During the period of the Second Examination of Masters of Dharma-listening Sessions held at the Conference and Exhibition Center in Hong Kong by the International Buddhism Sangha Association, some acaryas and masters of dharma-listening sessions had incorrect knowledge and views after watching the two videos shown. At about the same time, in two different countries, three persons with the title of masters appeared separately and made claims that H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III had recognized them as being able to conduct holy inner-tantric initiations for cultivators. The dharmas they can teach are claimed to include three big categories, dharmas of fortune deities, dharmas of dharma-protecting deities, and dharmas of personal deities. These claims are lies and not based on any fact. As a matter of fact, one of the three did not even receive a holy inner initiation. In response, the Office of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III hereby provides the following brief explanations regarding some questions of principles. 1. In conventional and commonly known Buddha-dharmas, the rituals usually consist of three divisions of forward practice (preliminary practice), formal practice, and ending practice. However, this is not the case in The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation. There are five divisions of forward practice (preliminary practice), formal practice, ending practice, state practice, and enlightenment practice. 2. Xian Liang (meaning immediately measurable or “on-the-spot”) Great Perfection and Vajra Substitute Body Meditation belong to dharmas of state practice in The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation, and are not the dharma of tummo (inner heat) concentration. These two great dharmas are not conventional and commonly known Buddha-dharmas. 3. Regarding dharmas of fortune deities, dharmas of dharma-protecting deities, and dharmas of personal deities, the fastest path and most magnificent way of learning and practicing the dharma is receiving a holy inner-tantric initiation of the dharma. None of the three persons who made the claims possess the qualification of conducting holy inner-tantric initiation. 4. No one is permitted to load the written transcripts of the dharma lessons of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III onto internet for distribution. Because of the local dialect and accent in the dharma lessons, it is quite easy to be mistaken in understanding pronunciations and, consequently, make errors in written records. The original meanings may even get reversed. Such mistakes can cause endless negative karmas. 5. Regardless of the status and identity a person possesses, if that person makes declarations on what H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said or did, or claims to be sent from H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III to handle some issues or problems, certification with the fingerprints of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and video recording of His Holiness must be produced as evidences. On the other hand, the receiving party must also request such evidence and send it to the Office of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III for verification, in order to avoid causing harm to living beings. 6. Until now, there are at least five rinpoches who received holy inner-tantric initiations of the White Fortune Deity Dharma. The White Fortune Deity initiation seen in one of the two videos is when Dachu Hengsheng Rinpoche was receiving the initiation of White Fortune Deity (learning the White Fortune Deity Dharma). This is at the first step of holy inner-tantric initiation, the generation stage. According to the dharma stipulation of holy inner-tantric initiation, the correct size of the inner mandala is a cube of the length of 2.2 feet on each side and made of clean wood and transparent glass. The small bell should be hanging in the center of the cube, with the distances of 1.1 feet each from the bell dump to the bottom and all sides. There are three stages of practice and realization after receiving a holy inner-tantric initiation. The first stage is the generation stage. The second is the completion stage. The third is the stage of unattached application. Regardless of the specific dharma of fortune deities or dharma of dharma-protecting deities, setting up a mandala for holy inner-tantric initiation basically follows similar stipulation of dharma. In addition to an outer mandala, there must be an inner mandala. One must make accomplishments that correspond to the three stages. Otherwise the initiation cannot be called a holy inner-tantric one. As to the question of what level of practice of the dharma of fortune deities or dharma of dharma-protecting deities means the possession of the qualification for teaching disciples, according to the dharma, the master must successfully accomplish the completion stage before being able to conduct inner initiation or outer (exoteric) initiation to disciples. The certification of successful accomplishment of the completion stage is a certificate with signatures of seven masters and ten witnesses obtained on the spot after divination. Only that provides a legitimate proof for conducting initiations and teaching the dharma to disciples. Furthermore, iron-clad stipulation exists in the dharma on the qualification of a master for conducting holy inner-tantric initiations. In his “Introduction That Must Be Understood (Forward Guiding Article)” to the book The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation, H.H. Dharma King Gar Tongstan quoted the six standards of qualifications of masters through demonstration of the Dharma. H.H. Dharma King Gar Tongstan also stated, “Except for these six types of dharma state that a master should demonstrate as qualifications, any other phenomena do not belong to the power of practice that a master should demonstrate.” Among these six standards, only the first through the fourth indicate the master’s holy level for conducting holy inner-tantric initiations to disciples. Other than that, regardless of what identity one possesses and what supernatural power and abilities one demonstrates, there is no indication of qualification for conducting holy inner tantra initiations. The fifth and sixth standards do not indicate the qualification for conducting holy inner initiations. These are the standards for conducting inner-tantric initiations, but not at the holy level. 7. The tummo concentration practiced by H.E. Kaichu Rinpoche is between the completion stage of perfection and the stage of unattached application arising and perfection without distinction. In the video show, the thermometer’s reading was over 140 F. In another video recording, the highest temperature achieved was 197.4 F. The tummo concentration dharma that H.E. Kaichu Rinpoche practices does not belong to the tummo of Tibetan Esoteric Yoga. The pose is the Vajra Corpse-Laying Pose. That is different from the tummo practiced by Akou Lamo Rinpoche. Akou Lamo Rinpoche practices the dharma from Tibetan Esoteric Yoga and the pose is the Sitting Pose of Naropa. A cultivator should not get involved with the pursuit of right or wrong or dispute about others. In fact, whether this office provides the answers to you or not makes no difference. We should all spend time on our self-cultivation. As H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III discoursed, “Even though I do not possess any abnormal ability, I still have to say that your demonstrating of abilities is a conduct that violates the precepts. Any supernormal ability from Buddha-dharma that can benefit oneself is not the essence of liberation. I must also say that cultivators should never get into making judgment of others and listening to rumors. Only the establishment of mind and conduct practice that is selfless and benefiting to others is the true fruit of practice from practicing and learning Buddhism and cultivating one’s bodhicitta.“ This discourse tells us that being attached to knowing whether something has been said or not or if whether something has been done or not would make us fall into such endless and useless pursuits. We just need to look at the problems from the fundamentals. This is especially important for those who are masters. Buddha-dharma does not permit casual demonstration of one’s ability from dharma. This is a violation of the esoteric (Tantrayana) Precepts. Any ability or phenomena from Buddha-dharma is not important. That’s just skills for benefiting oneself. What is most important is benefiting others and being free from attachment about oneself. Applying great compassion and bodhicitta on one’s conduct toward all living beings is the true essence of Buddhist cultivation. Only after you learned the preliminary practice and formal practice of The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation, will you learn the true supreme holiest Buddha-dharma and will you truly understand the greatness and holiness of the great compassionate bodhicitta and the state of holy realization of the Buddha. We wish the inquirers to untie themselves early from the binding of right or wrong and cause and effect and to step onto the grand path of benefiting others and getting accomplished. This is also the only correct path for acquiring the dharmas of state practice and enlightenment practice in The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation.
The Office of H. H. Dorje Chang Buddha III,August 10, 2009 (Revised July 15, 2011)