HOW DO WE NURTURE A COMPASSIONATE HEART AND ROOT OUT OUR DEEP-SEATED BAD HABITS?
Caller: Hi Master, there are people who can’t shed any emotional tears. What should these people do to nurture a heart of compassion? Would it help if they perform more life liberation and show more empathy towards others?
Master Jun Hong Lu: People who can’t even shed emotional tears tend to be cold, aloof and aggressive because they simply lack compassion for others. There are multiple ways to instil a compassionate heart.
First, these people should perform more kind deeds so that they can derive a sense of compassion.
Second, they should frequently mingle with people who are suffering and troubled in life. Why is it that a Buddhist practitioner should always extend help to those in need? This is because when they help others, their compassion will grow.
Caller: Separately, for those whose spiritual roots are not strong, they become lazy and their faith can be easily swayed. When foreign spirits on their bodies try to deter them from repaying their karmic debt through Buddhist practice, such people will even think of giving up their practice. In other cases, there are those who back away when they are hit by setbacks in life. What can we do to help these people?
Master Jun Hong Lu: For those who back away in the face of adversity, it often stems from their deep-rooted bad habits. A fundamental and deep-seated character flaw in human being is to recoil from challenges while eagerly claiming a share of rewards when good things occur.
As a Buddhist practitioner, we must root out our deep-seated weaknesses. The harder it gets, the more we should forge ahead. You should also know that when helping others, the more difficult the path, the more you should press forward. We should apply this approach in our life by taking the challenges ourselves while allowing others to enjoy the rewards.
Caller: Is there any way that we can change this?
Master Jun Hong Lu: That’s simple. Connect with those who are poor and troubled. You will gradually nurture compassion by consistently reaching out to the less fortunate and those in dire straits. Additionally, compassion and kind-heartedness can develop when facing challenges and sickness in life. However, rather than relying solely on these experiences to cultivate compassion, it is better to nurture this feeling by helping others.
Source: Shuohua20130201 08:09, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
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