by United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters
Those Who Do Not Read Public Announcements Will Definitely Be Defrauded and Deceived
Currently, the written test of 100 problems related to sutras, vinayas, and shastras (commentaries) are open for registration to take the test. So far, about one-third of masters have undergone the examination in the holy realm. The remaining two-thirds of examination takers will all have completed taking the examination by the end of this year.
We provide the following explanations because some people still do not quite understand what constitutes the grade levels. You should know that a grade level is determined according to the cultivator’s cumulative holy capacity or measurement from various aspects of knowledge about Buddha-dharma, views and understanding, propagating Buddha-dharma, merit of good karmas, magnitude of accomplishment, depth of cultivation toward accomplishment, and so on. The full name of this measurement is measurement made from the cultivator’s “level of accomplishment in cultivation and conduct.” It is rather difficult for most people to understand what concept the term “level of accomplishment” represents. Here, we provide an analogy which may not be quite exact. For example, a person’s physical strength is measurable. Adding to the weight pound by pound can measure this person’s exerted force in terms of how many pounds he can carry. A similar analogy can also be made in terms of worldly people’s concept of positive energy.
Using the measurement from the examination in the holy realm, we define the level of cultivation and conduct (holy capacity) by number of points to establish a standard. Eventually, the yidam selected the energy points to define the grade levels. Each grade level spans a range of 10 points in the scale of the level of accomplishment. This system of measurement is not defined by humans and, rather, is defined by the yidam. That is why this system of points measuring holy capacity is an accurate and definitive standard free of errors. Furthermore, so far, more than 100 individuals have undergone the examination in the holy realm, providing supportive testimonies to this fact.
Anyone taking the examination in the holy realm must first take the written test of 100 problems about sutras, vinayas, and shastras and subsequently be admitted by the preliminary selection using Dharma Gate Palace Feather. The starting level in the examination in the holy realm is Blue Button Grade 1. To test for Blue Button grade levels, one can take the examination on selected individual items, while the results for Golden Button grade levels are determined from one’s holy capacity and cultivated accomplishment.
At Blue Button Grade 3, a small black button can be added to indicate a type of outcome from taking the examination for Golden Button grade levels. The format of taking the examination for Golden Button grade levels is the same as taking the examination for Blue Button grade levels. If the candidate taking the examination is able to break through the destination zone to walk into the land of safety and bliss without being blown out by the eight winds into the dark zone, he or she has passed at Golden Button Grade 1. However, if this person had stepped into the land of safety and bliss first but was then blown out, pulled into the zone of samsara, and no longer able to move, he or she has failed the examination for Golden Button Grade 1 but will receive the additional black button, indicating the fact that this person has touched the holy ground of the land of safety and bliss which is associated with Golden Button grade levels. Passing at Golden Button Grade 1 is very difficult. One must have very high and real cultivated accomplishment. However, one who possesses the qualification of an Arhat or a Bodhisattva can pass without a problem.
A great Bodhisattva must possess the cultivated accomplishment to pass at Golden Button Grade 3. Anyone who does not possess the holy capacity to pass at Golden Button Grade 3 is definitely a false great Bodhisattva regardless of what high and revered status this person may have, unless this person can perform the dharma of creating a mandala in the presence of a separation by a slab of stone, forecasting future events, or Bai Fa Ming Men Hei Guan Ze Jue (a dharma specifically used to determine the correct or wrong result).
