On the auspicious day of New Year's Day, January 1st, the International Buddhist Monastic Association received letters from two Buddhist disciples, Liu Yukai and Zhu Yaqin, who hope that our association can forward them.
Given that this letter comes from the sincere hearts of the two, they sincerely mention their offerings to the Third Buddha Dorje Chang, and that the Third Buddha Dorje Chang, in response to the genuine acts of disciples' offerings, only serves the benefit of sentient beings without accepting any money, regardless of the amount. As stated in the letters from the two: "Such a truly great Buddha, from the profound and subtle teachings displayed, to the genuine realization of the Five Sciences; from the great compassion and the equal measure of enlightenment to the selfless sacred realm, which of these, which item, which Buddhist figure can compare? Such a supreme Buddha, I dare say: in today's world, there is no second such great saint!" In fact, looking back at the history of Buddhism, aside from Shakyamuni Buddha, there is no precedent! Compared to many so-called Dharma kings, rinpoches, and masters today, who have no genuine virtue or realization but are solely focused on collecting money from sentient beings, we cannot help but feel fortunate for sentient beings: the Third Buddha Dorje Chang has brought the supreme "Great Seal of Liberation" to the beings of this world. Only by relying on the genuine teachings of the Third Buddha Dorje Chang and Shakyamuni Buddha, which have not been lost, can sentient beings achieve true liberation!
We want to tell people that the precedent of the Third Buddha Dorje Chang not accepting offerings is known not only to these two disciples but also to many real examples and undeniable facts that stand there. The Third Buddha Dorje Chang not only does not accept offerings, but he has never considered his own livelihood. A small example can illustrate this: for over a decade since the Third Buddha Dorje Chang came to the United States, we monks have often seen him, and he has never once said to the kitchen: "What do I want to eat?" Instead, he eats whatever is given to him. For a long time, we often saw him eat only a bowl of porridge in the morning, and to help others, he would not eat lunch until seven or eight in the evening, sometimes cooking a bowl of plain noodles with salt for himself. Such a selfless and altruistic Buddha, one can imagine what kind of people would slander him.
Although the Buddha's actions are bright and holy, unprecedented, and selfless, on the contrary, this touches those Dharma kings, rinpoches, and masters who rely on collecting offerings to live. The behavior of the Third Buddha Dorje Chang reveals the hidden selfish behaviors and deceptive nature of certain so-called Buddhist figures, which makes them furious, seeing the Third Buddha Dorje Chang as having embarrassed them and cut off their financial paths, forcing them to angrily slander the Buddha. In fact, this is quite normal; who told the Third Buddha Dorje Chang to selflessly care for sentient beings, interfering with their attachment and greed, making it inconvenient for them to collect money in front of sentient beings? For example, the Third Buddha Dorje Chang is the only one in history to receive the most and most formal certifications, with certified Dharma kings even holding certificates, signing, sealing, and taking photos and videos. Yet these fraudulent Buddhist figures dare to turn black into white, spreading rumors that these certifications are fake. One can imagine how furious they are that the Third Buddha Dorje Chang's holy actions have cut off their financial paths! However, due to cause and effect, evil will ultimately be defeated, and the power of justice will support the Third Buddha Dorje Chang, just as the Martin Luther King Award and the World Peace Prize are the only ones in the world that have Buddha Day, which is the praise earned by the Buddha's actions.
Therefore, on this auspicious day of New Year's Day 2012, we forward this deeply moving letter to the public and Buddhist disciples, sincerely wishing that all sentient beings can hear the teachings of the Third Buddha Dorje Chang, achieve complete blessings and wisdom soon, and become the holy virtue of compassion and benefit to life, thus moving towards the achievement of liberation from life and death! Therefore, we will forward the original letters and donation documents from the two Buddhist disciples.
International Buddhist Monastic Association
January 1, 2012
To: International Buddhist Monastic Association#
Ashamed Buddhist disciple Liu Yukai, feeling deeply grateful for the grace of the Third Buddha Dorje Chang, has written this open letter to express my wishes, hoping it can be published through the association.
To: An open letter to all rinpoches, masters, and Buddhist friends
My name is Liu Yukai, a businessman from Beijing, and more importantly, a disciple of the Third Buddha Dorje Chang, a humble practitioner. This year, the office of the Third Buddha Dorje Chang (Announcement No. 24) mentioned: "…A famous businessman from Beijing, China, after studying the 'Great Seal of Liberation' from the Third Buddha Dorje Chang, offered his stocks worth over 120 million RMB to the Third Buddha Dorje Chang, but the Third Buddha Dorje Chang still refused to accept it, treating him like any other benefactor—refusing to accept a single cent!" The "famous businessman from Beijing, China" mentioned is me.
