The truth and the original nature of all conditioned and unconditioned phenomena in the universe are contained in the word Buddha-dharma. The Buddha-dharma is all causes and effects in the universe. To understand all causes and effects, yet not be controlled by cause and effect, is to realize liberation and the Buddha-dharma. No matter how many schools or sects there are, the Buddha-dharma has only one truth. It is the truth of the universe: the dharma of ending the cycle of birth and death! The Buddha-dharma is the life order of another world and dimension.
However, this rather abstract definition does not tell us how we realize or learn the Buddha-dharma. In a series of dharma discourses on learning Buddhism released in January 2016, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III gives such a practical definition. It is the dharma that we practice in the vajrayana form of Buddhism. It is the preliminary, main, and ending practice in their totality. The true Buddha-dharma emphasizes real practice and skills and is not merely theoretical Buddhist studies. The holy manifestations or miracles described on this website and in the book H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha IIIare evidence that the true Buddha-dharma, as practiced by Shakyamuni Buddha and the accomplished ones of the past, still exists in the world and that very high levels of spiritual accomplishment are possible for those who follow a true vajra master.
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has said: “After you enter the door of Buddhism, you must cultivate yourself according to the dharma. Your three karmas of body, speech, and mind must correspond with the teachings of the Master. Only then will you be able to become accomplished. Conduct that is not in accord with the teachings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas must be corrected through concrete actions. You must make your conduct accord with the teachings contained in the Tripitaka and the states of morality, concentration, and wisdom. Yet, correcting your words and conduct must be carried out within everyday worldly life. That is because everyday worldly life (worldly or secular dharma) is the Buddha-dharma. There is no Buddha-dharma to accomplish apart from worldly or secular dharma. That is why you must use all mundane or worldly experiences to improve your self-cultivation. You must use worldly experiences to perfect your realization and conduct. If your basic worldly conduct is not proper, it is of no use to speak in a high-sounding way about emptiness or to speak boastfully and wish wildly.”
However, we must have patience in learning the Buddha-dharma. You cannot completely understand the principles of the dharma in a brief period of time. You must go though the sequence of first hearing the principles from your vajra master, gradually acting in accordance with these principles, walking the correct path and so on. You must advance step my step. You cannot expect that your negative karmic obstructions that have formed over many past lives can be purified in just one day. The tantric dharma that we receive when correctly practiced will enable us to overcome our obstructions, purify our three karmas, and enable us to progress on this path. Do not waste time on activities that do not lead to liberation and becoming a Buddha. DO NOT WAST TIME!!!
Recently, I stumbled upon breathtaking plum blossoms while taking a walk. These delicate flowers evoked feelings of warmth and joy, reminding me of the arrival of spring. In Chinese culture, plum blossoms, beyond just being a physical flower, have become a symbol of perseverance and resilience in the face of harsh winter conditions. This significance was achieved through the extensive descriptions, sublimations, and chanting by literati and scholars over the ages. In ancient China, plum blossoms were considered a lucky symbol and were welcomed as a sign of the arrival of spring during the New Year.
When I was a child, my father taught me to recite the poem “Ode to the Plum Blossom” by Zedong Mao, reminding me to be fearless and strong like the plum blossom that blooms amidst harsh winter conditions. I really like the poem, and can still remember it.
Ode to the Plum Blossom
—to the tune of Bu Suan Zi
By Zedong Mao, December 1961
Wind and rain escorted Spring’s departure,
Flying snow welcomes Spring’s return.
On the ice-clad rock rising high and sheer
A flower blooms sweet and fair.
Sweet and fair, she craves not Spring for herself alone,
To be the harbinger of Spring she is content.
When the mountain flowers are in full bloom
She will smile mingling in their midst.
But after many years of struggles, I realized that bravery and strength aren’t always enough, especially in managing relationships and family. As a wife and mother, I learned the importance of being magnanimous, compassionate, forbearing, and not rigid. I have since embraced the peaceful and compassionate philosophy of Buddhism.
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, the contemporary Buddha, wrote a poem “Plum Fragrance in the Holy Land.” He broke from traditional poetry styles, instead opting for surreal techniques to directly convey spiritual essence.
To the Tune of “Jiang Jun Song”
Plum Fragrance in the Holy Realm
Reveal her icy bearing and proud bones,
See how plum blossom commands the scene,
The crowd of beauties suddenly lacks color,
Seductive peach has lost its looks.
A few casual strokes,
So many eons of wind and dust.
The smoke and fire of the human world all disappears,
Leaving only a pure fragrance from the paper,
It wafts over me, awakening my mind.
The smile of the enchanted dream still remains,
Buddha Vajradhara has come
Three times to this world.
To this Buddha Land of merciful compassion
That great one has brought purity,
Feelings of the brush,
Traces of the brush,
One smile in the wind and dust,
Now the wind and dust,
So many eons of wind and dust.
The Buddha also created an ink painting to accompany the poem. The poem delves deeper into the artist’s thoughts, while the painting provides a visual representation.
