After reading the brief description of the Vajra Array in Public Announcement 20150107, some people argued that it is not a mundane Dharma. Although they understand the Vajra Array clearly, they are worried that perhaps the Eight-wind Array, on the other hand, is an ordinary trap. Therefore, we will discuss the Birth and Death Cycling Samsara Eight-wind Array next.

If it was a mundane and artificial trap, how could it make such a fair and definitive determination on the level of accomplishment? If that were the case, would the candidates be convinced? The Eight-wind Array is an entirely different Dharma and formation than the Vajra Array. Its formidable powers are only second to the Vajra Array. It, too, is by no means a mundane or artificial trap. It generates a corresponding destruction force opposite the candidate’s eight emotions—greed, hatred, ignorance, love, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. It is purely an authentic Dharma of Buddhism where Mahāmāyūrī Vidyārājñī (the Peacock Bright King) is the Yidam. It gives the final determination on the disciple after the disciple has completed the exam of the specific testing subject in the teaching of Tripitaka, the keeping of their cultivation, the correctness of their knowledge and views, or their dharma power and realization abilities. This final part is the Holy Test is definitive and without error because the Yidam and Dharmapalas decide the result, which humans cannot influence!

The Eight-wind Array is held in either the Large or the Small Array. The Large Array is about 5 acres. In the center is the gate to being alive and accomplished (成就生門), which is almost half an acre and is green. The name of the area is called the Auspicious Zone of Bliss and Joy (福樂吉界), and the outside area surrounding it is the Death and Rebirth Samsara Zone (生死輪迴界), which is about four and a half acres and is black. Connected to the gate of the array is a broad passage about 20 meters long. It goes straight to the Auspicious Zone of Bliss and Joy from the gate. The candidate first practices walking into the Auspicious Zone of Bliss and Joy a few times. After becoming familiar with the process, they burn their test document by themselves and then walk to the Auspicious Zone of Bliss and Joy. If the candidate is qualified for the level they are tested, they can step into the Auspicious Zone of Bliss and Joy smoothly. If they are not eligible, they cannot walk into the Auspicious Zone. They see the zone before them clearly but cannot walk in, no matter how they try. The more they try to walk towards it, the farther away they will become until they are engulfed in the Samsara Eight-wind Array and entangled in the Samsara Black Zone without any way to escape. Could a mundane, artificial trap have that kind of power? The candidate trapped in the Samsara Zone can only be rescued back to life by the Holy Gurus at the end.

The overall power of the Large Array is 8 out of 8. But because it is too strong for the candidates to take, we have only set up 3/8 of power. The power of the Small Array is only set to 1/8. It has been proven with an actual survey that the Small Array could not only accurately determine if someone is qualified for the level they are tested at with the result seen but also that the candidate would not be harmed a bit. Seventeen witnesses were onsite, including seven holy gurus and ten witnesses proctoring the test. Anyone who has entered the Auspicious Zone of Bliss and Joy can validate the test result. Initially, the candidate drew the Divine Divination in an enclosed covered bowl. Neither the candidate themself nor the proctoring masters knew what the outcome of the Divination was inside the bowl. The candidate then opened the enclosed bowl before the seven holy gurus and the ten witness masters to validate the result of Divine Divination. Suppose the result matches the level the candidate achieved in the Eight-wind Array. In that case, the candidate will be conferred with a holiness certificate of their corresponding class that is endorsed with the vows made by the proctor masters.

The United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters

June 29, 2015

(Eric C. Huang translated this announcement from Chinese to English. It was last updated on 2024/07/28.)