Dharma King Gar Tongstan IV Ciren Gyatso is a faithful disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. He had realized true emptiness and accomplished the holy state to control His own death and rebirth. He passed away in liberation in September, 2018.
In “Inquiry Reply No. 20180102” issued by World Buddhist Association Headquarters in 2018, it was stated, “Today, two members of the board of directors of World Buddhism Association Headquarters went to seek instructions from the Dharma King, as some people are asking when the Dharma King will leave this world in a state of liberation. Dharma King Gar Tongstan said that he had accomplished control over his birth and death by practicing a dharma, the Yidam of which is H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. He said that once a last dharma is performed, he will write a decision letter about his leaving this world and then will leave this world in a state of liberation. He stated that he will not waste any time. Upon hearing that, members of the Persons of Holy Virtue Group at World Buddhism Association Headquarters immediately entered a supernatural observance and found that Dharma King Gar Tongstan had already fully realized the status of Shangzun at the level of Gold Button Grade 3!
Why was the Dharma King able to speak with such certainty? In today’s world, where could people possibly find such Buddha-dharma by which they can attain control over their own birth and death? For almost 100 years, there has not been Buddha-dharma that astounded the world in this way. The Dharma King said that once a last dharma has been performed, he would leave this world in a state of liberation as soon as possible. What dharma was he waiting for? What kind of decision letter would he leave behind? Anyway, that would happen very soon. It was just a matter of waiting for a dharma assembly to take place. We eagerly waited to see whether what he said was empty talk or a reference to an actual great dharma!
In September 2018, Dharma King Gar Tongstan beseeched his beneficent Buddha Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, to perform a holy fire-mandala grand offering. He said, “Your Holiness the Buddha should use this highest and greatest Dharma of Tathagata to verify whether those who flaunt the banners of their lineages in society are ordinary or holy people, whether they are amateurs in Buddhism who have lost the lineage of true Dharma. Those who carry evil views have made much efforts in social-media websites on the internet to undermine and slander the conduct and dharma of my beneficent Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. This is the only way for us to refute their evilness and show what true Buddha Dharma is!”
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said, “You are wrong. One must not cause others to feel bad for one’s own sake. I am not able to perform that Dharma. Even if I were to perform it, I would only be able to chant according to the rituals.”
Dharma King Gar Tongstan continued to beseech, “My beneficent Buddha Master, even assuming that Dharma is not performed for the sake of validating Yourself, that Dharma still needs to be performed for the sake of validating true Dharma of Tathagata, for the sake of living beings in the entire western world so as to eliminate their disasters and pray for their good fortune, and for my sake, Your disciple Gar Tongstan Ciren Gyatso, who is beseeching true Buddha Dharma so that I may have the requisites for my accomplishment!”
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III then said, “Since this relates to the great cause of spreading true Buddha Dharma in the entire western world, and for the sake of praying for good fortune to benefit living beings, you can rest assured that this Dharma assembly will be performed. Even if I do not do perform it, a person of tremendously holy virtue will perform it.”
On September 17th, a metalwork specialist led a team to rush the fabrication of a brass cauldron. On September 18th, Sister Xuanhui brought sandalwood pieces and charcoals from the residence of Dharma King Gar Tongstan to be burnt during the homa fire-offering. On September 19th, the “Holy Fire-Offering Grand Dharma Assembly” was formally held at the Holy Miracles Temple in the United States.
The “Holy Fire-Offering Dharma” is the king of all Dharmas in eliminating karmic hindrances and increasing good fortune. About eighty years ago in Tibet, this Dharma was once successfully performed by Master Phapongka and Kangsa Rinpoche. Ever since, both in Tibet and the Han Chinese regions, the so-called Fire-offering Dharma has been something that is merely described in books or mentioned orally as being a holy Dharma practice; that is, there has not been any actual manifestation of holy states during that time. There have only been conventional dharma practices performed through the chanting of rituals.
However, at the Holy Fire-Offering Grand Dharma Assembly that was performed by a tremendously holy virtuous one at Holy Miracles Temple in the United States on September 19th, 2018, Vajra Maternal Buddha personally arrived in the sky. Her entire tall and enormous blue body emitted light. In an article published on the internet, someone said that they saw Vajra Maternal Buddha flick a finger, sending forth a flash of light from the sky. The fire inside the cauldron then ignited.
However, I have interviewed quite a few people who saw something different. They saw that Vajra Maternal Buddha, who was blue, manifest Herself in the sky. She was enormous, very tall, and extremely dignified and majestic. Her body and movements changed. A net of fire and lightning swirled around Her entire body. As soon as the fire-ignition guardian finished beseeching Her to ignite the fire, Vajra Maternal Buddha suddenly emitted a flash of light from between Her eyebrows directly into the fire cauldron. In an instant, a raging fire started burning! At that time, only five pieces of sandalwood had been placed inside the fire cauldron. How could such a raging fire possibly ignite in an instant?
Subsequently, the demons captured inside the Vajra demon-subduing bowl struggled desperately to escape, trying to shake the bowl to find an exit. Right at the moment that the bowl was shaking, Vajra Maternal Buddha again sent forth a flame from between Her eyebrows directly toward the demon-subduing bowl. Suddenly, the sound “Hong” was heard. The demon-subduing bowl emitted golden flames, instantly turning the demons and black karma of the attendance into pulverized powder. Vajra Maternal Buddha subdued the demons, whose souls were brought to a Buddha-land to be edified! The nearly 100 Buddhist cultivators attending the Dharma assembly were greatly astonished, and they were all prostrating themselves non-stop to pay obeisance!
At the dharma assembly, the one of tremendously holy virtue announced to the practitioners, “This Dharma assembly has now been performed. Dharma King Gar Tongstan will very soon leave the world.”
Sure enough, this was precisely the last Dharma assembly that Dharma King Gar Tongstan said he was waiting for. On the next day, the Dharma King took a bath, changed his clothes, and entered his Dharma practice. In front of his meditation seat, there was a writing desk, brush and ink, paper, and white-out fluid. After writing a letter respectfully bidding farewell to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, the Dharma King immediately went into a sitting meditation and passed away in a state of liberation.
When monastics from different temples heard the news and quickly made their way to the site, they found that right after the Dharma King put down his brush, he passed away in a state of liberation gracefully and completely at ease. At that time, everyone came to realize that the Verses of Respectful Farewell written by Dharma King Gar Tongstan are pointing living beings to where the true, great Dharma of Tathagata is. That is, the true Dharma is held and controlled by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. It is the same as the Dharma of Shakyamuni Buddha; namely, the Buddha Dharma that is non-sectarian and that belongs to the entirety of Buddhism!
The following are the Verse of Respectful Farewell written by Dharma King Gar Tongstan:
Verse of Respectful Farewell
Namo beneficent Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
Disciple Gar Tongstan Ciren Gyatso has decided to leave this world.
As life is filled with suffering,
I rushed about learning Buddhism and seeking enlightenment.
I have followed many masters:
Guang Qin, Xuan Hua, Kalu,
And Dharma King Dilgo Khyentse,
Diligently practicing their dharmas and the Sakya unshared LamDre Dharma,
All to no avail.
Thankfully, I met my Buddha Master.
Through the Mahamudra of Liberation that is supreme and unsurpassed,
And the secret initiations and transmissions of holy Dharma from my Buddha Master,
I achieved control over my own birth and death.
My direct realization is reality.
I now put down my brush and leave this world,
Entering into the state of liberation before the ink dries.
Namo my beneficent Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III!
Disciple Tongstan respectfully bids farewell.
September 20, 2018