The World Buddhist Headquarters received a letter from a Buddhist disciple, and the original text asked:
The World Buddhist Headquarters Consultation Center, Shengde, replied to the following three questions:
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Buddhists, please note! There is no temple in the world that can represent the Ancient Buddha Temple, the Righteous Dharma Temple, and the Holy Relic Temple. Each temple represents their own temple, and they cannot represent the three major temples of the Ancient Buddha Temple, the Righteous Dharma Temple, and the Holy Relic Temple!!! This is because these three major temples are temples presided over by the great saints and great saints at the level of Buddha Bodhisattvas. Some people claim that their temple is recognized by the Third World Dajie Qiang Buddha, and the Namo Qiang Buddha has also named the temple. In fact, the temple that Buddhists want to repair or have already built, Namo Qiang Buddha will name it in response to their request, purely to encourage Buddhists to practice sincerely according to the rules of Buddhism. Namo Qiang Buddha once said that as long as a Buddhist temple or Buddhist academy is established, he will respond to their requests and name the temple, but it does not prove that the temple is a righteous temple according to the teachings. The reason is that after the temple is built, impermanence occurs, and the situation is unpredictable. The mixture of right and wrong is determined by who is in charge. Each has its own interpretation and is not predetermined by destiny. Therefore, taking the name of the temple, is it just a partial representation of the law? Just like when Shakyamuni Buddha realized enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, the sacred place was awe-inspiring, but who would have expected that today, fallen leaves and horses would slip and trample on it. Therefore, all phenomena with causes and conditions are like dreams and illusions, and impermanence cannot be determined in an instant. Following the path of righteousness and abandoning evil is the right way, and blessings and misfortunes are all within it. However, everyone should pay attention that the abbots, abbots, and temple masters of other named temples, as long as they strictly abide by the Buddhist precepts, have a thorough understanding of the scriptures and treatises, and do not impersonate saints to deceive others, they are worthy of respect. On the contrary, if someone claims to be a saint, but in reality does not possess the level of a saint, then it is undoubtedly a temple presided over by a false teacher and a fraud.
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In addition, you asked about two Han people who claimed to have obtained the Geshe degree from a Buddhist college in Tibet and passed the debate on scriptures to obtain the Five Luminaries. Is this in accordance with the rules? Are the Five Luminaries derived from debating scriptures?
Answer: First of all, this headquarters does not know who this person is, and there are not only two people like this, they are everywhere. However, based on this example, in response to it, there are not only no Han people who have obtained the Geshe degree today, even if Tibetans have obtained the Geshe degree, they may not necessarily be true Buddhist scholars, because the current government no longer recognizes this system of assessment in religion. According to our understanding, if it is to be recognized, it must be approved and certified by the government's specialized agency, otherwise it is not valid. Talking about debating scriptures and the Geshe degree is completely nonsense. To put it bluntly, which of those who preside over this debate on scriptures has the Five Luminaries? Please report the surname and name. Moreover, even if one obtains the Geshe degree, it does not represent the possession of true Buddhism, because the Geshe is only a theoretical scholar of empty discourse, and it does not represent the actual achievements of realization. Only the examination of scriptures, the most sacred and serious examination of the holy, is the ironclad proof of actual knowledge and realization. Even if one obtains the Geshe degree and reaches the level of a saint, it still has no connection with the Five Luminaries. This is because the Five Luminaries cannot be obtained through debating scriptures. The Five Luminaries are the result of actual realization, and they cannot be obtained through empty debates. There must be something that can be actually presented and seen, which truly surpasses the highest level of experts. In general, in Buddhism, the true meaning of the Five Luminaries is misunderstood. Those who do not understand think that they are single items represented by five terms, divided into the Greater Five Luminaries and the Lesser Five Luminaries, which are the Five Luminaries. For example, the Greater Five Luminaries: 1. Crafts 2. Medicine 3. Phonology 4. Logic 5. Religion, the Lesser Five Luminaries: 1. Rhetoric 2. Rhetoric 3. Prosody 4. Drama 5. Astronomy. In fact, are the Five Luminaries such simple things? Pay attention! The true meaning of the Five Luminaries is the Five Luminaries contained in the realization of Buddha Bodhisattvas. For example, the Crafts