Within the Buddhist world, we often hear that many great dharma kings, great rinpoches, and great dharma masters of sects and schools with great lineages are called reincarnations of great Bodhisattvas. People in the world have already become used to such phenomena. Could they all be false? Wang Zha Shang Zun spoke specifically on this matter,
“They are essentially all false. They probably have not attained the fruit of an Arhat yet. Do not just look at the fact that someone is a great dharma king holding the lineage of a sect. Perhaps this person cannot even pass at Blue Button Grade 2 or Blue Button Grade 3. Anyone who does not believe what I said can give a try. Their statuses were created from human actions of untrue promotion, elevation, and flattery. I have practiced in retreat for so many years and am still a humble bhikshu with undeserved fame. If they are Bodhsiattvas, where are their five vidyas? It was stated very clearly in the Buddha’s sutras that ‘One becomes a Bodhisattva through the Five Vidyas.’ The act of self-posing as a great Bodhisattva by these people is a serious violation against the Buddha’s teaching in the sutras. They even unashamedly boast themselves to deceive people. Since they put up themselves as great Bodhisattvas, may I ask if they can pass the written test of 100 problems? Can they capture the grade level of Golden Button Grade 3 with cultivated accomplishment? They are truly shameless!”
In recent years, we heard many people talking about the great dharma powers manifested by some great dharma kings and great rinpoches. The dharmas they can perform include the Holy Lot Initiation which belongs to the dharma-protector group of esoteric Buddhism, the Five-Thunder True Dharma Palm, the Empowerment by Kuan Yin’s Great Compassion, Removing Hindrance with the Samaya Fire Generated by Vajra Scepter, and so on. Additionally, someone mentioned that a rinpoche possesses supernatural power to remove hindrance, a great dharma to save a deceased soul with manifested state on the spot, supernatural power to remove dark karmas, and the dharma of resolving hindrance through investigating past adversaries using the nine-lotus lamp; a rinpoche stated that he had defeated many eminent Buddhists in dharma contests and the story was reported in newspapers; and a dharma master rose to fly in the sky, manifesting truly great dharma power.
Wang Zha Shang Zun said, “You are truly very ignorant! First, you do not know what holy states and phenomena are manifested in the three stages of each of these dharmas. That is why you will definitely be defrauded and deceived. Of course, the ability of rising to and flying in the sky can indicate the perfection stage of the Dharma of Fine Horse Stepping on Clouds. For other dharmas, do you know clearly which stage the manifested states are at? Why don’t you think about the fact that these people with the so-called great powers do not pass at the level of Golden Button Grade 1 using their cultivated power? I tell you clearly, as long as a cultivator is at the grade level of Blue Button Grade 2 or Blue Button Grade 3 or is a pious Buddhist, this person is qualified to learn the cultivated dharmas you mentioned if he or she has the opportunity to meet a master possessing any of those dharmas. I am at least not an amateur to those dharmas. The practice of each of those dharma has three stages. The ability of empowering people and manifesting illusory states and illusory movement to them is at the generation stage. One can empower people and manifest the states on the same day of learning the dharma!!! At this stage, there is no mature or great dharma power to speak of, which can only be attained at the perfection stage.”
“Take the dharma of Holy Lot Initiation for example, having the lot jumping from the hand is at the generation stage. The attainment of the perfection stage requires the lot to fly into the sky to manifest the state of returning from the Pure Land. If the lot does not fly into the sky, it means the master is still at the beginning stage and has not realized the cultivated accomplishment of performing an inner-tantric initiation for disciples. Actually, even having the lot flying into the sky just means the initiation is conferred by dharma protectors and is not a true inner-tantric initiation by the yidam. A real inner-tantric initiation by the yidam must have the Vajra pill dance in the hand of the disciple who is at a distance of 16 feet or more from the master. Additionally, there has to be the ‘Mother Dharma Water’ for performing an inner-tantric initiation.”
“As another example, when performing the dharma of empowerment by the greatly compassionate Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, to empower the people present and lead them into the state is at the generation stage. At the perfection stage, the dharma must be performed to let the Bodhi Willow-Branch Holy Water to penetrate the dharma bowl to flow out. The even higher stage of unimpeded application is indicated by the holy water’s flowing toward any direction according to the instruction given by the master conferring the initiation. One who possesses the holy capacity of achieving the stage of unimpeded application can pass the examination at the level of Golden Button Grade 3. The Bodhi Holy Water (the Mother Dharma Water) is indispensable for conferring an inner-tantric or holy inner-tantric initiation!!! Such holy water is the dharma water required by inner-tantric initiations. On the other hand, Buddha-bestowed nectar is the mother of the utmost supreme state-practice initiations. Only if being able to cultivate the Bodhi Holy Water, can one truly be a great Bodhisattva!!!”
