Disciples representing the Vajra Guardians asked: In this Vajra Guardians selection, I am grateful to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and holy beings for giving me this opportunity to witness the true nature of the Vajra Guardians in this lifetime. However, we cannot understand why out of the 27 people selected, only 2 have achieved the attainment of the Vajra Guardians and manifested the true nature of the Vajra. The rest of us, 25 people, have been diligently practicing the Vajra Guardians for decades, practicing according to the teachings every day, taking the Red and White Bodhi Nectar pills, and maintaining a continuous connection to the Dharma. Yet, only a few people have benefited from it, especially the elderly practitioners in their seventies and eighties, who have dedicated decades to preaching and teaching the path to enlightenment, including the stages of the Bodhisattva path, the Middle Way, the Abhidharma, the Prajnaparamita, and the Mahayana liberation path. They have faithfully practiced the Vajra Guardians ritual every day, but they have not manifested the state of the Vajra. Speaking of lineage, my lineage is the authentic Kagyu lineage of the great master Tsongkhapa, and I received the empowerment and transmission from the previous Panchen Lama in my previous life. The master has achieved the state of an indestructible body, but I, on the other hand, have not manifested any benefits. Why is this? Where did the teachings go wrong? What mistakes have we made? We request the holy beings to give us guidance and blessings. Please have compassion for us.
Answer: Before answering your questions, we need to provide a brief introduction. Your questions are important and fundamental. In order to benefit Buddhist practitioners, it would have been ideal to record the teachings on audio, but there are no holy beings at the headquarters who are qualified to do so. Wangzha Shangzun said, "As a humble monk with only three levels of vows, how can I be qualified to record the teachings? There is a saying that those who lack both literary and military skills are ordinary people, not talented individuals. In Buddhism, those who cannot ascend to the level of the three Vajra strikes are ordinary people, lacking the five types of wisdom. They are not qualified to teach the three secret teachings of the Vajrayana. Although I can ascend to the level of the Vajra strikes, I am ashamed to say that my literary wisdom is limited, and I only possess a fraction of the five types of wisdom. Presenting myself to the Bodhisattvas is like looking up at a high mountain, with no certainty. With such a humble and incomplete body, how can I dare to speak and record the teachings?" However, as representatives of the public, the headquarters had to request the blessings of the Buddha and the teachers. But the noble Buddha did not agree to record the teachings on behalf of us, as he has a negative view of the Vajrayana and some Vajrayana teachers. Therefore, we can only respond to your questions through this announcement. We are willing to take on this immense karmic responsibility because we have studied and received teachings from Wangzha Shangzun, who is the main authority on correct practice and correct teachings. At the same time, we would like to inform you that the selection is not only for the Vajra Guardians, but also for the Bodhisattva path, Arhats, and others.
In fact, our group of holy beings does not have the authority to give teachings to the Vajra Guardians. However, we will tell you what we understand about the teachings. When it comes to Buddhism, we must first understand four aspects: Vinaya, practice, rituals, and Buddhist studies. Vinaya and practice rituals are inseparable, while Buddhist studies are theoretical knowledge, including the study of scriptures. Buddhist studies are independent and have no connection to Buddhist practices. However, Buddhist studies can enhance one's understanding and insight, and are related to worldly Buddhist practices. When we say that Buddhist studies have no connection to Buddhist practices, we are referring to the profound teachings of Buddhism, as the Buddha himself should not be called upon for Buddhist studies. You asked about the Vajra teachings, and when it comes to Vajra teachings, it involves the Vajra section of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The Vajra teachings are found in different sects such as Nyingma, Kagyu, Gelug, Sakya, Jonang, Tangmi, and Dongmi, each with their own specialization in different Vajras, such as the White Peaceful Vajra, the Lion Vajra, the Wheel of Time Vajra, the Vajra with Vajra Marks, the Great Vajra, the Supreme Bliss Vajra, the Joyful Vajra, the Universal Vajra, the Great Black Lu Ga, and the Mahagala, among others. Each of these Vajras has various practices, such as the single deity, the double deity, the four-faced eight-armed deity, and the nine-headed deity of the Wrathful Vajra, which is the case for the Great Vajra in this selection.
The Vajra teachings mentioned above have been successfully practiced by the ancient masters, but there are also many people who have practiced their whole lives without benefiting from them. The main reason for this is whether the disciple receiving the teachings has received the authentic transmission, especially whether the transmitting master has received the authentic lineage. In terms of transmission, there is an important principle that divides it into two major lineages: the lineage of the master (which belongs to the worldly transmission) and the lineage of the deity (which belongs to the profound transmission). In simple terms, the master's transmission is the exoteric and esoteric empowerment, which is an oral transmission without the true nature. On the other hand, the deity's transmission is the profound inner empowerment, which manifests the present enlightened state, just like in this selection, where the true nature of the Great Vajra is manifested. The term "deity" refers to the main deity of each practice, such as the Wheel of Time Vajra, which is the main deity, and it is not represented by a master.