Luminaries refer to the highest realm in craftsmanship, called Luminaries. In other words, it must surpass the level of experts in the world, and the Five Luminaries cover a wide range. Taking the Crafts Luminaries as an example, it is not about creating butter sculptures, painting opera masks, painting Thangkas, painting oil paintings, painting traditional Chinese paintings, painting watercolors, painting gouaches, drawing sketches, painting wax paintings, chalk drawings, spray paintings, or doing carvings. These items combined do not even reach the level of national experts in terms of true craftsmanship. The true Crafts Luminaries are endless and endless. They not only include painting, but also include building, architecture, sand masonry, sculpture, decoration, garden planning, landscape shaping, lighting design, clothing and accessories, hair styling, wall hangings, curtains, interior furniture and art decoration, colored decoration of pavilions and terraces, packaging and gift box colors, rope tying, and even posture, walking, sitting, and etiquette, etc. Each item must reach the level of national experts. In short, all the beauty in the universe must reach a high level of enjoyment of beauty, which is called Crafts Luminaries. For example, the Medical Luminaries does not only treat humans, animals, and birds, but also refers to the ability to adjust and manage everything with or without life, which is called Medical Luminaries. The same applies to the other three luminaries, especially the Inner Luminaries. The Inner Luminaries are the total collection of the Four Luminaries. The Inner Luminaries are the internal realization of the holy quantity, and the Luminaries are the high-level manifestation of the internal realization of the holy quantity. For example, the internal realization of the body is derived from appearance, manifested in things, and connected with the holy. It transcends the ordinary and enters the holy, and is even more extraordinary and powerful. This is not discussed in detail. The true Five Luminaries cannot be achieved by any Dharma King, venerable, master, or Geshe. It requires actual effort, not empty talk. Namo Shakyamuni Buddha holds the universe and all things in the palm of his hand, and has the highest level of expertise in the Five Luminaries. Unfortunately, the achievements of Shakyamuni Buddha's Five Luminaries were broken by impermanence. In the more than two thousand years of Buddhist history, except for Namo Shakyamuni Buddha and Namo Third World Dajie Qiang Buddha, no patriarch-level holy beings have truly achieved complete Five Luminaries. This is why we cannot find a precedent, a detailed list of the achievements of the Five Luminaries, and we cannot list the surnames and names of those who have truly achieved the Five Luminaries. It should be known that the true Five Luminaries referred to are not the empty theories mentioned in books, nor are they the so-called Greater Five Luminaries and Lesser Five Luminaries. The Five Luminaries refer to the spiritual and material laws and changes of all things in the universe mastered by Buddha Bodhisattvas. They transform bad into good, useless into useful, and resolve obstacles through debates. They have a scientific and logical relationship, generate and overcome each other, and transform afflictions into enlightenment, and liberate from birth and death. They reach the peak of transcendence and holiness, and are the great compassion of the Maitreya Bodhisattva and the great enlightenment of the Buddha. In history, no great Geshe has truly possessed the Five Luminaries, so there are no achievements in the five major categories. Moreover, the knowledge and realization of today's people are shallow, far from being comparable. It is ridiculous to talk about the Geshe and the Five Luminaries. Those who talk nonsense are embarrassing. They cannot even touch the scent of the Five Luminaries. Speaking of which, if you don't agree, then demonstrate the Five Luminaries in front of people to prove its existence. At that time, whether holy or ordinary, all will respect it.
- Regarding someone's inquiry about the International Buddhist Sangha Association sending people to hold a Guanyin Avalokitesvara Great Compassion empowerment ceremony, it needs to be pointed out that all offerings for the Guanyin Avalokitesvara Great Compassion empowerment ceremony can only be used for releasing lives and doing good deeds, and must be used up within half a month. There is no separate fund for releasing lives. Anyone who collects additional funds for releasing lives is acting against the rules. Regardless of who it is, if they do not repent and reform, after being verified by the headquarters, they will be named and criticized. Moreover, after investigation, the International Buddhist Sangha Association has never sent anyone to hold a Guanyin Avalokitesvara Great Compassion empowerment ceremony anywhere. If there is a letter stating that the International Buddhist Sangha Association has sent someone to hold a Guanyin Avalokitesvara Great Compassion empowerment ceremony, this is purely using the name of the International Buddhist Sangha Association, but it is actually an individual's behavior.
World Buddhist Headquarters Consultation Center
December 1, 2019