The plum blossoms depicted in the paintings symbolize the artist’s state of mind, embodying inner beauty refined from impurities. The brushwork, casually applied, was accomplished with an unfettered hand and detached mind, free of the slightest artificiality. It is a seemingly ever-changing work. Its charm, tone, transitions, and depictions represent the highest level of Eastern ink-and-wash paintings. A transparent layer of lighter ink on top of darker ink is clearly visible, imbuing the painting with a pure and fragrant air and providing the viewer with a feeling of comfort and ease.
The plum blossoms created by these skilled pens are eternal. While natural blooms may come and go, Buddha’s compassion remains steadfast.
When I was respectfully on my knees and holding my palms together in front of my kind Buddha Master’s dharma seat for the first time, as soon as I raised my eyebrows to have my eyesight in a light contact with the loving, compassionate, and benevolent eyes of my Buddha Master, I immediately had the belief that my Master is a Buddha! However, my Buddha Master never stated to anyone what holy being he was in past lifetimes. Conversely, he always claimed to be a servant of everyone.
During the past ten years, I closely attended by the side of my Buddha Master and also carried out quite a number of Buddhist deeds following my Buddha Master. The holy states and holy realizations manifested by my Buddha Master such as proficient in both exoteric and esoteric Buddhism, perfect and deep mastery of the Five Vidyas, and great wisdom unrivaled by any human or holy beings are unprecedented in the history of both exoteric and esoteric Buddhism.
My firm belief of “My master is a Buddha” that I had in my mind for years was finally confirmed from the treasure book of H. H. Dorje Chang Buddha IIIthat was presented to the Congress of the United States by the International Buddhism Shanga Association on April 3, 2008. The identity of my Buddha Master, known by people in the world as Master Wan Ko Yee, was revealed through either meditation or practice of the dharma in a profound state of supernatural vision by the first-class great holy virtuous ones, who are incarnations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They announced the background of H.H. Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu, who was long ago recognized by H.H. Great Dharma King Zunsheng (the manifestation of Mahavairocana Buddha) as Buddha Vajradhara. Through strict practice of the dharma and meditation these holy monastics deeply entered the dharma realm and supernaturally saw the true source. The result was they learned that this being of great virtue and holiness is the second incarnation of Vimalakirti and the third incarnation of Dorje Chang Buddha. They wrote down their certificates of recognition according to the rules of Buddhism in which they recognized that H.H. Master Wan Ko Yee is H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III — the highest ancient Buddha in exoteric, esoteric, Mahayana, Hinayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism; the master of the Five Buddhas in the five directions; and the master of the great mahasattva Vajrasattva. That is, they recognized that H.H. Master Wan Ko Yee is the Holiest Tathagata Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu, the current greatest leader of Buddhism in the entire dharma realm!
Those eminent monks and dharma kings also wrote words praising H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III as being the highest and greatest holy being and the only one in the history of Buddhism who has truly exhibited before living beings item after item of accomplishments in the Five Vidyas.
From that, I realized the truth behind what I experienced quite a few years ago when a huge and gigantic material, in less than two hours of time, became a piece of extremely finely carved and crafted miraculously wondrous holy Yun sculpture artwork. Such holy realization was just a manifestation of the craftsmanship vidya of the Five Vidyas by my magnificent Buddha Master, due to the affinity of living beings.
My Grand Master, H.H. Great Dharma King Zunsheng, stated in a formal pronouncement about my great and kind Buddha Master that the realization of any eminent monastic or person of great virtue in the world today cannot rival the realization of Holiest Tathagata Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu. H.H. Great Dharma King Zunsheng also made the following vow of truth: “If any person or holy being is able to duplicate the mysterious sculpted treasures created by H.H. Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu, then this formal pronouncement of Great Dharma King Zunsheng has deceived the public.” (The mysterious sculpted treasures are “Enchanting Colors of Utmost Mystery,” “Mysterious Boulder with Mist,” and certain other Yun sculptures with specific names.)
Yun Sculpture by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
According to the system and rules of Buddhism in this world, there are only two beings of great holiness whose expositions of the dharma can be categorized as sutras. One of them is Sakyamuni Buddha. The other is the holy and venerable Vimalakirti. Besides those two, all other expositions of the dharma can only be called commentary rather than sutras. This is true no matter how great the Bodhisattva who has expounded the dharma is.
