire offering. However, the empowerment will definitely use the meritorious resources obtained from one of the above-mentioned supreme and great dharmas. What is most important is that a supreme empowerment through the holy dharma of state-practice will be applied to empower the seal, ink paste, and precious books. That means the meritorious resources from one of those holy dharmas will be mixed into the ink paste and sprinkled onto the precious books that will be seal-stamped. However, each person can request only one book.
The H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Grand Dharma Assembly and the First-Publication Assembly will become one more milestone in the few-thousand-year history of Buddhism since Sakyamuni Buddha. This is a supremely wonderful opportunity. We are grateful to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III for bringing to living beings the holy cause of entering the correct path and expediently attaining enlightenment.
Date of assembly: March 23, 2014 (Sunday)
Location of assembly: AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong.
Because of the anticipated large number of people wishing to attend the dharma assemblies and due to space limitations, please register in advance so seating arrangements can be made. We respectfully invite rinpoches, dharma masters, acaryas, masters of dharma-listening sessions, and Buddhist believers of all temples, Buddhist organizations, and dharma-listening centers to register online as early as possible to facilitate the registration process. (The web link for online registration will be sent to everyone within the next few days.)
In order to make certain that every attendee can respectfully request and receive one copy of Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra, the issuance of the book will be based on one’s admission ticket stub. Therefore, please pay special attention to keep that ticket stub.
We implore all of you to grasp this karmic opportunity difficult to encounter in millions of eons and enthusiastically participate in this grand occasion to share in the benefits of the dharma!
International Buddhism Sangha Association
January 4, 2014