Originally, as a Buddhist disciple, it is only natural to offer to the Three Jewels and to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and it is the duty of a Buddhist disciple to follow the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. Offering to the Three Jewels is originally a matter of our personal aspiration and intention, and does not need to be brought up. However, when we see our Buddha master and present our offerings, the Buddha master firmly refuses to accept them, which deeply makes me feel that the Buddha master is solely focused on benefiting sentient beings, not accepting any offerings from them, with no selfish desires. This is something I have heard before, seen in the real world, and is a unique and unparalleled reality in history. The supreme and noble qualities of the Buddha master compel me to share my personal experiences with the world, to resonate with the vast grace of the Buddha and the great blessings of sentient beings.
- The Origin of Learning Buddhism
I was once a national cadre and participated as a government representative in the establishment of China's first Sino-foreign joint venture garment enterprise during the early 1980s reform and opening up, serving as the company's director and general manager, creating a well-known garment enterprise and brand in China. In 1999, I resigned from my position as a national cadre and all company roles to study in Australia. After 2000, I returned to China to establish the current Sino-foreign joint venture garment enterprise, Beijing Pan-American Garment Co., Ltd., which now has three large garment factories and over 4,000 employees, maintaining the top position in China's wool suit exports for several consecutive years.
Throughout my more than 20 years of corporate management and social life, I have always taken the well-being of employees and social responsibility as my own duty. Over the years, with the development of China's social economy and the improvement of people's material living standards, many people have become solely focused on money, leading to an expanding gap between the rich and the poor. The level of social ethics and morality has generally declined, and the hearts of greed, anger, and ignorance have become increasingly severe. Many people, although enjoying financial abundance, have begun to realize the need to do more good deeds and build merits, yet they still cannot escape the issues of happiness in life and the cycle of birth and death, and I have also fallen into deep contemplation. However, my awareness and intuition tell me that only by delving into Buddhism can I explore the meaning of life and the truth of the universe, allowing sentient beings to elevate their realms, selflessly help others, and transcend. Thus, carrying a sense of altruistic responsibility and mission, I began my long journey of studying Buddhism and seeking the Dharma while managing my business.
Being in Beijing, where there are many eminent monks and great virtues, I have visited many temples, read many Buddhist texts, and listened to many teachings from eminent monks both domestically and internationally, yet none could resolve my doubts: Is the so-called path of liberation in Buddhism merely about reciting scriptures, chanting, performing Buddhist rituals, doing good deeds, and achieving a so-called enlightenment without any profound sacred experience? Is Buddhism just the vague and intangible principles spoken by those eminent monks? Is the meaning of Buddhism merely to provide psychological comfort and balance on a spiritual level? The teachings of those eminent monks are indeed captivating, but have they themselves achieved liberation? Have they seen their true nature? Have they shed their ordinary bodies and donned the sacred bones? In the end, can they reach the Western Pure Land and escape the cycle of life and death? Is the multitude of liberation methods spoken of by the Buddha merely empty theories without any real evidence? Is the boundless Dharma and liberation from life and death, as well as the Western Pure Land, just empty words and mythical stories? Is Shakyamuni Buddha deceiving sentient beings? Impossible! There must be genuine Dharma in the world, but where is the true Dharma?
Until one day, I heard the teachings of the Third Buddha Dorje Chang, and I was captivated: The principles of Buddhism are explained so profoundly yet simply, clearly and thoroughly, seamlessly and unobstructed, each word like thunder, each sentence pointing to the heart! The subtleties of the Dharma are expressed so vividly, the emptiness and wondrous existence, the realization of the essence! Wow! This is exactly the real and unfalse verification of the various true realities mentioned in the scriptures! I was enlightened, and I applauded! Oh! This is the true Dharma of Shakyamuni Buddha! This is the genuine Dharma I have been seeking! This is the master I should seek and worship! Master, I have found you!
However, finding the true path and being able to truly see and take refuge in the venerable Buddha are completely different matters. I have heard that some people are close in proximity yet have not seen the Buddha for over a decade. I have also heard that many people, in order to take refuge in the venerable Buddha, have sought recommendations from many great lamas, Dharma kings, and masters, but have found it difficult to achieve results because some people always try to control practitioners in their hands without having the true ability to help them transcend; the reasons for this need not be elaborated. As time passed day by day, although I was eager to take refuge in the true Dharma, I could only wait for the right conditions.
