Dragon-Fish Stand Straight Up on the Surface of the Water and Pay Respect to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III by Bowing to His Holiness
On November 6, 1999, I was very fortunate to have been able to accompany H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu to Puttamonton, Thailand. I went there together with Professor Yu-Hua Wang, who holds a doctorate degree in Buddhism Dharma Philosophy from the American League of Colleges and Universities, which is composed of 83 colleges and universities in the United States and around the world, and who also holds a Ph.D. degree from Manning University in England. Other people who went on that trip with us included H.E. Denma Tsemang II, Venerable Dachu II Hengsheng Rinpoche and Luoben Songzan. There were more than thirty of us all together.
After we prostrated before the holy image of Sakyamuni Buddha, we walked to a bodhi tree beside a lake under which H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III sat. Perceiving that the karmic conditions were special, Venerable Dachu II Hengsheng Rinpoche knelt on the ground, put his palms together in respect, and respectfully beseeched H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III to give a discourse on how an Arhat can realize the state of a Bodhisattva, how a Bodhisattva can ascend to the supreme and complete enlightenment of a Buddha, and why a Buddha has to rely on saving living beings to become a Buddha.
At this time, many types of birds flew over to us from all directions and perched themselves on that tree. Various types of wild fish in the lake beside H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III swam over to us. Two wild dogs also made their way into the middle of that group of people in front of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III’s seat. It was extremely marvelous.
Right when H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was expounding the highest wondrous dharma, waves suddenly surged from the quiet waters of the lake. There was a loud sound. A black dragon transformed itself into a large black and gold fish. That fish emerged vertically from the water and stood erect on its tail on the surface of the water. It resembled a dolphin performing on the water. It bowed its head toward H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III after each movement. At this time, a white fish and a black fish also did what that other large fish did, emerging from the water to pay their respects to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. This scene lasted about twenty seconds. Some fellow disciples took out their cameras and pressed down upon the shutter. They were able to capture that scene.
Nobody ever saw such an amazing spectacle before. They were lost in wonder over such an unrivaled sight. They knew that large fish was a dragon-spirit who transformed itself into a fish in order to receive the dharma and pay its respects to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. They must have been transformed dragon-spirits since no other type of fish has the ability to use its tail to stand vertically upon the surface of the water. Furthermore, two-thirds of the bodies of the fish were over the surface of the water, leaving only the one-third tail portion of their bodies below the surface of the water.
Still, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III smiled and said, “This is a response evoked by the Buddha-dharma. One should practice the Buddha- dharma with a heart of humility. Amazing feats are like dreams and illusions, like clouds and smoke that pass in an instant. One must not be attached to them. They are not worth mentioning.”
When great saints expound the wonderful dharma, humans and non- humans pay their respects. This is the result of the merit and realization of a Buddha!
A great holy and virtuous being said, “I have heard discourses on the Buddha-dharma given by H.H. Great Dharma King (refers to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata). H.H. Great Dharma King (refers to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata) is a Buddha!” Guru Padmasambhava highly praised this great holy and virtuous being and an emperor of China conferred upon him the title of Khutukhtu Dharma King.
The holy events described above are true occurrences that I personally saw at that scene. Later, many newspapers reported on these holy events. If there are false statements in what I have just stated, I am willing to receive the most severe karmic retribution. Those were real events. May the merit of this be dedicated to all living beings in the dharma realms.
Buddhist Disciple
Ciren Gyatso
(This is a complete translation of the Chinese text that follows originally written and signed by Ciren Gyatso.)
In the afternoon of April 24th, 2000, disciple Long Zhi (H.E. Denma Tsemang II), and Juehai walked along the swimming pool with H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata in the outer area of the mandala. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III pointed to an avocado tree and said, “I want everyone to try the fruits.” So H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III told Long Zhi to get a fruit catcher. Long Zhi looked around and didn’t find one. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said, “We have to pick some avocados.” Right after H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III spoke these words, a brown squirrel came down from an old pine tree. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III told everyone, “Don’t chase the squirrel away. It came to help.”
