Q: Dear Master Lu, I am a beginner. Once we start reciting Little Houses, do we need to continuously recite them? Could you please advise us? Thank you!
A:
- The Little House is an important Buddhist method that the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva bestows upon us in this Age of Dharma Decline. It can be used to help spirits to ascend to a higher spiritual realm, and also eliminate our karmic obstacles.
- As we are in the cycle of rebirth within the six realms of existence, we have countless karmic obstacles and they follow us everywhere like a shadow. Even after many cycles of death and rebirth and we have thus been reborn into many different bodies with different identities, we still carry negative karma from our previous lives and must receive our retribution in this life. This is why some fortune tellers are able to predict our fate with great accuracy.
These karmic debts that we owe from our previous lives need to be repaid in this life. As a Buddhist saying goes, “Good is always rewarded, and vice is always punished. It is not that there is no consequence; rather, it is just that the right time has not come yet.” When the right time comes, and our karmic creditors come to collect karmic debts from us, we will be stricken with predestined calamities or illnesses. - Those who start cultivating their minds and reciting sutras and mantras may often dream about their karmic creditors, and are likely to foresee their impending disasters in dreams. In fact, this is a reminder to us that we need to pay our karmic debts in time.
In addition, only legitimate karmic creditors are allowed to collect karmic debts from you, as all your karmic creditors have either an affinity with you from your previous lives or permission from the underworld. In other words, random spirits will not come and collect karmic debts from you for no reason.
The recitation of Little Houses is the most effective method to repay your karmic debts. In the underworld, Little Houses are considered to be the largest denomination of currency. When spirits receive the power of Little Houses, they can then ascend to a higher spiritual realm. Generally speaking, if you dream about your karmic creditors, it is best to recite 7 Little Houses for each of them and address the Little Houses to the “Karmic Creditor of <your full name>”. - The number of karmic creditors that each person has varies. If you have many karmic obstacles and thus have a large amount of karmic debts, then you need to recite a large number of Little Houses. Generally, if you experience a major illness, it is usually due to a serious karmic obstacle. In such cases, you should recite a relatively substantial number of Little Houses within a short period of time.
If you have fewer karmic obstacles, and you owe a small amount of karmic debts, then you do not need to recite as many Little Houses within a short period of time. However, over the course of our lives, we need to continuously repay our karmic debts. - Reciting Little Houses not only helps you save yourself and changes your destiny, but also helps your deceased family members ascend to a higher spiritual realm. When you perform recitations for others to help them resolve problems and prevent disasters, you also accumulate merits and virtues
Merits and virtues can be used to eliminate karmic obstacles. People with a lot of merits and virtues can turn misfortune into a blessing, and stay safe during this Age of Dharma Decline, which is fraught with natural and man-made disasters. - The Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva has given us this wonderful method of Buddhism, providing us with the opportunity to change our own destiny and eliminate disasters through repaying our karmic debts. However, it is our decision to use this method or not.
It is only right and proper to pay what is due. However, it is your choice whether or not to repay your karmic debts: You can choose to repay the debts and eliminate disasters, or choose not to repay these debts and undergo the resulting karmic retributions later. - Learning and practising Buddhism, performing recitations and cultivating your mind is a life-long endeavour, and should not only be for the short-term. If you practise Buddhism only to resolve a specific problem, you will still be helpless when another one arises. In other words, you still have no control over your own life. In addition, if you constantly seek help from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas only when you are in trouble, it will be difficult for you to receive protection and blessings in the long run.