- Taking Refuge in Buddhism
It was also due to the convergence of conditions and sincerity that, while I was building a Buddhist hall in my company, my friend Mr. Liu Zhanmian introduced me to Mr. Xie Tianhong. Under Mr. Xie Tianhong's guidance, I took refuge under the disciple Hengsheng Rinpoche of the Third Buddha Dorje Chang, and Hengsheng Rinpoche fulfilled my wishes. After many years of seeking the Dharma, I finally entered the path of the Dharma, and the joy, grievance, happiness, and emotion of receiving refuge surged in my heart... The compassionate master told me: "Yukai, I will arrange for you to meet the true Buddha in the United States as soon as possible. There, you will know that your conditions there will be more extraordinary and incredible. You cannot imagine the greatness, nobility, and equal measure of enlightenment of the Buddha!"
Thus, I quickly became a disciple of the Third Buddha Dorje Chang. Of course, the joy and extraordinary experiences during this time are indescribable; I can only tell everyone: the true realization of the sacred realm is beyond words!
On the day of taking refuge, the Buddha master solemnly told me: "Yukai, remember, you are not a Gonkha Zunba of the Vajrayana, nor are you a follower of the exoteric school. You are a disciple of all Buddhas, a Buddhist, belonging to Buddhism, which is not a sect. Shakyamuni Buddha did not divide into sects back then; it was the later patriarchs who divided into this sect and that sect. In the future, you will also divide into sects, but that is the arising of conditions that cannot be avoided. However, everything must be for the benefit of sentient beings. Yukai, you have already reached a certain age; you must strive to practice diligently and not delay!"
- The Origin of Offerings
To speak the truth from my heart, at first, whether I heard it from the Dharma teachings or read it in books, it was said that the Third Buddha Dorje Chang does not accept offerings and only serves the public selflessly. To be honest, I really couldn't believe that there was a Buddhist master who does not accept offerings. Although there are indeed many solid evidences in the book "The Third Buddha Dorje Chang" that show the Third Buddha Dorje Chang does not accept offerings, I still thought: perhaps he does not accept a small amount of money, but I don't believe he wouldn't accept hundreds of thousands, millions, or even billions! If that were true, I would think such a great person has never existed in the world, at least I have never truly seen one.
In fact, the word "offering" is too familiar to anyone. Looking at any so-called saint, rinpoche, or master in the world, they all accept offerings from their disciples. It can be said that there has not been a single one who does not accept offerings! As for those fake lamas, fake masters, and fake rinpoches, there is even less to say; they not only use various names and forms to collect offerings in large amounts but also give you a cold shoulder if the offerings are insufficient. Some even use so-called lectures to sell tickets as a disguised way to collect offerings. In today's world, even if you go to a temple to worship the Buddha, in many places, if you do not give sufficient offerings, you will not receive a good response! If you want to take refuge and learn Buddhism without offering resources, it is difficult! Just look at the current state of so much selfishness and greed in the Buddhist community during this degenerate age; compared to the selfless purity of the Third Buddha Dorje Chang, isn't it a good and real comparison? Due to my personal experiences and feelings, I have truly realized that there is such a truly great Buddha in this world, who does not accept a single cent of offerings, but is solely focused on benefiting sentient beings and promoting the true Dharma.
Of course, I am not intentionally trying to make offerings just because I heard that the Third Buddha Dorje Chang does not accept offerings. If that were the case, it would be deceiving the Buddha and the public, which would not have a good outcome! True learning and practice of Buddhism cannot tolerate the slightest falsehood, nor can there be any opportunism. The Dharma cannot be obtained through deceit; it can only be gained through one's sincerity and genuine practice. Moreover, there are divine beings above us. The karmic deities and protective dharma beings are observing our thoughts, words, and actions at all times. If you truly want to deceive, you might as well learn fake Dharma! But can there be any real benefit and achievement from that?
In fact, our initial intention to make offerings is very simple: to seek the true Dharma. I have searched for so many years, and after three encounters with the Buddha, I deeply appreciate the vast grace of the Buddha, the immeasurable compassion, the universal enlightenment, and the unattainable sacredness. Now that we have found our purpose and have a place to rely on, what use do we have for money? Why not take it out to contribute to the propagation of the Dharma and benefit sentient beings? While studying the "Great Seal of Liberation," I deeply felt: isn't this the great shortcut to enlightenment that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas rely on and practice? How fortunate we are to encounter the true Buddha in this life, bringing such an extraordinary Dharma to benefit sentient beings. As a humble Buddhist disciple, donating our limited resources to the Buddha master, allowing these resources to play a greater role in the propagation of the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings, what great practical significance that will have!
Thus, my wife and I decided to donate the net assets of our company's equity, amounting to 126 million RMB, as resources for the Buddha master to propagate the Dharma and benefit sentient beings.
