ONLY SINCERE AND THOROUGH REPENTANCE CAN PREVENT ONE FROM REPEATING HIS MISTAKES
Caller: Master, why is it that people ‘forget the pain where gain follows’? How can we remember this pain and never commit the same mistake again?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Humans are an entity of desires. In fact, the human body shares a common characteristic of self-justification, that is, the ability to mend and make up for one’s own mistakes which takes place in the mind, body and soul.
Say, you accidentally cut your hand, why does it heal itself automatically? Why is it that when you apply pressure on your wound with a piece of tissue paper, the bleeding stops, and your wound gradually seals itself? This is because the human body is an entity of desires where desires reside and the need for change and alternation perpetuates.
In other words, such a desire is constantly changing and it alternates between existence and non-existence. We live in a state of flux – what we have today may be gone tomorrow, and what the body needs today may not be necessary tomorrow. That is why we are perpetually in transition mode.
A person, who truly seeks to be awakened may say, “I must remember when in pain” but, the reality is, it is very difficult to recall the lessons learned even if he records it on video. Why so? This is because the person himself is an entity of desires that is prone to change.
Therefore, the best approach is to elevate your spiritual self, recognising the gravity of the matter in hand and the type of pressure experienced in the face of your suffering. Only then can you remain steadfast spiritually and allow the experience to penetrate your consciousness, thus preventing you from making the same mistake ever again.
It will not work as long as the experience does not penetrate your consciousness and truly make you acknowledge your mistake. There’s a saying, “to deeply feel, deeply reflect, deeply correct”, which means to perform a sincere and thorough repentance. Without such a profound introspection and pious repentance, the experience will not be able to penetrate your consciousness, and you are bound to sin again.
To cite a simple example, imagine you are someone with stomach issues who has been advised to avoid consuming cold foods. But, when you catch sight of ice cream, you give in to temptation. The moment the pain hits you, you may tell yourself, “Gosh, I’ll never eat ice cream ever again”. For all you know, the cycle repeats itself. Do you understand?
Caller: Yes, I got it now.
Source: Wenda20141212 21:00, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
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