by the
United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters:
After the United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters (UIWBAH) published the public announcements regarding the examination of holiness and virtue this year, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III saw the contents of our public announcements. His Holiness the Buddha praised our upholding the standard without purpose and motivation for ourselves to help cultivators distinguish masters’ qualifications and whether they are upright or evil and regarded doing so a true action of practicing Bodhi. However, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III also very seriously criticized and scolded us. His Holiness the Buddha told us,
“Many of those holy and virtuous ones you admitted through examination basically are not even as good as good people who do not cultivate. These people are even quite proudly elated. Though clearly resembling small sparrows inhabiting low hills, they truly regard themselves as gallant rocs flying inside clouds. All these are the consequences of your not rigorously holding the admission criteria and instead massively lowering the standard. The grades and levels regarding the statuses of holy and virtuous ones you listed are ambiguous and unclear, without a naming system to determine the status. Also, you did not explain the issues clearly and only stated half of the matter. Doing so can easily mislead the direction for living beings.”
“For example, the emphasis of cultivating Buddhism is in abstaining from everything that is evil and doing everything that is good, selflessly benefiting living beings, and carrying out the practice of a Bodhisattva with the four limitless states of mind. However, you support dharma contests to determine superiority in open matches and to manifest supernatural powers, causing cultivators to mistakenly regard manifestations of supernatural powers as Buddhism. If everyone has such a perception, the teaching of Buddhism will be completely distorted. Then, this world will have a chaotic mixture of upright deities and evil deities and a custom of pursuing audacity and contesting fiercely. At that time, will Sakyamuni Buddha’s correct practice of the Tathagata advocating great love and compassion and benefiting living beings still exist?”
“Of course, you will say that what you have is the so-and-so demon-subduing dharma or Vajra dharma and that you apply and utilize the true dharma of the Tathagata, which absolutely does not have anything to do with evil and malicious dharmas. However, you did not speak about the lineage and the origin and did not state clearly what true dharma of the Tathagata that is. More importantly, you forgot one point about the majority of those so-called holy and virtuous ones that you admitted. Some of them would do evil and malicious acts even when they apply and utilize the true dharma of the Tathagata, since they simply do not understand the Tripitaka of sutras, vinayas, and shastras (commentaries); are completely divorced from the cultivation, practice, virtue and character stipulated in the Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation; and are simply false cultivators who have fallen into many of the 128 views. This is similar to the situation of an extremely fierce and vicious professional bandit. If you give him a sharp knife, would he use it to chop vegetables and cook meals for people or as a weapon to commit robberies?”
“Why didn’t you, dharma masters and rinpoches at UIWBAH, even notice the correct indication regarding the direction of this issue? If all are performing radical dharmas with the attachment to self, would there be the auspicious state of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas with kindness, great compassion, and bodhicitta? Do not forget, we are humble cultivators. We have no capability to speak of, have no power of cultivation to speak of, and have no pride to speak of. We can only reflectively inspect and remind ourselves: we are not good enough; we are not capable; we did not serve living beings enough; and we need to know how to benefit living beings, how to help others, how to endure humiliation and bear a heavy responsibility, how to avoid falling into the 128 views, and to advance on the true path of Bodhi to attain accomplishment. Only if every cultivator is doing so, can this world be auspicious, can prosperity be in the dharma sphere, and can the Buddha and the Sun be more splendid. Only this is the authentic dharma gate and approach of Buddhism.”
“Of course, you did not think well on these matters in a short time and are not to be blamed. Actually, Sakyamuni Buddha often mentioned inconceivable feats involving supernatural powers in the sutras. Patriarch masters also left a lot of publicly known cases of miracles. However, you should clearly know that these are for the purpose of encouraging living beings and are not the pathway to be acquired for liberation. Rather, these are entities of attachment to self that obstruct accomplishment. Why? To ordinary cultivators, attachment, greedily pursuing gain, and enjoyment increase self-centered views like counting other people’s treasury! Of course, I do not possess such miraculous capabilities. However, I must say that the methods and doctrines of cultivation talked about in the recorded dharma lessons I expounded must be learned by cultivators. The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra, and What is Cultivation also have to be studied deeply and practiced concretely by people who are learning Buddhism. As to the Sutra on Understanding and Realzing Definitive Truth, that is beyond what common people can understand. The situation is similar to the Diamond Sutra. Many people with the so-called deep proficiency can only verbally utter subtle terms but actually have no awareness or realization.”
Based on the dharma expounded by His Holiness the Buddha, holy and virtuous ones of UIWBAH hereby repent to all Buddhas in the ten directions. Additionally, we must also admit that we truly had acted the ways that H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III criticized and scolded, such as not rigorously holding the admission criteria and lowering the standard of the examination. To benefit living beings, there were no better alternatives. This difficult problem has so far not been solved. However, from our analysis, comparing to the people who did not pass or did not take the examination, those who passed the examination absolutely are a little more genuine in nature. That means we made a little effort to hold the criteria for cultivators. However, cultivators still have to inspect what subject(s) they took the examination on to learn where one has higher accomplishment. This is very important.
