Validation of Facts in Response to Letter of Inquiry from The Office of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
The Office of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III (the Office) received a letter from an anonymous Buddhist disciple requesting validation of the fact mentioned in the letter that the Hua Zang Buddhist Institute used the name of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III for fund raising. The Office hereby makes the following reply for validation of facts.
Regarding the matter you raised regarding the Hua Zang Buddhist Institute’s fund-raising activity, Dharma Master Long Hui did report to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III spoke to her seriously, “Spreading true Buddha-dharma and benefiting living beings by any organization or any individual is a good thing. However, I am concerned about whether your Buddhist Institute will expound Buddha-dharma of correct knowledge and views in the future or not. Through so many years, many people were eager to learn the correct Buddha-dharma in the English language. Why didn’t I dare to take it lightly to let people translate English manuscripts? It was because I feared that errors in translation would create incorrect Buddha-dharma to mislead cultivators. That is also why I did not permit holy virtuous ones not at the level of three Sun-Moon wheels or higher to give discourses, because there would be errors when they give discourses and the danger of misleading living beings exists.”
Dharma Master Long Hui asked again, “We must propagate Buddha-dharma. What we are establishing is the Hua Zang Buddhist Institute, not a college of Buddhism. We will learn from the conduct and teaching of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, Sakyamuni Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha. If we do not stand up to spread and propagate the correct Buddha-dharma, we would be letting people in the outside world who have evil knowledge and views transmit and spread false Buddha-dharma and speak nonsense to mislead living beings. What can we do then? We have the dharma lessons expounded by the Buddha and should be at least far better than those people. We will focus mainly on listening to the recorded dharma lessons expounded by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and learning the authentic teaching of Sakyamuni Buddha. We dare not to give discourses. Anyway, we will only let people learn what is correct, not what is incorrect.”
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III again expounded the dharma to her, “What you said is also reasonable. How can we not propagate Buddha-dharma? However, if you gave wrong discourses, living beings would be misled and harmed. You would not be able to bear the responsibility for that. Then you would devolve into the three lower realms. If what you propagate is truly the Buddha-dharma with correct knowledge and views, you will accumulate the merit of spreading Buddha-dharma and benefiting living beings.”
You all should clearly know that H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III supports all individuals and organizations that spread and propagate the Buddha-dharma with correct knowledge and views, and oppose all individuals and organizations that advocate evil knowledge and views, evil dogmas, and absurd theories. The Hua Zang Buddhist Institute they are establishing is still at the planning stage. We cannot be certain now whether it belongs to the teaching that correctly upholds the genuine view of the Tathagata. We have to see whether they are going in the absolutely correct direction or not. If what they do fits completely into spreading true Buddha-dharma and benefiting living beings, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III will support them very much. On the other hand, if their views are incorrect and harmful to living beings, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III will oppose them strongly.
Of course, correct and problem-free teaching materials should be learned, and are very much supported by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. However, anything that is not correct must not be provided for learning. In summary, regardless of who establishes a Buddhist organization, the correct standard can only be listening to the recorded dharma lessons expounded by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. Serious problems definitely exist in discourses given by anyone based on his or her own ideas. This decision by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is extremely correct. Sakyamuni Buddha also did not permit Arhats to explain the essence of Buddha-dharma during His time. Even when Shariputra volunteered to give a discourse, Sakyamuni Buddha disapproved. The main concern was the possibility of hurting the great masses and misleading the great masses onto wrong paths. This is the open and correct answer from and the current attitude of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.
Additionally, we must repeat a reminder once again. When one’s own life is in difficulty and one does not have extra money left, a person should not support whatever Buddhist organization. This is because one must have resources for pursuing Buddhism and be free of dragging worries, so as to be not concerned with one’s living and to cultivate earnestly. On this, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said, “Anyone who tries to find ways to make donations even when his or her own life is in difficulty belongs to the category of hypocrites. This kind of person is deliberately giving pressure to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They are unwelcome to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.”
It is particularly necessary to point out that those who tell you to mortgage your property or borrow money to come up with donations are opposite to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III’s conduct of compassionately loving living beings. Please see the Office’s Public Announcement No. 44 for details regarding H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III’s response to the issue of other individuals and organizations using H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III’s name for their fund-raising. That announcement has stated very clearly the contents, principle, and nature of that issue.
From the Office of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III,
August 16, 2014