Announcement No. 20190106: Evaluation of Physique, Physical Strength, and Physical Health of Male Practitioners of Buddha Dharma

What is the purpose of our cultivation through learning from the Buddha? Certainly, it is for physical health, perfect good fortune and wisdom, and liberation from the cycle of birth and death. However, currently many Buddhists who have the statuses of masters but do not even possess such foundations themselves are going everywhere proclaiming themselves as masters. They recklessly give evil discourses to delude and play tricks on novices. Because of that, people who are learning Buddhism but do not know the ultimate essence blindly believe and follow everything they say and end up being defrauded due to worshipping them. Such situations generated very bad effects, causing ignorant people who have no knowledge about the truth to regard phenomena of Buddha Dharma as not being scientific. What they do not know is that the existence of such phenomena means real manifestation. Denying the existence of reality is just ignorance. Here are some real examples of reality:

• A Buddhist nun was flying at a high speed while monitored by people at the start point and the destination. This is an undeniable fact.
• Measured by scientific instruments, the temperature at the practitioner’s belly reached well over 100 degrees or almost 200 degrees Fahrenheit, causing the rinpoches and Dharma masters who were witnessing the event to be unable to keep touching the spot. In fact, their fingers burnt with blisters. This is a manifestation of holy realization from Buddha Dharma.
• During the Holy Fire-Offering Dharma Assembly, the attendees present saw in person the arrival of Vajra Maternal Buddha in the sky. Vajra Maternal Buddha remitted fire from between Her eyebrows to ignite the charcoals in the cauldron and give rise to a blazing fire. Such is a factual existence observed based on scientific principles and is true realization from Buddha Dharma.
• Also, reaching the standard though single-hand lifting of Vajra scepter to the base seat entails an ironclad fact and cannot be substituted by any empty rhetoric.

Only ignorant people lacking understanding will doubt facts to regard them as untrue and instead perceive falsehood and hollow claims as true. Buddha Dharma entails facts that are observed based on science in pursuing and attaining truly existing realization. What is realized through Buddha Dharma is direct manifestation of causality which governs the myriad phenomena in the universe. The truth or doctrine of reality of Buddha Dharma removes delusion and falsehood and seeks true realization.

For instance, some people who have the status of masters but have no true realization and have not even cultivated their own physical health successfully boast having cultivated power and accomplishment from their practice. Someone even claimed that he practiced a certain great Dharma of “Dumong Vajra,” declaring that the Dharma was a true Buddha Dharma transmitted to him from a so-and-so great Dharma king who is a larampa geshe [1] and that his Dharma possesses incomparably strong mighty power. It is true that “Dumong Vajra” is the king of great strength and possesses very great mighty power. However, the fact is that even the dharma held by his master is false Buddha Dharma and is not a holy Dharma. They do not know the true Dharma of “Dumong Vajra.” That is why, after practicing for an entire life, not only is there no ingredient of Vajra power in his physique and energy level, but also he does not have the strength to do a single-hand lifting of the hall-guarding Vajra scepter to the base seat (lifting with one hand the Vajra scepter with the weight for reaching the standard based on his age and body weight away from the ground, chanting the Six-Character Great Bright Mantra seven times while holding the scepter in space, and then placing the scepter onto the base seat). This person could not even lift the scepter away from the ground and still failed after the standard was lowered by three levels. Can this be a physical body realized from practicing the Dharma of “Dumong Vajra”? This person is so naïve and pitiable, and is clearly an ordinary person with a weak and powerless physique! Without cultivating the most basic physique and physical strength well, can one succeed in cultivating Vajra power and becoming liberated from the cycle of birth and death?

Last month, a great geshe who practices the Dharma of “Dumong Vajra” came. No one could have imagined that he did not have the power to do anything with the scepter. There is no need to say whether he is a larampa geshe or not. Even if he were an eranpa geshe [2], the fact is still that he was unable to lift it and has a weak and powerless body. That means not having true realization from Buddha Dharma. This verification by inference from the Hetu-Vidya showed in reality that his untrue and hollow declaration has no basis in science. What he got from his so-called Dharma manual of “Dumong Vajra” is still weak physical strength and a total lack of holy realization. When the standard was lowered by four levels for him, the Vajra scepter was still motionless without leaving the ground at all. Can that be from the true Dharma of “Dumong Vajra”? It was too shameful, bringing contamination and a total loss of face to the Vajra Division. Such so-called Vjara masters are truly shameless. Only a king of great strength can claim practicing the Dharma of “Dumong Vajra.” A king of great Vajra power must reach the level which is four stages higher than the standard specifying what he should be able to lift up based on his age and body weight. Whether what you have is empty talk or scientific reality, you can ponder for yourself.

Buddhist cultivators, especially those who are masters, in addition to being proficient in the sutras, vinayas, and shastras, must cultivate themselves through conduct and Buddha Dharma, to achieve a state of realization in good fortune and wisdom. The realization includes outer realization, inner realization, and holy realization, indicating whether one has realized beneficial effects. One’s physical health, physique, and physical strength is especially important and is a notable indicator! If you have an unsatisfactory physique and weak body, how can you teach others to become healthy? Without a healthy body, can you have accomplishment from practice to speak of? Could a weak physical body be a manifestation of cultivated power and realization and could superior physique and physical strength be from a weak and ill person? Everyone can ponder this deeply.

