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 […]
CONSTANT PERFORMANCE OF GOOD DEEDS AND THE RECITATION OF THE EIGHTY-EIGHT BUDDHAS GREAT REPENTANCE (LIFO) WILL EXTEND THE TIME IT TAKES FOR NEGATIVE KARMA TO COME TO FRUITION Caller: We often hear Master narrate stories of the Lord Buddha about the law of causation, featuring this phrase, ‘May all my evil deeds not come to […]
PRAYER FOR NON-DISCIPLES PRIOR TO RECITING THE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR DISCIPLES Question: For Buddhist practitioners who are not disciples of Master Jun Hong Lu, is it alright for them to state the following prayer right before reciting the Code of Conduct for Disciples: “I, <your full name>, have yet to become a disciple of […]
REPENT EARNESTLY FOR PRAYERS TO BE EFFICACIOUS Master Jun Hong Lu: Recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO) diligently if your prayers go unanswered for a long time. The more remorseful you are, the more efficacious your prayers will be. Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse 7 (Question 60), 14 May 2014
RECITING THE HEART SUTRA BEFORE YOUR PRAYER REQUEST WILL MAKE PRAYER MORE EFFICACIOUS Master Jun Hong Lu: Let me teach you something that can make your prayer more efficacious, that is, by first reciting the Heart Sutra. For instance, after reciting 7 or 21 times of the Heart Sutra, you may pray, “With the Heart […]
IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY, PARTIALLY COMPLETED SELF-CULTIVATION RECORD FORMS CAN STILL BE OFFERED Caller: Hi Master, I’ve a question and it is about the Self-Cultivation Record Form of the Great Compassion Mantra. To complete one such form, it takes more than 1,000 recitations of the Great Compassion Mantra but in times of emergency, can we […]
TO HAVE YOUR WISH GRANTED, IT IS IMPORTANT TO STATE A CONCISE AND APPROPRIATE PRAYER Caller: Master, you mentioned in one of your radio programs that, when praying to Bodhisattva, it is necessary to state our prayers, yet they should not be too lengthy as we run the risk of uttering inappropriate things that Dharma […]
YOUR ABILITY TO ELIMINATE YOUR KARMIC OBSTACLES REDUCES IF YOU KEEP REPEATING THE SAME MISTAKE Master Jun Hong Lu: There are many people who have the misconception that “It’s alright for me to do some bad things today. I can recite a few times of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO) to repent and all […]
WHAT TO DO WHEN WE FEEL STRESSED OUT IN PERFORMING RECITATION? Question: Just recently, my Buddhism practice hit a bottleneck and I was struggling to break the impasse. After a few days of diligent practice, I would backslide in the ensuing few days and this scenario kept repeating itself. It feels like a war against […]
TO OVERCOME BAD HABITS, ONE MUST RECITE THE HEART SUTRA TO SEEK BLESSINGS FROM THE BODHISATTVA Caller: A Buddhist friend’s daughter is constantly in a foul mood every day and this can last up to four to five hours. Unfortunately, this has been going on in recent years. There isn’t much that her daughter can […]
BEFORE RECITING THE HEART SUTRA, ONE CAN PRAY TO GUAN YIN BODHISATTVA TO SHOWER BLESSINGS ON ONE’S SPIRITUAL ROOT Caller: Master once said, “All of you must know how to pray to Guan Yin Bodhisattva to shower blessings on your spiritual roots. To do so, you can say, “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate […]
THE INGENIOUS APPLICATION OF THE HEART SUTRA Master Jun Hong Lu: The ingenious secret of the Heart Sutra lies in using the mind to overcome the impurities and unwholesomeness within. Many people say, “My heart has been so deeply wounded and there is no way that anyone can soothe my broken heart.” In reality, the […]
THE HEART SUTRA IS A CONDENSED VERSION OF THE DIAMOND SUTRA Master Jun Hong Lu: Buddhist practitioners should recite more of the Heart Sutra as a means to regulate their body and mind, and to ‘illuminate and see the emptiness of the Five Aggregates’. The Heart Sutra is essentially a condensed version of the Diamond […]
THE RECITATION OF THE HEART SUTRA AND THE GREAT COMPASSION MANTRA WILL HELP BALANCE THE YIN AND YANG ENERGIES Master Jun Hong Lu: The recitation of the Heart Sutra and the Great Compassion Mantra can help us gain wisdom and increase our spiritual energy, respectively. Both are beneficial and can help balance one’s Yin and […]
