Buddhist practitioners of various sects, in view of some individuals who hold the title of "Guru" and have emotional reactions to our office's announcement that they are not qualified to give teachings, believe that it is detrimental to their propagation of the Dharma. In reality, these Gurus who have objections do not understand the true essence of the Buddha's teachings and are only partially knowledgeable. Their level is absolutely insufficient to give correct teachings to disciples. However, our office is well aware of this, so despite the strong opinions of these Gurus, our office will never acknowledge someone who does not understand the true essence of the Buddha's teachings as a qualified teacher for disciples, as it would lead to biased and erroneous views, causing harm to practitioners. Our office cannot bear this karmic consequence.
Of course, these individuals, such as Dharma Kings, Venerables, Living Buddhas, Dharma Masters, and Acharyas, collectively known as Gurus, are mostly good and possess correct knowledge and views. They lead everyone in listening and practicing the teachings of the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang. They do not pretend to understand and speak randomly. However, among them, there are indeed a few who have degenerated and become teachers of wrong knowledge and views. They even speak falsehoods and deceive others. If people like them give teachings, the disciples who listen to their teachings will only share in their negative karma, eternal suffering, and cyclic existence without liberation. Therefore, our office can only rely on the law and not on individuals. In order for Gurus to understand their own level, whether they are right or wrong, whether they are proficient in the Buddha's teachings, and to allow qualified teachers to give correct teachings, we have introduced a broad topic called "Meditation" as an examination. This question is related to the principles and interests that are involved in the study of Buddhism. As expected, the meditation examination has been open for over two months, and we have received few answer sheets. Therefore, we will extend the deadline for submission for another month. After that, no more answer sheets will be accepted!!! During this period, we have received more than a dozen letters from people who claim to be Gurus but do not understand meditation and have made jokes. In their letters, they state that they have not studied meditation and have not engaged in meditation practice, so they cannot participate in the examination. They even claim to be Gurus of Esoteric Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, Vinaya Buddhism, Yogacara Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, and not Zen Buddhism. They do not understand meditation and only know mantras, vajra mantras, hand mudras, contemplative rituals, the Great Perfection practice, Vajrayana practices, Yogacara studies, and the need to choose one's own nature. Some even say that although they are Gurus, they have not had the opportunity to meet the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang and what they have learned from some Dharma Kings and Dharma Masters outside is not the correct meditation practice. How can they be expected to take the examination for something they have not studied? In fact, Gurus who say such things are completely ignorant of Buddhism, Buddhist studies, the Buddha's teachings, and the Buddhist community. What does it matter whether they have met the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang or not? These so-called Gurus, whether they have met the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang or not, in any case, by saying such things, they are simply outsiders to Buddhism, Buddhist studies, the Buddha's teachings, and the Buddhist community. Therefore, it can be definitively concluded that they completely do not understand the true essence of the Buddha's teachings! Such so-called Gurus, whether they have met the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang or not, in any case, by saying such things, they are not Gurus at all. That is why they do not understand meditation. Therefore, it can be asserted that such individuals do not even understand the most basic Six Yogas of Naropa and the Great Perfection's view of emptiness. They do not understand the Six Perfections of the Exoteric teachings. The teachings given by such individuals are undoubtedly confused and false. Everyone must understand one definite principle: in any Buddhist sect, as long as one is a Buddhist, one cannot do without the practice of meditation. Everyone should understand that meditation is not only practiced in Zen Buddhism. The path of meditation is encompassed in all phenomena. Any phenomenon can lead to concentration, and meditation practice requires concentration. This includes the Great Perfection, Vajrayana practices, reciting the Buddha's name, and contemplation. Without the Six Perfections, one cannot deeply understand the true essence of Buddhism. Without meditation, one's ordinary consciousness will not cease. Only by practicing meditation can one realize the wisdom of the Dharma body of emptiness. The methods of mantra recitation, contemplation, sutra recitation, reciting the Buddha's name, observing precepts, and sitting in meditation all need to be purified by concentration. The practice of vipassana meditation leads to the realization of the wisdom of emptiness. Therefore, meditation is not exclusive to Zen Buddhism. Some patriarchs have even said, "Meditation combined with Pure Land is like a tiger with horns." This is truly the view of an outsider. How can they talk about patriarchs? Because focusing one's mind on reciting the Buddha's name is itself a form of meditation, it is important to understand that all of Buddhism