Currently, some figures with the identity of a teacher, including venerables and those with the titles of dharma king, also include Rinpoche and master, have raised an issue that the office of the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche must resolve: the office of the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche has already announced that, apart from the great saints above the three-star sun and moon wheels and the great saints of the earth, no matter what the identity or position of the teacher, they can only lead Buddhist disciples to respectfully listen to the Dharma teachings of the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche and conduct refuge ceremonies or transmit the teachings, and they absolutely do not have the qualification to give teachings to Buddhist disciples. In fact, this does not mean that all the teachings of the teachers are wrong, but there are correct ones among them, and there are also many wrong teachings. Even if there are 80% correct teachings, there are still 20% that are wrong, and if Buddhist disciples grasp this wrong part and practice accordingly, their direction will be completely off. For example, when driving on a mountain road, if you drive 100 kilometers, you must stay on the right path. If you accidentally drive onto the side road cliff, then it's completely over! Now, some individual teachers say that the office has announced that they are not allowed to give teachings to disciples, which deprives them of the right to educate disciples and reduces the opportunities for them to accumulate merit. They believe that this is not beneficial to the propagation of the Dharma and the benefit of sentient beings. Some teachers even complain when they meet each other, thinking that they are truly great saints and why they are not allowed to give teachings to their disciples to help them understand and resolve their obstacles. For this reason, these teachers have put forward many opinions. However, while they are giving their opinions, they have forgotten an important point: what level of saint are they? Why do they only boast and have not obtained the certificate of the sun and moon wheel teacher?
Now, since everyone has such strong opinions, in order to protect you and ensure the safety and benefit of sentient beings, we must resolve this serious issue.
In fact, everyone already knows from Announcement No. 33 of the office that the teachings of the Master of the One-Star Sun and Moon Wheel, the Great Saint of the Middle Earth of the Two-Star Sun and Moon Wheel, and the teachings of the Great Saint of the Middle Earth of the Three-Star Sun and Moon Wheel will definitely have errors. In other words, as long as it is not the teachings of the Great Saint of the Four-Star Sun and Moon Wheel, there will definitely be errors. Moreover, the teachings of the non-sun and moon wheel teachers or non-saints will definitely be full of errors. Even the teachers who give teachings indiscriminately have fallen into many of the 128 errors and evil views, and even tell lies to deceive disciples. How can they have the qualification to give teachings? Moreover, just from the books of teachings written by the famous great dharma kings and venerables in this world, many errors, deviations from the scriptures, and the appearance of wrong views have been discovered, which is enough to illustrate the disastrous consequences of teaching the Dharma indiscriminately and harming the masses. You, as teachers, must understand that even the patriarchs have made mistakes in their teachings, let alone you? Once you commit the offense of teaching the wrong Dharma, you will harm the Buddhist disciples. It is precisely to protect the practitioners from obtaining correct knowledge and views, to protect the smooth growth of these teachers, to prevent everyone from falling into the deep pit of negative karma, and to prevent Buddhist disciples from discovering the serious mistakes made by their teachers in their teachings after they have made progress in their studies and despising (seeing through) you, or even leaving you and entering the path of false teachers, the office has strictly stipulated that all teachers who are not the Great Saint of the Four-Star Sun and Moon Wheel do not have the qualification to give any teachings. This is not depriving you of the right to guide your disciples, but rather protecting you and the wisdom and lives of sentient beings, allowing you to establish more merit and achieve true and genuine bodhisattva conduct, and to benefit the masses by passing the assessment of the seven teachers and ten certifications. You must understand that once you give wrong teachings, you will bear the guilt of the principles of the teachings, and you will bear the burden of negative karma. You will never receive the empowerment of the realm and will not be able to learn the great Dharma in your lifetime!
Practitioners must understand that if they want to attain liberation and accomplishment, they must not pretend to understand and give teachings indiscriminately, and disciples must not ask their teachers for teachings on the Dharma. If they have already listened to the teachings of a certain teacher, Buddhist disciples can only take it as a reference, but it cannot be considered the correct answer. Some Buddhist disciples think that they have received the fundamental fourteen vows of the teacher (i.e., the fourteen vows of the esoteric teachings), which cannot be violated. You must understand that the teacher referred to in the fundamental fourteen vows is a great saint teacher above the sun and moon wheels, not a non-saint or a teacher who is still violating the vows or falling into the 128 evil and wrong views! If the teacher has fallen into the 128 evil and wrong views, they must be avoided, and if they have not fallen into the 128 evil and wrong views, they can only take refuge and learn the rituals from them. As for finding the correct answers, you can only listen to the Dharma teachings of the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche, and there you will find all the answers. Otherwise, if you listen to the teachings of the non-great saints of the sun and moon wheels, you will definitely have different degrees of wrong views. Once you deviate from the right view, you will not attain liberation. Those who listen to teachings with wrong views will not be given advanced Buddhist teachings such as the empowerment of the inner secret. In fact, it is inevitable that the teachings of the current teachers in the world will have mistakes, because even the patriarchs in history have made mistakes in their teachings. Of course, if a certain teacher has the level of giving correct teachings, the office will definitely recognize it and grant them the corresponding certification.
