The above is a letter from a Buddhist seeking advice on the matter of a guru testing their disciples. In fact, testing disciples is not appropriate! It is, however, appropriate to observe a disciple and see if their words and actions are in line with goodness. As for the Vajrayana practice of using the Four Enlightened Activities and the Four Hidden Activities to test disciples, this can only be done by a holy being (a bodhisattva) who has attained the level of the Three Seals of Gold and above. Moreover, holy beings who have attained the level of the Three Seals of Gold and above generally do not use testing as a method. Especially for ordinary gurus who are still in the process of cultivation, to speak frankly, they are still in the realm of ordinary beings and have not attained liberation, so they are fundamentally unqualified to test anyone. If a guru who has not attained the level of the Three Seals of Gold makes a mistake and then claims it was a test, it is simply an excuse to escape from the consequences of their mistake. Such behavior is very inappropriate and not befitting of a practitioner. As the Venerable Wangzha Sangpo said, "A few years ago, my mentor, the Venerable Nanwu Qiangfo, said the following: 'I am now a person filled with shame, lacking the qualifications to test others. I only focus on testing myself to see if I am benefiting sentient beings. Therefore, I do not take on the obligation of receiving offerings and serving the public!'"
World Buddhist Association Headquarters
November 27, 2016