WHEN RECITING THE EIGHTY-EIGHT BUDDHAS GREAT REPENTANCE (LIFO) ON BEHALF OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, SHOULD WE VISUALISE OURSELVES AS THEM OR AS A THIRD PARTY? Caller: Hi Master, how should we go about performing the recitation of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO) on behalf of our family members? Should we visualise ourselves as our […]
AN ALTERNATIVE TO STANDING UP AT THE END OF THE RECITATION OF THE EIGHTY-EIGHT BUDDHAS GREAT REPENTANCE Question: When we recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance on board a flight, it may not be convenient to stand up at the end of each recitation. What can we do as an alternative after the three salutations […]
SHOULD WE SAY SEPARATE PRAYERS TO NANJING BODHISATTVA, TAI SUI BODHISATTVA AND GUAN DI BODHISATTVA? Caller: Master, Buddhist practitioners of Guan Yin Citta would generally pray to Guan Yin Bodhisattva, Nanjing Bodhisattva, Tai Sui Bodhisattva and Guan Di Bodhisattva at home. Is there a better way for us to say our prayers and connect to […]
OFFERING SELF-CULTIVATION RECORD FORMS IN THE ABSENCE OF A FORMAL BUDDHIST ALTAR Caller: With the exception of the Self-Cultivation Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance, is it alright for those without a Buddhist Altar to offer Self-Cultivation Record Forms of the Great Compassion Mantra, the Heart Sutra, the Cundi Dharani, the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra and […]
RECITE MORE EIGHTY-EIGHT BUDDHAS GREAT REPENTANCE (LIFO) AND OTHER SCRIPTURES BEFORE THE YEAR ENDS AS IT IS ABLE TO ELIMINATE SUBSTANTIAL KARMIC OBSTACLES; THINGS TO OBSERVE ON THE FIRST DAY OF LUNAR NEW YEAR Master Jun Hong Lu: Lunar New Year is just around the corner. It is my wish that all of you practise […]
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 attributed to our usual recitation of the Heart Sutra which benefits the sentient beings around us? Master Jun Hong Lu: The recitation of both 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
PRAY TO REPENT PRESENT-LIFE’S KARMIC OBSTACLES WHEN RECITING THE EIGHTY-EIGHT BUDDHAS GREAT REPENTANCE (LIFO) Caller: A Buddhist practitioner sent me a template of prayer requests for online group study and the recitation of some Buddhist scriptures a few days ago. It is allegedly shared by Australia Oriental Radio and is being circulated online. I would […]
THE MEANING OF THE LAST SENTENCE OF THE EIGHTY-EIGHT BUDDHAS GREAT REPENTANCE (I.E. NA MO DA XING PU XIAN PU SA) Caller: Master Lu, the last sentence of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO) is ‘Na Mo Da Xing Pu Xian Pusa’ (Samantabhadra Bodhisattva). Why does it end with the name of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva? What […]
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RECITING THE HEART SUTRA AFTER OFFERING LITTLE HOUSES TO THE DECEASED Caller: Hello, Master. A few days ago, Master said that we can recite one time of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO) or three times of the Heart Sutra for the deceased, after offering Little Houses to them. In that case, […]
CAN WE PERFORM RECITATION DURING MEALTIME? Caller: I happened to overhear Master’s discourse that we can perform recitation during mealtime. Is it true that we can recite while having meals? Master Jun Hong Lu: It is alright for vegetarians to do so but not for those who are not. However, you should not recite the […]
CAN WE PERFORM RECITATION WHILE DISPOSING TRASH? Question: With a trash bag in our hand, can we perform recitation on our way to dispose it? Answer: Do not recite the long sutras such as the Great Compassion Mantra, the Heart Sutra, etc., only recite the Mantra To Untie Karmic Knots. Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s […]
CAN WE PERFORM RECITATION DURING MEALTIME? Caller: I happened to overhear Master’s discourse that we can perform recitation during mealtime. Is it true that we can recite while having meals? Master Jun Hong Lu: It is alright for vegetarians to do so but not for those who are not. However, you should not recite the […]
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms (Radio Program) Volume 2 Chapter 24 (An Excerpt) THE FOUR METHODS FOR EFFECTIVE RECITATIONS Master Jun Hong Lu: In the course of practising Buddhism, we are bound to deliberate over certain issues such as how we should pray to Buddhas and perform our recitations. There are times […]