Some people say that Hui Neng (the sixth patriarch master of the Zen School) gave the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. Actually, the word sutra was used due to exaggerated praise given to Hui Neng by people of the world who did not understand the system and rules of Buddhism. The rank of the sixth patriarch was even lower than that of many Bodhisattvas. For example, Maitreya Bodhisattva is the next Buddha, who will conduct the Dragon Flower Assembly. The position of Maitreya Bodhisattva is very much higher than that of Hui Neng. However, expositions of the dharma given by Maitreya Bodhisattva cannot be called sutras. They can only be accepted as commentary. An example of this is the Yogācāra-bhūmi-śāstra. (Discourse on the Stages of Concentration Practice)
The holy and venerable Vimalakirti descended into this world during the time of Sakyamuni Buddha. He is the only ancient Buddha who transformed into a layman to expound the dharma. Sakyamuni Buddha personally taught the four types of disciples. Among them were the 500 monks who were difficult to teach and who did not want to arouse Mahayana bodhicitta. A skillful means was used to teach all of the monastics and 8,000 Bodhisattvas. After the ancient Buddha Dorje Chang expounded dharma in Abhirati (World of Wonderful Joy), the Buddha responded to karmic conditions by transforming into the holy and venerable Vimalakirti to help the Buddha teach the sangha, Bodhisattvas, and other disciples. The goal was to protect and uphold the Buddha-dharma taught by Sakyamuni Buddha. The level of realization attained by the holy and venerable Vimalakirti was the same as that attained by Sakyamuni Buddha. However, He did not want to assume the status of another leader of the religion in the human realm, thereby causing sectarianism and adding to the self-centeredness of practitioners. Considering that Sakyamuni Buddha became a Buddha in this earthly World, the holy and venerable Vimalakirti acknowledged Sakyamuni as Buddha and chose to assist Sakyamuni Buddha by manifesting as a Bodhisattva.
Thus, the holy and venerable Vimalakirti acted in the same way that the ancient Buddha Zheng Fa Ming (True Dharma Brightness) Tathagata acted when the Buddha transformed into Kuan Shi Yin Bodhisattva and also acted in the same way as Manjushri Bodhisattva, the Master of seven Buddhas, did to play the role of a Bodhisattva to support Sakyamuni Buddha. All of this was done to benefit living beings. If two Buddhas of the same rank appeared at the same time, it would cause worldly divisions. It would hinder the development of Buddha-dharma and the saving of living beings. Actually, Buddhas do not care who emerges as the leader of Buddhism. The Buddhas appear in whatever form and manner that best benefit living beings. Everything is done for the benefit of living beings based upon bodhicitta.
Therefore, people in general have no way of discovering that the realization and enlightenment of the holy and venerable Vimalakirti were that high and that He was the incarnation of Dorje Chang Buddha, the foremost ancient Buddha who existed before Sakyamuni Buddha. However, the dharma discourses of the holy and venerable Vimalakirti are sutras, just as the dharma discourses of the Buddha, not commentaries. In the system of Buddhism, one such discourse is called Vilmalakirti-nirdesa Sutra (The Sutra of Vimalakirti). That sutra came into being during the same time period Sakyamuni Buddha was giving sutras. It is a very important Buddhist sutra. The Vimalakirti-nirdesa Sutra has been studied and followed in both Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism that was mostly propagated in Southern Asia.
When H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was born, the beating of drums suddenly sounded in the sky, and beautiful, heavenly music could be heard. Three rainbows approximately forty to fifty meters (131-164 feet) apart appeared simultaneously in the sky. The middle one was primarily blue, the right one primarily red, and the left one primarily white. At birth, the entire body of His Holiness was dark blue. No cries from His Holiness could be heard. Rather, His Holiness opened his mouth and very clearly stated, “I have entered this world. I am completely proficient in exoteric and esoteric Buddhism and will wondrously manifest the Five Vidyas. Compare and you will know.” After speaking such words, His Holiness remained silent and appeared just like an ordinary child. The parents of His Holiness thought that they had given birth to a mysterious and extraordinary human being but did not tell anyone about this. His Holiness did not speak again until He was three years old.
When His Holiness was three years old, H.H. Mahavairocana Dharma King Zunsheng guided His Holiness in learning the Tripitaka. At that time, His Holiness was taught to recite the heart mantra of Dorje Chang Buddha seven times. This little child suddenly laughed heartily and immediately manifested the Three Bodies and Four Wisdoms. H.H. Great Dharma King Zunsheng at once tested His Holiness’s knowledge of the Tripitaka and the esoteric scriptures. The Dharma Prince child explained such writings with great facility. There was nothing in them that His Holiness did not understand. His Holiness had realized all of the doctrines and principles of such teachings.
H.H. Mahavairocana Dharma King Zunsheng then gave the following formal pronouncement: “Dorje Chang Buddha has come to this world a third time. The holy and venerable Vimalakirti has descended from the skies a second time. He completely understands the scriptures on the dharma. His Four Wisdoms are wonderfully perfect. He is an ancient Buddha upon whom living beings can rely. No master is qualified to teach Him. His mysterious sculpted treasures will be spectacular and unique in the world. He will be able to take mist that will stay inside His sculptures. He will manifest His realization and consummate skills. No holy person in the world will be able to duplicate such works. If anyone will be able to duplicate such works without differing from the original at all, my words have deceived the world. Vimalakirti Wan Ko is Buddha Vajradhara. He will cause the Buddhas to bestow nectar that many will see descend from the sky. He is of utmost benefit to sentient beings. He has the compassion and wisdom of an ancient Buddha. I hereby reveal these words to prove the veracity of my formal pronouncement.” H.H. Mahavairocana Dharma King Zunsheng also gave His Holiness the dharma name Yangwo Yizhi Dharma Prince, which means Dharma Prince supreme leader of Buddhism with the highest wisdom.
