HOW TO ACCUMULATE WORLDLY BLESSINGS AND TRANSFORM THEM INTO MERIT Caller: Master, as you just mentioned, after practicing Buddhism and reciting Buddhist scriptures, many young people find their lives becoming smoother than before. This could be the manifestation of their worldly karmic rewards. However, worldly blessings such as wealth, fame and status all come with […]
PRAYER REQUEST TO CONSERVE ONE’S MERITS SO THAT THEY DO NOT GET CONVERTED INTO WORLDLY BLESSINGS Question: How are you, Master? How can we tell if the worldly blessings gained after our Buddhist practice are blessings that pre-existed in our destiny or are the results of the conversion from the meritorious blessings gained from our […]
AN EXCESSIVE USE OF ‘SELF-CULTIVATION’ MANTRAS/SUTRAS TO PRAY FOR WORLDLY BLESSINGS CAN BE EFFICACIOUS BUT IT WILL DEPLETE ONE’S MERITORIOUS BLESSINGS Question: Some Buddhist practitioners recite a lot of ‘self-cultivation’ forms of the Cundi Dharani. Am I right to say that an excessive use of ‘self-cultivation’ form of the Cundi Dharani may be efficacious but […]
THOSE WHO TRANSFER MERITS FOR THE BENEFIT OF SENTIENT BEINGS WILL GET REWARDED WITH MERITS IN RETURN; MERITS USED FOR SELF-INTEREST WILL BE EXPENDED Question: There are some Buddhist friends, who, after every dharma propagation effort, will either transfer their entire merits accrued to pray for the smooth-sailing of other propagation activities or to Master […]
IT’S A BLESSING TO SERVE Master Jun Hong Lu: We should not be afraid to devote ourselves, whether on the path of spiritual cultivation or in helping others become spiritually awakened. In this day and age, many people will recoil at the thought of having to invest their energy or time. When you seek their […]
VOLUNTEERING IS ABOUT SPREADING POSITIVITY Master Jun Hong Lu: The positive energy you exude can be highly contagious and may make you the role-model that others want to emulate. The moment someone says, “I want to do this kind deed,” those around him will be inspired and immediately jump in, “I also want to learn […]
VOLUNTEERING IS MORE THAN JUST A JOB, IT IS A VIRTUOUS ACT Question: If someone volunteers at Guan Yin Hall not out of genuine intentions but for the sake of accumulating merits or just for the sake of doing it, would this cause an outflow of merits? Is this attitude appropriate? Answer: Remember, everyone who […]
HOW CAN STUDENTS ACCUMULATE MORE GOOD FORTUNE AND WISDOM? Caller: I read that for children to make it to university, they need to have both good fortune and blessings. What should we do to help them? Master Jun Hong Lu: Performing recitation will increase one’s wisdom, while fortune and virtue can be gained by performing […]
POSITIVE THOUGHTS CAN ENGENDER MERITS Master Jun Hong Lu: This is how a lot of Master’s meritorious blessings come from: I take pity on everyone that I cross paths with. All of you must learn to ‘halt’ and ‘contemplate’, that is to regularly reflect on yourself through the “eye of the mind” and forbid yourself […]
MERITS WILL BE DERIVED FROM PRINTING OF DHARMA BOOKS EVEN IF THE DISTRIBUTION IS DONE BY OTHERS Caller: I managed to convince a few of my friends to practise Buddhism when they were at my place. They then passed me some funds for the purpose of printing dharma books which were subsequently distributed by others […]
TO RESOLVE THE ‘3, 6, 9 PREDESTINED CALAMITIES’, ONE SHOULD GO ALL OUT TO PERFORM MERITORIOUS DEEDS APART FROM RECITING LITTLE HOUSES Caller: In terms of nominal age, I will be 40 in the upcoming 2015 New Year. Tomorrow is my birthday and it is my hope that I can complete the recitation of 39 […]
ADVERTISING CONTENTS RELATED TO DHARMA PROPAGATION IS AN ACT OF THE THREE TYPES OF GIVING Caller: Master, when making monetary donations, there are some people who would focus on channelling their funds into advertising contents that aim to help people awaken spiritually. Such advertisements usually attract more than 100,000 clicks. Would such giving be considered […]
HOW CAN WE PREVENT THE OUTFLOW OF WISDOM AND BLESSINGS? Master Jun Hong Lu: How can we prevent the outflow of our wisdom and blessings? First of all, we must observe moral discipline. What is moral discipline? Do what you should, refrain from doing what you shouldn’t. Think only what you should, stop thinking about […]
OFFERING LITTLE HOUSES AND PERFORMING MERITORIOUS DEEDS TO ELIMINATE THE KARMA OF KILLING Caller: When offering Little Houses with the aim of eliminating our karma of killing, should we address them to our karmic creditors, or write ‘<our full name> eliminates karmic obstacles’ in the recipient field? Master Jun Hong Lu: It’s best to address […]
SHOULDERING OF OTHERS’ KARMIC OBSTACLES – WHEN IS IT CONSIDERED MERITORIOUS AND WHEN IT IS NOT Caller: Hi Master, with regards to ‘shouldering of others’ karmic obstacles’, what kind of karmic obstacles that we shoulder is considered meritorious in nature? Master Jun Hong Lu: When you propagate Buddhism, you will shoulder others’ karmic obstacles, and […]
