We have received principled inquiries from three Buddhist disciples:
On the left are the letters of inquiry from the three Buddhist disciples. Below is the typed text:
Recently, there has been a Rinpoche who, upon seeing another teacher achieve a higher rank than him, felt embarrassed. He fabricated some excuses, saying that he does not wear rank robes, and asked his disciples to praise him as the reincarnation of a great Bodhisattva. This is undoubtedly a conspiracy to deceive disciples and a fraudulent scheme.
We are consulting with you to obtain the correct answers. The great masters at the World Buddhist Headquarters only answer how many ranks certain individuals have achieved, but do not answer how many points they scored on the written exam of scriptures and rules. This makes it difficult for us to determine whether a certain teacher is imparting the correct Buddhist teachings. Besides inquiring about ranks, we also want to know whether a certain teacher's answers to the questions are based on non-expert opinions or expert opinions of Buddhism. We want to know if all one hundred questions have been answered, which ones have not been answered, and which ones have been answered. When the Headquarters answers us, they only mention that the individual has passed the written exam of scriptures and rules, but they do not mention what is written in his documents and what rank he ultimately achieved.
In a special announcement on December 11, 2016, the Headquarters once said, "Ninety-eight percent of teachers have not scored sixty points on the written exam." Does that mean that so many people failed? If they failed, why are there over a thousand people who have qualified? What is the qualifying score? For those who passed, did they achieve a blue button or a gold button? The Headquarters has issued many announcements to remind everyone to be cautious of fraudulent teachers, but they do not explicitly state the names of these fraudulent teachers, leaving us to guess for ourselves. This is not very compassionate, is it?
Besides answering the question of how many ranks an individual has achieved, we request that the Consultation Office also provide the written exam scores to prevent fraudulent teachers. The best way to do this is to scan and publish online all the teachers' handwritten exam papers and scores, so that everyone can easily see which teacher is hiding behind the banner of Buddhism. Is he a fraud or a good teacher? This is a truly effective way to help the public avoid falling into the clutches of fraudulent teachers. By doing this, no fraudulent teacher, no matter how cunning, can escape from his own handwritten exam papers.
Please tell us, there are people whose cultivation is not good, and we see that what they do is worse than even us, with a pile of mistakes and sins. Yet, they achieve higher ranks than those who have better cultivation. For example, Hengsheng Rinpoche is an example. He only does business and does not engage in the legitimate work of Buddhism. Where is his virtuous karma? Yet, he managed to achieve the rank of blue three and black one, which is truly incomprehensible.
There is another matter. The Third Dzogchen Rinpoche told our teacher, "When you return and complete one hundred perfect Dharma assemblies, it will be a sacred gathering." Why does the announcement say that the hundred assemblies have ended?
Because this situation is very serious, we urgently request the World Buddhist Headquarters to show compassion towards us, care for us, and help us, the Buddhist disciples who are lost and confused in this impure and evil world, by providing us with a response.
Namo Third Dzogchen Rinpoche!
Buddhist disciples: Li Yunfeng, Zan Xiaorong, Zhang Kechun
(Signed and fingerprinted)
April 28, 2017
The Headquarters has compiled the following seven parts to respond to your inquiries.
- Regarding your suggestions to prevent fraudulent teachers and demons, we think you have made good points, but we cannot do it this way. Because we are studying and practicing Buddhism to benefit sentient beings, not to target a specific person. Everything must be based on great compassion and give people opportunities to improve.