If you ask people who practice Tibetan Buddhism, including those in Tibet, Qinghai, Mongolia, and India, there are over a million people who practice the Vajra teachings of the Tibetan tradition. When the spiritual masters give empowerments and transmissions, there are often dozens or even thousands of people present, but how many have achieved the attainment? Almost none. This includes the masters, lamas, geshes, and teachers who transmit the Vajra teachings to you. It is very rare to see them achieve true attainment, let alone the disciples. Not to mention manifesting the true nature of the Vajra, they have not even touched the shadow of the Bodhisattva. According to the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, the Bodhisattva path is attained through the five types of wisdom. Among you, who possesses the true five types of wisdom? Where are the five types of wisdom? Where are the five types of wisdom in the transmitting masters who give you teachings? Without clear understanding, how can the wisdom of the Vajra manifest? Where does it meet the standards of the Bodhisattva as stated in the Buddhist scriptures? These masters only possess a superficial level of false wisdom. Shakyamuni Buddha said that those who lack the five types of wisdom should possess the qualities of a sage. Do these masters possess the qualities of a sage? Can they ascend to the three Vajra strikes? They cannot even ascend to the first strike. With a hollow body, how can they possess the qualities of a sage? How many types of wisdom do they possess? In simple terms, if they cannot ascend to the three Vajra strikes and lack the five types of wisdom, no matter how high their status is, they are masters with the qualities of ordinary individuals. At the very least, they should possess the qualities of a sage. Without undergoing verification, their transmission is exoteric, not profound, and it is an oral transmission, not a true inner transmission. It is not the profound inner transmission of the deity! Look at yourself, which category does your practice belong to?
If you want to achieve the attainment of the Vajra teachings, only the transmission of the deity can guarantee it one hundred percent. With the transmission of the deity, as long as you practice according to the teachings, you will surely achieve it. The empowerment of the master is a worldly practice. When receiving the empowerment, the deity does not personally acknowledge you or accept you as a disciple, so it is equivalent to worldly Buddhist studies. It may sound reasonable and pleasant, but it is not practical. The Vajra pills and Bodhi Nectar pills you use for your practice are not made of the five impure substances or the five meats. They are either made of tsampa or other materials. They are just blessed objects for your practice. They do not manifest the true nature of the deity, and they belong to the theoretical realm of the mind and spirit, not the material realm.
Only the inner empowerment of the profound transmission manifests the deity. When receiving the inner empowerment, the deity appears in front of you, personally receiving your "heart-essence document." This is a tangible and material manifestation, not just a conceptual and sensory perception, and it is not an illusion in visualization. It is a real entity that can be seen with the eyes. Everyone can see it, just like in this selection of the Great Vajra, and the manifestation of the Vajra Buddha Mother in the fire offering ceremony on September 19, 2018, where the Vajra Buddha Mother appeared in the sky and ignited the fire in the altar.
Regarding the 27 people you mentioned, 25 of them received the inner empowerment when learning the practice, which should be the exoteric transmission commonly used in the Tibetan tradition. However, it is not the true inner transmission. On the other hand, the two holy beings who manifested the true nature received the profound inner empowerment, which is the transmission of the deity, and they achieved the attainment of the Vajra Guardians according to the number of practices. It is as simple as that. No matter what theories or studies you engage in, they cannot replace this fact.
Furthermore, we would like to remind you that in Tibetan Buddhism, if you receive the inner empowerment, do you still have or keep a Vajra pill in your hand that can change its size and height? If not, it undoubtedly belongs to the "exoteric transmission" of the Tibetan tradition. If you do have it, it undoubtedly belongs to the "true inner transmission," which, although not the profound inner empowerment of the transmission of the deity, is still quite advanced. If you practice according to the teachings, you will surely achieve it.
Because of the profound inner transmission, His Holiness Yin Hai and Lüdongzan achieved great attainments and have gone to the Buddha's realm. But in the temple of the sacred relics, where the Vajra Buddha's body was placed, there is now a manifestation of the sacred relics! His photo is placed where the original Vajra Buddha's body was, openly for people to pay their respects, and everyone can see the sacred power. Science cannot explain this phenomenon. This is the supreme and magnificent display of the Buddha's teachings, which no worldly Buddhist teachings can achieve.
In addition, whether it is exoteric or profound practice, it depends on which type of practice you have learned. Some practices focus 90% on cultivation and 10% on rituals, while others focus 80% on rituals and 20% on cultivation. Some practices require the study of scriptures and commentaries, while others do not require it at all. For example, Milarepa did not emphasize the study of scriptures because he received the profound inner empowerment of the transmission of the deity. The speed, difficulty, and ease of achieving attainment through practice vary greatly. As long as Buddhist practitioners practice according to the teachings and accumulate virtuous deeds, they will naturally achieve attainment. This is something that even the reincarnations of Bodhisattvas and Arhats cannot obtain from their teachers.
With this announcement, we would like to inform everyone that the headquarters has scheduled the assessment of the practitioners' level of practice in the Wheel of Time Vajra from January to February 2019, comparing it with the manifestation of the true nature of the Great Vajra in this month's selection and the manifestation of the Vajra Buddha Mother in the fire offering ceremony in September 2018. The specific dates will be announced later. From March to May, there will be the unveiling and opening of the treasure trove, followed by the assessment of the practitioners' level of practice in the Vajra section, the Lotus section, the Karmamudra section, and the Yoga section. The specific dates will be scheduled later. This is to inform you all.
World Buddhist Headquarters
January 14, 2019