| |
The Level Identification of Buddhist Holiness Translated on Lazen's Article |
| 1, 2 |
During these days, large number titles of great Holiness or grand Bodhisattvas are appearing online. The numbers of title are getting higher and higher. While we go through their quality, my goodness, nine hundreds and ninety nine of one thousandth great Holiness are defects. Well, some foolish persons keep saying that so and so persons are great Holiness, or their masters are grand Bodhisattvas. We even hear ordinary person brag that he knew he was the embodiment of so and so and so grand Bodhisattvas. A few days ago, I read a few so-called Buddhist books which list the big pile of great Holiness or grand Bodhisattvas today. It is even more ridiculous that some ignorant people talk about all day Bodhisattva Zhang, or Bodhisattva Li who would casually talk about some Buddhist terms. It seems that this is not the ending period of Dharma and rather this is the paradise where Bodhisattvas and Holiness are everywhere. It is really dumbfounding. For the benefits of correct view for living beings, let us talk about the issues of the Holiness today. |
What is Holiness? Holiness contains “Saint” and “Virtue”? You are a Saint as long as you are able to reach Nirvana and leave six realms of reincarnations. There are many levels or stages for Holiness. Although Buddhist Arhat, Bodhisattvas, and Buddha are all “Saint”, the amount of objective realm between Triyana Saints is very large. Despite Buddhist Arhats are Saints, they cannot be Holiness because of their attachment to Dharma, and a limited amount of virtue domain or inference. The Holiness is built on the evidence of Saints who achieve Nirvana and, furthermore, have great compassion Bodhicitta, selflessness, no attachment to self, and no attachment to Dharma. They believe it is their duty or mission to save or rescue living being. Therefore they have holy sense Bodhicitta. These Bodhisattvas are Holiness.
|
Buddhist Arhats divide specifically into four Fruits. The beginning Fruits Srota-āpanna is already Saint. The second Fruit is Sakrdāgāmin, the third Fruit Anāgāmin, and the fourth Fruit Arhatship. The four Fruitions of Arhat can be achieved by Śrāvaka and Pratyeka. They are able to reach to Nirvana, leave life and death reincarnations, have no attachment to self, and keep the attachment to Dharma. They carry out compassion and belong to the entry level of Bodhisattvas. But they have no enough wisdom. Although they have freedom power of life and death and six supernatural powers, they expound usually Sutras by mistakes because of dry wisdom. Therefore, they cannot perfectly blend Buddha Dharma meaning and have a lot of lack of hygiene when facing to save living beings. The beginning and second Fruit of Buddhist Arhat especially are still tied up the issue of life and death. The Srota-āpanna reaches the ended passions through seven times of life and death. The Sakrdāgāmin has to go through one time of life and death. Anāgāmin achieve the Fruition of the last. Only Arhatship is not tied up the shackles of life and death. Although Buddhist Arhats's ability is great, they are still weak on their insight and virtue inference compared to the Bodhisattvas. Especially on the guideline of living being’s achievements, they are too weak and difficult to be successful. They easily deviate from the right or correct views. However, they reach the rusty region of Bodhisattvas entry level on Pañca-Vidyā achievement.
|
The next stage of Buddhist Arhat is Bodhisattvas whose levels are defined as ten stages. These stages are from beginning stage Pramuditā to tenth stage Dharmamegha. Bodhisattvas are able to leave life and death reincarnations, achieve Nirvana, have no attachment to self, few attachment to the Dharma and even become completely broken attachment to Dharma. They have great compassion Bodhicitta. Wisdom has been born to Bodhisattvas. The higher stages of Bodhisattvas, The much more perfect combination of wisdom. Bodhisattvas are, of course, Holiness. Although they own great virtues domain and objective realm, the realization between each stage are very large. The understanding of the gap between stages is not the same concepts as we know math concepts in which one plus one equals two. Rather they can be described as multiples of the geometric growth between each stage. The objective realm can be hardly compared between beginning and second Bodhisattvas. They can hardly be understandable as well. As people say “beginning Bodhisattvas do not know what second Bodhisattvas doing”. The huge difference between sky and land can be described between beginning or above Bodhisattvas and tenth stage Bodhisattvas. As it is addressed at "The Book of Yoga Record ": “The tenth Bodhisattvas Dharmamegha‘s incredible wisdom cannot be reached by all living beings, Śrāvaka, Pratyeka and beginning and ninth stage Bodhisattvas“. Bodhisattvas all have corresponding Pañca-vidyā beyond ordinary person.
