KNOWING YOUR PRIORITIES IS KEY Master Jun Hong Lu: Everyone has energy. Whatever you aspire to achieve in life, you must be ready to make the necessary sacrifices. To succeed, your energy must be strong. We should be cautious in all that we do. If you wish for wealth, a high position, or good health, […]
THE POWER OF SELF-CONFIDENCE AND DILIGENCE IN OVERCOMING LIFE’S CHALLENGES Master Jun Hong Lu: Once, in a language class, a teacher named Zhang asked a student, Wang Da Wei to recite some vocabulary. However, Wang Dawei, who was hiding under the desk secretly reading a martial arts novel, was caught off guard and failed to […]
BRIEF SOLITUDE HELPS CLEAR ONE’S MIND AND GAIN MENTAL STRENGTH Master Jun Hong Lu: Our minds must remain pure, and we should often take short periods of retreat. A retreat means emptying and clearing our mind from all thoughts. Devote yourself to reciting scriptures from morning to night to instil a sense of peace within […]
BEWARE OF THOSE WHO UNDERMINE YOUR DILIGENCE Master Jun Hong Lu: As you stride forward in your Buddhist practice, we are bound to hear all kinds of remarks. This underscores the importance of being persistent in your practice, and to quickly learn to get used to the different worldly viewpoints. Focus on what you need […]
THE PRECEPTS LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR YOUR BUDDHIST PRACTICE Master Jun Hong Lu: As Lord Buddha was about to enter nirvana, sobbing and kneeling before Him, His disciples asked, “Lord Buddha, what shall we do without you?” The Lord Buddha said, “Let the precepts be your foundation and regard them as your teacher”. Do you […]
A STORY ON THE COUGHING PARROT – THE POWER OF ROLE MODELS IS INFINITE Master Jun Hong Lu: Once, there was this person who kept an adorable parrot as a pet. One day, a friend of hers dropped by to visit. The guest asked, “Is the parrot sick? Why does it keep coughing and look […]
WISDOM IS FOUND THROUGH DISCIPLINE Question: What should we do to achieve a more profound, higher and stricter level of discipline? How can a state of absolute discipline be attained? Answer: To gain wisdom and the power of concentration, one must observe the precepts. The level of wisdom that one gains is in proportion to […]
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 […]
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? […]
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’. […]
HEAVEN IS OUT OF REACH FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNFILIAL Master Jun Hong Lu: Filial piety, loyalty and honesty, propriety and justice, sense of integrity and shame are very important virtues that you must be aware of. As your Master, I’d like to say right here that for those who are not even filial to […]
THE CONCEPTION OF LOVE AND HATE Master Jun Hong Lu: Any form of love or hatred in this mortal world is accumulated from countless lifetimes. If you are deeply in love with someone today, it is because of the love you had for this person in your past lives and the same goes for the […]
GREAT COMPASSION ARISES IN THE ABSENCE OF THE NOTION OF ‘SELF’ Master Jun Hong Lu: Without the notion of ‘self’, one stands to reap all virtuous rewards. If you are able to completely do away with the notion of ‘self’, you will not contend with others, hate others or commit foolish acts. As Buddhist practitioners, […]
CREATE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES Master Jun Hong Lu: In ancient times, there was a fencing master. When asked who and what was the one unforgettable thing that had benefited him the most in his life, he said it was something his mother once said to him. At that time, he was just 18, young and […]
CULTIVATE AND NURTURE EXISTING KINDNESS Master Jun Hong Lu: The fourth “Right Excertion” is about *”nurturing pre-existing goodness for it to flourish”. What this means is you know this is a kind deed, so you must motivate yourself to do it. You should tell yourself, “It doesn’t matter whether today is my duty day or […]
COMPASSION IS NOT A TYPE OF AFFECTION, BUT A KIND OF WISDOM Master Jun Hong Lu: To be compassionate is to be selfless. When you can feel how pitiful and desperate others are for your help, you are considered selfless in this context, because you are focused solely on the well-being of others. Compassion is […]
COMPASSION IS THE FOUNDATION OF BUDDHIST PRACTICE Master Jun Hong Lu: Compassion is the key that unlocks the gate of the dharma. How is it possible for someone, who is devoid of compassion, able to set foot on the gate of the dharma? The Buddha once said, “Compassion is the foundation of Buddhist practice”. What […]
MISFORTUNE BEFALLS THOSE WHO TAKE WHAT IS NOT GIVEN Master Jun Hong Lu: Practise frugality and righteousness, and never take what is not yours. If you refrain from taking what is not yours, doesn’t this make you a righteous person – one who is free from self-interests? Don’t you think you are also someone who […]
COMPASSION IS THE CONDITION FOR ALL PEACE AND HAPPINESS IN THIS WORLD Master Jun Hong Lu: People who are immensely compassionate possess the Buddha-nature. For example, when a person cultivates boundless compassion, their Buddha-nature will shine through. Conversely, the moment a person turns ruthless and commits wrongful acts, his Buddha-nature will be shrouded. The same can […]
INTOXICANTS ROB THE CLARITY OF ONE’S MIND Master Jun Hong Lu: Why are the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas against alcohol? Because alcohol is extremely harmful as it robs the clarity of mind and causes one to feel hopeless. Many government departments have this common notice: Drink-driving is an offence. This demonstrates that the Buddha’s teachings are, […]
TAKING WITHOUT TELLING IS STEALING Master Jun Hong Lu: When one takes something without the owner’s consent it is considered an act of stealing. Do you know the karmic retribution of this immoral act? Your entire life will be marred by poverty and disdain; without a shred of hope of extricating yourself from it. Take […]