involves meditation practice. Otherwise, any sect will become an external path. In that case, one will only pretend to understand and will be like a certain important person who quotes ancient Zen sayings and speaks nonsense, unable to touch upon the topic at hand. As disciples who are learning from your Gurus, you must be careful and understand that following a Guru who is afraid to take the meditation examination is a serious problem. Regardless of where they live, their status in Buddhism, whether they are Dharma Masters of the Exoteric sects or Dharma Kings, Venerables, Living Buddhas of the Esoteric sects, they are all people who do not understand the Dharma and have serious problems. In other words, they are Gurus who are ignorant of Buddhism. If someone cannot speak about meditation, unless this Guru is a great saint with a rating of two stars or above, because great saints with a rating of two stars or above definitely do not lack understanding of meditation. Their realization comes from the contemplation of meditation. They just do not want to talk about it. If practitioners continue to follow a Guru who does not participate in the meditation examination and is not a great saint with a rating of two stars or above, then the practitioner will inevitably share in the negative karma of the false teacher. Therefore, all such individuals will have their status as practitioners revoked for life and will not transmit the Mahayana teachings. Of course, this is also related to the Fourteen Fundamental Precepts of the Esoteric sect and the Fifty Verses to the Guru. Because some practitioners have received the Esoteric sect's Fourteen Fundamental Precepts or recite the Fifty Verses to the Guru (Fifty Practices), they are afraid of violating the precepts and dare not leave their biased and erroneous Gurus. Moreover, since the Guru has a prominent reputation, they dare not disobey and think that leaving would violate the Esoteric sect's Fourteen Fundamental Precepts. Remember, this kind of thinking is completely wrong! It is incorrect knowledge and views! It is absolute wrong views! The Third Dharma King Dorje Chang has repeatedly said, "To learn Buddhism is to follow the teachings correctly, to follow the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, such as the Buddha's teachings on the nature of emptiness and the wisdom of prajna." It is to learn from the holy ones, to follow correct teachings and practices, and not to follow ordinary individuals, let alone frauds, false teachers, and evil individuals who propagate wrong views. Everyone should understand one truth: frauds, evil individuals, demons, water monsters, ghost mothers, yakshas, rakshasas, evil bloodthirsty ghosts, charlatans, and witches are all very cunning. They all wear the cloak of Buddhism and hold legal documents, using the Esoteric sect's Fourteen Fundamental Precepts and the Fifty Verses to the Guru to control disciples. Isn't that the case? If you fall under the guidance of such false Gurus and observe the first precept of the Esoteric sect's Fourteen Fundamental Precepts or treat the evil Gurus mentioned above according to the Fifty Verses to the Guru, can you avoid falling into the Avici Hell? The Esoteric sect's Fourteen Fundamental Precepts and the Fifty Verses to the Guru, for truly knowledgeable and correct Gurus, are the foundation of liberation and accomplishment when disciples practice in accordance with the teachings. For example, respecting great saints like Lotus-born Guru Rinpoche, Tsongkhapa, Marpa, and Yeshe Tsogyal is of immeasurable merit. However, on the contrary, if you follow individuals who have high status and are so-called grandmasters but secretly violate the scriptures, speak falsehoods, deceive others, and propagate evil views, and if you respect and treat such false Gurus according to the first precept of the Esoteric sect's Fourteen Fundamental Precepts or the Fifty Verses to the Guru, then it is no different from taking poisonous intestines. Your wisdom life will definitely decay. Such disciples will definitely share in the hellish karma because they have put the teachings into practice, established an evil example, led people to worship evil, and assisted in evil and harmful actions. The same goes for the fact that there are good Gurus and evil Gurus, good disciples and evil disciples. There are two types of evil disciples: one type uses the name of their Guru to deceive people in all directions, and their Guru is unaware of the harm caused; the other type promotes the evil Gurus, propagates in all directions, and creates the karma of evil. Of course, some people may think, "How do we know whether our Guru is a good Guru or an evil Guru? Is he a fraud or a good person? How can we distinguish evil disciples?" The Third Dharma King Dorje Chang said, "All evil Gurus or evil disciples have one common characteristic: selfishness. They fall into the 128 views and deceive people for their own benefit. Therefore, in order to distinguish false Gurus, evil Gurus, or evil disciples, we must not rely on the lineage of any sect's lineage holder. We must rely on the person's actions and conduct, not on the name and status of their reincarnation, even if they are recognized as the reincarnation of great Bodhisattvas such as Avalokiteshvara or Manjushri. As long as they violate three or more of the 128 views and do not repent, they may be false Gurus and not true reincarnations. Therefore, we must rely on the realization of the holy ones to distinguish and identify the certificate of holy qualities. In short, anyone who falls into three or more of the 128 views without repentance cannot be relied upon as a Guru because it is possible that the holy qualities previously manifested have been contaminated and have entered the wrong path." The Third Dharma King Dorje