The squirrel climbed up the avocado tree and started looking for avocados. It started to use all of its skills by jumping from branch to branch, hanging upside down, and sometimes holding on to a branch with just one paw to locate the avocados. It was hard to see the green avocados amongst the very bushy green leaves. But the squirrel was able to distinguish them and delivered the avocados one by one. In less than ten minutes, the squirrel delivered six avocados. H.H. Buddha Master said that was enough. So Long Zhi told the squirrel: “Hey, squirrel, you have been working hard. Your offering has built up plenty of merit. It is enough.” The squirrel stopped and stayed on the branch. It looked at H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III with both paws held together. These six avocados were offerings to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III by the squirrel.
When H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was about to leave, the squirrel did one prostration in front of the Buddha Master and slowly departed. Since then, the nuns who live at the holy mandala watch squirrels climbing on the avocado tree but never see the avocados being picked anymore as offerings.
Dragon fish stood up on the water to show their respect for His Holiness. Animals offered fruits to His Holiness. Cases like these can hardly be found among other dharma kings and eminent monks in history.
The story of the squirrel offering six avocados to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III recorded by Long Zhi and Juehai is totally true. If it is not true, we will be responsible for all resulting bad karma. If it is true, the merits will be dedicated to all living beings in the six realms of reincarnation. May they be able to listen to true Buddha-dharma from H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.
Long Zhi
(This is a complete translation of the Chinese text that follows originally written and signed by Long Zhi.)
In Tibetan esoteric dharma, there are five types of precious pills. They are the Nectar Pill, the Long Life Pill, the Great Precious Pill, the Vajra Pill and the Supreme Precious Pill. Actually, these five types of pills are made from nectar bestowed by different Buddhas. There are also red pills and black pills made with Chinese herbs after the herbs are empowered through mantras, such as the red pills and white pills made by H.E. Tangtong Gyalpo. The Long Life Pill has the empowering effect of extending one’s lifespan. The Great Precious Pill can further one’s accomplishment in the dharma. The Vajra Pill can help dispel demons and increase longevity and good fortune. The Supreme Precious Pill can ensure accomplishment in the dharma. The five types of pills are crystallization of merit produced from the power of Buddha-dharma and the empowerment of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Basically, all great rinpoches have what they call precious pills. But most of them are of the ordinary type, not the holy precious type of pills. Holy precious pills and ordinary ones are two totally different concepts. I personally saw Nectar Pills made from nectar bestowed by Buddhas. I also personally saw true Vajra Pills and heard them chant mantras.
Certain famous rinpoches and dharma kings from the highest temples in Tibet have said that the Buddha-dharma that can enable a vajra pill to fly has not been seen in this world in three hundred years. This is a fact. There was a crazy yogi named Be Wa Ba who could manifest such power hundreds of years ago, but according to these respected rinpoches and dharma kings who have had contact with all of the well known dharma kings of recent times, this dharma had disappeared from this world.
I follow my Buddha Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata, and am constantly by His Holiness’s side. Therefore, I have experienced many magnificent and real manifestations of Buddha-dharma. Now I will tell everyone about my experience of the true Vajra Pill. When the holy vajra mantra and mudra are practiced, the Vajra Pill will jump and even transform into rainbow light and soar into the sky. I have also heard the Vajra Pill dance and chant mantras. I watched other people listen to the Vajra Pill sing songs.
I vow that the events reported here are true and happened as reported. If not, I am willing to bear the karmic retribution of the hell realms.
Amazing supernatural events preceded my first experience with the karmic affinity of the Vajra Pill. This happened in April, 2003. I traveled from San Francisco to Los Angeles to see H.H. Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu. During the trip I suddenly saw a colorful and large rainbow light appear in the sky. The rainbow completely surrounded the sun. There were also Sanskrit symbols in the sky. Just as the rainbow was fading from sight, I was able to take a picture of the bottom half of this light by focusing the camera below the sun. A dignified Buddha–Dorje Chang Buddha–appeared in the middle of the rainbow. This Buddha became my Buddha master, H.H. Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu, who was wearing a red robe and was sitting in the middle of the rainbow. The scene was awesome and extremely wonderful. The rainbow light appeared in the sky for several hours.
