IT IS MORE EFFICACIOUS TO PERFORM RECITATION DURING THE 24 SOLAR TERMS AND THE FIRST AND FIFTEENTH OF EACH LUNAR MONTH Caller: Is the efficacy of reciting the Buddhist scriptures during the 24 solar terms comparable to the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month? Master Jun Hong Lu: With regards to the 24 […]
AVOID MAJOR UNDERTAKINGS IN THE FIFTH LUNAR MONTH Question: As the fifth lunar month is deemed a “poisonous” month, is it alright for one to get married or move house during this period? Answer: It is best to avoid doing so. How can you expect things to proceed smoothly if you insist on holding your […]
IS IT APPROPRIATE TO CELEBRATE TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS WITHIN ONE YEAR OF FAMILY MEMBERS’ PASSING? Question: May I know whether it is advisable for my mother to make rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival, within the first year of the passing of my grandmother? The reason I ask is because there is a folk belief […]
RECITE 10,000 TIMES OF THE MANTRA TO UNTIE KARMIC KNOTS BEFORE UNDERGOING SURGERY IN THE FIFTH LUNAR MONTH Question: Master has advised before that one should avoid undergoing surgery in the leap fourth month of the lunar calendar. If unavoidable, we should recite 10,000 times of the Mantra To Untie Karmic Knots. The surgery has […]
IT IS A GOOD PRACTICE TO PROSTRATE AND RECITE MORE HEART SUTRA BEFORE AND AFTER THE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL AND OTHER SOLAR TERMS Master Jun Hong Lu: To all Buddhist practitioners who are tuning in to this program, tomorrow – a Saturday – happens to be the Dragon Boat festival. Everyone knows that there is […]
HOW THE HUMAN BODY REGULATES ITSELF DURING THE FIFTH LUNAR MONTH – THE “MONTH OF POISON” Caller: Master, every fifth lunar month is commonly known as the “Month of Poison”, of which the “Nine Poison Days” (i.e. fifth, sixth, seventh, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh days of the fifth lunar month) are perceived […]
PRAYER REQUEST WHEN PAYING RESPECT TO ANCESTORS Question: Some fellow practitioners would like to ask about Ching Ming Festival and the death anniversary of their ancestors. What should we say when taking out the ancestral tablets to pay our respects? Master Jun Hong Lu: You can place the tablets on the offering table and while […]
DO NOT LEAVE THE MEMORIAL TABLETS OF THE DECEASED ON THE OFFERING TABLE FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD Question: During Ching Ming Festival or Dong Zhi (Winter Solstice), should we place the memorial tablets of the deceased on the offering table throughout the day or should we put them away once the prayer ceremony is over? […]
IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO SET UP THE BUDDHIST ALTAR ON CHING MING FESTIVAL Question: How many days before or after Ching Ming Festival is it not advisable for us to set up Buddhist altars? Answer: Simply avoid doing so on the day itself. It is best for one to stay at home to perform […]
AVOID SETTING UP THE BUDDHIST ALTAR ON CHING MING FESTIVAL, WINTER SOLSTICE OR ZHONG YUAN FESTIVAL Caller: Is it true that we should avoid setting up the Buddhist altar on the days of the 24 Solar Terms? Master Jun Hong Lu: It should be fine to do so in the morning. That said, avoid the […]
SHOULD WE OFFER LITTLE HOUSES IN FRONT OF THE DECEASED’S TABLETS OR THE BUDDHIST ALTAR ON THE DAY OF CHING MING FESTIVAL? Caller: Hello Master. On the day of Ching Ming Festival, when offering Little Houses to the deceased at home, should we offer them in front of their tablets or the Buddhist altar? Master […]
WHAT SHOULD WE DO IF WE HAVE TO LEAVE OUR HOME EMPTY DUE TO BUSINESS TRIPS DURING CHING MING OR ZHONG YUAN FESTIVALS? Caller: Some Buddhist friends have to go for business trips which could be for an extended period, straddling over several weeks and this period coincides with Ching Ming or Zhong Yuan Festivals. […]
IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO PERFORM THE CALLING OF ONE’S SOUL DURING THE PERIOD BEFORE AND AFTER CHING MING FESTIVAL Caller: Master, may I clarify that it is not advisable to perform the calling of one’s soul during the Ching Ming Festival period? Or does it only apply to the day itself? Master Jun Hong […]
CAN WE OFFER FLOWERS AND ALCOHOLIC DRINKS WHEN PAYING RESPECT TO THE DECEASED? Caller: When paying respect to the deceased at their grave, can we offer flowers and alcoholic drinks? Master Jun Hong Lu: It is not recommended to do so if you feel that the deceased has ascended to heaven. If you are thinking […]
IT IS ADVISABLE TO WEAR PLAIN CLOTHES TO THE CEMETERY TO PERFORM TOMB SWEEPING DURING CHING MING FESTIVAL Caller: Is it true that we should not wear flashy or bright-colour clothes to the cemetery to perform tomb sweeping during Ching Ming Festival. Master Jun Hong Lu: Of course it is better to wear clothes that […]
