AVOID CONSTANT CRYING WHILE PERFORMING RECITATION
Master Jun Hong Lu: Today, Master will teach you some of the latest methods to perform recitation. One must recite the scriptures with utmost sincerity, as it is the most important ingredient in recitation. I have specifically consulted Bodhisattva on this aspect.
To perform recitation sincerely means that the resolve you give rise to in your heart must be sincere. It all comes down to what is in your heart and not your superficial appearance.
This is when you tell yourself, “When I set my mind on something, I must make sure that I put my heart and soul into it”. You need to have a sincere and compassionate heart as well as an indomitable will when performing recitation.
Having compassion is essential. When a person recites the scriptures with compassion, he will be moved to tears, which is a manifestation of his compassionate nature. He cries because compassion is already deeply rooted in his heart.
However, as one progresses in his spiritual cultivation, he should avoid crying frequently as the act of crying engenders karmic obstacles.
Are you aware of the existence of “crying demons”? If a person is often in a state of melancholy and cries often, he is most likely being possessed by the so-called “crying demons”. Have you not heard of this after having cultivated for so many years?
Master would like to remind you that you have to try to restrain the “crying demon”, which is also known as “sorrowful demon”, in you.
If a person is being possessed by the sorrowful demon, he will sink into a state of despondency and will always be unhappy. Whenever he faces a difficult situation, he will grieve.
Therefore, a person cannot hold on to the feeling of excessive sadness. We may be touched by the compassion exemplified by Guan Yin Bodhisattva, but we should not be overwhelmed by sorrow each and every time. Understand? Our heart may ache out of compassion, but we should restrain from showing our emotion frequently; otherwise you will draw the sorrowful demon to you.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 4 Chapter 11
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