“In the past, our kind Master H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III never approved us to use the level of accomplishment and states of Buddha-dharma as an auxiliary way to teach, transform, and benefit living beings and told us to learn and understand the meaning of the dharma and start the practice from cultivation. However, many of us did not thoroughly understand what the Buddha Master said. Recently, I listened to the dharma expounded in three lessons by the kind Buddha Master entitled ‘Learning Buddhism’ and was benefited in a way that I never had before. The dharma is true unprecedented by any holy one in history and was expounded so elegantly, precisely, and thoroughly. This is truly the highest supreme Buddha-dharma. No wonder the kind Buddha Master said that He did not agree with us on using one’s level of accomplishment and manifested state of Buddha-dharma as the standard to conduct the examination in the holy realm to determine a master’s qualification! His Holiness the Buddha did not take part in what we did at all and said, ‘Abstain from everything that is evil and do all things that are good. If you truly want to become accomplished, you should read Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra, cultivate in accord with the two great mind essences of the Supreme And Unsurpassable Mahamudra Of Liberation, and learn, understand, and carry out the three dharma lessons of Learning from the Buddha, Only doing so is truly learning Buddhism and cultivating oneself.’ This is the view of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and is also the view of all Buddhas in the ten directions.”
“If you truly want to understand what level a master’s accomplishment is at, you must get the definitive answer from the grade level received from the examination, which can be seen from the master’s dharma attire indicating the grade level. That is the only touchstone to measure one’s cultivated accomplishment with a one-hundred-percent accuracy without any possibility of being wrong. Because of such certainty, we dared write the couplet erected at the entrance to the Eight Winds Battle Position as ‘Each grade will show as such without any elevation; the number of ounces will be weighed exactly without one extra.’ Now the accuracy stated by this couplet has been completely proven. It has been shown that the result from the examination in the holy realm will not have the slightest error!!!”
“As of now, more than one hundred masters, dharma masters, acaryas, rinpoches, dharma kings, and venerable ones who represent one-third of those who have passed the written test have taken the examination in the holy realm. They are the top-notch figures selected from several hundred thousand cultivating Buddhists by outstanding performance. They all wish to get a grade level with Golden Button(s). In the end, among these more than 100 top-notch figures emerging from a pool of several hundred thousand, only two percent of them passed the examination at the level of Golden Button Grade 1. We estimate that the remaining candidates of about two-thirds will score lower on average because most of the prominent figures have taken the examination already.”
“It should be noted that the examination is held publicly under the same condition for all with many candidates in the same session. Being watched by others, who wants to be embarrassed? Who does not wish to reach a grade level with Golden Button(s)? Who is willing to be lower than others in front of the public and fellow cultivators? Everyone applied one’s cultivated power in full force and exerted all means from one’s repository of cultivated accomplishment. However, no one has any way to change the outcome, with the conclusion of ‘no way to elevate the grade level’ as stated in the couplet. Almost all of them were pulled by the eight winds into the zone of samsara and unable to make any movement when taking the examination for Blue Button Grade 2. Passing at Blue Button Grade 2 or Blue Button Grade 3 is already quite extraordinary. Even passing at Blue Button Grade 1 represents the small probability of one in about two to three thousand cultivating Buddhists.”
