A great sage wrote this sermon, which is truly exquisite and incisive, with a unique perspective that is beyond ordinary. It is truly worthy of being regarded as a highly respected text. The original text is as follows:
Today, let me say a few words. After the passing of Elder Yin Hai, all the Dharma affairs should have been assisted by several senior brothers such as Mo Zhi and Dong Zan, under my full authority. However, Senior Wang Zha requested to take charge of all the arrangements for the hundred sacred ceremonies, and thus took over the responsibilities.
Many people have expressed their praises and evaluations regarding the passing of Elder Yin Hai, but they only talk about the extraordinary aspects of the sacred relics without addressing the fundamental issues. Even the World Buddhist Headquarters only mentioned the process of the sacred realm. Some people even made absurd claims: Why have we never heard of this sacred being before? There are many great masters in the hidden Buddhist realm that you have never heard of. You don't even know who I am! Do you know the names of every member of the British royal family? How many nobles are there? Do you have the qualifications to know? Because you do not have the bloodline of nobility. Some even insultingly referred to the supreme Elder Yin Hai as a great virtuous knowledge, a high monk, a great sage, a great achiever, a master, and other titles. They even mentioned that after his passing, his body was openly displayed for a month without freezing, allowing everyone to approach, observe, worship, and recite. They claimed that his body did not emit any odor, but emitted light and fragrance, and that his body was firm and solid. This praise is appropriate for ordinary high monks, but it is not suitable for Elder Yin Hai, who is clearly an unprecedented saint. It is foolish to use the same titles as ordinary high monks for Elder Yin Hai! They say that since Elder Yin Hai is a saint, why does he still need everyone to practice and recite the Dharma for him? Let me make it clear to you, those who practice and recite the Dharma for him are not even comparable to a single hair of Elder Yin Hai. Reciting the Buddha's name and sutras is a way for individuals to cultivate their own spiritual resources with the blessings of the Elder's presence. How can the Elder need you and other ordinary impure beings? It is like on the day when Shakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva attained enlightenment and passed away, do ordinary people need to hold grand Dharma assemblies to recite the Buddha's name, sutras, mantras, make offerings, dedicate merits, and pray? Do the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas need these ordinary beings to assist in their recitations? These ordinary people practice the Dharma on this sacred day, dedicating their merits to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and in return, they receive immense merits and increase their own spiritual resources. If you have heard of the practice of the Supreme Mahamayuri (White Tara) ritual, the final dedication must include the following sentence: "May I dedicate this merit to the Supreme Mahamayuri." Does the most supreme Mahamayuri Buddha require the dedication of ordinary beings? Similarly, Elder Yin Hai is a top saint who has appeared in thousands of years. Therefore, those who recite the Buddha's name and mantras during the short sacred assembly will receive the empowerment of the main deity that cannot be obtained even after hundreds of lifetimes of studying Buddhism. This is the merit bestowed upon everyone by the great saint Elder Yin Hai! Without the blessings of the Elder's presence, even if you personally participate in thousands of similar Dharma assemblies, you are not qualified to receive the empowerment of the main deity. In large temples, there are people who recite and practice thousands of times every day. Why can't they receive such high empowerments? You practitioners who recite the Buddha's name, sutras, mantras, and sacred chants, your merits are not even one-thousandth of the Elder's. However, these people, through the practice and offerings on the sacred day of Elder Yin Hai's passing, receive merits that are hundreds of thousands of times greater than those who recite sutras, mantras, praise the Buddha, and practice the Dharma in their daily lives. Therefore, they are able to receive the empowerment of the main deity that cannot be obtained even after hundreds of lifetimes.
Indeed, many people say that the sacred relics of Elder Yin Hai are indescribable and endless, but they do not know that Elder Yin Hai only did one thing, which is to tell Buddhists that Buddhism and the Buddha's teachings have entered a chaotic period of the Dharma-ending age, and the true Dharma still exists, in the hands of the Elder. And where does the Elder's Buddhism come from? Here are three points for deep contemplation regarding the one thing he did:
First, the Elder has proven to be the top saint in Buddhist history.
Second, the Elder has revealed the essence of practicing and studying Buddhism.