DO NOT BRING HOME ANY OF THE OFFERINGS TO THE DECEASED; HOW SHOULD WE STATE OUR PRAYER WHEN OFFERING LITTLE HOUSES TO THE DECEASED IN FRONT OF THEIR GRAVES? Caller: When offering Little Houses at the cemetery, does it matter if we do so in the morning or afternoon? Master Jun Hong Lu: It does […]
HOW MANY DAYS BEFORE CHING MING FESTIVAL IS IT MOST APPROPRIATE TO PERFORM TOMB SWEEPING? Caller: A Buddhist practitioner would like to know how many days prior to Ching Ming Festival is it more appropriate to perform tomb sweeping for those who are unable to be at the cemetery on the day? Master Jun Hong […]
REASONS FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO PERFORM RECITATION, AND WHY ILLNESS MAKES A COMEBACK DURING CHING MING FESTIVAL, ZHONG YUAN FESTIVAL OR WINTER SOLSTICE Caller: During Ching Ming Festival, Zhong Yuan Festival and Winter Solstice, some Buddhist friends will start having difficulty in performing recitation a few weeks prior to the festivals. Things will return […]
PERFORMING RECITATION ON THE LANTERN FESTIVAL Caller: Which Buddhist scripture should we recite on the Lantern Festival? Master Jun Hong Lu: You should primarily focus on offering Little Houses on the Lantern Festival. You can consider setting aside more Little Houses to be offered on that day because it is exceptionally efficacious. Caller: Does this […]
THE EFFICACY OF LITTLE HOUSES OFFERED ON THE LANTERN FESTIVAL DIFFERS FROM THOSE OFFERED ON NORMAL DAYS Question: Master has said before that offering Little Houses on the 15th day of Lunar New Year has immense merits. May I ask whether it’s alright to burn Little House earlier but post-date it to the 15th day […]
WHICH BUDDHIST SCRIPTURES SHOULD WE STEP UP OUR RECITATION ON THE LANTERN FESTIVAL? Caller: Can we recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO) round the clock on the Lantern Festival, just like what we do on the eve and first day of Lunar New Year? Master Jun Hong Lu: No, it’s different. You should not […]
CHINESE NEW YEAR DECORATIONS CAN BE TAKEN DOWN AFTER THE 15TH DAY OF LUNAR NEW YEAR Caller: When should we take down the Chinese New Year decorations like the character 福 (‘fu’ which means blessings or fortune) or the Chinese paper-cuttings? Master Jun Hong Lu: You may take them down after the 15th day of […]
IT IS BEST TO ADOPT A VEGETARIAN DIET ON THE FIFTH DAY OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR, THE DAY WHEN THE GOD OF WEALTH BRINGS GOOD FORTUNE Caller: Dear Master Lu, it’s Chinese New Year now and we will certainly adopt a full vegetarian diet on the first and the fifteenth days of the first […]
INCREASE THE RECITATION OF THE XIAO ZAI JI XIANG SHEN ZHOU DURING THE FIRST LUNAR MONTH Caller: How are you Master Lu? You mentioned that one should recite 49 times of the Xiao Zai Ji Xiang Shen Zhou daily in the first month of the lunar calendar. I’d like to ask whether this recitation can […]
ALL BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS GATHER AT THE SOUTHERN HEAVENLY GATE ON THE FIRST DAY OF LUNAR NEW YEAR Moments before the clock struck midnight to herald the first day of Chinese New Year, the Heavenly Dharma Protectors, the Buddha, Guan Yin Bodhisattva, Nanjing Bodhisattva, 12 Tai Sui Bodhisattvas, Guan Di Bodhisattva, Victorious Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, […]
IMPORTANT PRAYER WHEN OFFERING THE FIRST INCENSE ON THE NIGHT OF CHINESE NEW YEAR’S EVE Master Jun Hong Lu: When offering the First Incense on Chinese New Year’s Eve, we should state, “May Guan Yin Bodhisattva bless my entire family with safety and auspiciousness”. It’s important to specify “the entire family” because by stating so, […]
CHINESE NEW YEAR DOS AND DON’TS Question: We are not supposed to throw out trash on the first day of Lunar New Year. How about the ashes of Little Houses that have been offered? Answer: You don’t have to throw them away. Just wrap them properly before placing them in a relatively clean dustbin. […]
OUTINGS ON THE FIRST DAY OF LUNAR NEW YEAR Caller: Hi Master, you once mentioned that it would be best to avoid house-hopping on the first and second days of Lunar New Year. But, in reality this is a common practice during Lunar New Year. By doing so, we run the risk of encountering some […]
QUESTIONS REGARDING THE RECITATION OF THE EIGHTY-EIGHT BUDDHAS GREAT REPENTANCE ON THE EVE AND FIRST DAY OF CHINESE NEW YEAR Caller: Master, I understand that we can recite up to 87 times of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO) over these two days. I started doing so yesterday and I was a bit wary, and […]
QUESTIONS REGARDING THE RECITATION OF THE EIGHTY-EIGHT BUDDHAS GREAT REPENTANCE ON THE EVE AND FIRST DAY OF CHINESE NEW YEAR Caller: How many times of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO) can we recite on the eve and first day of Lunar New Year? Master Jun Hong Lu: 87 times. Caller: Is it right to […]