H.H. Mahavairocana Zunsheng then said, “During the Dharma-Ending Age in the earthly world, there will be many evil teachers and demons who will claim to be genuine holy persons. In order to distinguish the genuine from the false, I now make a strict formal pronouncement that will serve as the testing standard. The pronouncement is as follows: There will not be a fourth incarnation of Dorje Chang Buddha in this earthly realm within the next 5,000 years. The third Dorje Chang Buddha will be the only such holy being, and there will not be an incarnation of another Dorje Chang Buddha in this earthly realm for 5,000 years. Based on causes and conditions that accord with the dharma, I now lay out tests to determine whether a person is that true Buddha if he claims to be the true incarnation of that Buddha. He must successfully invoke the Buddhas to bestow nectar. He must be able to perform the Golden Vase Selection of Karmic Affinity and predict the results of that ceremony beforehand. He must be able to eliminate karmic obstructions in a clearly visible manner. He must be able to replicate wondrous multicolored sculptures. He must be able to take mist, place it inside a hollowed out sculpted boulder, and have the mist stay there. If a person is able to do all five of these things without exception, then he is the true fourth Dorje Chang Buddha. No matter how great a holy terton may be, no matter if a person leaves concave imprints on rocks with his hands or feet, no matter how vast a person’s manifold supernatural powers may be, if he cannot do these five holy things, then he certainly is not the true incarnation of Dorje Chang Buddha. An ancient Buddha who descends to this earthly realm will have no difficulty meeting these five tests. I leave these five observable tests to guard against those in the future who make false claims.”
The Dharma Prince was acting as the holy and venerable Vimalakirti did when Vimalakirti received different teachings and knowledge, took on the appearance of an ordinary person, and learned things tirelessly. No one knows why the Dharma Prince did so. At the age of sixteen, the Dharma Prince wrote a work on the dharma called A Monk Expounds the Absolute Truth to a Layperson. After that writing was buried, great master Hui Yong unearthed it. Renqing Luozhu and Suolang Danbu respectfully offered that writing to H.H. Mahavairocana Zunsheng Yeshe Norbu to evaluate. H.H. Zunsheng Yeshe Norbu personally promulgated that dharma called A Monk Expounds the Absolute Truth to a Layperson in front of the four types of Buddhist disciples. After He finished promulgating that dharma, He personally led the four types of Buddhist disciples in kneeling down and facing that writing on the dharma. He then made the following formal pronouncement: “An ancient Buddha has arrived in the east.” He recognized that the Dharma Prince was H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, conferred upon His Holiness the title Yangwo Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu, and said that His Holiness is the Holiest Tathagata. He also called that dharma A Monk Expounds the Absolute Truth to a Layperson Sutra.
There are certain time periods relating to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III ’s propagating the dharma and benefiting living beings. Before the age of eleven was the period during which His Holiness was engaged in the Tripitaka of exoteric Buddhism. From the age of eleven to fifteen was the period during which His Holiness was engaged in the esoteric dharma of the Kagyu school. During that time, he was called Dusum Khenpa Lion’s Roar Dharma Prince. After the age of fifteen was the period during which His Holiness was engaged in the esoteric teachings of the Geluk school. His Holiness was at that time called the reincarnation of Master Tsongkhapa. That was also the time period during which His Holiness flawlessly propagated the tantric scriptures of the Sakya, Nyingma, and all of the other schools. At this time, His Holiness was called the embodiment of the body, speech, and mind of Guru Padmasambhava.
Because my Buddha Master is an ancient Buddha who has come to this world again, His Holiness upholds the principles of “making no distinction between exoteric and esoteric Buddhism or among all of the sects and schools; teaching living beings according to their particular circumstances; and pervasively propagating the teachings of the Buddhas to all.” Thus, His Holiness is the Buddha Vajradhara Great Dharma King of the “Buddha Sect” who pervasively saves all living beings. My Buddha Master has repeatedly admonished everyone with the following counsel: “There is no differentiation among the various schools and sects in my mind. There is only Buddhism. However, for a dharma king, rinpoche, or acharya of any school or sect, as long as he or she does not commit violations in the 128 evil and erroneous views, abides by the teachings of the Buddha, attains liberation, and then saves other living beings based on their particular karmic conditions, he or she is worthy of praise.” Of course, The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation is the greatest dharma among supreme great dharmas for cultivators to receive and practice. That is why my Buddha Master is the only one in this world possessing the realization of opening up the Niwan Daoguo for all kinds people to enable them to attain heavenly and holy states.
[Please respectfully read in detail the treasure book of H. H. Dorje Chang Buddha III to acquire great wisdom, accomplishment and liberation. If you have the affinity to receive and practice the dharma of The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation, you will be certain to get great wisdom and attain great accomplishment and liberation.]
