Explanation of the "Third Dharma King Dorje Chang" Buddhist Title#
On April 3, 2008, the book "The Third Dharma King Dorje Chang" published by the Global Buddhist Publishing House and the World Dharma Sound Publishing House held a solemn and grand launch ceremony at the Library of Congress in the United States. The Library of Congress officially collected this book, and it was then that people learned that the highly respected Master Yiyun Gao and the Great Dharma King Yangyi Yixi Nuo Bu, who had been respected by everyone, were recognized by the leaders or regents of the major Buddhist sects and certified by the living Buddhas of the world's Buddhist sects. The third incarnation of the Buddha Dorje Chang, and his Buddhist title is the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang. Since then, people have been calling him "Namo Third Dharma King Dorje Chang". This is similar to before Shakyamuni Buddha became a Buddha, his name was Siddhartha Gautama, but after Shakyamuni Buddha became a Buddha, he was called "Namo Shakyamuni Buddha". Therefore, we now say "Namo Third Dharma King Dorje Chang". Especially on December 12, 2012, the United States Senate Resolution No. 614 officially named the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang as His Holiness (H.H. Third Dharma King Dorje Chang). Since then, the title of Namo Third Dharma King Dorje Chang has been officially established. Moreover, the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang is also the legal name recognized by the government, and the previous names of "Yiyun Gao" and the honorable titles of Master and Great Dharma King no longer exist. However, this news was published before the Buddhist title of Namo Third Dharma King Dorje Chang was announced, and at that time people did not yet know the true identity of the Buddha. Therefore, in order to respect the truth of history, we still retain the names used before the official recognition of the title of the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang in the news. But everyone should be clear that except for the name of H.H. Third Dharma King Dorje Chang, which is legal, the names used before the official recognition no longer exist.
Relics and Relic Flowers#
ETtoday News
2004/09/10 20:59
Relics are sacred objects in Buddhism. Derived from the Sanskrit word Sarira, it is also translated as Shili, Sheli Luo, Sheli Luo, etc. It can be translated as body, physical body, bone, or remains. After the Nirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha, many hard substances like diamonds appeared after cremation, which Buddhists call relics.
Relics are crystalline, as strong as steel, and come in various forms and colors. According to Buddhist scriptures, after the Buddha's Parinirvana, King Ashoka of the ancient Indian kingdom of Magadha built 84,000 stupas and distributed the relics of Shakyamuni Buddha to be buried in the stupas. For example, Baoguang Temple in Xindu, China, is one of the locations of Ashoka's relic stupa. Ashoka built nineteen stupas in China. In history, when Huang Chao's rebellion captured Chang'an, Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty fled to Chengdu in a panic. Emperor Xizong resided in Baoguang Temple in the north of Xindu City. One year, two years passed, and he was unhappy because he could not return to the capital. One night, while walking in the temple, he suddenly saw purple light shining from the ruins of an ancient stupa. Emperor Xizong asked Wudadao Guoshi, who was accompanying him, in surprise. Wudadao replied, "This is the light emitted by the relics, indicating auspiciousness. Now that Huang Chao's rebellion has been quelled, Your Majesty can return to Chang'an." Emperor Xizong was overjoyed and ordered people to excavate. Sure enough, a stone box was found in the soil, and inside the box were thirteen crystal-clear relics, shining brightly. Emperor Xizong ordered Wudadao to build a thirteen-story stupa, enshrining the relics in the stupa palace, and named it the Pure Light Stupa. The temple was also named Baoguang Temple. This is the historical record of the shining of the relics.
There are five types of relics:
- Vajra relics, also known as bodily relics, are the remains of high monks who did not decay or shrank after their Parinirvana, becoming indestructible vajra relics, known as indestructible sons. For example, the body of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng of the Chan sect and the body of Master Hanshan are indestructible. Another example is the body of Gongga Rinpoche, who was originally 6 feet 2 inches tall, but after his Parinirvana, his body shrank to 1 foot 5 inches and 3 minutes, becoming a bodily relic. Similarly, after the Parinirvana of Zongsa Qinzhe Rinpoche and Pobangka Rinpoche, their bodies shrank into vajra relics, and from flesh to bone, they became as hard as diamonds.
- Transformed relics: Relics or relic flowers obtained from the cremation of those who have attained enlightenment. Relic flowers are generally found on the bodies of high monks who have achieved enlightenment and come in various shapes such as round, diamond, and odd shapes. Relic flowers are like five-colored nets, with no obstacles, weaving nets like vajra nets, extremely beautiful, like the relic flower formed by Xuanzang's skull. Peacock green, field yellow, and white jade are the top-quality colors.
- Dharmakaya relics: All the sutras, practices, realizations, powers, and manifestations of wisdom and supernatural powers passed down by all Buddhas are dharmakaya relics.
- Spiritual bone relics: After cremation, the remains of bones, such as finger bones, skull bones, and teeth, which are hard and without the net-like appearance of relic flowers, are called spiritual bone relics.
- Seed syllable relics: Achievers of the Vajrayana who have achieved the highest level of practice naturally emit light when their bodies are naturally cremated, leaving behind the seed syllables they usually visualize during their meditation. These are called seed syllable relics, also known as rainbow light flying transformation bodies. For example, Guru Rinpoche is a rainbow light flying transformation body.
Relics come in many colors. Black relics are the hair relics of the Buddha, red relics are blood relics, and white relics are bone flower relics. Among them, there are also peacock green, golden yellow, small yellow, coffee color, gray, purple, white, transparent, and mottled relics, all formed by different levels of realization. All the different colors and sizes are variations formed by different levels of realization. Only those who have achieved great accomplishments can obtain transformed relics.
Relics left by the Buddha are called relics, and those left by bodhisattvas are called indestructible sons. Both are formed by the accumulation of great compassion and the attainment of merit. Ordinary people often confuse relic sons with indestructible sons and also call indestructible sons relics. Relics are not afraid of softness or hardness, and they protect sentient beings and sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others. If you strike a relic with a hammer on an anvil, the relic will penetrate into the anvil and cannot be removed. If you try to extract the relic with a steel drill, no matter how deep the drill goes, the anvil will be like mud to the relic, and no matter how deep it penetrates, the steel drill cannot remove the relic. This is because relics are not afraid of hardness. At this time, as long as you place an egg on the position where the relic is on the anvil and pretend to press the egg, the relic buried in the anvil will immediately jump out on its own. This is because of its compassionate heart, fearing to harm the egg, which is not deceiving softness.
Relics have five characteristics: 1. The characteristic of distinguishing merits: Different people see different colors and brightness of merits and virtues due to different karmic forces and merits. 2. The characteristic of firmness: Indestructible like a diamond, harder than any worldly object. 3. The characteristic of brightness: It shines when viewed, and joy arises in the heart. When respected, it emits a great light. 4. The characteristic of being born and developing: For example, the hair relic of Kangsa Rinpoche. 5. The characteristic of blessedness and virtue: Building stupas for worship, circumambulation, worship, lighting lamps, offering flowers, burning incense, repairing, gilding, and decorating can all obtain immeasurable blessings.
Who can cultivate relics? Only those who have achieved realization through authentic Buddhism can have relics and indestructible sons. Only those who have achieved great accomplishments can have relic flowers. Those who are not practitioners of authentic Buddhism cannot have them, and those who have not achieved great accomplishments in authentic Buddhism cannot have relic sons or relic flowers. (Text/ Shang Miao)