Dear disciples, please pay attention to the following eight points:
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Currently, there are individuals around the world who hold certificates of holy virtue. Some of them have renounced their holy status and fallen into wrong views. They dare not register for the examination but are deceiving everyone with false words. Please observe carefully to avoid being deceived. After the examination ends in late December this year, all existing certificates of holy virtue will be cancelled and invalidated. Starting from January next year, anyone who claims to be a venerable person, dharma king, rinpoche, dharma master, arhat, or dharma teacher without presenting a new certificate and without wearing the appropriate attire of their rank is a fraud and a false teacher.
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People with the same rank have different achievements, completely different. Some rely on their skills, some on their virtues, some on their knowledge of scriptures and rules, and some on their understanding of right and wrong views. Therefore, please pay attention to the teacher's examination of holy virtue, which category they belong to based on their cultivation, conduct, knowledge of scriptures and rules, and understanding of right and wrong views. It is very important to determine their strengths. The remaining unexamined or failed items are weaknesses or simply not acceptable. For example, some teachers in the past violated precepts and gave teachings, printed booklets and documents claiming to be great bodhisattvas, but during the examination, they did not dare to present these materials for evaluation. This already shows that their previous actions were all chaotic.
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When taking the examination for holy virtue, especially the entrance examination, the examinee must be extremely cautious. They must honestly report their qualifications and not have any falsehoods. If it is, then it must be reported as such. Once the document is burned, it cannot be modified again. If you cannot do it, do not apply for the examination. If you can do it, you must apply for the examination. Otherwise, it will be considered as telling false speech and deceiving the Buddha and the Dharma protectors. If there is intentional falsehood, the score will be zero, and no rank will be achieved. Only the essence of an ordinary person will be revealed!!!
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Learn a proper Buddhist teaching, not just chanting mantras. Mantras are not the teachings, but a complete ritual of a teaching is the true Buddhist teaching.
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All those who pass the examination for holy virtue will have their examination category, items, and scores recorded. In order to encourage examinees to benefit sentient beings with bodhicitta, the headquarters will only use the highest score obtained in the examination as the basis for issuing certificates and wearing the appropriate rank attire. The purpose is to hope that examinees will learn from the experience. Those who have not performed well in certain items should continue to strive for excellence in the future and truly become good people who abide by the teachings and engage in virtuous actions as good teachers.
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All holders of certificates, except for those with three-star sun and moon golden buttons and above, will have their level and rank publicly announced in the announcement. However, the specific items used to obtain the rank will not be disclosed. If you want to know the details, you need to consult the archives department of the United International World Buddhist Headquarters. Those who hold one-star sun and moon or vajra wheel certificates or claim to be teachers of holy virtue but do not appear in the announcement are considered to have not passed the examination and have become ordinary people.
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The certificates of holy virtue issued in the past were divided into two categories: one was obtained through the examination conducted by seven teachers and ten examiners, where the examinee demonstrated their capacity and obtained the certificate, but it was not recognized by the holy examination, so it is not accurate; the other was issued based on the investigation of information by three teachers and seven examiners, without an examination, which is even more unreliable because it is a certificate obtained artificially. The announcements and letters from the office of the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche have mentioned years ago that the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche does not recognize the authenticity of the holy virtue and rinpoche recognized by our headquarters. In order to be responsible to the practitioners, the final assessment we have is the holy examination, which determines the authenticity. If one passes the Vajra Formation and the Eight Winds Formation, there is nothing more to say. Whatever they are, they are what they are. This is determined by the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas.
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Those who have obtained the first stage of the golden button of the sun and moon through the Eight Winds Formation can apply to take the Vajra Formation to verify whether they belong to the status of arhat or bodhisattva. If they have not taken the examination, the certificate of the first stage of the golden button of the sun and moon will still be valid. Those who have passed the third stage of the blue button of the vajra wheel can also apply to take the Vajra Formation to test whether they belong to the status of arhat or bodhisattva. If they have not taken the examination, the certificate of the third stage of the blue button will still be valid. Those who are clear about their status as arhats or bodhisattvas can directly apply for the Vajra Formation to verify their true identity without having to take the examination on cultivation, conduct, knowledge of scriptures and rules. This is because it directly examines the quality of holy virtue. However, this holy virtue must diligently verify right and wrong views to prevent falling into the wrong path.
