The following account is excerpted from a post published by Holy Miracles Temple on April 15, 2022, titled “Recent Talk Records of Venerable Zhai Mang.”
Sometimes, in the course of spiritual practice, there are moments that quietly remind us how limited our ordinary understanding truly is. What we see, hear, and reason through the lens of everyday experience may only be a small fragment of a far greater reality.
Venerable Zhai Mang once shared a personal experience that deeply illustrates this truth.
In January 1996, he accompanied the Buddha and the Holy Mother to Shenzhen. At that time, Brother Li Dehe, the general manager of the Luohu Hotel, arranged a temporary Dharma altar on the 16th floor, where teachings were given and disciples gathered.
One day around noon, it was time to invite the Buddha and the Holy Mother for a meal. Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the Buddha could not be found.
Venerable Zhai Mang went up to the altar to look—no one was there. Another disciple went, and then another. Each time, the result was the same: the room was empty.
Finally, Sister Liu Ge went to check. Unlike the others, she did not leave immediately. She stood quietly by the doorway, facing a large mirror. Behind her was a sealed window, reflected clearly in the glass.
Then, something extraordinary happened.
In the mirror, she suddenly saw a foot appear near the window—seemingly out of nowhere. In the next moment, she witnessed the Buddha step into the room from midair.
Startled beyond words, she cried out.
Everyone rushed over. Inside the altar, the Buddha was already seated calmly, as if nothing unusual had occurred. Sister Liu Ge then recounted what she had just witnessed.
When sharing this story, Venerable Zhai Mang did not focus on the miraculous itself. Instead, he pointed to something far more important.
In simple terms, he reminded us: the realization and abilities of the Buddha and the Holy Mother are beyond the comprehension of ordinary minds. Trying to measure the enlightened with our limited understanding is like trying to contain the vast sky within the palm of a hand.
What, then, should we do?
Not to speculate. Not to doubt blindly.
But to turn inward.
With sincerity, we reflect on ourselves. With humility, we cultivate. With a heart of repentance and reverence, we create the conditions to receive true guidance.
Moments like this are not merely stories of the extraordinary. They are gentle awakenings—reminding us that the path of spiritual practice is not built on curiosity about miracles, but on the transformation of our own hearts.
In a world that often demands proof for everything, perhaps the deeper wisdom lies in recognizing what cannot be fully explained, yet can be quietly felt.
To walk the path is to let go of arrogance, to open the heart, and to trust that there are dimensions of truth far beyond what we can see.
And perhaps, when the mind becomes still and sincere, what once seemed unimaginable may no longer feel so distant.
The Legacy of Venerable Denma Tsemang
Venerable Denma Tsemang was one of the twenty-five great Dedengbas under Guru Padmasambhava when he journeyed to Tibet over a thousand years ago to spread the Dharma. During that same period, Shakyamuni Buddha dispatched Denma Tsemang to descend into this world to assist Guru Padmasambhava in propagating the Buddha-Dharma.
According to the traditional biographies of Guru Padmasambhava’s twenty-five foremost disciples, Denma Tsemang was highly accomplished in transcription and writing. He possessed extraordinary wisdom and was especially skilled in translation. Under the guidance of the great ācārya Guru Padmasambhava, he received numerous esoteric teachings, including secret mantras and profound Dharma instructions.
He attained remarkable realization, great spiritual powers, abundant merit, and deep wisdom. It is said that he never forgot any teaching he received, retaining everything completely. Many important terma (hidden treasure texts), including the Collection of Eight Sadhana Teachings, were transcribed by him. In addition, Denma Tsemang, together with other great Bodhisattvas, participated in translating the sutras and treatises contained within the Tripitaka.
In this present lifetime, Denma Tsemang has reincarnated as H.E. Longzhi Tanpe Nyima, a devoted disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. He remains by His Holiness’s side throughout the year, serving as an attendant with unwavering dedication.
His strengths in this life closely mirror those of his previous incarnation. He diligently transcribes and organizes the recorded Dharma discourses of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, preserving these teachings for the benefit of future generations.
During a sacred inner tantric initiation known as “Drawing Lots from a Golden Vase and Casting a Lot,” performed personally by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, the lot revealed the mandala of Guhyapada Vajra—a powerful vajra being of immense spiritual strength. Following this, he demonstrated extraordinary ability by telekinetically moving a vajra pill, clearly revealing the level of realization of a true reincarnated great Dedengba.
Yet despite these remarkable signs, H.E. Longzhi Tanpe Nyima humbly said:
“I am just a Buddhist disciple sincerely cultivating myself.”
Peace LiLy 