ARE THERE MERITS TO BE GAINED FROM POSTINGS OF DHARMA TEACHINGS THAT GO UNNOTICED? Caller: When one goes about sharing Master’s Words of Wisdom, do we garner any merits even for postings that go unnoticed? Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes. Bodhisattvas will note it down the moment you undertake such sharing. Source: Wenda20200209 13:43, Master […]
PRAY TO BODHISATTVA TO CATEGORISE OUR MERITS INTO TWO PURPOSES – FOR KEEPING IN RESERVE AND FOR THE ELIMINATION OF KARMIC OBSTACLES Caller: Master, in one of your radio programs, you mentioned that after performing meritorious or kind deeds, we may state the following prayer to Guan Yin Bodhisattva: “May Guan Yin Bodhisattva have mercy […]
HOW DO MERITS AND VIRTUES ELIMINATE NEGATIVE KARMA? Caller: When we pray to Guan Yin Bodhisattva to use our merits and virtues to eliminate negative karma for cases where foreign spirits are present, are those merits and virtues used directly to repay the foreign spirits? Could they be used as a substitute for Little Houses […]
THE MAGNITUDE OF MERITS LIES IN THE INTENTION Caller: In your early discourses to disciples, Master mentioned, “Distributing dharma books generates tremendous merits, and even Buddhas and Bodhisattvas praise highly of those who distribute dharma books”. Master, exactly how significant are these merits? For fellow practitioners who perform dharma giving online, should the measurement of […]
IT IS ESSENTIAL TO VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE DISCOURSE BEFORE SHARING IT ONLINE Caller: Master, many Buddhist practitioners post the dharma teachings on the internet However, some of them have been involved in actions that are contrary to proper conduct and teachings. Lately, we have noticed some public social media accounts bearing names similar […]
ONE STANDS TO GAIN GREATER SPIRITUAL ENERGY IF HE KEEPS HELPING OTHERS AND PERFORMING MERITS Master Jun Hong Lu: When you perform acts of kindness today by helping others, wouldn’t you increase your spiritual energy? That’s for sure. Conversely, if you engage in self-cultivation at home, would you claim to have the spiritual energy? In […]
IS FORWARDING ALERT ON DECEPTIVE SCHEMES CONSIDERED AN ACTION THAT INTERVENES WITH THE WORKINGS OF KARMA? Caller: It’s common to observe an online social norm where people disseminate information to forewarn others of deceptive schemes, etc. For example, information cautioning people against scams or child abductions. We do pass on such information to those around […]
TO UTILISE MERITS TO ELIMINATE KARMIC OBSTACLES, ONE NEEDS TO MAKE THE PRAYER REQUEST TO BODHISATTVA Caller: Master Lu often says that to eliminate our karmic obstacles, we need to have merits. Given that the recitation of the Buddhist scriptures is one type of meritorious deed, so when we recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance […]
ONLY MERITS AND VIRTUES HAVE THE POWER TO OFFSET KARMIC OBSTACLES Master Jun Hong Lu; There are only two ways karmic obstacles are transformed – either they are offset or break out in the form of foreign spirits. While the latter can be an effect of one’s ‘transformed’ karmic obstacles, it can also be due […]
DO NOT TAKE OTHERS’ MONEY WHEN PERFORMING MERITS Caller: Master once cautioned us about making illicit gains on our path of our Buddhist practice, which includes making appeals for financial assistance through our chat groups, is that right? Master Jun Hong Lu: Absolutely right. Illicit gains refer to being in possession of others’ money. For […]
MASTER LU CONDEMNS THE ACT OF RAISING FUNDS TO PERFORM MERITS Caller: Hi Master, say, a Buddhist practitioner pledges to purchase dharma recorders or print Buddhism in Plain Terms and etc, he sets up an account, through which others can remit the funds for payment to the printing company or a third party… Master Jun […]
EXCESSIVE PRAYER REQUESTS COULD BACKFIRE ON YOU Master Jun Hong Lu: When you pray to the Buddha, it is important not to go overboard with your prayer request. If you do it at a time when you have an insufficient level of merits, willpower and worldly blessings, your prayer may reflect back as karmic obstacles […]
MERITS WILL NOT BE EXPENDED FOR UPRIGHT AND POSITIVE PRAYERS Caller: When we pray to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for blessings, to become more awakened, to have more wisdom, attain enlightenment, eliminate our bad habits and so forth, since such prayers are not aimed at gaining worldly blessings, will our merits be utilised? Master Jun Hong […]
MERITS FROM SETTING UP BUDDHIST ALTARS FOR OTHERS CAN BE UTILISED TO PRAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF KARMIC OBSTACLES OR A SPECIFIC MATTER Caller: We understand that setting up Buddhist altars for others can accumulate significant meritorious blessings. In this case, is it proper for us to state the following prayer, “May the Greatly Merciful […]
WILL ONE SHOULDER KARMIC OBSTACLES OF OTHERS FOR TRANSFERRING MERITS TO THEM? Caller: Master, you have mentioned that one will shoulder karmic obstacles for transferring merits to others. May I know what determines the amount of the karmic obstacles shouldered? Is it determined by the amount of the merits transferred or the level of karmic […]