Holy and virtuous ones admitted through the examination are classified into the levels with Sumeru wheels and Sun-Moon wheels. To correct our earlier action of not making the definitions clear, we now defined the names for the various grades of holy and virtuous ones with Sumeru wheel(s). Blue Button Grade 1 of one Sumeru wheel is officially named “Cultivating Virtuous One,” meaning having started cultivating and practicing holy and virtuous conduct. Blue Button Grade 2 of two Sumeru wheels is officially named “Enhancing Virtuous One,” which means expanding and enhancing one’s holy and virtuous conduct from the basis of cultivating in practice. Blue Button Grade 3 of three Sumeru wheels is officially named “Embellishing Virtuous One,” implying embellishing and perfecting one’s merit and virtue from the basis of expansion and enhancement. These three grades of holiness and virtue can be attained by achieving one item in any of the four major categories. Accomplishing multiple items in these four categories will make it easy to pass the examination for a Golden Button holy and virtuous one with one Sun-Moon wheel.
Meanwhile, you all should know clearly that, among holy and virtuous ones at the same grade or level, there exist very big differences in terms of accomplishment. Taking the grade of “Cultivating Virtuous One” for example, we should see in what category the examination was taken to receive the certificate of holiness and virtue. For instances, three rinpoches all were admitted through examination as “Cultivating Virtuous Ones.” One of them was tested in cultivation, practice, virtue, and character with the act of selflessly spending almost all of the funds accumulated from cutting daily living expenses to help disaster relief effort and being joyful from seeing others being rescued. The second person also took the examination in the category of cultivation, practice, virtue, and character but with the act of saving living beings from suffering and hardship through giving food, clothing, money and other things to people begging on the street. The third one took the examination in accomplishment of practice and realization by using his realization and power of cultivation to contest with others and defeating the opponent to get the feeling of superiority. Among these three holy and virtuous ones, the first one should be somewhat higher than the second and third ones. However, this cannot be an exact judgement with a one-hundred-percent certainty, since the ingredients in these three items are different in terms of depth and scope. Therefore, it is simply impossible to judge and rule accurately by human actions. That is why the “examination in the holy realm” has to be applied to the candidate, to let the yidam and dharma protectors measure and determine exactly the amount of accomplishment in each of the three items.
Perhaps you may think, can a certificate of holiness and virtue be earned by taking the examination in these three items? Then we would like to ask you from the reverse direction: don’t these three belong to the conduct of holy and virtuous ones? Can you accomplish one of these three to the level of “Cultivating Virtuous One”? In the current dharma-ending era, how can an extremely great holy and virtuous one who can pass the four big categories be easily found! That belongs to the capability of an enlightened holy one such as the Buddha or a Bodhisattva at the level of universal enlightenment or wonderful enlightenment! To encourage cultivation and making beneficial progress, we call the conduct of a “Cultivating Virtuous One” as the conduct of a holy and virtuous one, respectfully addressed as a holy and virtuous one.
Wang Zha Shang Zun (Great Venerable One Wangzha) who is a holy and virtuous one at Golden Button Grade 3 said, “If I were to take the examination on the four big categories, I would not score more than one-fifth in accomplishment of practice and power of cultivation. In cultivation, practice, virtue, and character, I can score at most a little over a half. Since the learning of sutras, vinayas, and shastras (commentaries) are as vast as the deep ocean, I would at most score twenty percent. Regarding whether the knowledge and views are upright or evil, I am confident that I will not fall into 99% of the evil and erroneous views. One’s knowledge and views are the pivot that determines whether the destination is devolvement or accomplishment. I dare not slack.” Therefore, the certificates of holiness and virtue issued by UIWBAH for passing the admission examination are based on the highest grade received for one item in all categories. In other words, the certificate of holiness and virtue is issued based on the ingredients of holiness and virtue in one tested item (for example, the above–mentioned relieving living beings’ suffering and hardship or making charitable giving of food and money to beggars on the street is one item within the category of cultivation, practice, virtue, and character), not the accomplishments in multiple items.
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has said many times that He does not recognize the holy and virtuous ones we admitted. For example, Public Announcement No. 42 from the Office of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III issued on June 2014 quoted this dharma expounded by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, “Among the many dharma kings, venerable ones, great rinpoches, and great dharma masters in the world who have high-class statuses and/or have written many books and treatises, many are evil masters and swindlers. For those who have the titles of holy virtuous ones, it would be lucky that two or three percent of them can truly meet the standards.”
Of course, to pass the examination as a holy and virtuous one at a level with Sun-Moon wheel(s) (Golden Button(s)), the candidate must possess high and profound cultivation, practice, merit, and realization unless one is already a great holy and virtuous one reincarnated from an Arhat or a Bodhisattva. Therefore, we now inform Buddhist disciples that it is necessary to know clearly in which item of which category a candidate passed the examination to become a “Cultivating Virtuous One,” “Enhancing Virtuous One,” or “Embellishing Virtuous One.” This fact is really very important.
