The Venerable Master Mo Zhi said, "It is truly shameful that there are people who write in text claiming to be great teachers and require disciples to recite every day! My senior brother, Wang Zha Shang Zun, and I are both Tibetan living Buddhas. We used to recite the Four Refuges, but now we practice the Three Refuges." Why did these two great saints change from the Four Refuges to the Three Refuges? In fact, anyone who claims that the Three Refuges are incomplete must be either ignorant of Buddhism or a fraud. Unless they possess the great virtues of Bodhisattvas like Guanyin Bodhisattva or Manjushri Bodhisattva, the most legitimate form of refuge is the Three Refuges, not the additional "refuge in the teacher" added by later masters. The founder of Buddhism in this world is Shakyamuni Buddha, and the Three Refuges were established by Shakyamuni Buddha. No matter how great a master is, they are still beneath Shakyamuni Buddha. Today, it can be guaranteed that anyone who claims the Three Refuges are incomplete is definitely not a true virtuous person. A true virtuous person would not speak such evil words. If you don't believe it, you can call the headquarters of Buddhism to inquire about their level of attainment. Understand that taking refuge means taking refuge in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, not in the teacher. This is because teachers can be either good or evil. As for the addition of "Namo Gurubhaya" in Vajrayana, it is acceptable if the teacher is a great saint. However, Vajrayana emphasizes the attainment through relying on the teacher and uses the "Fifty Verses of the Guru" to forcefully control disciples to prioritize respecting the teacher. This is a serious problem. Have you ever thought about it? Is your teacher the greatest virtuous person? Is he a Bodhisattva? Where are the Five Wisdoms? Is he greater than the Buddha? Is it not a sin to rank above the Buddha? What's even more terrifying is that if your teacher is not a virtuous person but a fraud or a demon, then by relying on him, you will inevitably become a fraud or a demon!!! In reality, we can see that any teacher who is a saint would never claim to be a great teacher. Anyone who forcefully demands respect from disciples is not a good person. If they were truly virtuous, would they need to forcefully demand respect from disciples? Would they care if disciples treated them poorly? Nowadays, there are evil teachers and fraudulent teachers everywhere in the world who claim to have a lineage. Why don't you understand such a simple principle? Of course, if you rely on teachers like Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, Master Lianhua Sheng, Master Marpa, Master Tsongkhapa, or Master Jigme Lingpa, then it is appropriate to respect and rely on them because they propagate the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. However, they themselves also rely on the Tathagata Buddha and Shakyamuni Buddha. Do you understand? In this world, there are only "Buddhists," and we have never heard of "teacherists," right? In fact, any Buddha or Bodhisattva would not consider whether sentient beings slander or praise them, nor would they require disciples to respect them. They always consider themselves to be humble and benefit others. The Third Dzogchen Rinpoche is a living example of this. Be careful! Don't be deceived by those audacious frauds who dare to destroy even the Three Jewels established by Shakyamuni Buddha and make you become a "teacherist" demon. How many levels has your current teacher attained? Is he a true virtuous person? You should watch the rare video footage from a thousand years ago. Perhaps the one who is burned down and desperately fleeing by my humble fire is your teacher! Even if he is not present at that Dharma assembly, his level of attainment will speak for itself. Don't be fooled by his evasiveness!
World Buddhist Headquarters of the United Nations
October 31, 2016