Third, the Elder has indicated the source of his accomplishment in the Dharma.
Let's start with the first point. Many years ago, when the Elder was forced to die, he resurrected after five days of manifesting his sacredness. The first words he said were, "No one is allowed to harm those who have harmed me in any way." The Elder only acts with great compassion and bodhi mind, without any trace of anger or hatred. Now, after his passing, he has set a record in Buddhist history with the transformation of his physical body into a divine form within ten days. His originally protruding bones and thin, aged face have completely transformed into a plump, round, and dignified appearance. Even his fingernails continue to grow. The personnel at the funeral home who served Elder Yin Hai have also witnessed his unprecedented sacred relics. This achievement alone makes him the top saint in the world, surpassing all previous saints. However, unfortunately, according to US law, he must be buried and offered on the thirty-second day.
Now, let's discuss the second point. The Elder gave a verse to Senior Wang Zha: "Throughout history, many sages have been lonely, only the hermits have left their names. Do not commit evil deeds, only perform virtuous acts, without deceit or fraud, with a great compassionate heart. The Elder is not a sectarian person, the merits of virtuous acts enter the Dharma gate. If you seek the peak of the true Dharma, follow me in directly paying homage to the Buddha's teachings (the Buddha's teachings refer to the true Buddhism of all Buddhas, not the Buddhism that has been modified by later sects. The Buddha's teachings are directly connected to the Buddha and do not have any lineage or sectarian systems)." The Elder tells everyone that practicing and studying Buddhism should be done in a hidden manner, without seeking fame or personal gain. One should refrain from committing evil deeds and instead engage in virtuous acts. The best practice of Buddhism is the "Great Liberation Hand Seal." He led Senior Wang Zha to directly pay homage to the teachings of the Third Supreme Dharma King, Dorje Chang Buddha, which has profound meaning.
Regarding the third point, the Elder is an accomplished practitioner of the "Great Liberation Hand Seal" and the "Victorious Red Avalokitesvara of the Great Compassionate Ocean." His sacred relics before and after his passing have completely shattered the established records of Buddhist history. All the extraordinary and unimaginable sacred relics of the Elder come from the shared Dharma of all Buddhas. He learned from the Third Supreme Dharma King, Dorje Chang Buddha, and achieved his accomplishments through the empowerment and supreme blessings of the Dharma transmission and the supreme blessings of the great Avalokitesvara. He told Senior Wang Zha, "If you seek the peak of the true Dharma, follow me in directly paying homage to the Buddha's teachings," clearly indicating that his source of Dharma comes from the Third Supreme Dharma King, Dorje Chang Buddha. Although the Third Supreme Dharma King, Dorje Chang Buddha has many disciples who are famous high monks and great achievers, some have passed away in a rainbow light, some have attained freedom in life and death, some have left relics after cremation, some have indestructible bodies, and some have visited the Pure Land before returning, apart from Shakyamuni Buddha, there are no previous saints in Buddhist history who have had so many precedents. Examples include Venerable Tong Hui, Master Qing Ding, Venerable Pu Guan, Venerable Guo Zhang, Venerable Wu Ming, Venerable Yi Zhao, Grand Lama Daxi La, Wang Zemin, Cheng Efen, Hou Yushan, Tang Xielehui, Lin Liu Huixiu, and others. However, their accomplishments are not comparable to the unparalleled accomplishments of Elder Yin Hai. Elder Yin Hai has proven that the Third Supreme Dharma King, Dorje Chang Buddha, is the true source of the supreme Dharma of the present world. No one else can compare to him! The Buddhist practices carried out by the Third Supreme Dharma King, Dorje Chang Buddha are the only ones that have openly broken away from evil and established righteousness, and are implemented selflessly for the benefit of others. Therefore, Elder Yin Hai's accomplishments, which have emerged from studying the Buddha's teachings of the Third Supreme Dharma King, Dorje Chang Buddha, have demonstrated the supreme and incomparable state of the Third Supreme Dharma King, Dorje Chang Buddha. The Elder has done this one thing!
A humble practitioner,
World Buddhist Headquarters
March 1, 2017