My husband and I have a son and a daughter. My daughter was employed in a bank and my son ran a chemical business in the bonded area. Although the competition was fierce, my son was smart and flexible, he made his career. Soon the children grew to the age for marriage, we bought a car and a big suite at the lake scenic area. Then we had a daughter-in-law, married our daughter. We became grandparents the second year. My husband and I learned Buddhism and cultivation while taking care of our grandchildren. We lived a full life and enjoyed the happiness of our family. After two years’happy life, my son wanted to switch to project contraction because of the hard competition and low profit in the chemistry business. No matter how we discouraged him, he didn’t change his mind. Finally, we urged him not to gamble or turn to high-risk lenders, he should think twice and keep wits on dealing matters. My son flew to different cities to struggle for business. The assets could reach to ten million at most. At the peak of his career, he undertook hundreds of millions of decoration projects and led hundreds of workers. We often asked him about the business, he always understated the situation and told us not to worry, he said what we need to do was learning Buddhism and taking good care of the grandchild. Later, my son came back home more and more frequently, and he avoided answering phones in front of us. We became nervous. It was after different people came for millions of debts that we knew what was a bolt from the blue. I used to hear that Jack was bankrupt, Tom was cheated and John had an accident, but I didn’t expect that it was our turn. It turned out that my son put a lot of money into the project, and he also borrowed millions of money for emergency. The first party has to pay some money after the project passed the acceptance checks, but it withheld the money and didn’t fulfill the contract. My son sued the first party after he failed to get the money back in several months. However, the creditors were demanding to be paid every day. It is compulsory to pay what you owe. We deeply knew that we couldn’t err on the causality, so we tried our best to help our son to settle debts, but the money we had was still far from enough. We borrowed money from all people we knew without caring about losing faces. However, people usually busily embroidering more flowers on the brocade rather than sending charcoal to the needy on a snowy winter day. In this situation, we sold the house and car to repay most of the debts.
During the process, I remembered what H.H Dorje Chang Buddha III taught us: everyone knows to cultivate themselves in prosperity, the problem is how to deal with it in adversity? When you rise with money and power, or when you’re down and out with pain, can you remain the inner peace no matter how the circumstances change? This is a litmus test for me and my family. Taking Buddhism makes me realize that the process of impermanence is the truth. Our body will go bad, the wealth we have will dwindle, so are the house and car, now they’re just gone in advance. It’s all about causality. As long as we can make ends meet, nothing weighs more than life and death. No matter how rough life is, you must move forward, to make choices between the gain and loss and be strong in the experience. We will experience all kinds of hardships in the way of practice. Only if you want to extricate yourself from suffering do you truly cultivate yourself. To establish a mind determined to leave the cycle of reincarnation helps us leave suffering and obtain happiness in the end.
Though we are difficult in material condition, we have a rich spiritual life. We are lucky to have H.H Dorje Chang Buddha III imparting Buddha dharma in this world, we happily took refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and we listen and learn from the recorded Buddha dharma discourses with great joy. These can’t be bought with gold and silver. Anyway the wind blows, doesn’t really matter to me. With the light of Buddhism, my family and I will walk down the path firmly. My son becomes mature after this setback. I believe the lesson is a supporting condition for his life. If we don’t study Buddhism and believe in causality, this disaster may push my family into a doomed vortex. Crying our eyes out, holding grudges, be in a violent rage, collapsed after the straits and trying to commit suicide? No, we don’t behave like that. We settle our debts in causality, and demand unpaid money from the first party through legal methods. Buddhism gives us wisdom and power to deal with everything reasonably and calmly. All negative karmic conditions and sufferings make me and my family to cherish Buddhism and the chance for incarnating as a human being, guiding us to the path of bodhi. I believe every struggle after the hardship is the chance to change fate.
Last Sunday, I was so blessed to have a chance to visit the treasure room in The International Art Museum of America. The room only open four times a year. Three big locks fully close the door. Three persons open locks at the same time. One museum staff accompanied me inside the room, introducing each artworks, and answering my questions. There are four pieces of extremely beautiful splendid Yun Sculptures inside the room.
From the introduction, I learned that Yun Sculpture is an art form created by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. It is exquisite and mysterious, their beauty is astonishing and spellbinding, and structures are both exquisitely fine and sophisticated, with unanticipated variations. Unprecedented in history, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III’s Yun sculptures are the first form of art that cannot be replicated, regardless of the method used.
The first one I saw is called Holy Purity. Its color is soft and lustrous, like thin white silk. It looks as pure and noble as jade or ice, has an elegant hanging style, and is completely free of any flaw. This artwork, which is pleasing to the eye and comforting to the mind, fully deserves that name it was given, for it indeed possesses the qualities of holiness, purity, elegance, refinement, and white splendor.
Holy Purity
When look at different angles, I can see various remarkable sights, and light auspicious mist. I truly experienced a carefree and peaceful feeling that is difficult to describe. I felt my heart and soul are purified by this noble object. The pictures here are too dark, the whole sculpture is totally milky white.
