KARMA OF SPEECH: THE FOUR TYPES OF SPEECH WE SHOULD ABSTAIN FROM Master Jun Hong Lu: There are four types of speech we should abstain from because it will help prevent missteps in life. You must be aware that there are four types of unwholesome speech and be very careful so that you avoid committing […]
HOW BIG CAN THE HEART OF A MAN BE? Master Jun Hong Lu: In the mountains, there was a small temple, inhabited only by a Zen master and his young novice monk. One day, the novice monk asked the Zen master, “Master, you always say that circumstances arise from the mind and that everything is […]
HOW SHOULD WE MAINTAIN PROPER DISTANCE WITH BUDDHIST FRIENDS WHOM WE INTRODUCE BUDDHISM TO? Question: A Buddhist friend has been practising Guan Yin Citta for many years and has propagated the dharma to a few others. To strengthen the faith of new practitioners, this Buddhist friend has always closely followed up with them. However, after […]
GREED: THE ROOT OF UNHAPPINESS Master Jun Hong Lu: In truth, all the happiness in this world stems from worldly desires. The pleasure of eating stems from our desire to consume food, the pleasure of wealth and fame stems from our greed, our quest for physical intimacy stems from our sexual desire, the pleasure derived […]
THE PATH FROM AN ORDINARY BEING TO A SAGE Master Jun Hong Lu: Why does dharma giving hold such immense merit? It is because you act from the depths of your heart, a heart that longs to rescue sentient beings. The moment you embark on the noble mission of rescuing others, you renounce evil and […]
RECITING MORE HEART SUTRA CAN ENHANCE BENEFACTOR LUCK Caller: Can Master enlighten me about this: reciting more Heart Sutra can generate positive affinity with others, which in turn will make it easier for us to meet our benefactors. Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes. The Heart Sutra is akin to greeting others and it helps you […]
COMPASSION CAN SHIELD ONE FROM HARM Master Jun Hong Lu: Let me tell you that in the 21st century, you can bank on compassion to help you ward off calamities, dispel troubles, eliminate vexations, and defuse conflicts. With a heart of compassion, no major calamities whatsoever will befall you. Conversely, if you lack a compassionate […]
SPEAK AT A MEASURED PACE Master Jun Hong Lu: The way a person speaks represents his level of cultivation. It is important to speak at a measured pace. What’s the point of speaking at length if others cannot understand what you are saying? Speak slowly and let your words reach the listeners’ ears so that […]
WE NEED TO PLUG ALL LEAKAGES CAUSED BY OUR SHORTCOMINGS Master Jun Hong Lu: When a person truly wishes to learn Buddhism and changes his bad habits, he must plug all ‘leakages’ caused by his shortcomings. He is someone who goes, “Today, I have decided to be a good person. Hence, I cannot allow myself […]
THE KARMA OF FALSE SPEECH Master Jun Hong Lu: People who habitually tell lies and commit false speech would suffer from another form of retribution apart from being loathed by others – a kind of retribution that affects their body. Bodhisattva said that this retribution comes in the form of bad breath; it is a […]
WAYS TO PREVENT THE ERUPTION OF KARMIC OBSTACLES Caller: Hi Master, during last Saturday’s radio program, you told a male fellow practitioner that his percentage of karma was 67%. He was born in 1958, the Year of the Dog. He is terrified and has a question. What should he do in order to eliminate at […]
BE INCLINED TO KINDNESS Master Jun Hong Lu: In this modern age, it is important that we incline to kindness and instil kindness into our hearts. Let your compassionate heart spring up, just like the way bamboo shoots sprout after a spring rain. Compassion can help gradually eliminate the karmic obstacles in our eighth consciousness. […]
HOW CAN WE TOUCH OTHERS’ HEART WHEN PROPAGATING DHARMA TO THEM? Caller: Master, you have the ability to deeply resonate with others and speak to their hearts, while we struggle to do the same. Please guide us, Master, on how we can gain the skill of making a heartfelt connection with others. Master Jun Hong […]
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A PERSON WITH LESS THAN 20% OF KARMIC OBSTACLES Question: What are the characteristics of a person with less than 20% of karmic obstacles? Kindly advise us, Master. Answer: Their state-of-mind. People with less than 20% of karmic obstacles possess a high state-of-mind. They won’t engage in fights or quarrels. You can […]
TRANSFORMING NEGATIVE AFFINITY WITH A KIND HEART Master Jun Hong Lu: The Buddha once said, “Even if it’s for a thousand kalpas, the deeds we commit would never fade, Comes the day we meet with our fate, suffering is certain as karma awaits”. When interacting with our friends, we must be mindful of our words […]
