GRATITUDE GROWS FOR THOSE WHO VIEW THE WORLD WITH AN EQUANIMOUS MIND Master Jun Hong Lu: You should view the world with an equanimous mind. Regard everything in this world as an ordinary existence. Adopt an indifferent mindset and be thankful for everything – I am thankful that I have food today, and even if […]
KARMA OF SPEECH IS THE EASIEST WAY FOR ONE TO SHOULDER THE KARMIC OBSTACLES OF OTHERS Master Jun Hong Lu: In today’s society, you commit karma of speech not only through words uttered but also through words written. When you post an article online to criticise others, or make a sarcastic remark about someone, aren’t […]
THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH Master Jun Hong Lu: The Noble Eightfold Path is to prevent us from doing the wrong thing and creating karma in the many aspects of our undertakings including our career. Based on the law of cause and effect, when a negative cause is planted, it will give rise to undesirable consequences. […]
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS Master Jun Hong Lu: The basic doctrine of Buddhism is to show us the way towards liberation from Birth, Ageing, Sickness and Death, by understanding The Four Noble Truths: “Suffering, The Cause of Suffering, The Cessation of Suffering and The Path towards the Cessation of Suffering”. There is a tremendous amount […]
OBSESSION WITH PETTY GAINS IS ALSO CONSIDERED GREED Master Jun Hong Lu: The basic human needs include clothing, food, shelter, and transport. The word ‘transport’ here does not only refer to the motion of walking, but it also denotes the importance for one to walk the right path in life. How is the ‘right path’ […]
BEING UNPERTURBED IS TO LET NATURE TAKE ITS COURSE Master Jun Hong Lu: To be unmoved in any given situation is a quality of a broad-minded person. We should not change when we encounter something; neither should be overly anxious. What’s the big deal? Since we have come to this world, we have to be […]
UNDERSTANDING OTHERS IS KEY TO DEVELOPING A SENSE OF GRATITUDE Caller: Master, how should we understand this sentence: only through understanding others can one develop a sense of gratitude? Master Jun Hong Lu: When you understand others, you will empathise with them for the suffering they endure. Only then will you develop compassion and feel […]
WAYS TO CONTROL DISTRACTING THOUGHTS Caller: Master, when we constantly safeguard our mind and the moment distracting thought arises, do we have to deliberately exercise restraint? We can recite some short sutras or mantras to fill up the time and gaps so as not to allow such distracting thoughts to perpetuate; recite more Heart Sutra […]
THOSE WHO ARE QUICK-MINDED AND ALWAYS THINK DEEPLY SHOULD APPLY RIGHT THOUGHTS TO APPRECIATE THE HIGH SPIRITUALITY OF THE DHARMA Caller: Master, those who are involved in brain-intensive professions are more adept at using rational thinking to analyse things in their daily encounters. Such people tend to have greater faith in scientific practices or things […]
THE MEANING OF “TO LISTEN, CONTEMPLATE AND PRACTISE” Master Jun Hong Lu: “To Listen, Contemplate and Practise” means to listen to the dharma, contemplate the dharma teachings, and put the teachings into practice. That is to transform what you listen into the right thoughts and then, you start to put what you learn into cultivating […]
THE ABSENCE OF RIGHT THOUGHTS IS DUE TO THE EVIL IN ONE’S HEART Caller: The dharma body of Master Lu said, “A person who aspires to become a Bodhisattva can’t do without the power of concentration and wisdom. Otherwise, they won’t be able to tell righteousness from evil and good from bad.” Master, when certain […]
CRAVINGS CAN CAUSE ONE TO SUFFER MORE Master Jun Hong Lu: The Buddha teaches us, “It is not the man who has too little but the man who craves more that suffers”; Their desires render them “psychologically impoverished”. A greedy person can be rich yet feels poor while a contented person can be poor yet […]
THE MOST MIRACULOUS QUOTE IN THE WORLD Master Jun Hong Lu: Once upon a time, there was a king who was eagerly in search of a quote that could make a happy person sad and a sad person happy. Unfortunately, it was a quest that yielded him no results. One fine day, the king dreamed […]
PRACTISE TRUE CULTIVATION – A MIND THAT IS UNPERTURBED Master Jun Hong Lu: In practising Buddhism, we must be true to our practice. No matter what happens, our mind should remain unperturbed, “no wax and no wane”. What does this mean? It is a state of “unmoving suchness”. What does it mean by “no wax […]
WAYS TO CORRECT HABITUAL THINKING AND TRANSFORM IT INTO THE RIGHT THOUGHT Caller: How do we correct our habitual thinking and transform it into the right thought, like that of a Bodhisattva? Master Jun Hong Lu: When the same train of thought keeps occurring, it will eventually become your habitual line of thinking. How do […]
