On September 24, 2020, Ms. Suzi Leggett, Chairperson of the World Peace Prize Awarding Council and the World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee, arrived at the Holy Relic Temple affiliated with the World Buddhist Headquarters in Los Angeles, USA, on behalf of the World Peace Prize Awarding Council and the World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee, to make the ultimate announcement: The enthronement decree and papal token of H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha as the Buddhist Pope are invalid, and the position of the World Buddhist Pope can only belong to H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha, and no one else has the right to replace him! As early as 2018, after detailed investigation and evaluation by the World Peace Prize Awarding Council and the World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee, H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha was officially enthroned as the World Buddhist Pope, and the enthronement decree and papal token were signed and awarded by Mr. Han Myung-soo, the then Chairman of the Two Assemblies. However, to everyone's surprise, the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha had no feeling for this lofty position and great honor of "World Buddhist Pope" and did not accept the enthronement. The Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha said, "In the Buddhist world, there are titles such as Buddha, Bodhisattva, Dharma King, Living Buddha, Master, Great Monk, and Holy Virtue. There is no need for a Pope. I am a humble practitioner and cannot bear this heavy responsibility." When the World Buddhist Headquarters presented the received enthronement decree and papal token to H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha, H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha saw the image of Sakyamuni Buddha on the token and immediately raised the papal token above his head to show respect to the Buddha. However, unexpectedly, H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha directly returned the enthronement decree and papal token to the World Peace Prize Awarding Council and the World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee. In this announcement, Chairperson Leggett said, "For decades, our organization has awarded the World Peace Prize to President Reagan, Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Rabin, and many presidents and prime ministers of various countries. There has never been a precedent for returning the prize. Any decision made by our organization and already implemented is a very serious and solemn decision that cannot be changed... The act of H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha returning the papal token and enthronement decree is invalid. The position of the World Buddhist Pope belongs only to H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha, and no one else is allowed to use it. This is an unchangeable and permanent conclusion!" Since H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha still refuses to accept it, Chairperson Leggett immediately returned the returned enthronement decree and papal token to the World Buddhist Headquarters. Venerable Mozhi, on behalf of the World Buddhist Headquarters, received the enthronement decree and papal token from the Two Assemblies, stating, "The World Buddhist Headquarters believes that the decision of the Two Assemblies is very correct and wise! Since the manifestation of Sakyamuni Buddha, there has been no supreme leader of the Buddhist community like the Buddha. However, the position of the Pope must be held by a leader qualified to represent the entire Buddhist sect, and the only leader who can govern the entire Buddhism is the Buddha. H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha fully embodies the teachings of Buddhism, meets the standards recognized by various sects for the Buddha, and embodies the essence of the Buddha and the realization of enlightenment. Only H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha can meet this standard. H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha is the only one who can bear the sacred and incomparable burden of the Buddhist Pope and guide the correct path of Buddhist learning. Therefore, on behalf of the Buddhists, the World Buddhist Headquarters is very grateful for the final decision made by the World Peace Prize Awarding Council and the World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee." The following is the joint resolution read by Chairperson Suzi Leggett of the World Peace Prize Awarding Council and the World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee: The enthronement of H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha as the World Buddhist Pope is unchangeable. Our organization refuses to return the enthronement decree. The Buddhist community in the world is currently in a state of confusion and must have an absolute Buddhist leader to lead and correct the direction. All Buddhists know that the true highest leader of world Buddhism, apart from the Buddha, is not qualified to be the highest leader of world Buddhism, regardless of how high a Bodhisattva, Dharma King, Dalai Lama, or Master is. Especially in the entire Buddhist community today, there are many pseudo-living Buddhas and masters who are not true Buddhist practitioners, causing the entire world of Buddhism to fall into chaos and confusion. For traditional and formal Buddhism, there are dozens of sects such as Esoteric Buddhism, Exoteric Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Hinayana Buddhism, etc. No matter how high a Dharma King or great master is, they can only lead their own sect, but many pseudo-living Buddhas and masters have infiltrated their respective sect systems without understanding the scriptures, purely as outsiders, and falsely claiming to be great monks. As a result, the authentic Buddhism established by Sakyamuni Buddha has unknowingly been mixed with non-Buddhist and even heretical teachings. The main reason for this is the lack of a leader for the entire Buddhism, a supreme leader who upholds the correct teachings and the right Dharma. Since the Dharma Kings, patriarchs, and great masters of various sects can only lead their own sects and do not possess the qualifications to be the leader of the entire Buddhism, the only one who can truly represent the entire Buddhism is the Buddha himself, just as God governs everything in Catholicism and guides the general principles and doctrines. From the history of Sakyamuni Buddha to the present, there is only one Buddha who has been recognized by all major sects in the world, and that is H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha. The certification letter and congratulatory letters written by leaders, Dharma Kings, regents, and great living Buddhas of various major sects have reached more than a hundred, making it an unprecedented certification feat. Especially the substantial realization and perfection of the Buddha's enlightenment and the five levels of wisdom make him the first person in the entire Buddhism, loved and respected for his selfless virtue. Only H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha possesses the essence and nature of the Buddha. There is no second Buddhist master in the world who possesses such qualifications. "The World Peace Prize Awarding Council" and I, together with the "World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee," have made the final decision after two years of effort and careful review. On January 31, 2018, the World Buddhist Pope enthronement decree and papal token were officially awarded to H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha. Since then, H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha has officially ascended to the throne of the World Buddhist Pope. Therefore, the "World Peace Prize Awarding Council" and the "World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee" officially enthroned H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha as the World Buddhist Pope in January 2018. However, at that time, H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha refused to accept the enthronement staff, stating, "In the Buddhist world, there are titles such as Buddha, Bodhisattva, Dharma King, Living Buddha, Master, Great Monk, and Holy Virtue. There is no need for a Pope. I am a humble practitioner and cannot bear this heavy responsibility." Therefore, the World Buddhist Headquarters accepted the enthronement on behalf of H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha and received the token. However, H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha returned the enthronement document and token to the "World Peace Prize Awarding Council" and the "World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee." The "World Peace Prize Awarding Council" and the "World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee" believe that H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha's return of the World Buddhist Pope's enthronement decree and token is not in accordance with the law. The "World Peace Prize Awarding Council" and the "World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee" have carefully and seriously reviewed and decided to enthrone the Buddhist Pope, and it cannot be withdrawn in a less rigorous manner. This is the decision of the Two Assemblies, not something that H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha can decide on his own. For decades, our organization has awarded the World Peace Prize to President Reagan, Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Rabin, and many presidents and prime ministers of various countries. There has never been a precedent for returning the prize. Every decision made by our organization and already implemented is a very serious and solemn decision that cannot be changed. Therefore, the "World Peace Prize Awarding Council" and the "World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee" make the final declaration on this matter: H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha's return of the papal token and enthronement decree is invalid. The position of the World Buddhist Pope belongs only to H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha, and no one else is allowed to use it. This is an unchangeable and permanent conclusion! May the World Buddhist Pope H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha prosper and benefit the world!
Image: The World Peace Prize Awarding Council and the Religious Leaders Honorary Committee: The enthronement of H.H. the Third Dorgi Qiangba Buddha as the World Buddhist Pope is unchangeable. (Provided by the World Peace Prize Awarding Council and the World Peace Prize Religious Leaders Honorary Committee)