Oceanside Gathering

July 19, 2008--Oceanside, California: Chris Abdallah and Rudy Gammarino sponsored a meeting of spiritual seekers who wanted to know more about the arrival of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha in America. Several had heard the lecture given by Zhaxi Zhuoma Rinpoche on this matter the week before in Pasadena. The Rinpoche explained that Dorje Chang Buddha was the first Buddha with form in the universe. Dorje Chang Buddha is a manifestation with form of the formless dharmakaya, sometimes referred to as the Adhama or Adi-Buddha. All great religions have this concept--the primordial Buddha or the Absolute Truth that is beyond words, beyond our limited means of describing it, and this universal truth is pure love, compassion, and infinite wisdom. However, the dharmakaya or Dharmakaya Buddha cannot speak, cannot teach, cannot help living beings. So out of its infinite compassion and wisdom it manifests a sambhogakaya form--Dorje Chang Buddha. Dorje Chang Buddha is the source of all the teachings that we know as Buddhism. The rinpoche also explained how those teachings have come to us--through the first earthly teacher, the founder of Buddhism in our world, Shakyamuni Buddha and how those who followed those teachings and reached a very high level of accomplishment were able to learn directly from other holy beings and even Dorje Chang Buddha Himself. The rinpoche further explained that we live in a most fortunate time and place in as much as this great holy being has incarnated again in this earthly realm and is living in America. Only one other time has that happened and that was over 2,500 years ago when Dorje Chang Buddha incarnated as the Venerable Vimalakirti to help Shakyamuni Buddha edify His disciples.

The rinpoche played a video of the formal presentation of the precious book H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III sponsored by the International Buddhism Sangha Association (IBSA) at Hua Zang Si in San Francisco on June 21. Present were dharma kings, rinpoches, monastics, and lay people as well as public officials who expressed their gratitude and appreciation for this holy treasure. Also present were Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who expressed their joy by showering the event with their blessings. The video documented the occurrence of beautiful rainbow Buddha Lights and the manifestation of nectar that occurred in conjunction with the ceremony.

The rinpoche also shared a video showing the dharma powers of certain disciples of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and read a translated transcript of a discourse given by Ven. Long Hui, an Abbot at Hua Zang Si and president of the IBSA, in which the venerable dharma teacher explains why she no longer displays such powers or does healing (the video shows her ability to telekineticly move objects and eliminate cancer from a patient.)