INTRODUCTION TO H.H. DORJE CHANG BUDDHA III (5)

　　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. 

　　Of course, as H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III (Master Wan Ko Yee)   continued to spread the dharma and save living beings, His Holiness accepted disciples other than Venerable Xirao Jiebu. When karmic conditions matured, incarnations of other members of the four most outstanding disciples of Master Shantaraksita took refuge in and became disciples of His Holiness, such as Venerable Muya Jiongzha III and Venerable Xiangge Qiongwa IV. Another disciple of the Holiest Tathagata is H.E. Denma Tsemang II, who is a close attendant of His Holiness and who in a prior lifetime was one of the twenty-five greatest disciples of Guru Padmasambhava. H.E. Gar Tongstan IV, who in a prior lifetime was prime minister to King Songstan Gampo, is also a close disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. Other disciples of His Holiness include Venerable Palden Lodoe, who is the incarnation of the founder of the Kagyu Macang sect, Hsi Jao Seng Ge; Venerable Yundun Duojibai Gadu Rinpoche of the Nyingma sect; Venerable Dachu Hengsheng, who in a prior lifetime was a great disciple of Patriarch Dangba Sangjie of the Jueyu sect; Venerable Khu-ston brTson-grus g.yung-drung of the Kadampa sect, who in a prior lifetime was one of the four highest disciples of Venerable Atisha; Respected Danzeng Nuori Rinpoche of the Geluk sect; and Venerable Akou Lamo, who is a female great venerable one. Even the incarnation of the great patriarch of the Shangpa Kagyu sect, Tangtong Gyalpo Bodhisattva, who is famous throughout Tibet, has formally acknowledged H.H. Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata as his Master. Additionally, several beings of tremendous holiness descended into this world to be at the side of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and have received profound Buddha-dharma from the Holiest Tathagata, such as the incarnation of Anathapindika, who donated Jetavana to Sakyamuni Buddha; the incarnation of Sariputra, the greatest disciple of Sakyamuni Buddha; and the incarnation of Great Patriarch Shantaraksita, who founded the Nyingma sect. 

　　Actually, from a worldly perspective, the educational background of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is of the highest order. His Holiness is completely conversant in the ancient Chinese writings called The Four Books and the Five Classics. With respect to modern education, His Holiness was an outstanding student in elementary school, went on to receive a high-level doctorate degree from a university, and then went on to be a professor at a famous American university, where He has taught for six years. His Holiness has received special commendation from that university. His Holiness is also the only person in the more than two-hundred-year history of the Royal Academy of Arts in the United Kingdom to have been awarded the position of Fellow. Nonetheless, as far as H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is concerned, these are just trifling matters hardly worth mentioning. 

　　H.H.Dorje Chang Buddha III has not Himself revealed His true identity or status. Although H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has inadvertently revealed His great wisdom and realization to others, causing them to marvel at what they saw, His Holiness has never discussed His own background. Many people have inquired of His Holiness what His dharma lineage is and have even issued written inquiries requesting answers to this mystery. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III always responds by saying, I do not know. I only have Buddhism. I am your servant with a heart of humility. Such an utterance can often be heard in many recorded dharma discourses given by His Holiness over many years. With the passage of time, people became used to hearing this and thought that His Holiness was merely a kind, wise, and talented person. This even included members of the Master Wan Ko Yee International Cultural Institute, established in 1995, who it can be said have the best understanding of His Holiness. They, too, did not know the true identity of His Holiness. They simply thought that His Holiness was a holy man of prodigious learning and virtue who at the very most was a great dharma king of Buddhism like the Dalai Lama or the Karmapa. Thus, when the president of that Institute, Longzhou Rinpoche, learned that the true identity of His Holiness is H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, he was astounded and repeatedly said, No wonder. No wonder. Great dharma kings cannot be put on par with such a Buddha! To do so would dishonor that Buddha and would be a sin.　　　　　　

　　The days passed by one after another. At a certain time, people began realizing that no matter what the type of knowledge or skill, H.H. Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu did not need to learn it. As soon as His Holiness saw a work, He was easily able to understand the knowledge or skill that it embodied. Furthermore, His Holiness immediately became proficient in such knowledge or skill. As a result, the works of His Holiness excelled the original works that He saw. 

　　Those eminent monks and dharma kings have now announced in their recognition certificates the holy and astounding news about His Holinesss identity. Only then did we find out that His Holiness is the holy and venerable Vimalakirti, who is the true incarnation of Dorje Chang Buddha. That is why Mahavairocana stated in His formal pronouncement that no master of holy virtue can be found whose realization is higher than that of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and who is therefore qualified to be the master of His Holiness. Even those 500 monks, 8,000 Bodhisattvas, prominent monastics, and people of great virtue were taught by His Holiness when He was Vimalakirti, not to mention people on those levels who have been taught by His Holiness in this lifetime. 

　　Because H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III 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. This Buddha Sect includes the entirety of Buddhism and does not distinguish between the various schools. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III 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, as long as a dharma king, rinpoche, or acarya of any school or sect 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. 

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is previously known as Master Wan Ko Yee