by United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters:
Wang Zha Shang Zun said, “The explanation of ‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather’ given by our United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters (UIWBAH) was too brief. Readers would not be able to learn its provenance. Since it has already been mentioned, the description should be more complete and in more details.”
“Some people perceived ‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather’ as something from Daoism. This person who said so has at most skin-deep and hair-thin understanding toward the dharmas of worldly popular Buddhism and perhaps has never heard of anything about the meaning of holy Buddha-dharma! He only knows some dharma instruments used in the rituals of worldly dharmas such as bell, vajra, hook, lamp, clock, drum, wooden fish, chime, bowl, rope, fork, heaven stick, rosary, pewter staff, prayer wheel, pagoda, gau box, hand drum, dharma string, and decree with magic characters and has never smelled any scent of holy dharma. How can he possibly talk about seeing a holy dharma instrument? How could this person be so overreached to make absurd comments on holy dharma instruments?”
“‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather’ is one of the important holy inner-tantric dharma instruments used in Buddhism. It is different from other holy dharma instruments. Other dharma instruments have one yidam for each. This dharma instrument has two yidams. That is to say, Mahamayuri Vidya Raja has a pair of black and white peacock feather tips as the dharma instrument; and Maitreya Bodhisattva at the inner courtyard of the Tusita Heaven uses ‘Vajra Order’ as the dharma instrument. Peacock feathers and ‘Vajra Order’ combined together form ‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather.’ ‘Vajra Order’ is as big as a thumb and was carved from a piece of ancient white jade according to the stipulation of the dharma and was then completed after practicing the dharma. Its upper end hangs from a Vajra string. So it really looks like a jade ornament that people hang around their neck. It has two sides. One has Maitreya Bodhisattva’s Vajra Heart Mantra with the manifested state of the Tusita Palace. The other side shows the dharma decree manifested by Mahamayuri Vidya Raja. The practicing ritual of that dharma originated at the Tusita Palace, located in the inner courtyard of the Tusita Heaven. ‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather’ is mainly used in holy Buddha-dharma of decision by selection to determine the arising of karmic conditions and for empowerment.”
“During this year’s examination for holiness and virtue, ‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather’ will be hung at the gate of the Eight Winds Battle Position, to inspect and check whether a candidate meets the qualification to enter the Battle Position and take the examination or not. ‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather’ has the same effect as the dharma of receiving divine instruction by dropping divine pieces, the yidam of which is Manjushri Bodhisattva. We can only say that ‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather’ manifests the reality more directly. The dharma instrument of ‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather’ automatically makes the result known regarding the matter, person, or dharma to be verified and/or validated, without requiring any human operation. After you wrote the matter that you beseech determination for or the issue for which you need a definitive answer of permission or prohibition on in a document and then read the document before ‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather,’ the Palace Feather will automatically manifest a holy feat to inform you of the results publicly. If the matter is correct or the answer is yes, the white peacock feather will be presented to you. Oppositely, if the matter is incorrect or the answer is no, the black peacock feather will be presented to you, or you may be simply ignored without a response.”
A characteristic of “Dharma Gate Palace Feather” that is different from receiving divine instruction by dropping divine pieces is: “Dharma Gate Palace Feather” can manifest the result without any human intervention; while the other requires the person to shake the sticks to drop the divine pieces for himself/herself. The particular piece of ‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather’ to be used in the examination in the holy realm is a “holy dharma instrument” representing the lineage that Wang Zha Shang Zun succeeded to. It was given as the lineage to Jungba Gashey by Yuwang Siluo. The lineage was later handed from Jungba Gashey to Wang Zha Shang Zun. Such a holy dharma instrument is absolutely not what worldly Buddhists can know or understand. Due to its holy inner-tantric nature, it is only used in occasions of special dharma assemblies. For instance, during this year’s examination in the holy realm, many candidates taking the examination will have the karmic condition to see it, since the chief great holy examiner is Wang Zha Shang Zun. To indicate the solemn dignity, the Shang Zun sets up the first step of the examination in the holy realm by hanging the ‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather’ at the entrance gate to the Battle Position. Anyone who is not approved by the ‘Dharma Gate Palace Feather’ to enter the Battle Position cannot enter through the main gate and can only get in through a side door to be a spectator to observe qualified candidates taking the examination. Also, not having the qualification to enter the main gate means this person does not have the qualification to take the examination.
United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters
(Seal Stamped on every page)
October 2, 2015