In Mid-October 2011, when layperson Ling-Xian Chen from New York came to San Francisco to visit Hua Zang Si (a temple in United States that propagates the dharma of H.H.Dorje Chang Buddha III), she came to my place to listen to the Dharma. When I saw her, she seemed very gloomy. After a few words with her, I learned that her daughter-in-law, Su-Qing Chen in Taiwan was suffering from an unknown illness. She had gone through several examinations at various hospitals and still could not find the cause of it. She was in agonizing pain and her body was so weak that her weight had gone down to 39 kilos. Layperson Ling-Xian Chen was very worried about this and was about to rush back to pay her a visit in Taiwan.
At that time, I recalled that I had the Dharma water empowered by H.H.Dorje Chang Buddha III. I made a small bottle for her and asked her to bring it to her daughter-in-law. I also asked her to tell her daughter-in-law to have faith in Buddha Dharma, truly repent her beginning-less karmic hindrances and sincerely beseech empowerment from the Buddhas.
How Dharma Water Reveals the Power of the Buddhas
After layperson Ling-Xian Chen arrived in Taiwan, she then learned that her daughter-in-law had suffered from the illness since the beginning of the year. Her symptoms started with skin rashes and itchiness. She had sought cures from everywhere to no avail. Then in October her illness got worse. She was not able to swallow. If she drank, the water would flow out of her nostrils; if she ate, the food would get stuck in her throat. The last resort was nasogastric intubation for feeding.
On October 18, they found the name of the illness – dermatomyositis, but there was no cure for it. They could only treat her with corticosteroids or antibiotics. Afterwards, she experienced chest pain as a result of liquid retention in the lungs. They took out the liquid, yet the chest pain did not go away. After another check-up, they found a tear in the esophagus. Feeding through a tube was then stopped.
November 5 was the first time when layperson Ling-Xian Chen fed her daughter-in-law the Dharma water. She poured the pure Dharma water in the tube and asked her daughter-in-law how she felt about it. She said that it felt good and tasted fragrant. Afterwards, layperson Ling-Xian Chen poured the rest of the Dharma water evenly in several mineral water bottles. Every day she gave some of it to her daughter-in-law and comforted her daughter-in-law saying that with the Dharma water, she will receive the empowerment from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. As long as she has faith, she will have hope.
The prolong use of antibiotics and corticosteroids lead to anemia and malnutrition. At one point her limbs almost fell paralyzed and she could not even take care of her biological needs. To restore the tube feeding, the tube was inserted all the way to the small intestine which was a very painful process. After the evaluations were done by several departments, they decided on a surgery to suture the tear on the esophagus. On December 16, while in the surgery, the surgeons found that the tear of the esophagus had gotten too big, like the shape of a trumpet, to suture. They also found two additional small holes next to the heart. At the end, they redirected the tube from the top to a lower position and decided on a gastrostomy tube placement surgery which was then scheduled on January 4. After the surgery, her daughter-in-law was placed in ICU.
The Blessings of Dorje Chang Buddha III and the Compassion of All Buddhas
During this period of time, layperson Ling-Xian Chen insisted on feeding her daughter-in-law the mineral water mixed with the Dharma water. She had drunken seven or eight bottles all together. Gadu Rinpoche had chanted a sutra and beseeched blessings for her. The monastics of Hua Zang Si also have dedicated their merits to her.
While she was waiting for the g-tube placement surgery, a miracle happened. On January 3, before the surgery, in an endoscope exam, they found that tissues around the tear had grown and as a result closed the opening. The doctors were stunned by this and said that a surgery was not necessary any more. After two weeks of observation, the feeding tube was then taken out. After taking another X-ray of the esophagus to ensure of no opening, she was then released. One month after, she gradually recovered. She was then able to swallow without problems. Now, she is strong enough to talk and move freely.