We prepared the donation letter, signed it, stamped it, and happily handed it to the Buddha master. The Buddha master asked me: "You have offered your assets to me; how will you live in the future? Your salary? We have a pretty good house to live in. Every time we come to the United States to see you, we always let the office buy the cheapest, discounted economy class tickets, and we always stay in the cheapest motels at $50 a night. In fact, our lives are really simple; we don't need that much money!" The Buddha master earnestly said: "Yukai, your heart in offering to me and benefiting sentient beings is sincere. I have accepted it, and the protective dharma beings have seen it, but I will not accept a single cent of your offerings. I will not accept offerings on behalf of any temple; to put it simply, I will never accept any money! The donation letter states the decision, and the Buddha master also said: You must run your business well, grow it strong, and serve society and sentient beings. The more than 4,000 workers depend on you for their livelihood; this is also benefiting sentient beings. Additionally, Yukai, listen to me: you have what you have today because of your practice and merits. You are also sentient beings; take care of yourselves, do no evil, and practice all good deeds. This also benefits sentient beings and is an offering to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas! You do not need to offer me a single cent, you know? You should practice well; everything must benefit sentient beings, and I will teach you! But I will never accept offerings; I will not accept anyone's offerings! Nor will I take offerings from you to perform Buddhist rituals. My Buddhist rituals are to help you practice the two great essences, to understand the true meaning of the Heart Sutra and what true practice is. I have never agreed to anyone collecting offerings on my behalf, nor does anyone have the qualification to do so. If someone collects offerings on my behalf, there must be elements of deceit involved." Listening to the Buddha master's teachings, feeling the supreme realm of the Buddha master, his kindness and compassion, what more could I say? I could only be moved to tears. What a great, selfless, and altruistic Buddha master...! However, since our heartfelt offerings to the Buddha master are not accepted, what can we do? But our intention to offer has been made and cannot be empty; this offering no longer belongs to us personally. We can only manage and operate it seriously on behalf of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The Buddha master will absolutely not accept this offering, so we will use it for Buddhist activities with right knowledge and right measure, for truly beneficial endeavors for sentient beings.
Below are copies of our donation letter and the Buddha master's response, as well as the original text of our vow made before the Buddha, now made public.
Additionally, the reasons I am writing this open letter are as follows:
First, I wish to share with the world and Buddhist friends the true, worldly-unattached realization and supreme qualities of the Third Buddha Dorje Chang. In today's world, having such a saint is a blessing for sentient beings! Human life is hard to obtain, and encountering the true Dharma is rare. With the Buddha residing in this life due to the great causes and conditions of this life, and the light of the Dharma of the "Great Seal of Liberation," how can all of us Buddhist disciples not diligently practice? May we all achieve great accomplishments in this life, and may all sentient beings attain great liberation.
Second, I hope that those so-called great masters and rinpoches who are self-satisfied and flaunting themselves can reflect on what true virtue is! The Third Buddha Dorje Chang embodies the integration of exoteric and esoteric teachings, reaching the peak of the Five Sciences, unprecedented in history, yet always compassionately benefiting sentient beings with a selfless heart, and not accepting any offerings from sentient beings—what a saintly virtue that is!
Third, I call upon those practitioners who have been misled by the so-called Dharma kings, living Buddhas, and masters who have no genuine realization and only speak empty theories: you should seriously reflect; life will soon pass, time flies, and do not waste your impermanent life and precious time any longer. Early discern the true from the false, take refuge in the true Dharma as soon as possible, and enter the true door of liberation to attain the path of enlightenment.
Fourth, I solemnly advise those with ulterior motives: The Buddha is compassionate; let go of evil thoughts, practice the true Dharma, understand cause and effect, reform your ways, and benefit sentient beings. You can still attain Buddhahood and achieve the right fruit.
As I write this letter, some friends and Buddhist friends advise me not to do so, fearing it may bring me some disadvantage. I said: I believe that only those with evil knowledge and views would bring me harm. What is wrong with me expressing my heartfelt words and stating the facts? Such a truly great Buddha, from the profound and subtle teachings displayed, to the genuine realization of the Five Sciences; from the great compassion and the equal measure of enlightenment to the selfless sacred realm, which of these, which item, which Buddhist figure can compare? Such a supreme Buddha, I dare say: in today's world, there is no second such great saint! I am open and honest, acting selflessly for the benefit of all, sharing the truth and reality; is there anything wrong with being factual? Therefore, fair-minded, kind-hearted, and right-seeing people can all see this clearly, and can they bring me harm? Impossible!
I am a practitioner, already in my sixties; do I not understand cause and effect? Therefore, I still ask the International Buddhist Monastic Association to help me forward this manuscript.
Ashamed Buddhist disciple Liu Yukai, in Beijing, with palms together
January 1, 2012