TIDYING AND CLEANING UP SHOULD BE PERFORMED BEFORE THE EVE OF LUNAR NEW YEAR; THIS ALSO APPLIES TO HAVING A HAIRCUT Question: Can one open his hairdressing shop on the first day of New Year? Answer: That’s absolutely fine as it is not the first day of Lunar New Year. Also, please note that one […]
THE ABILITY TO MANAGE ONE’S TIME IS A FORM OF WEALTH AND WISDOM Master Jun Hong Lu: The ability to manage one’s time is in itself a form of wealth and wisdom. You may not understand this. Don’t you think a person who makes good use of their time reciting Buddhist scriptures and performing good […]
YOU ARE STILL WHO YOU ARE. IT WAS ONLY YOUR PERTURBED MIND Master Jun Hong Lu: All these bickering in this human realm has only to do with one thing, and that is your mind. You feel unhappy today, sad tomorrow, broken-hearted the day after tomorrow and emotionally moved the day after. You are made […]
CONTEMPLATE DEATH Master Jun Hong Lu: To Contemplate Death. This may not sound too pleasant to many people. No one would even entertain negative thoughts like, “Gosh, I am going to die!” as they are deemed to bring bad luck. However, if you are constantly contemplating the impermanence of life, don’t you think you are […]
HOW TO PRAY TO GUAN YIN BODHISATTVA TO ELIMINATE THOUGHTS RELATING TO SEXUAL MISCONDUCT Caller: Is there a way to pray to Guan Yin Bodhisattva to help me eliminate the thoughts relating to sexual misconduct? How do I state my prayer? Master Jun Hong Lu: ”May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva […]
OBSERVE THE TEN KIND DEEDS TO TRANSCEND WORLDLINESS Master Jun Hong Lu: Misfortune befalls those who take what is not given. Practise frugality, loyalty and never take what is not yours. If you refrain from taking what is not yours, doesn’t this make you a righteous person; one who is free from self-interest? Don’t you […]
MAKING GREAT VOWS WILL HELP ELIMINATE KARMIC OBSTACLES AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF RETRIBUTION Caller: Some Buddhist practitioners are about to face with their ‘3,6,9’ predestined karmic passes, as well as clashes with Tai Sui Bodhisattva. Master mentioned that making great vows will help eliminate karmic obstacles. What if they make a vow to […]
KNOW THE WORLD THROUGH UNDERSTANDING ONE’S INHERENT NATURE Master Jun Hong Lu: We need to understand the reality of impermanence and recognise that our desires are ever fluctuating. Think about it – did you stick to what you set forth to accomplish? You opt for this today and that the next day; you think this […]
CONTEMPLATE THE BODY AS IMPURE Caller: Master Lu, please enlighten us on the various methods of meditation that can help us to effectively calm our mind. Thank you. Master Jun Hong Lu: Meditation methods include counting of breaths. The other method is “Contemplation of the Body as Impure”. The world that we live in is […]
NIPPING OUR BAD HABITS IN THE BUD Master Jun Hong Lu: Once, there was a boy and in his very first attempted theft, he got away with a needle. Thinking that it was just an insignificant loot, his mother brushed it aside and failed to reprimand the boy. This motivated him to continue with his […]
THE HEART SUTRA IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE IN RESOLVING ONE’S INNER CONFLICTS Caller: Master once said that the recitation of the Heart Sutra generates the greatest meritorious blessings. Is it because the Heart Sutra that we usually perform is able to help sentient beings around us? Master Jun Hong Lu: The recitation of both the […]
WAYS TO ELIMINATE LUSTFUL THOUGHTS OR SEXUAL MISCONDUCT Caller: How are you, Master? I’d like to ask about the precepts on abstaining from sexual misconduct. Strictly speaking, having lustful thoughts is considered a form of sexual misconduct, right? Master Jun Hong Lu: Absolutely correct! Caller: Realistically speaking, this is the hardest precept to keep. In […]
TAKING THINGS FROM THE GUAN YIN HALL WITHOUT PERMISSION CONSTITUTES THEFT Master Jun Hong Lu: There are guidelines to follow when making offerings to Bodhisattvas: One must never consume the fruits that have been set aside for offering. When offering some apples to Bodhisattvas, you may think of consuming one of them to quench your […]
AN OVERVIEW OF THE SIX PARAMITAS Master Jun Hong Lu: Let me explain to you what the “Six Paramitas” is. If you wish to be a Tathagata, Bodhisattva, or attain Nirvana, the Six Paramitas are what you ought to practise. The same goes with all of the Bodhisattvas who aspire to be a Buddha. The […]
CAN THE HEART SUTRA BE RECITED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR LITTLE HOUSES? Caller: Recently, a few fellow practitioners have been fully occupied performing volunteer work and thus, they recite only the daily homework without reciting any Little Houses. In such cases, if we dream of our karmic creditor, can we recite the Heart Sutra for […]
VARIOUS FORMS OF THEFT Master Jun Hong Lu: The second precept is abstaining from stealing, which includes seizing things by force. This is because everything in this world involves a transfer of sovereignty under its terms. Hence, making an untrue claim to gain benefit is considered an act of stealing. This includes demanding monetary reward […]