Sincere Faith to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
The entire family of layperson Ling-Xian Chen was very moved. Her daughter-in-law also truly thanked the empowerment from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. She took refuge in Buddhism and sincerely took on the Bodhi path of Buddhist practice and cultivate. This true story again proves that Buddha Dharma is magnificent and the highest. It manifests immeasurable power that is true and not false. As long as one is sincere to the Buddhas, truly repents the beginning-less negative karma as a result of ignorance, becomes determined to learn from the Buddha and do only good, and cultivate in accordance with the Dharma, one will definitely receive empowerment from the Buddhas, eradicate all afflictions and sufferings caused by karmic hindrances, and obtain peace and happiness. Amitabha!
Unexpected events can arise at any moment in our daily lives. Impermanence is constantly with us, whether we are aware of it or not.
One evening, the weather was pleasantly cool. As usual, I was watching my child play with friends in our community. Seeing them happily absorbed in their games, I took out my phone and began browsing some news and information.
Suddenly, I heard an elderly man exclaim, “The child has been hurt from the fall!” I immediately looked up and saw my child crying uncontrollably several meters away. I rushed over and discovered that another child had accidentally knocked her to the ground. A large bump had already formed on her head.
It happened so quickly. In just a moment of inattention, an accident occurred.
That night, as I watched my child sleeping peacefully, I could not stop thinking about how she had cried in pain, tears covering her face. My heart ached for her. Just moments before, she had been a carefree child, full of laughter and joy. Yet in an instant, everything changed.
What if she had been seriously injured?
This incident reminded me of something that happened to my mother in 2020. She was in her seventies when she fell from a three-wheeled vehicle. During a turn, she was thrown from the vehicle and landed heavily on the ground. She could barely move afterward. A CT scan revealed that four ribs had been fractured, and her face was severely bruised and swollen. For days, the pain was so intense that she repeatedly said she could not endure it.
Reflecting on these experiences, I realized how unpredictable life truly is. Accidents and misfortunes can happen to anyone, at any time. This is the reality of impermanence.
“Without an awareness of impermanence, one cannot enter the Buddhist path. Even after entering it, one cannot engage in correct cultivation.”
These words prompted me to examine myself more deeply. Although I have studied Buddhism for many years, I realized that I had not truly developed a profound awareness of impermanence.
When I quietly reflected on my life, I saw that impermanence is everywhere. We age without noticing it. White hairs gradually appear. Our bodies lose their former strength. Family members and friends whom we once shared life with gradually depart from this world.
There is nothing we can do to stop time. We cannot bring back those who have passed away, nor can we prevent our own lives from eventually coming to an end.
Life lasts only as long as a single breath. Impermanence can arrive in a single instant.
Every day, we witness unexpected tragedies—accidents, natural disasters, illnesses, economic hardships, and countless unforeseen changes. No matter how much wealth, status, or success a person possesses, no one is exempt from the uncertainties of life.
As long as we remain within the cycle of samsara, impermanence will continue to accompany us.
This realization led me to ask myself: If my life were to end unexpectedly today, where would I go?
The thought was sobering.
I therefore made a sincere vow to cherish this rare and precious human life and to practice even more diligently the authentic Tathagata Dharma transmitted by Namo H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. May I attain liberation in this very lifetime, transcend the cycle of reincarnation, and ultimately realize lasting happiness and freedom.
Gratitude brings peace to the heart. In life, people often focus on what is missing, what is difficult, or what has not gone according to plan.
In life, people often focus on what is missing, what is difficult, or what has not gone according to plan.
But when we learn to be grateful, our perspective begins to change. We become less burdened by dissatisfaction and more aware of the blessings already present in our lives.
Gratitude is not merely a polite feeling. It is a form of inner cultivation. When we appreciate the kindness of others, the support we have received, and the opportunities to learn through hardship, our hearts naturally become softer and more peaceful.
In the teachings of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, true cultivation is reflected in how we transform our minds and conduct ourselves in daily life. A grateful heart helps us reduce arrogance, complaint, and resentment, and allows humility and kindness to grow.
When we live with gratitude, we do not take life for granted. We become more mindful of every condition that supports us, and more willing to repay kindness through good thoughts, good words, and good actions.
Let us begin today by giving thanks sincerely, living more humbly, and cherishing each day with a grateful heart.
頂禮 H.H. 第三世多杰羌佛-- 正教 