Bhagavan Zhi-Ji Vimalakirti's Written Speech for the 2009 Parliament

Bhagavan Zhi-Ji Vimalakirti's
Written Speech for the
2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions  
3^rd December 2009

Dear respected Chairman of Parliament of the World’s Religions, Rev. Dr. William Lesher  

Dear respected Chairman of the Board of Management of the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions, Professor Gary Bouma,  

Dear respected Program Director of the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions, Professor Desmond Cahill,  

Dear spiritual guiding teachers of all religions,

Dear Most Venerables,

Dear Venerables,

Dear mothers and fathers,

Dear brothers and sisters,

Dear ladies and gentlemen:  

Good evening, everyone!  

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the land where we are now standing upon, no matter whether it was in the past or present, it is the land of Wurundjeri People .  For this, I wish to pay tribute to the Elder of Australian Aboriginal Wurundjeri People, the Honourable Professor Joy Murphy Wandin AO.  

As the President of World Buddhist Sangha Youth, I am delegated by Secretary General of World Buddhist Sangha Youth, the Most Venerable Mugunuwela Anuruddha Thero and all members of the standing committee, to represent the international organization of World Buddhist Sangha Youth with 48 member countries, together we extend our warmest congratulation to the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions, a conference for worldwide representatives.  

As the Vice President of the Chinese Chapter of Association of Religious and Cultural Study of East Asia, I represent this academic organization of Association of religious and Cultural Study of East Asia, the Chinese Chapter of the Association and scholars in the 300 subordinated universities, to express our heartfelt congratulations to the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions, a conference for worldwide representatives.  

As the Permanent President of Chinese Han Transmission Esotericism Academy , I represent the Australian headquarters of Chinese Han Transmission Esotericism Academy , represent the world headquarters of Chinese Han Transmission Tantrayana Buddhism－Holy Tantra Jin-Gang-Dhyana Buddhism and worldwide followers to express our most earnest salutes and congratulations to the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions, a conference for worldwide representatives.  We wish to congratulate the Parliament beforehand on the success of achieving fulfilments of compassionate objectives, i.e. seeking world peace, promoting harmony and joy, assisting each other with mutual progress.  

Today I am extraordinarily excited to have the honour to attend the Parliament.  

On 4^th ~ 5^th December 2008, the 5^th General Conference of World Buddhist Sangha Youth (WBSY) was held in Tasmania .  Buddhist Sangha representatives from 43 countries and regions around the world participated in WBSY.  It was also an international religious Conference.  As every one of you may have already known, World Buddhist Sangha Youth initially established in Nepal , then developed in areas like Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan etc. These Asian countries are Buddhist countries with countless Buddhist Sangha members, countless temples and monasteries, and even countless Buddha statues.  However, we don’t have many Buddhist Sangha members, not many Buddhist temples or monasteries, not many holy statues of Buddha in Australia , especially the little island of Tasmania .  How could we possibly convene such a worldwide international Buddhist Conference?   

Everyone around the world would know that Australia is a Christian nation and has Christian churches with countless followers.  The decision of convening the 5^th General Conference of WBSY on the most southern island on earth, we can’t help not to admire the courage, daring and determination of our Secretary General Most Venerable Anuruddha Thero.  Under the personal leadership of our Secretary General Most Venerable Anuruddha, with the support from the Tasmanian Government and People of Tasmania, not only did we convene the Conference, but also convened it in a very successful manner.  The two day Conference concluded very smoothly and perfectly.  

We wish to thank our Secretary General Most Venerable Anuruddha, we thank him for his resolute support;  

We also thank the President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa’s congratulation letter to our Conference;  

We also thank the support bestowed by His Majesty Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej to our Conference;  

We especially thank the present implementation of Multicultural policies by Australian Government.  

During the Conference, our Tasmania State Director of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the Honourable Doug Walker, acting as the Government’s representative, personally attended and addressed at the Conference.  

We also thank our Tasmanian Premier, the Honourable David Bartlett MP, for concerning the development of the progress of the Conference many times several months before the Conference was convened.  He also delegated Acting Premier, the Honourable Lisa Singh MP to personally attended and addressed at the Conference.  

