H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III warns us that there are three evil and seven erroneous views that you might hold concerning Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. The short discourse that His Holiness gave on each of these can be found by clicking their titles below.
It is wrong and an evil view to claim to be a holy one just so you can get others to believe and follow the teachings of the Buddhas or to tell your disciples that you are a Buddha or Bodhisattva, if you are not. You also hold an evil view if you think anyone—no matter who that person is—is a Bodhisattva, if that person does not exhibit bodhichitta in everything he or she does or says.
It is erroneous to think that anyone is a holy person if they exhibit no realization and display no bodhichitta or compassion or are disrespectful to images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Likewise, it is erroneous to think that just because someone has been recognized by a worldly source or speaks in a certain way is a Bodhisattva or acts in a different way is not a Bodhisattva. It is also wrong to believe that Bodhisattvas do not get sick. They may even become ill for the sake of living beings.
In many of the Buddha Master’s dharma discourses, we are told that ordinary beings cannot understand the ways and behaviors of Bodhisattvas, just as lower level Bodhisattvas do not understand what higher level Holy beings do.
Evil View #6: THE VIEW THAT ONE MAY FALSELY CLAIM TO BE A BUDDHA OR BODHISATTVA IN ORDER TO PROPAGATE THE DHARMA
Evil View #14: THE VIEW THAT REGARDS AS A BODHISATTVA SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT ACT OUT OF GREATLY COMPASSIONATE BODHICITTA
Evil View #38: THE VIEW THAT IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO CALL YOURSELF A BUDDHA OR BODHISATTVA IN FRONT OF YOUR DISCIPLES
Erroneous View #26: THE VIEW THAT IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO REGARD SOMEONE WHO HAS NO HOLY REALIZATION AND BODHICITTA AS BEING A TRUE HOLY PERSON
Erroneous View #60: THE VIEW THAT ONE WHO HAS UNDERSTOOD HIS MIND AND SEEN HIS ORIGINAL NATURE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE RESPECTFUL TO AND WORSHIP THE IMAGES OF THE BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS
Erroneous View #61: THE VIEW THAT GREAT BODHISATTVAS DO NOT GET SICK
Erroneous View #65: THE VIEW THAT THOSE WHOSE STATUS IS THAT OF A BUDDHA OR BODHISATTVA NEED NOT WORSHIP IMAGES OF HOLY BEINGS AFTER ENTERING A TEMPLE
Erroneous View #69: THE VIEW THAT ONE WHO EXPOUNDS THE DHARMA IN A GENTLE VOICE IS DEFINITELY A BODHISATTVA
Erroneous View #71: THE VIEW THAT ONE WHO USES THE VAJRA FORM OF BODHI CONDUCT TO BENEFIT OTHERS IS NOT ONE OF HOLY VIRTUE
Erroneous View #75: THE VIEW THAT ONE WHO HOLDS A RECOGNITION CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY A GREAT DHARMA KING IS DEFINITELY A PERSON OF TRUE HOLINESS
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