The Crime of Stealing the Saha World's Sovereign Lord from the World-Honored One

In Buddhism, if someone stands up and says: "I am the Dharma Lord (equivalent to the religious leader) of Buddhism in the Saha World. Everything in Buddhism is decided by me. Who can teach the Dharma and who cannot is up to me. I allow whoever I choose to teach, and whoever I forbid cannot teach. If anyone dares to teach privately, they will be charged with two crimes: one is teaching heretical Dharma, and the other is stealing the Dharma. Moreover, those I permit to teach (all from within my circle) must not exceed the scope I have defined or surpass what I teach; they can only teach at a lower level. Otherwise, they violate the precepts and disobey the teacher's instructions." So, does such a person's behavior constitute theft?

This person's behavior is not ordinary theft but grand theft—the greatest theft in the world, with nothing surpassing it. Firstly, they steal the Buddha's authority as the religious leader, directly stripping the World-Honored One of His leadership and governance over the Saha World, usurping the Buddha's supreme authority over the entirety of Buddhism. This theft cannot be repented; even repentance cannot purify it.

Secondly, this person steals the Sangha's right to propagate the Dharma, directly interfering with and obstructing the monastic community's mission to spread the Dharma. They hinder the Sangha's guidance and salvation of sentient beings, disrupt the Three Jewels' noble work of leading and nurturing beings, impede the growth of Buddhist talents, and cause sentient beings to lose their connection with the Three Jewels, depriving them of the opportunity to practice and attain liberation. This karmic offense is also extremely grave.

Furthermore, by unreasonably restricting others from teaching the Dharma, they obstruct the fulfillment of others' great Bodhisattva vows, limit the development of their Bodhisattva endeavors, and sever the karmic connections between sentient beings and those teachers. Sentient beings' practice is hindered, and their spiritual progress cannot continue. This karmic offense is incomparably immense.

If ten such people emerged in Buddhism, all vying for the position of Dharma Lord, wouldn’t they turn the world upside down? Could Buddhism even survive? Throughout the ages, including all enlightened masters and even Bodhisattvas on the stages of realization, who among them has ever harbored even a trace of perverse thought or audacity to covet the position of Dharma Lord? In the Saha World, the Dharma Lord is solely Shakyamuni Buddha; no other Buddha can assume this role—they can only assist Shakyamuni Buddha. Which disciple or Bodhisattva of the Buddha would have the audacity, the perverse intention, the virtue, or the capability to contend for the position of Dharma Lord? What kind of person would dare to compete with the Buddha? If such a person were to appear in Buddhism, how could the great vows of all sentient beings—to liberate all beings—ever be fulfilled?

Indeed, such a person exists in Buddhism today: a layperson who dares to silence all monastics, forbidding them from teaching the Dharma. When monastics step forward to teach, this person actively sabotages them, invariably accusing them of either being heretical teachers spreading false Dharma or stealing the Dharma—one or the other. What kind of person would do such a despicable thing? For thirty years, they have schemed to replace the monastic Sangha with their self-proclaimed lay Sangha, expelling the monastic Sangha from the ranks of the Three Jewels and taking their place with their lay group. What kind of behavior is this? When monastics teach in their own temple halls, this person rallies a crowd to storm the hall, drag the teaching monk down, and halt the Dharma teaching. What is this behavior? What retribution will they face? This is stealing the Sangha Jewel’s right to propagate the Dharma and benefit sentient beings—a forceful, brazen theft, the gravest form of robbery. The karmic retribution will undoubtedly be the severest for such robbery and theft.