The questions for this examination are treated equally for Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, and the teachings of scriptures and views. They are listed below for reference: Impermanence Sutra, Wonderful Dharma Sutra, Buddha's Fundamental Practices Sutra, Correct Dharma Sutra, Precious Treasury Sutra, Samadhi of Observing the Buddha's Three Realms Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Buddha's Three Lifetimes Cause and Effect Sutra, Lotus Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra, Understanding Sutra, Top Holy Secret Mantra, Liberation Great Hand Seal Two Essential Points, Great Prajna Paramita Sutra, Earth Store Sutra, Amitabha Sutra, Mahavairocana Sutra, Agama Sutras, Heart Sutra, Great Wisdom Treatise, Collection of Different Views, Birth Stories of Bodhisattvas, Great Mahayana Treatise, Treatise on the Middle Way, Treatise on Other Emptiness, Treatise on the Fruits of the Path, Treatise on the Stages of Bodhi, Treatise on the Middle Way, Treatise on Liberation, Treatise on the Hundred Dharmas, Treatise on Precepts, Treatise on the Practice of Bodhisattvas, Treatise on Refuting Wrong Views, Treatise on the Consciousness-Only School, Dhyana and Samatha, Pure Land Nianfo Essentials, Secret Teachings, and the specific practices and rituals of the four yogas in Tibetan Buddhism, as well as outer and inner empowerments, and detailed rituals of the main deity, such as the Twenty-Nine Deity Ritual of the Great White Umbrella, the Nine Deity Ritual of Yellow Jambhala, the Thirty-Five Deity Ritual of Shakyamuni Buddha, the Five Deity Ritual of White Manjushri, the Nine Deity Ritual of Noble Victorious Mother, the Five Deity Ritual of Mahamaya, the Eighteen Deity Ritual of Mahamaya, the Eighteen Deity Ritual of Mahamaya, the Twenty-Three Deity Ritual of Mahamaya, the Thirteen Deity Ritual of Infinite Life Mandala, the Seventeen Deity Ritual of Blazing Fire Mandala, the Twenty-Three Deity Ritual of Mahamaya, the Fifty-Seven Deity Ritual of Accomplishing All Matters Mandala, and so on. The complete set of practices includes the procedures for inviting, offering, and transforming seed syllables, as well as the specific changes in ritual objects, medicines, and the process of invitation, presentation, and transformation. This is considered a complete and correct set of practices for a teaching, and it is not just a mantra representing the teachings. The above-mentioned scriptures, teachings, and Buddhist teachings were spoken and transmitted by the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche to practitioners and listeners, and they are part of the scriptures, teachings, and rituals of the main deity and protector. H.H. the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche has more teachings, but they are not all listed here. For example, the highest practices of the Janggun Dharma Assembly, such as the Lion Vajra, Supreme Bliss White Invincible Vajra, Lone Hero Fierce Vajra, Present Perfect, Spreading Corpse, Tracing the Path, Hundred Dharmas Black Gate Decision, and many other practices that are not found in Vajrayana. The above-mentioned scriptures, teachings, and rules were investigated and understood by practitioners who received teachings, teachings, and Buddhist teachings under the seat of the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche. They were collected and listed as reference questions for examinees. It is best to take the examination with these types of questions. If you cannot understand these questions, you can choose your own specialized topic for the examination.