KNOWING WHEN NOT TO ACT, YOU CAN LIVE YOUR TRUE SELF Master Jun Hong Lu: Buddhist practitioners need to understand that all things on earth are unperturbed. As long as the heart stays unchanged, all things will stay put. No matter what, you are still that kind to others, and likewise, others remain as kind […]
RIGHT THOUGHT AND WRONG THOUGHT Master Jun Hong Lu: What is Right Thought? We must understand that what we do and think must be righteous. This means what you normally do must be just. For everything you do, you do it openly; that is, your action can be brought to light and none of which […]
THE REASON FOR FEELING UNWELL AFTER OFFERING LITTLE HOUSES TO RESOLVE KARMIC CONFLICTS Question: A Buddhist practitioner has just offered three Little Houses to resolve karmic conflicts at 4pm today. Thereafter, he had a headache and felt quite unwell. This usually doesn’t happen when he offers Little Houses to his karmic creditors. Answer: It is […]
BEING CALCULATIVE OVER THE AMOUNT OF MERITS GENERATED WHEN PERFORMING VIRTUOUS DEEDS WILL NOT TAINT OR WIPE OUT MERITORIOUS BLESSINGS ACCRUED Caller: Let’s say I have 100 dollars in my pocket and plan to utilise them for a meritorious deed. In deciding whether to use it for releasing captive lives or printing of sutra booklets, […]
THE PURPOSE OF THE BUDDHA’S TEACHINGS IS TO TRANSFORM ALL WRONG THOUGHTS INTO RIGHT THOUGHTS Master Jun Hong Lu: There are two sides to every coin regardless of one’s point of view and their pursuit of things. You can say that something is good but for the very same thing, you can say it is […]
DO NOT LET YOUR SURROUNDINGS FLUTTER YOUR STATE OF MIND Master Jun Hong Lu: A person needs to have the Buddha nature that is fundamentally pure. As the Buddha often said, “The mind remains unmoved despite external changes”. No matter what changes have taken place around you, your mind remains unperturbed. Don’t let the surroundings […]
THE NOTION OF SELF Master Jun Hong Lu: The “Notion of Self” is when you make yourself a priority where you always go, “This is what I think…” “This is what I believe, etc”. Everything revolves around the word “I”. This is a typical case I often come across when I answer questions from the […]
SHOULD I TELL SOMEONE IF I DREAM OF THEM IN A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION? Question: I dreamed that a fellow practitioner was faced with a situation concerning life and death. Can I tell him about my dream? Answer: You should tell him, otherwise you will regret it. The fact that you had this dream is because […]
WOULD REJOICING AFTER PERFORMING MERITORIOUS DEEDS TAINT OUR MERITS? Caller: A Buddhist friend is interested to know whether rejoicing after performing a meritorious deed, or taking delight after being praised by others would taint one’s merits? Master Jun Hong Lu: No, it would not as long as you are not haughty and arrogant. Caller: I […]
RIGHT THOUGHT – TO SEE ALL PROBLEMS IN A POSITIVE LIGHT Master Jun Hong Lu: Let me tell all of you, when looking at a problem, we must see it in a positive light, which means we should steer our mind towards the positive. For example, you have a fight with someone today, and you […]
EFFECTIVE METHODS TO OVERCOME OUR SHORTCOMINGS Master Jun Hong Lu: Many people are confused. For example, when others are greedy, they will tend to be greedy; if others are out to harm others, they, too will do the same. In a group of children, if one child is hit by a person, others will secretly […]
IS IT FINE TO WATCH BUDDHISM-RELATED DRAMAS? Question: A Buddhist practitioner has made a vow to stop watching drama series. In that case, can he watch the drama series about the biographies of the Buddha and Guan Yin Bodhisattva? Answer: This is simply a rigid interpretation. Drama series in this sense refers to those that […]
UNDERSTANDING THE “PERFECTION OF MERITS AND VIRTUES” Caller: Master, there’s a Buddhism phrase that says, “the perfection of merits and virtues”. How should we comprehend this phrase? Master Jun Hong Lu: When performing meritorious deeds, many people fail to achieve the perfection of merits and virtues. Let’s take the example you mentioned just now: By […]
ONE SHOULD NEITHER HOLD TO THE WRONG VIEW NOR BE OBSESSED TO THE IDEA OF HOLDING TO THE RIGHT VIEW Master Jun Hong Lu: To unleash your Buddha nature, you should not hold to the wrong views, neither should you be obsessed with the idea that you are holding on to the right view. When […]
THE SIGNS WHEN ONE SHOULDERS KARMIC OBSTACLES OF OTHERS Caller: Master, are the following possible signs when one shoulders the karmic obstacles of others: falling sick, having a headache, reduced spirituality, overwhelmed by negative energy, regressing in one’s spiritual cultivation or even harbouring thought of giving it up altogether? Master Jun Hong Lu: They are […]