THOSE WITH SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION MUST PERFORM RECITATION AND LEARN TO RELAX Master Jun Hong Lu: If your mood is easily affected when you hear negative comments from others, you are already suffering from depression. In this case, you must perform daily recitation including Little Houses, release captive lives and make great vows. If you […]
OVERCOMING DEPRESSION WITH BUDDHISM Master Jun Hong Lu: Buddhism can help us overcome depression, come around a problem and help us to be clear-headed. Through Buddhism, we can walk out from self-isolation and learn to loosen our grips on things so that we can have a healthier ideal in life. Its wisdom motivates us to […]
Editor’s note: During the (Metaphysics Q&A) program on 16 March 2014, Master Lu said that in the face of great calamities where one is unsure of the number of Little Houses to offer, it is best to start with 69 Little Houses, because 69 serves as a point of balance. During the program, Master Lu […]
WHY IS IT THAT STUDYING BUDDHISM IN PLAIN TERMS CAN HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER OF LITTLE HOUSES THAT ONE NEEDS TO RECITE? Caller: According to Master’s latest guidance, it is said that by studying Buddhism in Plain Terms, the required number of Little Houses for our karmic creditors can be reduced to a certain extent. […]
THE THREE TELLTALE SIGNS OF DEPRESSION Master Jun Hong Lu: I shall use the Buddhism perspective to share with you the following: To ascertain whether you have depression, please keep the following three points in mind: First, deteriorating memory: you start forgetting where you put your things. This indicates your condition has begun to worsen. […]
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EIGHTY-EIGHT BUDDHAS GREAT REPENTANCE (LIFO) AND LITTLE HOUSE IN ELIMINATING NEGATIVE KARMA Caller: Both LIFO and Little House are able to eliminate negative karma. Is there any difference between these two methods? Master Jun Hong Lu: Little House is more powerful. Those whose karmic obstacles are substantial and have taken the […]
EMBRACE THE HEART OF REPAYING PARENTAL KINDNESS WHEN MAKING OFFERINGS TO BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS Caller: It is often said in Buddhist scriptures that it is close to impossible to repay the kindness of parents. Could you kindly enlighten us, Master? Master Jun Hong Lu: Is it difficult and painful for your father and mother to […]
EDUCATING CHILDREN WELL IS ALSO SOWING SEEDS OF GOODNESS Master Jun Hong Lu: In the past, many parents were deeply filial to their elders, setting an example that influenced their children from a young age. Unsurprisingly, as these children grew old, they followed in their parents’ footsteps and were filial in return. This is a […]
FILIAL PIETY TOWARDS PARENTS IS A WAY TO ACCUMULATE MERITS Caller: Master, I notice that people who are particularly filial would receive lots of blessings from Bodhisattvas. Master Jun Hong Lu: Of course, and it comes with meritorious rewards as well. These days, many people simply lack merit because they are not very filial to […]
HEARTFELT WORDS FROM MASTER LU ON FATHER’S DAY Master Jun Hong Lu: As your Master, I no longer have a personal family. All of you are like my children, and on Father’s Day, I feel an even deeper sense of longing for you. It truly pains me to see some children not striving enough. Conversely, […]
THE FOUR TYPES OF WISDOM Master Jun Hong Lu: 1. The Wisdom of Perfect Conduct Your eyes see this world of forms, ears hear sounds, nose smells the fragrance, the tongue tastes and there’s sensation in the body when it is being touched. When these senses coincide with ignorance, you will then act according to […]
WHEN YOU HELP OTHERS, YOU HELP YOURSELF Master Jun Hong Lu: You need to view all sentient beings as the ground of the liberation of your innate nature. In other words, your effort to help others is in itself self-help and self-liberation. Many mothers tell their children, “Be careful of what you eat. You must […]
WISDOM OF PERFECTION SHOULD BE YOUR GOAL Master Jun Hong Lu: Always think and give rise to perfect wisdom in your heart. Ask yourself, “Why is it that others are capable of doing so and not me? Why is it that others are able to achieve perfection in the things they do and not me?” […]
WISDOM ARISES WHEN ONE IS SELFLESS Master Jun Hong Lu: To seek wisdom, one must do so from a state of selflessness and altruism. If you pray to Bodhisattva without any notion of self, self-interests or any distracting thoughts, you will gain wisdom. Think about it, those who always think about the well being of […]
TO BE FREED FROM WORRIES, PERFORM ALL GOOD AND STOP ALL EVIL Master Jun Hong Lu: We must ‘renounce evil and turn to virtue’ by discarding all things that are evil, while keeping all the wholesome things in our hearts. On top of this, we should also be unceasing in performing all things that are […]