We also thank our Tasmanian Police, the Highest Police Authority, for sending representatives to attend the Conference and expressed their active support in the address.  The Tasmanian highest Police Authority ensured a prefect opening of the 5^th General Conference of WBSY, and a successful parade of the 200 metre long Golden Dragon, the Holy Ritual of the Offering of Holy Dragon to the Buddha of WBSY by People of Tasmania and various religions at the main streets of Hobart.  This has elevated the devoted offering of the Holy Dragon to the climax. The Tasmanian Police has well prepared and safeguarded the 5^th General Conference of WBSY to a perfect success.  

We also thank our Right Lord Mayor of Hobart, the Honourable Alderman Rob Valentine's support and Acting Lord Mayor, the Honourable Alderman Eva Ruzicka, who personally attended the Conference and made an address with full of spiritual charisma.  

We also appreciate the participation of 263 followers of mine from China , thousands of miles away from Australia . They personally witnessed the success of Australian Multiculturalism policies; they personally witnessed mutual harmony of various cultures in Australia; they personally witnessed the mutual peace, amicability, harmony, friendliness, joy and great love of various religions in Australia, just like a family; they witnessed together we are one; they witnessed people of different colours, different races, different religions/sects gathered together and sang "Together We Are One" with spirit.  

The fact that the 5^th General Conference of World Buddhist Sangha Youth had a supreme convention and perfect conclusion is the most powerful, most concrete, most lively, most realistic way of demonstrating the implementation of Multi-religion, multi-cultural, multi-faith in Australia .  It truly embodied the slogan of WBSY: "Together we are one".  

In our tradition, we are called Holy Tantra; in terms of philosophical Buddhism, it is called Tantrayana.  

Tantrayana is one of the four vehicles of philosophical Buddhism. The four philosophies in Buddhism are Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, Tantrayana. This is a new form of classification of Buddhism by using the four philosophical Buddhism as connotation; is the manifestation of Buddhist spirituality, science, information and energy.  The cosmic spiritual philosophy of Buddhism, the cosmic spiritual aesthetics of Buddhism are held richly in the classification doctrine of the four vehicles of philosophical Buddhism.  

The Great Holy Sakyamuni Buddha divided all of his teachings into four great systems. The philosophical system of Theravada is the philosophy in primordial Buddhism. Later when the northern transmission of Buddhism started to develop, came the philosophy of Mahayana.  As a part of Vajrayana, the philosophy in Tantrayana of Great Holy Sakyamuni Buddha, transmitted into China in 20 B.C. by Holy Patriarch Masters, the Great Holy Jewel Subhakarasimha Tripitaka and the Great Holy Jewel Vajra Bodhi Tripitaka during the Kai Yuan period of Tang Dynasty (A.D. 713－741).  With the support of the emperors, the School of Tantrayana was then formally established.  Vajrayana is the forerunner of Tantrayana which is the thorough development and higher level of formation of Vajrayana. 

Traditionally our Organization is called Chinese Han Transmission Tantrayana Buddhism──Holy Tantra Jin-Gang-Dhyana Buddhism.  The language system of Chinese Han Transmission Tantrayana Buddhism──Holy Tantra Jin-Gang-Dhyana Buddhism hermeneutically explains the "forms of teachings", "forms of yoga", "forms of discipline" and "forms of perfection" in Buddhism.  It also applies the classification doctrine of the four vehicles of philosophical Buddhism to reflect the special attributes of the system of cosmic spiritual philosophy. 

One of the attributes of fundamental system of cosmic spiritual philosophy is information/signals.  When the entire mankind has access into the vision of the Age of Information, Tantra should be thoroughly and profoundly interpreted as information being widely applied and studied in depth.  

Tantrayana, what is the meaning of it?  

Tantrayana is Tantrayana, which cannot be hermeneutically explained as any of other meanings.  

If one really wants to explore the true meaning of Tantrayana:  

Tantrayana is the harmony of cosmic spirituality, peace of cosmic spirituality, great love of cosmic spirituality and the morality of cosmic spirituality.  