“There is an even more noteworthy fact. The grade levels achieved by the masters taking the examination in the holy realm essentially have the same correspondence to their scores in the written test of 100 problems covering sutras, vinayas, and shastras. Moreover, the grade level received always agrees completely with the prediction from the divination with Manjushri Bodhisattva being the yidam performed by this candidate himself without the slightest discrepancy. What is shown by the fact that the three separate tests/verification of (1) Answering the Problems in the Written Test; (2) Self-Performed Divination; and (3) Taking the Examination in the Eight Winds Battle Position to Determine One’s Grade Level can be unified by the same result expressed as one number? This shows that the result truly shows one’s actual level. There is no way to make it higher or lower or add any untrue claim. The results are very accurate. Those who do not read the public announcements just deserve to be in bad luck and be deceived. This sentence should not be said on behalf of UIWBAH, but the fact is still there even if it is not said. So it is better to say so as a reminder to you all.”
One who possesses a level of cultivation and conduct in the range of 6 to 10 points can get Blue Button Grade 1 in the examination. That means, in general, attaining each grade level takes at least 6 points and at most 10 points. Therefore, Blue Button Grade 2 requires the level of cultivation and conduct between 16 to 20 points and Blue Button Grade 3 requires the level of cultivation and conduct between 26 to 30 points. Why is the level of cultivation and conduct defined as a range but not a definitive number? This is because a candidate possessing 6 points will pass at Blue Button Grade 1 but one has 5 points will not. Then, why passing at Blue Button Grade 2 requires 16 to 20 points? The reason is that 10 points was spent in passing the previous grade level, which must be subtracted in full for that. Note that the complete amount for each grade level is 10 points, not 6 points, but 6 points are required for passing. If one passed the prior grade level with 6, 7, 8, or 9 points, since this person has less than 10 points, there will be no point left to test for Blue Button Grade 2. That is why one must have at least 16 points to pass for Blue Button Grade 2. The same rule and reasoning applies to testing for Blue Button Grade 3. After subtracting 20 points for the two prior grade levels, one still needs to have at least 6 points to pass at Blue Button Grade 3.
Those who passed at Blue Button Grade 3 can take the examination for Golden Button Grade 1. One who has broken through the destination zone and walked into the land of safety and bliss first and is then blown out by the eight winds will receive a black button indicating an incrementally higher level with 5 points, for the ability of touching the ground of the bliss land. This grade level is called Blue Button Grade 3 Plus 1 Black Button.
Anyone who has passed Golden Button Grade 1 will definitely wear three blue buttons, two black buttons, and one golden buttons on the dharma attire. A level of cultivation and conduct with 56 points is required to pass at Golden Button Grade 1. Golden Button Grade 1 indicates that one has entered into the realm of cultivated accomplishment of Arhats and Bodhisattvas.
From the basis of Golden Button Grade 1 with 56 points of cultivation and conduct, adding another 5 points to make a total of 61 points will establish the cultivated accomplishment for Golden Button Grade 2. The difference between the levels of cultivation and conduct of Golden Button Grade 1 and Golden Button Grade 2 is rather small. However, even though it is just 5 points, it is very difficult to get. This is similar to the situation of weight lifting, once one’s physical limit is reached, it would be impossible to add even one kilogram. Therefore, the examination in the holy realm determines one’s cultivated accomplishment correctly and very accurately.
On the other hand, the difference between the levels of cultivation and conduct of Golden Button Grade 2 and Golden Button Grade 3 is entirely different and very large. One must possess the level of cultivation and conduct with 183 points to pass at Golden Button Grade 3. The cultivated accomplishment at Golden Button Grade 3 means the realization of a great Bodhisattva. That also means one has entered the non-receding domain.
Needless to say, the cultivated accomplishments at Golden Button Grade 4 and Golden Button Grade 5 are inconceivably high. The statuses of Bodhisattvas with universal enlightenment or wonderful enlightenment are not determined by the examination with the Eight Winds Battle Position. We just need to look at Their cultivated accomplishment through creating a mandala in the presence of a separation by a slab of stone or forecasting future events, or perform the dharma of Jin Gang Fa Man Ze Jue to determine Their statuses. The decision from any of these dharma has a one-hundred-percent certainty. Unfortunately, none of these Bodhisattvas with universal enlightenment or wonderful enlightenment are currently appearing in the world to propagate the dharma and benefit living beings. Perhaps this is due to living beings’ affinity with the dharma!