Mystery of Lovely Colors
The second piece is called Mystery of Lovely Colors. Just like its name, it is a very vibrant and colorful artwork.
Mystery of Lovely Colors is a big Yun sculpture. Its structure and overall arrangement can only be described as “endlessly varied” and “unfathomably mysterious.” Phrases such as “swirling unusual colors,” “a mixture of emptiness and substance,” and “too beautiful to be absorbed all at once” are used to describe its grandeur, beauty, and elegance. When this exquisite sculpture is viewed from different angles, one can see various wonderful and fascinating sights that seem to be constantly changing.
The museum guide told me : “When this Yun sculpture was displayed in the Gold Room of the United States Capitol and at the Organization of American States, experts and scholars viewed it with admiration, praising it with words such as, “a gift from God to mankind,” “a treasure from a Buddha-land,” “captivatingly beautiful,’ and even “since the appearance of Yun sculptures, all treasures in this human world have become like stars in the sky that pale against a resplendent moon.”
Mysterious Mist Inside A Stone
Inside a small rome, there are two very special Yun sculpture pieces called Mysterious Mist in a Stone. One can see that mist is permanently sculpted in it like a miracle.
White jade-like gauze hangs inside a stone Unmatched sculpting produces emotion amid the mist Without words, a rare melody plays inside the cave Such heavenly scenery is difficult to duplicate
Mist is permanently sculpted in the cave of the Mysterious Mist in a Stone, an artwork that cannot be replicated
From its external appearance, one can see that “Mysterious Mist Inside a Stone” is an ordinary greenish rock that is a few feet long. However, the inside of it is a totally different world. Its interior contains layer upon layer of what appears to be peaks and hills, forming a beautiful crisscrossing network. Its scenes seem to change endlessly, giving it a profoundly mystical quality. In some parts of the stone’s interior, there is mist as exquisite as chiffon, while in other parts the mist is so thick it covers whatever is behind it. In the latter case, a lamplight that penetrates mist must be shone into the stone to view the background scenes. One can see mist circling upward.
Mysterious Boulder with Mist
Right beside the Mysterious Mist Inside a Stone is another sculpture also has mist inside. It is called Mysterious Boulder with Mist. There are two grottoes inside the boulder, each of which contains its own scenery. When you look inside the right grotto, you will see thick mist enveloping everything. The structure of the carved scenery inside this hole is vague, since it cannot be clearly seen through the mist. You are left with the impression that the mist is a few dozen yards deep inside the hole when it is actually only three or four feet deep. When you look inside the left grotto, you will see that there is no mist at all. You will clearly see the structure of the carved scenery inside this hole. The material used to carve those two grottoes was the same, the colors applied to both of them were the same, and their depth is the same. The carving skills and inner-realization of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III caused this mysterious phenomenon of one side containing thick, enveloping mist and the other side containing no mist at all.
Sculptors throughout history have been able to produce material forms or images through sculpting. However, no one has been able to produce through sculpting something as insubstantial and formless as fog or mist. Nonetheless, there are sculptures of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III that combine both material form and mist.
While I was fascinated by those beautiful artworks, I seem to hear the works say, “I’m born on this earth in such a beautiful and exquisite way. Who or what kind of artist gave birth to me? I could not have been given life by a mundane person. “
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III’s Yun sculptures can truly be called peerless, priceless treasures. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was able to create these treasures based upon his high state of realization, profound and extensive knowledge, as well as his penetration of the laws that underlie the birth, growth, and change of all things in the universe.
My son once shared a story about greed from his middle school textbook, by Leo Tolstoy. It was quite frightening, to realize the power that greed exerts over us all. Sometimes, it can even blind us to the threat of death itself.
The protagonist of the story is a peasant named Pahom, who overhears his wife and sister-in-law argue over the merits of town and peasant farm life. He thinks to himself “if I had plenty of land, I shouldn’t fear the Devil himself!”. Unbeknown to him, Satan is listening.
However, Pahom then becomes very possessive of his land, and this causes arguments with his neighbors. “Threats to burn his building began to be uttered.” Later, he moves to a larger area of land at another Commune. Here, he can grow even more crops and amass a small fortune, but he has to grow the crops on rented land, which irritates him. Finally, after buying and selling a lot of fertile and good land, he is introduced to the Bashkirs, and is told that they are simple-minded people who own a huge amount of land. Pahom goes to them to buy as much of their land for as low a price as he can negotiate. Their offer is very unusual: for a sum of one thousand rubles, Pahom can walk around as large an area as he wants, starting at daybreak, marking his route with a spade along the way. If he returns to his starting point by sunset that day, all the land his route encloses will be his, but if he does not reach his starting point, he will lose his money and receive no land. He is delighted, as he believes that he can cover a great distance and has chanced upon the bargain of a lifetime. That night, Pahom experiences a surreal dream in which he sees himself lying dead by the feet of the Devil, who is laughing.