|
The next stage to tenth Bodhisattvas is Mahāsattva who are named as eleventh and twelfth Bodhisattvas. Strictly speaking, the Mahāsattva should be named as great Bodhisattva or grand Holiness. Mahāsattvas have well-known reputation, great vows, enormous acts, and huge salvation to living beings. Some also argued that Bodhisattvas of seventh stage above are known as the great Bodhisattva Mahāsattva. Regardless, great Bodhisattvas or Holiness belong to these who have a considerable amount of virtue domain or inference and realization. Great Bodihsattva does not belong to beginning Bodhisattva and Buddhist Arhats who carry attachment to Dharma, have unperfected wisdom and uncompleted Pañca-vidyā. The next stage to Mahāsattva is profound or enlightened Bodhisattvas who are almost Buddha or equal to Buddha, eg, Avalokitesvara and Manjusri. The next stage to profound or enlightened Bodhisattvas is Buddha who has the highest correct and complete universal knowledge with perfect Trikāya body and Four wisdoms. Buddha has the same body as universe.
|
These terms seem very simple. The so-called Dharma King, Venerable, Rinpoche, Dharma Masters snatch these terms and put on their coat. When we carefully think of the meaning behind, we know Arhat and Bodhisattvas are not just a few terms named. They represent supernatural powers and wisdom domain. Let us put Bodhisattvas on side for a while. Do you know the realms of Buddhist Arhat? Arhat carry six supernatural powers which are the instantaneous view of anything anywhere in the form-realm (deva-vision), the ability to hear any sound anywhere (divyaśrotra), the ability to know the thoughts of all other minds (paracitta-jñāna), the power to be anywhere or do anything at will, the knowledge of all formed existences of self and others, and the supernatural consciousness of the waning of vicious propensities. What are six supernatural powers meaning? Let us make it clear. These supernatural powers make Arhat seeing everything in universe, hearing anything from anywhere, knowing people’s ideas, traveling thousands of miles or flying between nations in a sudden, seeing everything of past three hundred years and five hundred years in the future. I only mention the partial capacity of supernatural power. A lot of supernatural power changes can be established when Arhat integrates individual six supernatural powers. What remarkable capability and achievement! When Buddha Sakyamuni led Arhat to save and rescue living beings in Difficult nation, do you know the way via which Arhats went to the place? All Arhats travelled and flied between nations in a sudden. Nun Mahaprajapat led five hundred nuns who all achieved the Fruit of Buddhist Arhat. Let us find out what kind of the realization! They sit, stand, and lay down in air with full-body emitting light, fire, water and all kinds of change. Arhat Venerable Maugal yayana spread hands from the Earth to Thirty Three devas. Arhat Venerable Kassapa stood on the top of mountain Sumeru to assemble Sakyamuni Buddhist disciples for Buddha Sutras. His voice can be heard everywhere in a great chiliocosm! Let us look at these who are so-called "Great Bodhisattvas, Dharma King, Venerable, Rinpoche, great Dharma Master, and great lay person" today. Does anyone have these supernatural powers? They cannot even reach the ability of beginning Arhat. They are at most well known or intimated person, and most of them are overestimated. Shaming on these who brag themselves as great Bodhisattvas! These activities should be demon’s erroneous ways!