For identifying and recognizing fine masters who are beneficial friends to cultivators and preventing unqualified individuals from being regarded as such, the World Buddhism Association Headquarters (WBAH) will now implement the examination and annual re-examination with addition contents in the evaluation. Based on the system and rules of Buddhist teachings and Buddha Dharma, the examination will have four parts, the perfect scores of which are: 1) 150 points for sutras, vinayas, and shastras; 2) 300 points for merit from continual cultivation; 3) 150 points for one’s physique and physical strength; and 4) holy realization of Buddha Dharma, which is the total of the three subjects. The total points are 600. A combined score of 400 means passing. In the end, the sum of one’s total score and the determination by selection on one’s accomplishment through practice gives one’s performance. Female Buddhists are tested for: 1) sutras, vinayas, and shastras; 2) merit from continual cultivation; and 3) holy realization of Buddha Dharma. Male Buddhists are tested for: 1) sutras, vinayas, and shastras; 2) merit from continual cultivation; 3) physique and physical strength; and 4) holy realization of Buddha Dharma.

A male Buddhist’s physique and physical power must be evaluated in terms of his realization and inner power. Exempted are those who attained the realization of sending a petition to a Bodhisattva and male tremendous holy virtuous ones who accomplished uncovering terma with direct verification, knowing and forecasting future occurrences, or establishing a mandala across a boulder. The physical evaluation of all other male Buddhists is done through lifting the scepter without exception. Based on the weight change in single-hand lifting of Vajra scepter to the base seat, four titles are awarded, which are person of excellent body, minor strongman, major strongman, and king of great vajra power. Obtaining a title of person of excellent body means this person is for certain excellently healthy with physique and physical strength surpassing that of common people and possesses the corresponding accomplishment. Below that, if one can only lift the weight which is reduced by one to two levels from his standard, this person is a person of healthy body. Having to lower the weight by three levels means the person is a person lacking power. If one cannot succeed even after the standard is lowered by four levels, this person absolutely has the weak body of an ordinary person. Conversely, doing single-hand lifting successfully at four levels higher than one’s own standard means the person is a king of great vajra power. It is very difficult to find such a person in the whole world.

Some masters mentioned that H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III does not approve of the physical evaluation through lifting scepter. However, these masters forgot what H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III also said, “What is important for a Buddhist is to enter deeply into the sutras, vinayas, and shastras and emphasize cultivation. Only then can one practice the Dharma to receive beneficial effects. Regarding physical health, that is a very important indicator of one’s realization. However, I do not quite agree with the evaluation of single-hand lifting scepter to verify one’s physique and inner power. This is not for finding an excuse for myself. I don’t think that I will fail to reach the standard of lifting an ordinary person’s scepter. Rather, the key is that a test of lifting scepter for physical evaluation may give difficulty to many male applicants. I fell that the bar for passing is too high and too strict. Of course, I also always wish that all of you are free of whatever illnesses and physically healthy without any inhibition in the circulation of vital air and that everyone becomes a person of excellent body.”

Through much deliberation, in order to prevent evil masters, swindlers, and people of no accomplishment who are ordinary persons from faking being holy ones, WBAH has decided to implement the testing of single-hand lifting of Vajra scepter to the base seat, but the points of this test are reduced to 150. To measure male Buddhist cultivators equally by one method through relative measurement, WBAH will follow the quantitative approach in Hetu-Vidya to obtain the actually measured state of realization of cultivators. The following table lists the standards for the test, for everyone to know and understand clearly (The weights in the table are fair to people of different ages without partial treatment.).

Weight for Achieving the Standard in Single-Hand Lifting of Hall-Guarding Vajra Scepter to the Base Seat

Here is an example in terms of a male cultivator who is in the age group of 20-35 and who weighs 115 kilograms. For the extra body weight of 65 kilograms above the base weight, every 500 grams will raise the standard by 1000 grams. Therefore, this male cultivator must lift 180 kilograms from the ground with one hand, hold it in the space while chanting the Six-Character Great Bright Mantra 7 times, and then place it onto the base seat.

The age group of 20-35 already has the highest weight standard. If a person in this age group can do better than reaching the standard, the next higher level means every 500 grams of the body weight above the base weight increases the weight standard by 1200 grams. The second higher level means every 500 grams of the body weight above the base weight increases the weight standard by 1250 grams. The third higher level means every 500 grams of the body weight above the base weight increases the weight standard by 1300 grams. The fourth higher level means every 500 grams of the body weight above the base weight increases the weight standard by 1350 grams. Reaching the fourth higher level means one is a king of great vajra power.

Now, WBAH has set up the Hall-Guarding Vajra Scepter at the Holy Miracles Temple. We welcome cultivators to register to take the test, in order to verify through the physical evaluation whether you have solid power of inner realization. If there are female cultivators who are willing to try lifting the hall-guarding vajra scepter, we very much welcome you. However, according to the rules of the Dharma, your performance is not included in your score from the examination.

World Buddhism Association Headquarters (Seal)

                                    August 7, 2019

NOTE:  Footnotes are not part of the announcement from WBAH.

[1] A larampa or lharapa geshe (geshema for females) is the highest academic degree offered to monastics at Tibetan universities.

[2] An eranpa geshe is even higher than one with a larampa degree. This title may be given as a result of winning sutra debates.