He stays out as late as possible, marking out land until just before the sun sets. Toward the end, he realizes he is far from the starting point and runs back as fast as he can to the waiting Bashkirs. He finally arrives at the starting point just as the sun sets. The Bashkirs cheer his good fortune, but exhausted from the run, Pahom drops dead. His servant buries him in an ordinary grave only six feet long, thus answering the question posed in the title of the story.
After reading the story, I have come to truly understand why greed is the first of the three poisons in Buddhist teachings. Out of all these vices (greed, hatred, and delusion), it is perhaps the most seductive.
The contemporary Buddha H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III teaches Buddhist disciples that greed can break one’s cultivation. True to his word, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III never takes any offerings from his students, no matter how big or small they are. His Holiness has set a great example for all his disciples. The videos below are the testimonies.
There is a rather famous tombstone in Westminster Abbey. There’s nothing so special about it, except for its inscription. I believe that many people have heard of it.
“When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it, too, seemed immovable. As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it. And now, as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country, and who knows, I may have even changed the world.”
It is said that many world dignitaries and celebrities were deeply moved when they saw these words Some people say that this is a teaching of life, some people say that it is a kind of introspection of the soul.
There are similar teachings and philosophies in Chinese traditional culture. The Great Learning is a compilation of Confucian teachings used to address deeply important social behavior. In The Great Learning says: “The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first ordered well their own States. Wishing to order well their States, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons.”
“From the Kings down to the mass of ordinary people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides. It cannot be, when the root is neglected, that what should spring from it will be well ordered.”
In Buddhism, self cultivation is heavily emphasized as well. The first thing for all buddhist disciples is constantly cultivating themselves. In What is Cultivation, His HolinessDorje Chang Buddha III provides detailed guidance on self-cultivation. Self-cultivation is the fundamental and essential in the learning of Buddhism. Through self-cultivation, one will not only live a happy life and contribute the best of oneself to the society, but also can reach enlightenment and liberation.
From ancient times, the lotus has been a divine symbol in Asian traditions. It is one of the Eight Auspicious Signs (Ashtamangala) pertaining to a number of Dharmic Traditions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. In Buddhist symbolism, the lotus represents purity of the body, speech, and mind as if floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. Therefore, many deities of Asian religions are depicted as seated on a lotus flower. It is said that Gautama Buddha was born with the ability to walk, and lotus flowers bloomed everywhere he stepped.
In the classical written and oral literature of many Asian cultures, the lotus is present in figurative form, representing elegance, beauty, perfection, purity, and grace. Perhaps the most famous text is the poetic essay “On the Love of the Lotus” by Zhou Dunyi (1017-1073). As Zhou writes, “I love only the lotus, for rising from the mud yet remaining unstained; bathed by pure currents and yet not seductive.” The lotus is the “gentleman among flowers.” The term “gentleman” (junzi), of course, has since the time of Confucius been the ideal human being. So not surprisingly, the lotus flower is also a popular subject in Chinese paintings.
Zhang Daqian (張大千, 1899–1983), original name Zhang Yuan (張爰) and pseudonym Daqian, was one of the best-known and most prodigious Chinese artists of the twentieth century. He is also regarded by many art experts as one of the most gifted master forgers of the twentieth century. He is especially famous for his landscape, as well as lotus paintings.
As a child, Zhang Daqian was encouraged by his family to pursue painting. In 1917 his elder brother, Zhang Shanzi (an artist famous for his tiger paintings), accompanied him to Kyoto, Japan, to study textile dyeing. Two years later, Zhang Daqian went to Shanghai to receive traditional painting instruction from two famous calligraphers and painters of the time, Zeng Xi (曾熙) and Li Ruiqing (李瑞清). Through his association with these teachers, Zhang had the opportunity to study some works by ancient masters in detail. His early style attempted to emulate the Ming-Qing Individualists, including Tang Yin (唐寅), Chen Hongshou (陳洪綬), and Shitao (石濤). He meticulously studied and copied their works and began to make forgeries; his paintings after Shitao successfully deceived some of the best connoisseurs.
The lotus painted by Zhang Daqian is known as the “Daqian Lotus”, which is extremely popular in the auction market, and the price has repeatedly hit new highs. Among them, “Lotus Pond Wilderness” is particularly prominent. It was sold at HK$80.51 million (about $10 Million) at the 2013 Christie’s Spring Auction in Hong Kong, causing a sensation in the world.
A set of four hanging scrolls each more than five feet high and 2.5 feet wide – depict lotus flowers in various state of bloom. Completed in 1947. This masterpiece, however, despite its enormous size, is still well-organized. Within magnificence unfolds delicate tenderness; integrated artist early scholar-painter style and commitment to elegant, smooth brush strokes. Zhang vividly portrays the lotuses growing in nature, swaying in the summer breeze…. It truly is a fine example of the artist’s large scale lotus compositions.