Even among those who have the titles of Shang Zun (Golden Button Grade 3) and Jiao Zun (Golden Button Grade 2) in the whole world, only Wang Zha Shang Zun and Mo Zhi Jiao Zun are manifesting their states of realization to benefit sentient beings. On the other hand, Kai Chu Ru Zun (Golden Button Grade 1), who has strong and abundant cultivated power from tummo concentration, and another Ru Zun (Golden Button Grade 1) who demonstrated the dharma of Fine Horse Traveling in Sky are not propagating the dharma in public either.
As of now, among all those who have taken the examination, Mo Zhi Jiao Zun is the only one who has passed at Golden Button Grade 2 through the battle position in the examination in the holy realm. In the current dharma-ending era, some great dharma kings, great rinpoches, and great dharma masters may not even have the probability of one in ten thousand to pass Golden Button Grade 2, not to mention Golden Button Grade 3! Therefore, any great Bodhisattva must and will definitely possess the grade level of Golden Button Grade 3 which indicates a level of cultivation and conduct with 183 points. Also, holy ones such as Arhats and Bodhisattvas (at a certain bhumi) must possess the holy contents of at least 56 points in one’s level of cultivation and conduct. Anything less would indicate a false Arhat or a false Bodhisattva. One who falsely claim to be one is a swindler without doubt!!!!
To those who apply for taking the examination through “the Vajra Battle Position,” the examination is only open to those who declare oneself to be a reincarnated Arhat or Bodhisattva and is only given in the holy capacity of cultivated accomplishment. Alternatively, a Run De who has passed at Blue Button Grade 3 is eligible to take this examination. Other than these circumstances, no one is accepted for taking the examination on selected single items. This is because “the Vajra Battle Position” only determines whether one is a true holy and virtuous one or not through the depth of holy capacity and level of cultivated accomplishment.
In order for cultivators to recognize and distinguish the dharma attires indicating different grade levels to identify which level a master is at, the following diagrams are provided for illustration. The full number of points is shown in each diagram indicating the level of cultivation and conduct of the grade level. For example, the full 10 points will be shown in a diagram for the range of 6 to 10 points. The dharma attire actually worn by a master only has the button(s) indicating a grade level with blue or golden button(s), without labeling the points indicating the level of cultivation and conduct. You should use the diagrams in this public announcement to check and verify the corresponding grade level shown on the dharma attire. Then you will know the corresponding number of points.
See the original Chinese article from UIWBAH here.
 Blue Button Grade 1: Xing De (meaning Cultivating Virtuous One). The number of points below indicates a level of cultivation and conduct with 10 points. |
 Blue Button Grade 2: Zeng De (meaning Enhancing Virtuous One). The number of points below indicates a level of cultivation and conduct with 20 points. |
 Blue Button Grade 3: Run De (meaning Embellishing Virtuous One). The number of points below indicates a level of cultivation and conduct with 30 points. |
 Blue Button Grade 3 Plus 1 Black Button: Xuan De (meaning Propagating Virtuous One). The number of points below indicates a level of cultivation and conduct with 35 points. |
 Blue Button Grade 3 Plus 2 Black Buttons: Da De (meaning Great Virtuous One). The number of points below indicates a level of cultivation and conduct with 40 points. |
 Golden Button Grade 1: Ru Zun (meaning Beginning-Stage (or Developing) Venerable One). The number of points below indicates a level of cultivation and conduct with 56 points. |
 Golden Button Grade 2: Jiao Zun (meaning Teaching Virtuous One). The number of points below indicates a level of cultivation and conduct with 61 points. |
 Golden Button Grade 3: Shang Zun (meaning Upper (or High) Venerable One). The number of points below indicates a level of cultivation and conduct with 183 points. |
United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters (Seal)
August 25, 2016