When I arrived, I was fortunate to immediately see my Buddha Master. A great lama obtained three true Vajra Pills and had respectfully given them to H.H. Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata as an offering. The Buddha Master bestowed me with two of them. Unexpectedly the Vajra Pills in my hand started to jump. At that time the Vajra Pills jumped in my hand just as if they were alive. They not only jumped but one of them started to circle around and left my hand. It transformed into a dazzling bright red light and soared into the sky. At that time, I saw that the Buddha Master, who sat far away on the dais, had become a blue Buddha Vajradhara. The blue light was shining bright. The scene was very dignified. I was greatly astonished. This is when I first saw the true Vajra Pill and the true identity of my Buddha Master.
There was a very virtuous disciple who came from Australia. Because of a question I had asked H.H.Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata about a dharma matter concerning mysterious power, the Holiest Tathagata said to me, “Bring your Vajra Pill to empower this disciple.” I took out the Vajra Pill. In order to prevent the Vajra Pill from escaping, this great layperson personally put the Vajra Pill in a small cup and sealed the cup with a piece of paper. The disciple put the cup to his ear and moved 15-20 feet away from the Holiest Tathagata. Several of us were sitting on the floor around H.H. Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata. Then everyone started to chant mantras and practice dharma. Soon the Vajra Pill began to chant and sing Buddhist songs. This layperson was very moved. It is hard to believe that a tiny pill can actually sing Buddhist songs, but I have heard this myself. Actually, I did not hear Buddhist songs, but clearly heard the chanting of holy mantras. The sound came from this tiny BB sized pill that I personally held to my ear. It is truly unbelievable. In this world within the supreme Vajra Division of Esoteric Buddhism the Vajra Pill truly can be categorized into ordinary types and holy types. The Vajra Pill in my hand was living proof of the holy type.
Today I sincerely tell everyone my personal experience. My Buddha Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata is the supreme and highest Buddha. May all living beings have the good fortune to hear, learn, and practice the true Buddha-dharma and quickly attain enlightenment.
I, Buddhist disciple Zhaxi Zhuoma, sincerely vow and clearly write down these events to prove the existence of the true Buddha-dharma in the world today.
Please see below the answer of whose work is the best among Vincent van Gogh, Qi Baishi, and H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
I have spent more than 60 years of my professional life in the field of painting. During the many decades of practice and experiences, I have come to know many famous painters. That is especially the case since I became the Head Consultant for authenticating paintings and calligraphy at the National Museum of China in Beijing. As an appraiser and authentication officer of paintings and calligraphy, the bulk of my work is to verify the authenticity of Eastern and Western paintings. I have reviewed tens of thousands of famous paintings, especially the rare and precious works of the maestro Vincent van Gogh of the Netherlands, and those of the champion of Eastern paintings, Qi Baishi of China.
Both Van Gogh and Qi Baishi were great world-renowned masters in art. One represented the apex of Western art and the other was a master of an extreme class in the field of Eastern paintings. Both artists had drawn from the essence of the classical traditions of their respective cultures. They created new styles of art and new ways of seeing the universe. They broke new grounds and became pioneers of new eras, each becoming a creative guru of his time, developing a distinct style of his own and leading new trends that inspired later generations. Their works reflect the different essences of the Eastern and Western traditions. To what extent can their works influence the artistic civilization of the world? What kind of artistry did they achieve that made them upright monuments in art history and admired by so many people?
Some art critics compared the works of Van Gogh and Qi Baishi to see which of them reached a higher level of accomplishment. They concluded that both have their own merit, both are undefeated champions in the art and both reached the pinnacle of artistry. Recently, some art critics also brought up the oil painting Sunflowers and the ink-wash painting Sunflowers, both created by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, and gave them rave reviews. They went on to compare the works by Vincent van Gogh and Qi Baishi with the works by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, trying to establish which of the three artists is the champion of the champions. The result of comparing the works by Van Gogh, Qi Baishi and H.H Dorje Chang Buddha III is tremendously inspiring.