Let’s just use Palden Lodoe (Hsi Jao Ken Teng) as an example to explain. The examination he took at the time is crown-opening by Vajra Body Substitution Meditation in the category of accomplishment of practice and power of realization. Vajra Body Substitution Meditation is a great dharma. As long as one has achieved the stage of generation indicated by the external application of spiritual consciousness, the status of a holy and virtuous one at the level of three Sumeru wheels can be attained. If he had chosen to take the examination in either the category of cultivation, practice, virtue, and character or the learning of sutras, vinayas, and shastras (commentaries), the most he could have scored would be two or three percent. Had he chosen to be tested in whether his knowledge and views are upright or evil, he would have failed for at least 30 of the 128 views. As a matter of fact, failing only 3 would cause one to recede from the attained accomplishment to a mundane one. Therefore, at the time of passing away, he was almost detained into the hell realm but was rescued by Kuan Yin Bodhisattva. It was truly very fortunate that, at the last moment, he heard and was awakened by the recorded dharma voice of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III to gain awareness and make a thorough repent to correct the evil and approach goodness (according to what he told Songjie Rinpoche personally). At that time, he was rescued by Kuan Yin Bodhisattva in person and ascended to the Western World of Ultimate Bliss. Therefore, from this example, you all should clearly understand that holy and virtuous ones with the same grade can have different kinds of accomplishment of practice.
Some people asked with great interests, is the powerful manifestation of the Vajra Battle Position similar to the battle positions designed and created by mechanisms to launch hidden weapons such as thick wood columns and rolling stones; knives, spears, arrows, and crossbows; sliding rocks and flooding sands; darts, needles, pellets, and bullets; poison gas and erosive fluids; water, fire, trap holes with sharp sticks; and so on?
We now inform cultivators who plan to take the examination. We use neither man-made mechanisms launching hidden weapons nor the ways and tricks of heretics. Rather, regular dharmas of positioning of Buddhism are used. The lineage is received by Wang Zha Shang Zun (Great Venerable One Wangzha) from Manjushri Bodhisattva and Master Padmasambhava through mental impression. The yidam of the Eight Winds in Samsara Battle Position is Mahamayuri Vidya Raja Tathagata. The yidam of the Vajra Battle Position is manifested by Sakyamuni Buddha. No matter how extremely majestic and fierce the Eight Winds in Samsara Battle Position or the Vajra Battle Position is, all are true dharmas of the Tathagata that come from the invisible space that has no shadow or shape. We will not use mischiefs of horror and damage from worldly phenomena to deal with living beings. Doing so belongs to the conduct of villains and demonic scamps.
Speaking of the Vajra Battle Position for example, we will rigorously set it up to implement only 0.2% of the inherent capacity of its majestic power. Once the candidate (the taker of the examination) has burnt his or her petition document, the power of the battle position will be activated immediately. However, while you are still at the doorstep of the battle position, everything is still natural and as usual. When you make one step forward to walk into the door of the battle position, you will receive the strong and abundant power that decomposes the four great elements. The force is exerted from the shadow-less and shapeless space to decompose your body made of the four great elements. Alternatively, you can experience the power in another way. While standing outside the battle position’s gate, you feel nothing. As soon as your hand reaches inside the battle position, you immediately feel the strong and abundant attack by the force of decomposing the four great elements. The battle position is laid out on a flat ground and has no visible wall or door. There is no boundary or perimeter that naked eyes can see. The entire battle position is just an area of auspicious and peaceful flat land.
The Vajra Battle Position is classified into big ones and small ones. A big battle position has an area of several acres as its interior domain. A crystal stand is set at the center. A Vajra Seal is laid on the stand for worshipping. When a demonic person, swindler, or ordinary person mocks an Arhat or a Bodhisattva, this seal will fly into the sky and emit an extraordinary majestic and fierce force with the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind to chase and follow closely the person’s physical body without letting it go until crushing it. In this situation, only the master presiding at the mandala can remove the power of the battle position.
To all Buddhas in the ten directions, we guarantee that we will not have the slightest mentality or behavior of hurting living beings. We will not set the power of the battle position to 2% of its capacity, otherwise living beings will be harmed. Wang Zha Shang Zun (Great Venerable One Wangzha) specifically made this guarantee to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III:
He will not lose his bodhicitta and will not have a slice of evil and malicious intention. The examination he presides at is to distinguish upright masters from evil masters and true masters from false ones for living beings. His intention is to do something for living beings through upholding this standard. He respectfully ask his kind master, His Holiness the Buddha, to be rest assured. Since he knows that he cannot bear the load of cause and effect, he will not do the smallest thing to err on cause and effect.
Now applications for taking the examination of holiness and virtue are being accepted at the United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters. Those who wish to apply please contact UIWBAH directly.
Please note to keep the application simple, but please include the applicant’s dharma name and worldly name, whether to take the examination at the levels of Blue Button holy and virtuous ones or at the levels of Golden Button holy and virtuous ones. Or, you can directly ask to be tested for an Arhat or a Bodhisattva. At the time of the examination, you can still reassess the status of your accomplishment and ask for cancelling a test at a high grade or adding a test for an even higher grade. Also, please provide your phone number, email address, mailing address when applying.
United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters
(Seal stamped on every page)
June 24, 2015