Wenda20120812B 21:55
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
(An Excerpt)
THE RIGHT MENTAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE EIGHT SUFFERINGS OF LIFE
Caller: At times, we may develop a sudden realisation that our parents or those who have been with us for many years will depart eventually. Perhaps, they would end up in a better place and this would be good for them. However, those they leave behind will still be very sad. In this regard, what sort of mental attitude should we adopt towards birth, ageing, sickness, death and the rest of the Eight Sufferings？
Master Jun Hong Lu: Everyone must go through the Eight Sufferings as long as they are in the human realm, isn‘t that right?
Caller: Yes.
Master Jun Hong Lu: We must be sincere and have a sense of guilt. This explains why, many religions such as Christianity and Catholicism say from the outset that “all men are sinners”.
Many cannot accept this and rebuke, “What am I guilty of? How am I supposed to know this?” The fact is, as long as we come to this world, we have basically sinned, guilty of committing something wrong in our previous lives. There is no perfection in the human world. Hence, it will not be possible for one to expect something flawless in a world of imperfections.
Caller: That’s true.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Now that you are here in this environment, you must accept it as a training ground. Once you are in this world, you can’t escape the pain of having to leave the ones you love, and the sufferings of birth, ageing, sickness and death. Hence, you must accept these harsh realities of life. Even if you do not accept these realities and evade them, you would still need to bear your sins.
Caller: Well, perhaps we just have to endure these pains.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes, but endurance is only one part of the practice. As Buddhist practitioners, we can resolve these sufferings by relying on Bodhisattva to help us see through them all.
Caller: In the beginning, we may still wallow in sorrow, but this will slowly fade away over time.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes. We must understand that we are here to go through the suffering and there is no two-ways about it. However, we may pray to Bodhisattva to liberate us from these sufferings, so that we don’t feel so much agony in our hearts. Although we may not be ready to forget, we have to learn to let go. By learning to do so, there will come a day when you are capable of letting go. Failing which, you’ll never be able to let go.
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