Wilderness in a Lotus Pond
More lotus paintings by Zhang Daqian:
Zhang Daqian: Red Lotuses in Splashed Color (1981)
Ink Lotus by Zhang Daqian at 1976
However, a Contemporary Painting “Ink Lotus” by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Was Sold for the US$16,500,500 at the Gianguan 2015 Spring Auction to Break the World Record.
The ink-wash painting Lotus by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has an uninhibited, natural, and spontaneous brushwork that is dense, bold, and robust, but also elegant and agile. It exhibits a charm that is like stone and bronze inscriptions. Flowing splash-ink on the scroll produces a vivid charm that evidences great ingenuity. There is an air of power and grandeur together without any trace of stiff, common, mundane artistry found in other lotus flower paintings. Overall, the whole painting manifests a harmonious and moving imagery, naturally emanating a lively vivaciousness and a carefree, spirited aura.
A young monk asked the master for advice: “What are human desires?” The old monk told the young monk to come back tomorrow, but do not eat or drink until then. When the little monk came back the next day, he was very hungry and thirsty, and felt that he could eat a whole loaf of bread.
The old master monk asked him to go to the orchard to pick some fruits, but asked him to bring them back to the temple to eat.
After a while, the young monk returned to the temple with a basket full of fruits. The old monk told him to eat as much as he could. The young monk felt full after just eating two and could not eat any more.
The master asked him, “What’s the use of these fruits that you brought back after all your hard work, but you didn’t eat them? They’re just useless burdens.”
“Now you may understand, for each of us, what we really need is only two fruits that are enough to satisfy our hunger, and the rest is our desire.”
Every day we are driven by our own desires to keep running and toiling. We believe that if our desires are satisfied, we will be happy. But that happiness is very short-lived. Think about when you got new beautiful clothes, a pair of fancy shoes, luxury jewelries, or an expensive car — how long does that pleasure last? It may be a year, a month, or just several days, and then we want more to replace these fleeting pleasures. Our desires are endless, they keep on growing until they wrap us completely like a cocoon. Our desires lead us to focus on the various commodities of the outside world, and squeeze out all of our time and energy. Thus, our desires can actually make us feel enslaved and unhappy, and cause suffering.
In Buddhism teachings, the origins of suffering and unhappiness come from craving, desire and attachment. The way to end suffering is letting go of these cravings, and finding your true self. Of course Shakyamuni Buddha had taught many ways in the Buddhist Sutra to reach the eternal happiness and find our true selves. The contemporary Buddha H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has expounded many Buddha Dharmas to help us as well, such as What is cultivation? , Learning from Buddha, and several thousand audio-recorded Dharma discourses. By practicing the Buddha Dharma, one can break through the cocoon of life and death, and reach libration.
Hope you can find your own way to be free, happy and healthy.
It is precisely due to his extraordinary talent, exceptional wisdom, sublime morality, and extensive vision that H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is able to make one after another world-shocking achievement in art. Here, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III employs his supernatural abstract colors to introduce us once more to a new world of art that is beautiful, mysterious, and soul-inspiring. This truly is not just some fancy talk, for as soon as you set your eyes on these oil and acrylic paintings, you will find the bright and dazzling colors leaping and dancing, vigorous like billows sluicing over thousands of miles, yet stored up into wonders at the fine tip of a brush. Gentle yet resolute, they freely transcend worldliness. Various colors are mixed ingeniously and beautifully, distilling beauty from their mutual nourishment. One could say they present a state of superb craftsmanship excelling in nature, and of form becoming flexible and elusive. Words cannot describe such harmonious, refined, and soothing artistic enjoyment.
Seen at Yellowstone National Park
Thatched Stone Huts on a Snowy Mountain
Different Tone
Supernatural abstract color is a perfect world composed of colors. It does not have any concrete worldly form but uses only colors to form shapes and express feelings. Color is its shape and theme, and it blends into touching charm. These colors, under H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III’s hand, suddenly converge into unparalleled, marvelous, and bright magic, expressing the vivid spirit of a flowery scene or the vigor of the roaring sea. Yet, they can be ever so exact when their meaning is revealed through the tip of a brush. The fine details are often revealed among rough strokes, and their charm is naturally displayed. These works of art are fused with the essence of the universe, Nature, and the earth.
The art of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has already cast off the bondage of the common world. Its form and meaning are both like a golden dragon breaking away from the earth’s crust and soaring in the azure sky above the blue sea, free at will, unbridled and unrestrained, all worldly dust whisked away, ever-changing, and beautiful beyond compare! In front of these soul-inspiring rare treasures of art, we admire the exceptional artistry that flows from the boundless heart of the Buddha. We absorb the beauty that transcends all confinements of reality, the beauty created from His use of ever-changing colors for the appreciation of mankind.
It is no surprise that these amazingly beautiful pieces are the creations of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. The supernatural abstract color is just the crystallization of His various astonishing talents and the outflow of His limitless artistic wisdom. He truly deserves to be called a master artist the likes of which have never been seen in history.
Peace LiLy 