|
Buddhist disciples, please, do not think Buddha Dharma so cheap. Please no longer insult to Buddha Dharma. Please do not simply flatter someone great Bodhisattvas or grand Holiness. When you read Sutras, "Buddha Teaching Buddha Stage Sutras" and "Buddha Teaching Ten Stages Sutras ", you know what kinds of amazing realization great Bodhisattvas Mahāsattvas own. Not mention Mahāsattva’s ability, the beginning stage Bodhisattva can be physically embodiment from one to one hundreds. They are able to “Move one hundred dynamic worlds, Travel one hundred lands or chiliocosm, Enlighten one hundred worlds, Save one hundred generation living beings, Live in one Hundred Kalpas, Enter one Hundred past and future Kalpas, Select right thoughts in one hundred methods, Show one hundred embodiment”. Image what kind of unbelievable achievements that great Bodhisattva, Mahāsattva and Buddha own. How these titles can be assigned to ordinary person who still attach six organs to their objects! They even have no power making a hair to move by its own. How they are able to move one hundred dynamic worlds? Several walls can block them tightly. How they are able to move one hundred lands or chiliocosm? Their eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body are locked within the body. What make stupid ordinary person name themselves great Bodhisattva? At the ending period of Dharma, there is very few Arhat. Where so many great Bodhisattvas come from? If so many great Bodhisattvas would exist, someone sure to take away 20 million US dollars rewards on Blue Platform and build their temples. Why the rewards are still there for several years? Wouldn’t let people think about the reason? H.H Dorje Chang Buddha III said: The Blue Platform reward is waiting for Bodhisattva. It is not even waiting for Mahāsattva. Can’t we think of the meaning behind? When some people brag themselves as Avalokitesvara or Bodhisattva Maitreya, please try “The Mysteries Fogs in The Boulder” as described in the Blue Platform reward. Buddhisattva own Pañca-vidyā. Avalokitesvara is an ancient Buddha and Bodhisattva Maitreya is a greatest Mahāsattva. It is very simple for them to show Pañca-vidyā realization and add fogs within caved sculpture. How this is impossible? If you are not able to do it, to be honestly, you claim yourself as ordinary person. Please do not attract your shameless disciples to insult the holy followers of Buddha and Bodhisattva!
|
Whether you are Holiness or which levels of Holiness must be approved through realization assessment evidence. This is never the case that you claim yourself or you are selected and recommended by ordinary persons. The assessment process was established from history. When Venerable Ananda said that he achieved the Fruit. Venerable Caramel evaluated his achievement and requested him coming from the keyhole. Those who reached the significant achievements at Mahayana sects in history were also looking for great monks for assessment evidence. The evaluation process is actually the evidence of their realization assessment. The title is never confirmed when you claimed yourself as Bodhisattvas. The process has been emphasized in Vajrayana sects especially. The assessment has been established since Padmasambhava’s time. The Hetuvidya assessment, teacher assessment, achievement evaluation, etc. are numerous examination processes. In particular, Vajra Achārya must be examined to show living beings that they reach the stages of Vajra power. This provides the evidence for all living beings accountability. There are lots of Vajra power assessments. Some of them are Cornelian Stone, Vajra Pills, Throwing Flower into Altar, and Bodhicitta Holy Water, and Penetrating Stone to Setup Altar, etc. These assessment methods or process are all executed since ancient times. Over the current decades, there are many demons and ordinary person mixed in great Virtues team. They all brag themselves great Bodhisattvas. In order to cover up the incompetence of their own achievements, they hide the assessment process or books. This gradually evolved into the current demon ridiculous situation in which ordinary person claim himself as Holiness or their disciples flatter their teachers as Holiness. In order to prove a little Vajra power, these fake Holiness always create the case of getting hand prints or foot prints on a rock. This leads the case anyone should have hand or foot prints on a rock. As I have said before, this is simply not the scene witnessed by the public. There is no enough evidence for public authority. The real Vajra power evaluation must be, at least, assessed by seven masters and ten evidences. The more people at the scene, the better for the assessment. The examiners must show their Vajra power on site. After he applies his Vajra power to bean size Vajra pills, he make Vajra pills moving and changing by its own. Another example is to setup colored sand altar. With their Dharma ceremony and Vajra power to establishes the Mandala, great Holiness makes the painting of colored sand or seed-word penetrating into stone and drops them into the sealed Mandala below. The regular altar figure or seed-word on stone is established in Mandala tray underneath stone. This is named the Vajra power of penetrating stone to setup Altar. This Vajra power belongs to Mahāsattva Holiness of tenth stages above. They can free outer Four elements at will. Another example is that Vajra pills are able to be moved by its own in the hands of Holiness who have Vajra power. After a while, it flies through walls and even into the walls, and disappears nowhere. The difference of moves and changes of Vajra pills clearly shows realization level for these who hold Dharma ceremony.
|
| 1, 2 |
|
|
| |
|