Chang has spoken many times, and it could not be clearer. I hope everyone will not be confused. There are many frauds, evil Gurus, and evil individuals in the world, spreading throughout the entire world, mixed in with the Western Esoteric and Exoteric sects, Mahayana, Hinayana, and other schools. Especially those Gurus who have no connection with the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang are even worse. They speak falsehoods, tell lies, confuse the Dharma, and have written many works filled with wrong views. There are even dozens of times more evil and deceptive individuals, such as certain world-famous figures. That is why the International World Buddhist Headquarters is holding the examination for holy qualities. The reason is to help practitioners distinguish true and false saints and benefit practitioners. There are many false Gurus and evil individuals in the world today, and there are few with correct knowledge and views. As Shakyamuni Buddha said, in the final period of the Dharma, there are many powerful demons and weak Dharma, and many suffer harm. The Third Dharma King Dorje Chang said, "There are many false Gurus outside, even among those who learn Buddhism under my name, such as Dharma Kings, Dharma Masters, Acharyas, and lay practitioners. Among them are individuals whom I praised before, but due to being contaminated by fame and fortune, some of them have become people who speak falsehoods and deceive others, false Gurus, charlatans, and misleading individuals. Because they violate three or more of the 128 views without repentance, these Gurus may not be true reincarnations. Therefore, we must rely on the realization of the holy ones to distinguish and identify the certificate of holy qualities. In any case, those who speak such words are not Gurus at all. Therefore, they do not understand meditation. It can be asserted that such individuals do not even understand the most basic Six Yogas of Naropa and the Great Perfection's view of emptiness. They do not understand the Six Perfections of the Exoteric teachings. The teachings given by such individuals are undoubtedly confused and false. Everyone must understand one definite principle: in any Buddhist sect, as long as one is a Buddhist, one cannot do without the practice of meditation. Everyone should understand that meditation is not only practiced in Zen Buddhism. The path of meditation is encompassed in all phenomena. Any phenomenon can lead to concentration, and meditation practice requires concentration. This includes the Great Perfection, Vajrayana practices, reciting the Buddha's name, and contemplation. Without the Six Perfections, one cannot deeply understand the true essence of Buddhism. Without meditation, one's ordinary consciousness will not cease. Only by practicing meditation can one realize the wisdom of the Dharma body of emptiness. The methods of mantra recitation, contemplation, sutra recitation, reciting the Buddha's name, observing precepts, and sitting in meditation all need to be purified by concentration. The practice of vipassana meditation leads to the realization of the wisdom of emptiness. Therefore, meditation is not exclusive to Zen Buddhism. Some patriarchs have even said, "Meditation combined with Pure Land is like a tiger with horns." This is truly the view of an outsider. How can they talk about patriarchs? Because focusing one's mind on reciting the Buddha's name is itself a form of meditation, it is important to understand that all of Buddhism involves meditation practice. Otherwise, any sect will become an external path. In that case, one will only pretend to understand and will be like a certain important person who quotes ancient Zen sayings and speaks nonsense, unable to touch upon the topic at hand. As disciples who are learning from your Gurus, you must be careful and understand that following a Guru who is afraid to take the meditation examination is a serious problem. Regardless of where they live, their status in Buddhism, whether they are Dharma Masters of the Exoteric sects or Dharma Kings, Venerables, Living Buddhas of the Esoteric sects, they are all people who do not understand the Dharma and have serious problems. In other words, they are Gurus who are ignorant of Buddhism. If someone cannot speak about meditation, unless this Guru is a great saint with a rating of two stars or above, because great saints with a rating of two stars or above definitely do not lack understanding of meditation. Their realization comes from the contemplation of meditation. They just do not want to talk about it. If practitioners continue to follow a Guru who does not participate in the meditation examination and is not a great saint with a rating of two stars or above, then the practitioner will inevitably share in the negative karma of the false teacher. Therefore, all such individuals will have their status as practitioners revoked for life and will not transmit the Mahayana teachings. Of course, this is also related to the Fourteen Fundamental Precepts of the Esoteric sect and the Fifty Verses to the Guru. Because some practitioners have received the Esoteric sect's Fourteen Fundamental Precepts or recite the Fifty Verses to the Guru (Fifty Practices), they are afraid of violating the precepts and dare not leave their biased and erroneous Gurus. Moreover, since the Guru has a prominent reputation, they dare not disobey and think that leaving would violate the Esoteric sect's Fourteen Fundamental Precepts. Remember, this kind of thinking is completely wrong! It is incorrect knowledge and views! It is absolute wrong views! The Third Dharma King Dorje Chang has repeatedly said, "To learn Buddhism is to follow the teachings correctly, to follow the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, such as the Buddha's teachings on the nature