THE IMPORTANCE OF REPENTANCE The Buddha of Sandalwood Merit gave the following discourse: “As one of the ancient Buddhas in the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO), I wish to advise all of you to adopt a serious attitude towards the recitation of LIFO and to repent often. This is because the effects from the recitation […]
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERIOUS ILLNESS AND A PERSON’S PERCENTAGE OF KARMA Question: Generally, what is the percentage of karma corresponds to a person who falls seriously ill? Why can some people remain healthy when their karma percentage is around 80%? Conversely, there are others with much lower percentages who succumb to serious illnesses. Master Jun […]
PARTIALLY-REPAID KARMIC DUES IN ONE’S PREVIOUS LIFE WILL MANIFEST AS A PREDESTINED CALAMITY IN PRESENT LIFE Caller: Hi Master, I’d like to ask: is it true that karmic debts from previous lives are to be repaid in present life? In other words, do the karmic dues we accumulated in past lives have to be fully […]
THE POWER OF VOWS STEMS FROM A HEART OF COMPASSION Caller: Hi Master, is the power of vows central to one’s Buddhist practice? Is it correct to say that one who leverages their power of vows to perform recitation and mind cultivation can eliminate their karmic obstacles, making it easy to be awakened to the […]
STAYING STEADFAST IS A MUST EVEN AFTER YOU HAVE BENEFITED FROM YOUR BUDDHIST PRACTICE Master Jun Hong Lu: There will be times when practising Buddhism can be likened to digging a well. If you wish to dig a well, you have to be prepared to draw water from it later on. Many people merely wait […]
HOW DO WE DETERMINE OUR LEVEL OF KARMIC OBSTACLES? Caller: How do we determine our level of karmic obstacles? Master Jun Hong Lu: Normally, if your prayers go unanswered, it is a sign that your karmic obstacle is hefty. Also, if you experience a lot of obstacles in life or have a run of bad […]
KARMIC OBSTACLES ARE LIKE EXPLOSIVES Caller: A fellow Buddhist practitioner rarely has nightmares. As a result, he rarely recites Little Houses for himself. Can Master explain whether in such cases his karmic obstacles will still accumulate to a point and erupt one day? Master Jun Hong Lu: Of course! If it keeps accumulating and reaches […]
THE BEST RESPONSE TO SLANDER IS TO KEEP SILENT Master Jun Hong Lu: When you are at the receiving end of a slander, the best response is to keep your silence. We must learn from the Bodhisattva to dwell in peace and abstain from talking. Unfortunately, many people cannot do this. Even amongst those who […]
THE PERCENTAGE OF KARMIC OBSTACLES WILL DETERMINE THE REALM THAT ONE ENDS UP IN UPON DEATH Caller: Master, yesterday you commented that a fellow practitioner has a high percentage of karmic obstacles of 29%. I’d like to ask, at what level, karmic obstacles are considered high? Master Jun Hong Lu: Didn’t I tell you before? […]
THE CONCEPT OF ‘DOUBLE-KARMA’; ‘THE BEST FORM OF GAIN IS TO SUFFER LOSS’ Caller: Master, I have a question. Every relationship is fated. Everything can be traced back to predestined affinity and the law of cause and effect governing it. May I ask what does it mean by ‘to sow double-karma’? What’s the logic behind […]
HOW RETRIBUTION FOR MINOR KARMIC OBSTACLES ARE EFFECTUATED? Caller: Karmic obstacles can either be eliminated through recitation of Buddhist scriptures or natural effectuation. What about those minor karmic obstacles, would Dharma Protectors make an advance arrangement to have them effectuated? Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes, this may happen. A minor karmic obstacle would be, for […]
WHY IS EMBEZZLEMENT THE TICKET TO HELL? DOES PREVENTING OTHERS FROM MAKING ILLICIT GAIN GENERATE MERITS? Caller: Why is embezzlement the ticket to hell? Master Jun Hong Lu: That’s simple. This is because you are amassing illicit wealth in the name of Bodhisattva! These days, there are many people who want to undertake the operations […]
SUDDEN DEATH AND DESCENDING INTO HELL: RETRIBUTION OF USING DHARMA PROPAGATION AS A PRETEXT TO DEFRAUD FELLOW PRACTITIONERS’ MONEY MEANT FOR LIFE LIBERATION The King of Hell pointed at a male offender on the left and said, “Confess honestly”. The male offender said, “I was not from [country name] but was brought by the underworld […]
PRACTISE VERBAL TOLERANCE Master Jun Hong Lu: Those who are gracious and broad-minded are able to take in all sorts of remarks, be it kind or harsh; their modesty allows them to be open to the opinions and suggestions of others. Such a person will also let others finish saying their piece. This demonstrates their […]
THE BUDDHA’S WORDS OF ADVICE ON CHARITY AND FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES Shakyamuni Buddha says, “There are myriads of charity to collect donations in the Saha world. If performed with a charitable intention that is founded on a Bodhi mind, and if one goes about doing it selflessly, without regard for reputation or recognition and free from […]