How should we hermeneutically explain the cosmic esoteric meaning of the term, Tantrayana?  

The forms of teachings and the ideals of Tantrayana are very rich with distinguishing features.  However, people’s understanding of Tantrayana seems still very obscure, mainly due to the following five reasons:  

1.　Tantrayana possesses abundant oral transmissions.  The forms of teachings and ideals of Tantrayana are through oral instruction and heart/mind transmission.  The explanation, the teaching, the receiving and the carrying-on of Tantrayana is the "Heart Language of Dharma Body", which is a master piece to specialize and professionalize; it is difficult to enter the wonder of San Mei should one does not practise the True Tantrayana.

2.　Tantrayana creates and utilizes special and complete symbolic system of Tantra, symbol system of Tantra and hermeneutical system of Transcendence, to express the doctrine and ideal of Tantra.

3.　The circulation of sutras and sastra of Tantrayana was never extensive; the Chinese translation of Tantrayana sutras was only a small part of Tantrayana.  Therefore, people are basically unfamiliar with Tantrayana.  

4.　（omitted）……  

5.　（omitted）……  

……  

If one mistakenly and briefly explained Tantra of Tantrayana as meanings of "sex" or "sex and love";  

If one developed and evolved Tantrayana as the "Yana of Sex and Love", then it is a misread and misuse of Tantrayana;  

Thereby, the persons who misread and misuse will then wrongly judge, and even went into a wrong meditation practice.  

Tantrayana manifests the sublimation and profoundification of Vajrayana.  

The ideals of Tantrayana embody the harmony of cosmic spirituality, the peace of cosmic spirituality, great love of cosmic spirituality and morality of cosmic spirituality.  

"The universe and human beings are one disconnected yet unified body";  

"Human beings and human beings are also one disconnected yet unified body";  

"Different religions are one disconnected yet unified body";  

"Different political parties are also disconnected yet unified body";  

"Different countries are also one disconnected yet unified body with each other";  

"Different races are also disconnected yet unified body with each other";  

"Human beings and animals are also one disconnected yet unified body";  

Even "antagonistic political parties, antagonistic races, antagonistic nations are also disconnected yet unified body "……   

This is the truth that the philosophy of the great love of cosmic spirituality tells us.  Likewise, Tantrayana also tells us this truth.  When human submits oneself to the law of energy of cosmic spirituality, when one can be "purified, selfless, subdued and diligent", one can then recognize this truth.  This truth will inevitably bring peace, harmony, joy and happiness to the whole mankind.  When the entire mankind grasp this truth, the entire mankind can mutually assist and love, harmoniously co-exist, the sincere hope of world peace will then be realized.  

To establish firmly this peaceful and harmonious spiritual guidance in the aspects of people's mind, mental and spiritual etc, the sincere hope of world peace will definitely be realized.  

The traditional ideals and philosophical principles of Great Holy Sakyamuni Buddha are exactly what we based upon and held the 5^th General Conference of WBSY.  

Our Secretary General Most Venerable Anuruddha set "Buddhism Beyond Boundaries" as the theme of 5^th General Conference of WBSY.  If one really wants to translate Tantrayana philosophy into modern language, we will then say, it is called "We are one".  

We have prepared a special Vajra Dharma Implement, a "Vajra Crystal Ball", as our gift for the Parliament.  She represents the cosmic energy of Great Holy Sakyamuni Buddha's ultimate virtuous kindness, compassion and wisdom; her brilliance illuminates the entire universe.  We are planning to devotedly present to anyone who wish to share our joy.  

We devotedly offer the short DVD film, Contact of Zero Distance in Transcendence; hope everyone can share the great love of cosmic spirituality.  

Thank you, everyone!  

Bhagavan Zhi Ji Vimalakirti

President of World Buddhist Sangha Youth

Vice President of the Chinese Chapter of Association of Religious and Cultural Study of East Asia

Permanent President of Chinese Han Transmission Esotericism Academy

Patriarch Master of Chinese Han Transmission Tantrayana Buddhism － Holy Tantra Jin-Gang-Dhyana Buddhism