Why talk about “Miracles” and supernatural powers?

In 2008, I had the good fortune to meet with H.H. Penor Rinpoche at his American retreat center in upstate New York and heard the former head of the Nyingma Sect, the oldest Buddhist lineage in Tibet, praise H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III as being much higher than he was and that it was good that such a holy being would incarnate in these dharma-ending days. The Great Dharma King also told me that my Buddha Master should manifest many miracles so that people would once again believe in the power of the Buddha-dharma. Penor Rinpoche was one of the many great Buddhist leaders who recognized H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III as the third incarnation of the original samboghakaya Dorje Chang Buddha.

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha stated that supernatural powers, often referred to as “miracles” are simply that which everyone who is accomplished in the dharma possesses. They are powers that are the manifestation of one’s realization achieved through cultivation, but they are not the goal of cultivation.  His Holiness also explained why there are misunderstandings concerning these powers in Buddhism today. Shakyamuni Buddha certainly manifested supernatural powers when He lived on this earth over 2,500 years ago, but He also preached against such powers, reflecting different underlying karmic conditions that existed then and still exist today. He explains the different sutras that represent these different positions in an article contained in the book H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. He also explains that they are a natural byproduct that indicate one’s progress on the path and that anyone wanting to become a Buddha must go through the stage of supernatural powers, but it is important that one not become attached to these powers, or have attaining them as one’s goal of practice.