Deepest gratitude to Namo Shakyamuni Buddha!
Deepest gratitude to the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva!
Deepest gratitude to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in all ten directions and three periods of time, and Dharma Protectors!
Deepest gratitude to Master Jun Hong Lu!
Hello fellow Buddhist friends. Today, I will share my personal insights of practising Guan Yin Citta. If there are anything inappropriate in my sharing, may Guan Yin Bodhisattva and Dharma Protectors forgive me.
My journey of practising Buddhism began in 2015. The following year, I volunteered at my first Dharma convention, and in 2017, my wife and I formally became disciples of Master Lu in Singapore. Since practising Buddhism, our lives have been very smooth. I enjoyed a high-paying and stable job, my wife and I practised together, our entire family adopted a vegetarian diet, and I had the flexibility of working from home to perform meritorious deeds.
I was often told by fellow practitioners how fortunate I was, and I also felt deeply grateful. Yet, it was not until the end of 2024 that I truly understood how fragile such worldly blessings can be in the wake of karmic forces.
Near the end of 2024, several Buddhist friends had dreams of me being troubled by demons. One of the dreams was of the old Guan Yin Temple, where many demons were at the entrance – unable to enter, but I opened the door and walked out.
In reality, there were a series of leadership changes at my workplace, which complicated the interpersonal relationships in the company. My new supervisor and I didn’t see eye-to-eye, adding friction to my work, and I felt tremendous pressure. Around the same time, I started experiencing chest tightness and heart discomfort, but the hospital couldn’t find any underlying problems.
December 2024 – The Onset of Illness
One morning in December 2024, I woke up to find both my hands and feet unexpectedly swollen. I immediately visited my family doctor, but my condition showed no sign of improvement. I then went to a hospital emergency room where I did a blood test, but the results were all normal. They subsequently referred me to an internal medicine specialist for further investigation. A week later, the swelling subsided, but my feet became very sore and my toes were becoming numb.
During this period, I underwent a series of tests—blood tests, CT scans, and ultrasounds—yet no cause was identified. However, one blood test report indicated that a certain cell in my body was producing an abnormal protein (MONOCLONAL BAND DETECTED). Because the amount was very low, the doctor advised that a bone marrow extraction for confirmation was not immediately necessary. I was asked to repeat the blood test in June 2025.
Physical Exhaustion and a Prayer Answered
By this time, work had left me mentally and physically drained. Yet, I was reluctant to resign outright, having been with the company for over a decade. I quietly hoped for the company to offer me a severance package to resign and that I could find a new job; that would be the best. In March 2025, the company indeed provided me with six months’ salary as compensation, and I resigned as I had wished. Prior to my departure, I had already enrolled in adult education courses.
I remember one Thursday at the Guan Yin Hall, while kneeling before the Bodhisattva and reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance, a thought suddenly arose in my mind: “My child, do not worry. Everything is arranged for the best.” At that moment, I felt the Bodhisattva’s compassion and saw Guan Yin Bodhisattva radiating golden light.
Confronting the Severity and Making a Vow
After leaving my job, I finally had the time to review the medical report carefully. Only then did I grasp the seriousness of my condition. I searched online and discovered that the detection of a MONOCLONAL BAND can lead to multiple myeloma – bone marrow cancer, if it continues to develop. I was terrified. As the sole breadwinner for my entire family—my wife, our children, and our parents—the consequence of a cancer diagnosis is unthinkable. My body was already showing many symptoms.
As the sole breadwinner for my family – my wife, children, and parents all rely on me for support. My body had indeed been showing many symptoms, and if I were truly diagnosed with cancer, the consequences would be unbearable.
Making Vows and Spiritual Practice
I immediately knelt before Guan Yin Bodhisattva and made the following vows: to recite 500 Little Houses within 6 months, to release 500 kilograms of fish (approximately 1,200 fish), and—should I pass through this tribulation smoothly—to share my testimony to inspire others to practise Buddhism. I also recited four batches of 108 times of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance.
The wind is howling and the rain is pouring down outside. I am truly grateful to have the Guan Yin Temple as my safe haven. I would go to the Guan Yin Hall for five to six days almost every week – three days for volunteer duty, and the other days, I would go to recite scriptures. I would kneel before the Bodhisattva to sincerely repent for my karmic obstacles and persisted in reciting the Medicine Buddha Dharani while kneeling before the Bodhisattvas everyday, praying for the Bodhisattva’s blessing to restore my health.