Ever since the Renaissance, Western artists had placed emphases on rational analysis and the realist portrayal of forms. They used light, texture and details to present the realistic, three-dimensional perspective. A few centuries later, Van Gogh rejected the monotony of such use of light and shadow and the realistic portrayal of figures. He pioneered the movement of impressionism that suited him well by applying a mix of colorful, brilliant, splendid and vigorous brushstrokes. He became a great master of his time and his name was forever etched onto the monument of Western civilization and art.
Whenever people think of Van Gogh, they think of his unique character, the sparkles in his eyes that emit lightning, his vigor and his incessant pursuit of inspiration in art without any regard to external hardships. Van Gogh was an artist by birth. He was of exceptional confidence and was somewhat neurotic. Having such traits, he pursued the art that he loved without any reservation or hesitation. He loved his works and regarded everything else with disdain. He preferred to be a loner in the world and did not care to make acquaintance of other painters of his time. His works are full of luminous colors, the brushstrokes are like rising winds and racing clouds in the sky. In his art, he depicted pasture, figures, flowers and other subject matters with brisk colors. Every brushstroke was transformed from his inner emotions. Such emotions were fully and colorfully captured in his Self-Portrait as well as in the transcendental Sunflowers that he painted. These works contain an animated spirit that is deeply moving.
From Van Gogh’s artistic spirit and intent, we can detect that he was profoundly knowledgeable about Chinese ink-wash paintings. Precisely because of this, while depicting forms and applying colors, he employed the skills of using the center tip of the brush and parallel brushstrokes. His Still Life with Bible was created with parallel brushstrokes. In his Self-Portrait, he portrayed his face filled with lines and plaques that are extraordinary. It is not hard for us to discover that he drew inspirations from the substance and essence of Chinese painting in those brushstrokes. That is why Van Gogh is such a distinguished, unparalleled artist of his time and his works are superior to those by the other Western oil painters such as Cezanne, Gauguin or Picasso of the same era.
Van Gogh’s artistic style was closely linked not only to Chinese civilization in the East, but also to the classical Renaissance art, Pointillism, German Expressionism, and Impressionism in the West. Toward the end of his life, he came into oneness with the universe and immersed himself in a carefree state of mind to “follow wherever nature might lead.” As such, he was no longer aware of his own existence. In his mind, there was only the art and the universe. “Following where the nature may lead” is the essence of the ideology of the Chinese philosopher Laozi. Van Gogh cut off his ear with a knife. He lost himself completely in painting. That was his unspoken resentment and rejection of the unfair treatment imposed on him by the society.
Qi Baishi was profoundly knowledgeable about impressionist, fauvist, and realist paintings. By adopting the essence of Western painting and incorporating the traditional spirit of Eastern art, he developed his unique style and became the master of Chinese painting of the twentieth century. His brushstrokes were solid and poised, evincing a sense of power that went all the way through the paper. Using sheep-hair brushes, he elicited calligraphic skills to create his paintings. Qi Baishi’s lines are bold and robust, embodying a forceful spirit that can move mountains. At the same time, these lines are flexible, sturdy and round, with similar qualities to the lines of wire-drawing. His compositions emerged naturally from the spontaneous movement of the brushes. Such compositions are accompanied by vigorous calligraphy resembling the strength, power and fluidity of stone inscriptions.
The artistic concept of spontaneously “following where nature may lead” is precisely derived from Laozi’s philosophy and the artistic civilization of the Chinese ethnicity. Qi Baishi favored the use of white space in his paintings. The white space in black-and-white Chinese ink-wash paintings is considered a solid color. Ink can be differentiated in nine shades (or five shades according to ancient Chinese text.) That is to say, the white of the paper per se and the black of the ink are all considered as colors. There is a sense of meticulous precision in the artworks by Qi Baishi. He depicted insects such as grasshoppers, mantises and butterflies in meticulous and vividly colorful ways. In some of his artworks, the artist was able to express his ideas by putting down just a few brushstrokes without any conscious intent, while arriving at a state of oblivion of his own existence. Anything depicted by his brushes was vivid and vibrant, with the subject matter coming alive on the paper. There is an aura that moves our heart and soul. All in all, Qi Baishi’s paintings were executed with a confident brushwork that naturally achieved a kind of childlike charm.