All teachers who understand Buddhism know that the most important and indispensable practice for Buddhist practitioners is meditation. Without meditation, one becomes an outsider to Buddhism. Everyone must be careful about one thing: do not think that if you are not in the Zen sect, you don't need to practice meditation or it has nothing to do with you. You must understand that regardless of any sect or any method, as long as it involves practice, including reciting the Buddha's name, it involves the nature of meditation. The nature of meditation is the ultimate truth and the essence of attaining liberation. Because any method must involve the issues of calming the mind, concentration, and stability, it involves the theory and essence of meditation. Therefore, all teachers must understand meditation, not just Zen teachers. If you don't understand, you must start learning from now on. Otherwise, no matter who you are reincarnated as, you will not have the qualification to teach disciples any practices, let alone give teachings.
In order to fulfill everyone's wish to open up the qualification for giving teachings, we must select talented individuals for giving teachings. The office will not assess you based on your level of realization, but will only give you a theoretical question. All teachers who have disciples, regardless of their level of status as venerables, dharma kings, Rinpoche, masters, or instructors, should write a teaching on the essential and necessary course of meditation in Buddhism in the form of an essay. The title is: "What is meditation? What is its function? How do you specifically apply the methods of meditation? What is the concept of the ultimate truth that you ultimately achieve?"
If you can write this exam question correctly to 90%, you will be granted a certain level of qualification to give teachings. If you don't even understand the essence of meditation, then you simply do not have the qualification to give teachings to disciples. The reason is simple: if you don't even understand the basic principles that Buddhism aims for, if you don't even understand meditation, then you don't understand Buddhism at all. No matter which sect of Buddhism, whether it is the exoteric or esoteric teachings, the sudden enlightenment or gradual enlightenment, they all cannot be separated from meditation. Therefore, as someone who becomes a teacher, you must understand the fundamental practice of meditation in Buddhism, which is also a necessary practice for all Buddhists. It is also the process of meditation that must be experienced in ritual practices, sitting in meditation, contemplation, reciting mantras, external and internal energy practices. For example, if a teacher does not even understand meditation, they absolutely cannot give teachings because they have already deviated from the principles and guidelines. They do not belong to genuine Buddhists, let alone Buddhist teachers. Therefore, no matter how high their external status and titles are, at least internally, they do not understand Buddhism, so they dare not take the exam. There is no record of their examination. If someone who does not take the exam compiles a set of explanations below to deceive disciples, it is undoubtedly deceiving the faithful. Faced with such teachers, Buddhist disciples must stay away and not rely on them! Otherwise, they will inevitably fall!
Now that the exam question has been released, all teachers with disciples of any level or status, except for teachers of the Three-Star Sun and Moon Wheel level and above, should answer this question within one month (before August 16, 2013) and send their answer sheets to the office's email address. All teachers with disciples, including venerables, dharma kings, Rinpoche, masters, and instructors, except for teachers of the Three-Star Sun and Moon Wheel level and above, should answer this question. Those teachers who have disciples and make various excuses not to take the exam indicate that they have more serious problems and are intentionally not taking responsibility for their disciples. Teachers with such titles, no matter how high their external status and titles are, at least internally, they do not understand Buddhism, so they dare not take the exam. They have no examination record. If someone who does not take the exam compiles a set of explanations below to deceive disciples, it is undoubtedly deceiving the faithful. Faced with such teachers, Buddhist disciples must stay away and not rely on them! Otherwise, they will inevitably fall! If someone takes the exam but does not pass, it is still an act of responsibility towards sentient beings. If someone takes the exam, it shows that they are truly practitioners seeking progress and is a teacher that believers can respect.
The office will not disclose the exam results of the teachers. If someone inquires about a certain teacher, we will only inform the inquirer that Teacher X has taken the exam, but we will not disclose their score. As for those teachers who do not take the exam, we will not disclose the list, but if a believer inquires, we can only abide by the precepts and truthfully answer the inquirer: Teacher X does not have a record of submitting an exam paper. For those who pass the exam with a score of 90, we will issue a written announcement stating what level of teachings the teacher can give. For those who inquire about a teacher of the Three-Star Sun and Moon Wheel level or above, we will answer that the teacher's level of realization has already reached a higher level of the sun and moon wheel, and they are not within the scope of the exam. In this way, it will be very clear to those who request the qualification to give teachings, and it will satisfy the strong desire of some teachers to give teachings and the results of the assessment of their qualifications. Once again, we will not disclose your exam score.
Office of the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche
July 16, 2013
https://www.hhdcb3office.org/html/information/announcement_no36_2013_07_16.html