Wenda20150424 40:50
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
AFTER PRACTISING BUDDHISM, WILL A SMOOTH SAILING LIFESTYLE DEPLETE OUR MERITS
Caller:
Sometimes after practising Buddhism for a period of time, many people’s lives have changed for the better. For example, some people get a pay rise. However, fellow Buddhist practitioners are also afraid that the merits accumulated will be consumed eventually. Master, please enlighten us on how to differentiate between the karmic debts being eliminated and the merits being converted into blessings?
Master Jun Hong Lu:
It is very simple. In general, the merits that you have created will primarily be used to reduce your karmic debts. When a person begins to have blessings, there are two types of situations: Firstly, he is having good fortune at this point in time and his recitations will be able to quickly increase his blessings further. For instance, a fortune teller said that he will be able to get a better job when he is 23 years old. At 23 years of age, his blessings will surface when he does his recitations at this time, and he will have a better job quickly. This is the idea, do you understand? (Oh, then…) You mean all the merits derived from the recitation will be diminished? That is not possible. The blessings are given to you but a small portion will be consumed. If you have karmic debts, your merits will be used to eliminate them. Understand now? (I understand now. Master, when Bodhisattva sometimes automatically gave Buddhist practitioners blessings when they did not wish or pray for any kind of blessings, is it right to assume that it will not eliminate their own blessings? Yes that is correct. This means that this person is destined to have these blessings in this life time. Secondly, he has the blessings to receive these rewards, therefore this process is termed as the “reward of blessings” (Oh, I understand now).
Caller: Sometimes after practising Buddhism for a period of time, many people’s lives have changed for the better. For example, some people get a pay rise. However, fellow Buddhist practitioners are also afraid that the merits accumulated will be consumed eventually. Master, please enlighten us on how to differentiate between the karmic debts being eliminated and the merits being converted into blessings?
Master Jun Hong Lu: It is very simple. In general, the merits that you have created will primarily be used to reduce your karmic debts. When a person begins to have blessings, there are two types of situations: Firstly, he is having good fortune at this point in time and his recitations will be able to quickly increase his blessings further. For instance, a fortune teller said that he will be able to get a better job when he is 23 years old. At 23 years of age, his blessings will surface when he does his recitations at this time, and he will have a better job quickly. This is the idea, do you understand? (Oh, then…) You mean all the merits derived from the recitation will be diminished? That is not possible. The blessings are given to you but a small portion will be consumed. If you have karmic debts, your merits will be used to eliminate them. Understand now? (I understand now. Master, when Bodhisattva sometimes automatically gave Buddhist practitioners blessings when they did not wish or pray for any kind of blessings, is it right to assume that it will not eliminate their own blessings? Yes that is correct. This means that this person is destined to have these blessings in this life time. Secondly, he has the blessings to receive these rewards, therefore this process is termed as the “reward of blessings” (Oh, I understand now).
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