Whenever my faith wavered, fellow practitioners would share their dreams of my karmic debts being lessened, which greatly strengthened my confidence. Each time I was on volunteer duty, I would look at Master Lu’s last words of advice displayed in the hall. It truly felt as though Master Lu has always been with us, watching over us all.
Miraculous Recovery
By June 2025, I returned to the hospital for a follow-up blood test. When I checked the report at the Guan Yin Temple, it showed no abnormal cells detected. The final note stated, “Significantly different from last result.” I burst into tears on the spot. During the consultation, I asked the doctor why it had disappeared, but he couldn’t provide an explanation. The Bodhisattva is truly immensely compassionate, granting me this opportunity to recite scriptures at the Guan Yin Hall to eliminate karmic obstacles and change my destiny. Deepest gratitude to Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
Spiritual Response in Job Search
Although my finances were manageable for the time being after leaving my job, household expenses were significant. Coupled with the current economic downturn, I couldn’t help but worry about finding suitable employment. I made a vow to recite the Cundi Dharani 10,000 times and pledged to donate a portion of my future salary monthly, praying for the Bodhisattva’s blessing in securing a suitable position. In the meantime, I also attended the adult education courses, thinking that if necessary, I’ll change careers.
I remember one day asking the Bodhisattva whether or not I can find a suitable job, and requested a dream for indication. The next morning, my wife told me she dreamt that the Bodhisattva said I had already found a job. In reality, I had only interviewed with one company. I passed four rounds of interviews and received the job offer shortly after the Jakarta Vegetarian Sharing Session.
This company happened to be a direct competitor of my former employer, so I was very familiar with their products. The interviews proceeded exceptionally smoothly. They not only offered me a higher salary but also included additional compensation that effectively covered the amount I had vowed to donate monthly. Furthermore, they agreed to wait a month for me to start. In the current economy, with widespread layoffs at major companies, finding another management-level position at my age would have been nearly impossible without the Bodhisattva’s blessings. Deepest gratitude to Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
Moreover, just before starting my new job, I completed my adult education course, finished reciting the Little Houses that I vowed to complete, nearly completed the 10,000 times of Cundi Dharani, and attended the Jakarta Vegetarian Sharing Session. The Bodhisattva truly arranged everything for the best.
Reflections and Gratitude
Bodhisattvas do not interfere with the law of cause and effect. However, before my karmic obstacles fully erupted, the Bodhisattva made arrangements for me so that I wouldn’t have to worry about my daily expenses and can single-mindedly focus on reciting scriptures to eliminate my karmic obstacles. Had I not put in the effort myself, I would have failed to meet the expectations of the Bodhisattva and Master Lu.
Over the past six months, I came to the practice centre nearly every day and gained a deep appreciation for the challenges of running a practice centre. I witnessed the group leaders and other practitioners constantly resolving issues among volunteers and handling countless tasks to maintain the hall’s operations. Managing a group of unpaid volunteers is profoundly different from managing a company and is no easy task. Moreover, sometimes when things come too easily, we forget to be grateful, and when we can’t get them, we start complaining. The Guan Yin Hall is a crucial part of our cultivation.
My time at the hall—whether on duty, reciting scriptures, or helping with the new hall’s renovation—helped me eliminate immense karmic obstacles, enabling me to overcome this major tribulation smoothly. It was also because of this practice centre and the support of fellow practitioners that I was able to avoid dwelling on negative thoughts during my period of unemployment, instead spending each day in a fulfilling way.
I am deeply grateful to the Buddhist practitioners for their contributions in creating a serene and solemn Guan Yin Hall for everyone. This illness also made me realise the impermanence of life. Everything in this world, we ultimately cannot take away with us. No matter how wealthy or secure we seem now, we remain vulnerable when karmic obstacles arise. Therefore, we must see through this illusion sooner, attain awakening, and cultivate with diligence.
Deepest gratitude to all Buddhist friends. The above is my sharing today. Thank you everyone.
Source: Fellow Practitioner from Singapore
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