On September 20, 2018, Dharma King Gar Tongstan left this world in a perfectly liberated state, just as he had predicted he would. He said he would leave this world after a “last dharma assembly.” That is what happened. Right after the perfect completion of the holy fire offering dharma assembly on September 19, in the grand hall of Shakyamuni Buddha, the Tremendously Great Holy Virtuous One announced, “Today’s grand dharma assembly has been practiced. This is what Dharma King Gar Tongstan has been waiting for. This is the last dharma assembly that he received empowerment from.”
Two dharma masters had visited him and tried to persuade him to stay to propagate the dharma and save living beings. The Dharma King said, “With the Buddha Master staying in the world, what use can be made from one who has my realization! Human life is simply a dream. One will leave sooner or later. When causes and conditions gather and combine, existence is manifested illusorily. When the conditions come to an end, one will leave. That will be it. I will not stay!” He also said, “My freedom from birth and death is decided by me. I can go whenever I want to. This is different from holy virtuous one Zhao Yusheng who had to rely on the Bodhisattva to be received at a defined time.”
It turned out that Dharma King Gar Tongstan truly fulfilled his words on the freedom from birth and death. On September 20, which was the day after the dharma assembly, he put on his rinpoche robes after taking a bath and then laid out stationary before his dharma seat. He wrote a farewell letter to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, which mentioned that he would “pass away in a state of perfect accomplishment before the ink dries.” His words of “pass away in a state of perfect accomplishment before the ink dries” means that he passed away in a state of perfect accomplishment right after putting down his pen.
I knew this wonderful holy being and was both happy and sad when the Buddha Master told me a few weeks ago that Dharma King had ready to leave this world and would soon do so. Happy that he would be going to the Buddha lands and sad that we would no longer have him with us.
He had always been so kind and generous to me and, because both he and his lovely wife Katherine spoke English so well, had helped me so many times to understand what was happening and subtle meanings of the dharma. He had given me a copy of the Chinese-English Dictionary and his favorite translation of The Platform Sutra by the Sixth Patriarch of Zen. I remember so well Katherine translating for me in their home, the special dharma discourses that are kept in a precious silver box that document his awakening. I also remember seeing him tell the Buddha Master about his awakening experience. I was in one car driving to the Los Angeles airport to board an airplane to Hawaii and the Dharma King was suppose to be driving his large white Mercedes Benz in the car next to us to take the Buddha to the airport. The normally quiet, reserved and very dignified Dharma King was very excited and moving his arms around to tell his story. I am not sure who was driving the car–maybe the car was driving itself. What I learned later was that the Dharma King was telling the Buddha about his enlightenment experience. He composed an enlightenment poem for the Buddha about it, but what I remember most was hearing that the Buddha had asked him why he had not asked the Buddha if he was enlightened? Was the experience real? Many want to have what they think is such an experience confirmed. The Dharma King responded, “I don’t need to.” The Buddha Master was delighted as that was exactly the correct response. If you have to ask, you are not enlightened.
The Dharma King proved his enlightened state and freedom from birth and death by deciding when to leave this world. We will greatly miss him.
CLICK for article on how “Supreme Buddha-dharma Astonished the World Once Again.”
The Buddha Master told us last Wednesday at the Holy Fire Offering Dharma Assembly reported elsewhere that the Dharma King would soon move on. CLICK for more.
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Congratulations To The Corpse With The Calmest Mind. The Dharma King Gar Tongstan Also Commented On His DOUBT About His Own Ability To Return To The Saha World WITHOUT The Premission Of The Amithabha Buddha Of Western Sukavarti……….