Indeed, some teachers have impure actions in certain aspects, but they are also engaged in Buddhist activities in some areas. As long as they recognize their mistakes and are willing to change, it is enough. Unless they have been expelled, they should be given the opportunity to study and practice Buddhism. If we were to publicly disclose the exam papers of those who have made mistakes or have impure actions, we would commit serious sins and create impure karma. Those who commit serious sins and impure actions certainly do not understand Buddhism well and naturally cannot answer the written exam questions well! Once their exam papers are made public, as you mentioned, this person will be completely exposed and doomed to fall into the eighteen levels of hell. We could have saved a person who has made mistakes and allowed them to propagate the Dharma and attain liberation. Once we disclose their exam papers or the name of the fraudulent teacher, we would not even give them a chance to correct their mistakes and it would lead to retaliation, lawsuits, and imprisonment by those who have been deceived or have made offerings to them. At that time, they would not have the opportunity to listen to the Dharma, study and practice Buddhism, and engage with the community to cultivate their virtuous intentions. By doing so, we would violate the Three Pure Precepts and commit evil deeds. It is important to note that Namo Third Dzogchen Rinpoche and the Buddhist Master Shakyamuni Buddha teach us to be compassionate and save sentient beings, not to destroy them. Furthermore, those who practice and study Buddhism must possess right knowledge and right view and have the ability to recognize themselves. Only in this way can they avoid deviating from the right path and being deceived, and enter the correct Dharma and achieve liberation. All the documents issued by the Headquarters are not meant for you to guess, but for everyone to learn to discern right from wrong and understand various aspects of right and wrong through the teachings of Namo Third Dzogchen Rinpoche and the announcements. Why did Namo Third Dzogchen Rinpoche mention 128 points of knowledge and views? Why are there so many Buddhist scriptures? Why are there so many discussions on Bodhisattvas? The purpose is to guide and teach everyone to acquire correct knowledge and improve their understanding, rather than simply teaching a mantra or reciting a Buddhist mantra, which would not lead to rebirth in the Pure Land. Therefore, Namo Third Dzogchen Rinpoche wrote the book "Learning Buddhism" because evil things arise from ignorance and are present in all directions, above and below, left and right. They are more numerous and varied than trivial matters in life. You must learn and train yourselves to have the ability to recognize and handle them. Only then can you face situations correctly on the path of learning and practicing Buddhism and not be deceived. It is important to teach individuals to possess the judgment of right knowledge and right view. It is also because of this that the qualifications of the teachers who have passed the holy examination must be reviewed periodically. Even the Eight Earth Bodhisattvas (three ranks of gold buttons) have the danger of deviating from the path. Great Bodhisattvas definitely have their own cultivation and the ability to discern right and wrong, so they will choose the right path and avoid evil. This is because they are great Bodhisattvas and naturally possess the ability to observe and will not make mistakes or waver. Therefore, they will not deviate from the path and do not need to be reviewed periodically. Even an Arhat without the greatness of a Bodhisattva will have the ability to see three hundred years into the future and five hundred years into the past. Ordinary teachers do not have the ability to observe the path and cannot determine the correct direction. Therefore, what was good in the past may not be good in the future because they are ordinary beings and cannot accurately determine the correct direction, resulting in inconsistency. If we make a definitive judgment that someone is a fraudulent teacher, but later they improve and become a good teacher, we cannot be like ordinary beings, sometimes saying they are good and sometimes saying they are bad. Wasn't Sariputra once an outsider? Later, he became the first great disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha. The only situation where it is necessary to disclose someone's exam papers is when this Rinpoche or teacher and others in similar positions are indeed destroying the Dharma, slandering the Buddha and the scriptures, and deceiving and harming sentient beings. If they do not repent and continue to commit evil and destroy the Dharma, then they are unforgivable demonic beings!!! In this case, our Headquarters will immediately publish the handwritten exam papers of these demonic fraudsters to protect the Dharma and the practitioners, allowing Buddhist practitioners around the world to discern right from wrong and determine whether they are qualified to be teachers, whether they are true living Buddhas or true Dharma masters, or whether they are demonic teachers. This will allow everyone to recognize that they have been deceived and choose another virtuous teacher to learn the Dharma. Wangzha Rinpoche said, "For those who slander the Buddha and the scriptures, and destroy the Dharma, I will not hesitate to have the Headquarters publish their exam papers!!! Let everyone see their true nature, so as to avoid harming sentient beings."