THE ESSENCE OF WISDOM Caller: Master, you often advise that to increase our wisdom, we need to perform recitation. However, wisdom is such a broad concept. When people of different levels of cultivation hear you say, “You need to recite the Buddhist scriptures to increase your wisdom”, they may grasp the meaning of wisdom differently. […]
LIBERATE YOURSELF FROM WORLDLY WORRIES IN ORDER TO ATTAIN ‘A HEART OF RENUNCIATION’ Master Jun Hong Lu: Whether you are a Buddhist practitioner who wishes to be free from all the life shackles or to become a Buddha, you need to have an experiential understanding of Prajna Wisdom. Prajna Wisdom is both noble and supreme. […]
WISDOM IS FOUND THROUGH CALMNESS Master Jun Hong Lu: When you are calm, wisdom arises. Only in calmness do you realise the movement of your mind and what is in your thoughts. Sometimes you only realise what you’ve been thinking when you manage to calm down, you will wonder, “Why did I think this way? […]
RECITE LITTLE HOUSE WITH SINCERITY AND AN ENDEAVOUR TO UPHOLD THE DHARMA Caller: In the latest episode of Buddhism in Plain Terms, Master advised us that the recitation of Little House is not merely about the speed and quantity. It will only be efficacious when we recite it with sincerity and an endeavour to uphold […]
CONSUMING A BALANCED VEGETARIAN DIET DURING PREGNANCY IS EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL FOR BABIES Caller: Hi Master, I’m calling from Japan and it’s been really hard to get through your line. I’d like to ask how safe it is for a baby from a vegetarian pregnancy? Master Jun Hong Lu: That’s not a problem at all for […]
FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT THE QUALITY OF LITTLE HOUSES Question: Master Lu, you used to recommend offering 21 Little Houses to each aborted child. However, in many of the recent cases, you have been recommending 49 Little Houses. Why the change in numbers? Answer: This is because the quality of Little Houses many people recite […]
BEWARE OF THE MEAT THAT YOU EAT Master Jun Hong Lu: All of you must know that when an animal is about to be slaughtered, it would be experiencing strong feelings of resentment. Such negative emotion is no different from when a soldier witnesses the killing of his fellow soldier on the battlefield. He would […]
COMPASSION OVER COMPETITION Master Jun Hong Lu: In the 1960s, the United States Customs and Border Protection was auctioning off a large batch of confiscated bicycles. During the auction, a 10-year-old boy would always kick-start the bidding process with a five-dollar bid, only to have the rest of the participants jump in to take the […]
TAKE LECITHIN FOR BETTER MEMORY; SPIRULINA IS RICH IN NUTRIENTS ESSENTIAL FOR HUMAN BODY Master Jun Hong Lu: Generally, soy lecithin is suitable for everyone, as it is an excellent nutrient which helps to regenerate brain cells and enhance brain capacity. A person will die when all of his brain cells die, thus, it is […]
SEVERE KARMA OF KILLING BY ANCESTORS RESULTS IN MENTAL ILLNESS AND CANCER OF DESCENDANTS Caller: My father rears and sells snakehead fish. He has also killed a lot of animals. My mother and brother suffer from mental issues, while my second sister’s son contracted bone cancer, and my eldest sister’s son, who had depression, killed […]
Deepest Gratitude to Namo Shakyamuni Buddha! Deepest Gratitude to the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva! Deepest Gratitude to all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Dharma Protectors! Deepest Gratitude to Master Jun Hong Lu! Greetings to everyone, I am Fellow Practitioner Yang from Myanmar. On 28th March this year, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. That […]
ABIDING NOWHERE GIVES RISE TO THE MIND Master Jun Hong Lu: The most treasured supreme Bodhi Mind is the ability to be awakened to the truth of the inherent emptiness of all phenomena. Why is it that Buddhist practitioners always say, “It’s important to attain a supreme Bodhi Mind?” ‘Abiding nowhere, the awakened mind arises’. […]
INFERTILITY DUE TO THE KARMA OF KILLING Master Jun Hong Lu: Here are the two reasons for infertility: First, ancestors’ lack of virtue. Ancestors who did not accumulate virtues will cause the descendants unable to produce offsprings. In the modern-day context, it is termed as “to die childless”. Second, present-life retribution relating to the karma […]
WAYS TO AVOID MAJOR MARITAL CONFLICTS Master Jun Hong Lu: From the Buddhism perspective, forbearance is the key to maintaining family harmony. Let me share with everyone several ways to avoid major marital breakdown. Firstly, when a couple is having a row, do not criticise your spouse’s parents or someone he/she respects, as it could […]
RECITE THE MANTRA TO UNTIE KARMIC KNOTS WHEN QUARREL BREAKS OUT Master Jun Hong Lu: There was a female caller, whose husband would constantly abuse her verbally. But, things started to improve after she practised Guan Yin Citta. Once, her husband scolded her, but she kept quiet, while reciting the Mantra to Untie Karmic Knots […]
