Important Replies from Holy Virtuous Ones and Eminent Monastics
Response from the Inquiry Center of the World Buddhism Association Headquarters to Questions Raised by Inquirers
On the Day of January 21 of the Lunar year (March 8, 2018)
Answer No. 21
It is true that many people wrote their documents of vow to present offerings to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. However, regardless of whether those are offerings of huge amounts from tycoons or offerings from ordinary people, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III did not accept even a cent and will not accept. After looking at their vows made from a genuine mind and sincere intention, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said,
“Buddha-dharma is to be given to living beings!!! The key to whether one is able to learn Buddha-dharma or not is in whether one truly has a pious mind. I know deeply that I am an ordinary Buddhist. What qualification do I have to accept offerings from all the people? That was why I made the vow of not accepting any offering throughout this lifetime to serve living beings for free. You are so sincere and treat me seriously. For your sincerity I will do as much as I can in my mind to beseech good fortune for you and wish you well. However, I myself am still an ordinary Buddhist. My beseeching may not have effect. But your genuine sincerity is seen by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Your deserved good fortune will not be void in vain!”
“Today I will express my attitude. I tell you clearly that there are a very small number of people whose vows are false. They are very rich, but do not have a sincere mind to make offerings to the undertaking carried out by the Buddha. They even wrote false documents of vow. I will not teach this kind of people. Even if I teach them, they will not become accomplished through cultivation and learning the dharma. There is a person whom I feel even sadder for and who used my having no attachment, being undefiled, and not caring about money, wealth, fame and gain to regard me as the easiest to take advantage of. Because I did not intervene, she took the product Fabisheng (meaning “Hair Must Grow”) which was invented by me and was regarded as the No. 1 product by the Department of Health of China to make money for herself and satisfying her greedy desire. She did not pay me one cent from the beginning to the end and has utilized it for 30 years. She even without feeling embarrassed wrote a document of vow to say that she would make even bigger development of Fabisheng to make more money. She is unashamed to the extent of not blushing her face a little in saying such words. She is truly pitiable, pitiable!!! She completely robbed me of the product Fabisheng, which was a resource for the undertaking carried out by the Buddha and even spoke nicely that she was doing Buddhist work. If she had robbed one day’s resource of Sakyamuni Buddha, what kind of sin would she have committed? Although I am not a holy virtuous one, she has robbed me for 30 years and the total resource amounted from that is more than enough for building a big temple. Can such a person learn a great dharma? Will she become accomplished, or go to some other place? She is ignorant and pitiable!!!”
“On the contrary, the absolute majority made their vows sincerely. Among them, 80% of the people have difficulty in their life. Some almost do not have meals to eat and are very pitiful! Nonetheless, they are still doing Buddhist work with an exhausted mind, a worried face, and tightly bitten teeth. Under such a circumstance, some people are heartless to the extent of accepting their offerings using the name of farming good fortune for them. They already do not have enough food to eat, and you talk about farming good fortune for them! Remember!!! This type of people who have difficulty in their basic living are not allowed to make offerings to any undertaking carried out by the Buddha. In particular, I simply do not accept any offering from the beginning. You can take it easy. As long as you abstain from all evils and do all that is good, I will teach you to practice upper-level Buddha-dharma. Your life has too much difficulty and hardship. Spend your money on sustaining your living! Only with a living, can you have the peace of mind to learn from Buddha and attain accomplishment! If you do not listen to what I said today, I will no longer teach you!”
Separately, none of the holy virtuous ones who can only confer a borrowed inner-tantric initiation rather than a true inner-tantric initiation are non-receding Bodhisattvas. Therefore, if their holy realization is lost or reduced, they may not necessarily be able to confer a borrowed inner-tantric initiation again. That is to say, it is possible that their power of accomplishment is reduced or receded so that they cannot confer a borrowed inner-tantric initiation.
Inquiry Center of the World Buddhism Association Headquarters
Written on behalf of great holy virtuous ones to answer questions raised
March 8, 2018