KNOW THE TRUE DOCTRINE

EPILOGUE

The two Dharma chapters (treatises) contained in this book, "How the Wang-Ber Differentiates the Genuine and Fake Master" and "How to Indentify Dakinis and Rinpoches," have a common point which teaches us how to verify the genuine masters and rinpoches.

In modern society, masters and rinpoches seem to appear everywhere. We can find advertisements in every newspaper, where many Living Buddhas will give empowerment, Dharma water, or certain teachings if someone pays a specific amount of money. They claim that if one gives enough money, they can be assured of a specific level of discipleship, and so on.

But in fact, one who reads the Sutra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma (the Tripitaka), or the ancient moral biographies would know that the above mentioned acts are absolutely against the Buddha-dharma, and that the sole purpose of Shakyamuni Buddha and all other buddhas and bodhisattvas is to save all living beings. The Buddhist way of saving all beings is to follow the precepts (protect their vows) and practice according to the teachings given by the buddhas and bodhisattvas, which in turn produces successful meditation, wisdom, and finally escape from the cycle of birth and death. How can anybody use money to buy that? Therefore, these so-called masters and rinpoches are definitely not propagating Buddhism in order to save all living beings, but they are just using Buddhism to take money from softhearted beings and satisfy their selfish personal desires.

The saddest thing is that the beings are fooled and cheated because they do not know better. The method to distinguish the genuine and the fake is openly offered to them, but they are not able to accept it. Whenever they hear that somebody is a great rinpoche, master, or an incarnation of a buddha or a bodhisattva, they believe it without any prior thinking or research. The wisdom of the buddhas and the bodhisattvas is not measurable and their power is boundless, so if someone claims to be a reincarnation of a buddha or bodhisattva, why don't they possess their power? Why are they not as good as a common, wise person?

For example, some people claim that they are the reincarnations of some buddha, however what they present is just mundane or common. Their actions do not demonstrate that they have attained the power of a buddha or a bodhisattva. They might know how to paint, sculpt, or produce handicrafts, but they cannot even compare with the ordinary painter or sculptor. Similarly, they do not have a command of grammar or Sanskrit, poetry, the art of debate, much less medical abilities or knowledge. They can neither diagnose illnesses or prescribe medicine to help patients. What about the sciences of logic and philosophy? If Buddha or Avalokiteshvara are reborn, their power of miracles and perfect wisdom cannot be compared to the common people. If a buddha or a bodhisattva is reborn, every stroke of paint would become a beautiful painting, and an accidental dent would be an absolute form of sculpture. If, without having such power, can he be called a buddha or bodhisattva? Even some common people have certain skills, so if he cannot compare with them, how can he be called a buddha? How can he be called Avalokiteshvara? The power of buddhas and bodhisattvas, one can say, is omnipotent, but we frequently see people claim to be the reincarnations of Buddha, Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, or Padmasambhava, only their knowledge of the Five Sciences can be reduced to five lines, which is a poor joke, as they do not even possess basic knowledge. Is this not worth thinking about deeply?

In fact, in the above two sections of this article, the ways to verify a buddha and bodhisattva are elucidated with clarity, but why don't we, the foolish beings, read and contemplate a little more? Why do we not use it to distinguish and compare with those reincarnations and famous Dharma Kings, rinpoches, and masters? Why do we believe the nominal head of a sect and prostrate to him? Why do we let ourselves be fooled and lose the opportunity to seek the true Dharma? We should know what Buddha taught, rely on the Dharma, and not on the personality. So read this book again when you need to verify any being who lays claim to specific reincarnations. After considering what is proposed in this book, can a powerless human being be a buddha or a bodhisattva? Is a person who is unable to cause nectar to drop from the sky a fake? Is ordinary tap water a true Holy Water for Inner Tantra Empowerment? If a buddha or a bodhisattva does not possess power, then all beings can be called buddha and bodhisattva! If there is no Inner Mandala power for Inner Tantra Empowerment but only an outward appearance empowerment, then any stage actor can perform better, like a common fraud. If natural water can be used as nectar, then anybody can produce nectar; both you and I can transmute a cup of water into nectar!

Therefore, the secret practice is very sacred and great, having unfathomable power to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime, but the true Master of the Tantra is excruciatingly difficult to find among the thousands of pretenders. This being so, we translated, printed, and published this treatise. The aim is to help the true practitioners of Dharma understand clearly how to distinguish between the genuine and fake masters and reincarnations. Galu Lama once said that since ancient times, the majority of reincarnations in Tibet are fake rinpoches and false masters!

People must follow the guidelines of the criteria that a master must be proficient in both sutra and tantra as well as the Five Sciences to select and take refuge in a True Master. Do not be cheated by fake rinpoches and masters and mistake a normal person as a saint. According to one's karma, go to practice Hinayana, Mahayana, or Tantrayana until the attainment of Nirvana and entrance into the Buddha Land.

All the virtues of printing this book are dedicated to all the beings.

May all beings hear the true Dharma and practice till realization.

For a discussion of this book, see True Stories About a Holy Monk.

Return to Index to Book.

Return to TOP.

Site last updated on April 10, 2008 .