of emptiness and the wisdom of prajna." It is to learn from the holy ones, to follow correct teachings and practices, and not to follow ordinary individuals, let alone frauds, false teachers, and evil individuals who propagate wrong views. Everyone should understand one truth: frauds, evil individuals, demons, water monsters, ghost mothers, yakshas, rakshasas, evil bloodthirsty ghosts, charlatans, and witches are all very cunning. They all wear the cloak of Buddhism and hold legal documents, using the Esoteric sect's Fourteen Fundamental Precepts and the Fifty Verses to the Guru to control disciples. Isn't that the case? If you fall under the guidance of such false Gurus and observe the first precept of the Esoteric sect's Fourteen Fundamental Precepts or treat the evil Gurus mentioned above according to the Fifty Verses to the Guru, can you avoid falling into the Avici Hell? The Esoteric sect's Fourteen Fundamental Precepts and the Fifty Verses to the Guru, for truly knowledgeable and correct Gurus, are the foundation of liberation and accomplishment when disciples practice in accordance with the teachings. For example, respecting great saints like Lotus-born Guru Rinpoche, Tsongkhapa, Marpa, and Yeshe Tsogyal is of immeasurable merit. However, on the contrary, if you follow individuals who have high status and are so-called grandmasters but secretly violate the scriptures, speak falsehoods, deceive others, and propagate evil views, and if you respect and treat such false Gurus according to the first precept of the Esoteric sect's Fourteen Fundamental Precepts or the Fifty Verses to the Guru, then it is no different from taking poisonous intestines. Your wisdom life will definitely decay. Such disciples will definitely share in the hellish karma because they have put the teachings into practice, established an evil example, led people to worship evil, and assisted in evil and harmful actions. The same goes for the fact that there are good Gurus and evil Gurus, good disciples and evil disciples. There are two types of evil disciples: one type uses the name of their Guru to deceive people in all directions, and their Guru is unaware of the harm caused; the other type promotes the evil Gurus, propagates in all directions, and creates the karma of evil. Of course, some people may think, "How do we know whether our Guru is a good Guru or an evil Guru? Is he a fraud or a good person? How can we distinguish evil disciples?" The Third Dharma King Dorje Chang said, "All evil Gurus or evil disciples have one common characteristic: selfishness. They fall into the 128 views and deceive people for their own benefit. Therefore, in order to distinguish false Gurus, evil Gurus, or evil disciples, we must not rely on the lineage of any sect's lineage holder. We must rely on the person's actions and conduct, not on the name and status of their reincarnation, even if they are recognized as the reincarnation of great Bodhisattvas such as Avalokiteshvara or Manjushri. As long as they violate three or more of the 128 views and do not repent, they may be false Gurus and not true reincarnations. Therefore, we must rely on the realization of the holy ones to distinguish and identify the certificate of holy qualities. In short, anyone who falls into three or more of the 128 views without repentance cannot be relied upon as a Guru because it is possible that the holy qualities previously manifested have been contaminated and have entered the wrong path." The Third Dharma King Dorje Chang has spoken many times, and it could not be clearer. I hope everyone will not be confused. There are many frauds, evil Gurus, and evil individuals in the world, spreading throughout the entire world, mixed in with the Western Esoteric and Exoteric sects, Mahayana, Hinayana, and other schools. Especially those Gurus who have no connection with the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang are even worse. They speak falsehoods, tell lies, confuse the Dharma, and have written many works filled with wrong views. There are even dozens of times more evil and deceptive individuals, such as certain world-famous figures. That is why the International World Buddhist Headquarters is holding the examination for holy qualities. The reason is to help practitioners distinguish true and false saints and benefit practitioners. Today's announcement is not targeting Gurus or ordinary practitioners. In fact, many Gurus are good and work hard to lead their followers in listening to the teachings of the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang, establishing places for listening to the teachings, and benefiting many people. They have great merit. Today's announcement is to prevent any misleading and harmful actions from occurring, whether you are a Guru or a disciple. I hope this world will be auspicious and prosperous, and everyone will become good, honest people, establishing good character and cultivating virtue, and ultimately becoming excellent Buddhist practitioners. Because no one can afford the consequences of karma. Those who truly practice Buddhism must follow the teachings correctly and legally. Otherwise, their human life will be destroyed in an instant. Therefore, the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang hopes to see that anyone who has deviated from the path, is about to deviate from the path, or is already not practicing in accordance with the teachings, will use the 128 views to verify others and themselves. He hopes that if there are mistakes, they will be corrected and become truly good people and practitioners, increasing their blessings and wisdom, and realizing enlightenment early.
Office of the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang
September 27, 2013
https://www.hhdcb3office.org/html/information/announcement_no38_2013_09_27.html