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The Rinpoche also said, "Regarding the promise made by my Buddha teacher, that returning to various places and completing one hundred perfect Dharma assemblies is also a sacred gathering, I dare not make such a statement. I do not have that ability. I can only preside over the practice according to the Dharma principles. The hundred assemblies have ended, and we have fulfilled the sacred vows we made. We have already started the empowerment ceremony with the blessings of the Rinpoche. The Rinpoche personally told the disciples who received the empowerment who his Dharma connection Rinpoche is."
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As for the participants in the hundred-question exam, no one has answered all one hundred questions. Each person has different answers to which questions they have answered and which ones they have not.
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In addition, the highest score on the written exam is 100 points, and 60 points is considered a passing score. The reason why over a thousand people have qualified is that the Headquarters has set a low threshold for qualification. As long as the written exam score is above 20 points, they are considered qualified and eligible to enter the holy examination. Why is the qualification threshold so low? First of all, it is important to understand that the exam questions set by the Headquarters are difficult to score fifty or sixty points, even for Larenba Gaxi!
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As for your inquiry about whether passing the exam results in a gold button or a blue button, we can tell you today that passing the exam with a score of sixty points results in a gold button. There is no blue button, and not everyone who achieves a gold button has scored sixty points.
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Regarding the status of the hundred assemblies, they were presided over by Wangzha Rinpoche and have indeed ended. This sacred gathering was not presided over by Namo Third Dzogchen Rinpoche. What the Buddha said to your teacher is the Buddha's wish. Therefore, we specifically consulted Namo Third Dzogchen Rinpoche, and the Buddha said, "I will keep my word!!! I also said that when you return to practice the Dharma, every Dharma assembly must be fully recorded, and people will be arranged to review whether the assembly has been completed satisfactorily before Wangzha Rinpoche bestows the empowerment. Some teachers have indeed started holding Dharma assemblies in other places during the period when Wangzha Rinpoche was presiding over the hundred assemblies, but they stopped after a short period of time. Some did not stop, but they did not follow the proper rules and regulations for reciting the scriptures during the assembly. Some only started holding Dharma assemblies after Wangzha Rinpoche had completed the hundred assemblies and returned the Dharma protector to them. How can they establish a connection with the assembly? How can such a serious Dharma assembly be conducted in a disorderly manner, with random recitation and chanting? How can it be stopped and started at will? Where is the dignity of the sacred assembly?"
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The Headquarters must say that your claim that those who have achieved higher ranks have worse cultivation and that Hengsheng Rinpoche does not engage in the legitimate work of Buddhism and has no virtuous karma is an intentional insult to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas and is unfair. Just like ordinary beings who have personal motives, they are given higher ranks. You even dare to doubt whether the Peacock Ming King Buddha and Manjushri Bodhisattva have shown favoritism and committed fraud. It is truly pitiful! In response to this, the World Buddhist Headquarters consulted Namo Third Dzogchen Rinpoche, and the Rinpoche said, "This is a matter of principle. You must immediately make an announcement. I want to ask those who deny the virtuous karma of Hengsheng Rinpoche: How many people have you brought to listen to the Dharma? How many Dharma centers has Hengsheng Rinpoche established? How many people have been inspired to engage in good deeds after hearing the Dharma? This is a very significant virtuous karma. How many people have you brought compared to Hengsheng Rinpoche? How can your virtuous karma be even one-tenth of his? Based on this virtuous karma, Hengsheng Rinpoche surpasses all of you. Your virtuous karma is not even one-tenth of his. Based on the current rate of increase in virtuous karma from propagating the Dharma, he should be given a higher rank. A person who claims to practice Buddhism but only criticizes others and ignores their good deeds, is this practicing the legitimate work of Buddhism?" Everything that the World Buddhist Headquarters does is for the benefit of the practice of sentient beings. Moreover, errors and impure actions are inevitable for anyone. The key is whether they can correct their mistakes. Even the gold button second rank can be reduced or increased, which is why there is an annual review to allow those who have been reviewed to see their problems and improve.
World Buddhist Headquarters
April 29, 2017