H.H. the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche said, "Shakyamuni Buddha spoke in this Saha world with over 84,000 teachings, which is vast and profound. Although I have taught and transmitted some different teachings to you, compared to the teachings of the Buddha, they are insignificant. Fortunately, the Special Essential Points of Liberation Great Hand Seal, which combines the two main aspects, is the crown jewel of the teachings. By relying on it for cultivation, liberation and accomplishment are as easy as a piece of cake. According to the examination questions you have listed, most of them are not practical and are difficult for today's teachers, whether they are dharma kings, living buddhas, or dharma masters. It is rare for them to be able to answer them. Examinees should have the opportunity to choose their own scriptures, teachings, and answers to the main deity. The teachings and practices of Shakyamuni Buddha are vast and cannot be limited. They should be allowed to develop their strengths and achieve their own accomplishments. As long as they are not evil teachings and conform to the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha in terms of scriptures, teachings, principles, conduct, and precepts, they are the correct answers. What you have learned does not mean that they have all learned it. The main focus is on their personal cultivation and the scriptures and teachings they use for transmission. The purpose is to prevent misleading practitioners with false teachings. If someone claims to be a teacher, they should understand Buddhism. If they cannot even understand the complete rituals and practices of their own cultivation, and can only teach people to chant mantras, then they are either outsiders or fraudulent teachers. I will not recognize those so-called holders of holy virtue, including those certified by you. Do they understand the scriptures and teachings? Do they understand Buddhism? Are they truly cultivating? Are they practicing the true teachings? Starting today, I suggest that you do not arbitrarily determine holy virtue or issue certificates. You should be responsible to them and sentient beings, and be practical. To speak bluntly but truthfully, some of those who claim to hold certificates of holy virtue, including some mentioned in the book "The Third Dzogchen Rinpoche," whom I blessed by touching their heads, were indeed practicing and had compassionate aspirations at that time, which was commendable. However, they began to deteriorate after only a few years, engaging in bad deeds and violating the teachings and precepts. Those who made mistakes, we cannot recognize them anymore. Everything must be based on the practice of cause and effect. If they are good, we will approve the blessing. If they become bad, we will immediately cancel it. If they become good again, we will bless them again. In short, it should be based on the facts and the law of cause and effect. Some of them may be good this year but may become bad next year because they are not non-retreating bodhisattvas. This includes many famous grand masters and dharma kings who have serious problems. They are not even arhats, let alone non-retreating bodhisattvas. Except for those with three-star sun and moon golden buttons and above, all the famous dharma kings and great venerables in the world can potentially deteriorate at any time. We must strictly control the issuance of certificates!!!"
We sincerely repent from the bottom of our hearts for the serious mistakes we made in the past. We deeply reflect on the stern criticism and teachings of H.H. the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche. It is true that we previously issued certificates of holy virtue for the sake of compassion, allowing them to spread the teachings and benefit sentient beings, and we provided them with generous conditions. We reluctantly praised them, but the certificates of holy virtue we issued had serious problems. We elevated the status of holy virtue to the level of holy virtue itself, which means that obtaining a certain level of skill or a certain merit or performing a good deed is mistakenly regarded as holy virtue. In fact, this is not holy virtue, but merely a holy action in a certain aspect, and it does not mean that the person has become a holy being. Therefore, we deeply repent to all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the main deity protectors, and we cancel all certificates of holy virtue below the three-star sun and moon level. We will re-examine and determine the titles and ranks. Because the great and immense holy virtue of the three-star sun and moon and above is determined by the holy examination and is characterized by non-retreating bodhisattvas.
Now that you have understood the examination questions mentioned above, if you are not knowledgeable in the subject, you will not be able to pass. However, it is very easy to achieve the basic level - the first stage of the blue button. As long as the practitioner meets the correctness of a teaching or accomplishes a good deed that benefits sentient beings, and this behavior conforms to the teachings of the holy beings, they can enter the examination with this item and pass the first stage of the blue button of the vajra wheel. The threshold set by our headquarters for the basic rank standards is very low, but it becomes more difficult to reach the second stage of the blue button, and the standards are raised. It becomes even more difficult to reach the third stage of the blue button. In order to avoid the serious mistakes we made in the past in positioning holy virtue and prevent human-made favoritism and cheating, all ranks will ultimately be determined by the holy examination with 100% accuracy and correctness. Therefore, no matter how much Dharma or abilities one has learned, no matter how big of a dharma king or great venerable they claim to be, it will be false if they fail the holy examination.
United International World Buddhist Headquarters
August 12, 2015
Source: https://www.wbahq.org/ch/hq-announcements/a20150109/