Recently, some people compared the works by Van Gogh and Qi Baishi with the works by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III to see whose works are more superior and outstanding, or will have a broader and more far-reaching influence on later generations. I have viewed quite a lot of the artworks by Van Gogh, Qi Baishi and H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. I started the study and appreciation of the paintings by Qi Baishi under the enlightening guidance of my teacher when I was 9, and when I was 14, I began to study and appreciate the works by Van Gogh. It has since been several decades!
At the same time, since I have admired the art of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III for a long time, to satisfy my desire and wishes I flew from New York to San Francisco to visit the International Art Museum of America, and to Los Angeles to visit the H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Cultural and Art Museum in order to see their collections. I was profoundly impressed by the architecture of both museums which is grand and dignified. Both museums have a collection of the authentic works by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. There are various artworks that are created with different kinds of material. Some are bold and forthright, some are charmingly meticulous and astounding. The oeuvre is not made up of just one single style.
Yet, the only artwork that was not available for viewing is the Sunflowers painted by H.H Dorje Chang Buddha III. When I hear that some art critics are comparing the works by Van Gogh and Qi Baishi with the works by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, I naturally feel, from my experience of having studied the works by Van Gogh and Qi Baishi for a number of decades, that although their artistry are similar in levels, it is possible to say who is the best if we are just to compare the sunflowers painted by the three artists, when we include in the compositions, colors, brushwork, lines, vitality, spirit and so on. With all these elements in consideration, it is possible to do the comparison and conclude who painted the best, or in other words, whose works can bring the most joy and delight to people, or whose art will be most influential to the philosophy, artistic concept and entire civilization of this world.
Therefore, without any ambiguity, we concluded. In terms of character and morality, Van Gogh would be the last of the three. In terms of level of skills, Qi Baishi would also be ahead of Van Gogh, who is, however, already the cream of the crop in western civilization. Being the Buddha living in the current century,H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III saves living beings with great loving compassion. He is not embodied in an ordinary being. Needless to say, the level of cultivation of the Buddha is superior to that of Van Gogh and Qi Baishi. In terms of creativity and painting skills, how can any ordinary being even hold a candle to the Buddha? In this way, the comparison result is immediately determined.
When those art critics carried out the detailed research of the Sunflowers by Van Gogh and Qi Baishi as well as H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, they copied the artworks by all three artists. After copying the works by Van Gogh and Qi Baishi, they felt deeply that through hands-on practice, they indeed gained more understanding of their works. It would not be easy but not so difficult either for one to really reach their artistic level. As for the Sunflowers by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, they found it rather difficult to copy. Even though they tried many times, they had a hard time just copying the form, let alone the spirit.
The Sunflowers by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III clearly show the artist’s solid foundation and prolific skills in the Eastern and Western painting traditions. They comprise the essences in both traditions and display a brushwork, sentiment and colors that are one of a kind. The color tones and brushstrokes are rich, dense, soothing and elegant. Lively brushwork paints an animated charm that is whole, evincing a miraculous and expansive spirit and aura as well as a strong vitality. As for the Sunflowers oil painting in which H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III depicted some flowers inside a vase, the artistry is extraordinary and full of variations; the composition is simple yet abstruse. The flowers are natural and gracious, such that they give an impression of unpredictability, reaching a state of oneness with the universe and emanating a sharp animated spirit.
The ink-wash painting Sunflowers 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. Overall, the whole painting manifests a harmonious and moving imagery, naturally emanating a lively vivaciousness and a carefree, spirited aura.
In comparing the works by Van Gogh of the Western civilization, Qi Baishi of the Eastern culture, and H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, we can see the artists are distinguished in their unique own ways owing to their different cultures. However, only the artist who can continue to influence the world two to three hundred years from now will be the everlasting monument. There is a saying, “Talents emerge in every era and they all will each have 500 years of fame!” For people of the present day, the one whose work you like the best would be the one that is the most extraordinary!
Please see the contrast of six paintings below:
Sunflowers by Van Gogh (1)
Sunflowers by Van Gogh (2)
Sunflowers by Qi Baishi (1)
Sunflowers by Qi Baishi (1)
Ink-wash Painting Sunflowers by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
Oil Painting Sunflowers by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