FUNCTIONS OF WATER Master Jun Hong Lu: Disciples should take note that, when you offer water to Bodhisattvas, do not place empty cups on your Buddhist altar before filling with water. Instead, the cups must be filled with some water beforehand. Water cleanses away greed. When making offerings to Bodhisattvas, you must do so wholeheartedly […]
DAILY REPETITION OF VOWS TO BODHISATTVA WILL INCREASE MERITS Question: In the recent public talk in Kuala Lumpur, Master said, “If you have vowed to be a full vegetarian, you may confide to Guan Yin Bodhisattva every day by saying, ‘I, <full name>, am already a full vegetarian’. By repeating it daily, you will accumulate […]
RECITE THE AMITABHA PURE LAND REBIRTH MANTRA (WANG SHENG ZHOU) AND THE XIAO ZAI JI XIANG SHEN ZHOU DURING THE YEAR END Master Jun Hong Lu: We have come to the end of the year. Would you like to be granted amnesty? Recite the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra as it will help you eliminate […]
GREED TRAPS US IN THE WEB OF ENDLESS SUFFERING Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva: Suffering, sickness and vexations of sentient beings are the consequence of causes and conditions planted in their past and present lives. If a person’s soul constantly experiences punishment or imprisonment in hell, though their life has not come to an end, they are already […]
STARTING OFF WITH THE RIGHT INTENTIONS WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD TO THE SUCCESS IN CULTIVATION Master Jun Hong Lu: The most difficult phase throughout your journey of learning the Dharma will actually be the very beginning. No doubt you will start off with the strongest determination, but this feeling will gradually fade away. When you begin […]
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KARMIC FORCE AND SHORTCOMINGS Caller: Master, how do we differentiate karmic force from shortcomings? Master Jun Hong Lu: Karmic force is the result of all the karmas committed in your past and present lives. After a prolonged period, these karmas transform into a form of force that is called “karmic force”. Shortcomings, […]
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT WILL RESULT IN POOR MEMORY Caller: Some people have exceptionally good or photographic memory. May I know what could be the karma that they had sowed in their past lives to be endowed with such amazing memory prowess? And, what about those who are extremely forgetful? Master Jun Hong Lu: There are multiple […]
EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION OF EGG-RELATED PRODUCTS MAY STIMULATE SEXUAL DESIRES Caller: Master Lu once said, those who are susceptible to lust will reincarnate into birds. Master has also advised that those who suffer from gynaecological disorder should avoid consuming eggs. I’d like to ask whether an excessive consumption of eggs will stimulate one’s sexual desires? Master […]
BOUNDLESS MERITORIOUS BLESSINGS COME FROM THE BODHI MIND Master Jun Hong Lu: I hope that everyone understands that, in the course of our Buddhism practice, we must always perform wholesome deeds. When we do so, our worldly blessings will naturally proliferate. Therefore, performing kind deeds is of utmost priority, and it’s important to do so […]
IT IS BEST TO OFFER INCENSE PRIOR TO PERFORMING RECITATION IN THE MORNING, IF CONDITIONS ALLOW Caller: Master, if we wake up at 5am, should we perform recitations after offering incense, or start reciting right away and continue after offering incense at 6am? Master Jun Hong Lu: You should definitely offer incense first. After waking […]
LEARN TO VISUALISE AND TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR THOUGHTS Master Jun Hong Lu: In fact, visualisation is a way to train your thoughts – where you contemplate if your thoughts are righteous or not. If you make it a habit to do so, your thoughts will not go wrong. You have to pay attention to […]
IT IS IMPORTANT TO ERADICATE THE SIN OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT WHILE IN THIS HUMAN REALM Caller: In one of those past radio programs, Master has said, “Any form of sexual misconduct is a non-negotiable sin”. What does this mean? Does it mean that in comparison with other forms of evil acts, sexual misconduct is so […]
PRACTISE CONTEMPLATION OF IMPURITY AND GENEROSITY TO QUELL GREED Master Jun Hong Lu: First and foremost, to quell greed, you must practise contemplation of impurity as well as generosity. What is contemplation of impurity? “Contemplation of Impurity” is an important method in the Zen tradition. Through contemplating the impurity of all things in this world, […]
ABIDING NOWHERE, THE AWAKENED MIND ARISES Master Jun Hong Lu: “Abiding nowhere, the awakened mind arises”. This verse is cited in the Diamond Sutra and it refers to a state of mind that is equivalent to the Bodhi Mind. When you are not concerned about your self-interests in all of your undertakings; when you have […]