THE FOUR STRINGS OF SUFFERING IN LIFE Master Jun Hong Lu: Please remember, there are four sufferings in life that are like strings that entangle and baffle us in life: not being able to see through our confusion and disagreements with others, hating to part with ephemeral luxuries, being unable to take defeat in the […]
ALWAYS TREAT PEOPLE WITH COMPASSION Caller: A fellow Buddhist practitioner had a notion in his dream that he should tell another Buddhist friend not to be overly compassionate towards certain people. Does this mean that the Buddhist friend has some unrighteous people around him? Master Jun Hong Lu: It depends on whose voice was in […]
WASTING TIME MEANS WASTING LIFE Master Jun Hong Lu: We have to cherish everything, including our time, our relationships with others and our affinity with Buddha. Time is of the essence in the extension of lifespan – when one’s ‘time is up’, one’s life is at an end. Hence, it is said, to waste time […]
AS HUMANS Master Jun Hong Lu: As humans, we should give in to others when situations favour us, give ground to others when we are right, and not to ridicule others when we are capable. This is because, a shrewd person will be disliked; a fussy person will be loathed and a conceited person will be […]
MONEY IS JUST LIKE A POISONOUS SNAKE Master Jun Hong Lu: Buddha once said, ‘money is just like a poisonous snake.’ Sadly, there are so many people who perceive money to be as important as their life, even to the extent of falling out with family members over the family assets, or to the extent […]
THE MORE WE GIVE, THE MORE WE RECEIVE Master Jun Hong Lu: The more we give, the more we receive; the less we give, the less we receive; if we give nothing, we receive nothing. When Bodhisattva closes one door, rest assured that she will open another window. When we lose something in life, we […]
LEARN TO BE CONTENT Master Jun Hong Lu: As the traditional Chinese saying goes, ‘There is no calamity greater than to be discontented with one’s lot; no fault greater than the longing for desires. Therefore, when one is gratified by contentment, true contentment can then long endure.’ In other words, man’s greatest mistake lies in […]
LEARN TO CONTROL OUR EMOTIONS Master Jun Hong Lu: Our emotions are just like temperature, constantly in flux. Hence, we must learn to control our emotions. Although how we feel does not equate to who we are, our emotions may sometimes dictate our lives. Should our negative emotions not receive proper and speedy remedy, we […]
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING THE POWER OF UNDERSTANDING, WISDOM AND TO BE ENLIGHTENED Caller: What is the difference between these three concepts – the power of understanding, wisdom and to be enlightened? Master Jun Hong Lu: What does it mean by having the power of understanding? The power to understand is the equivalent of coming […]
OUR MIND SHOULD REMAIN UNMOVED Master Jun Hong Lu: The world is in an ever-changing state. As we develop, we have changed to become different from our past selves. In this human realm of impermanence, we are deluded by our attachments to the gains and losses we experience; we live in a world fabricated by […]
A BRIGHT AND FULFILLED LIFE Master Jun Hong Lu: No matter what happens in this world, simplify your approach in tackling any tasks that seem complicated and be earnest in your approach for those tasks that seem simple. What determines a person’s success is strong determination, firm faith and their conviction to succeed in every […]
THE HIDDEN TREASURE OF THE HEART IS OUR INHERENT NATURE Caller: Master Lu mentioned before that, when we gradually accumulate our heart’s treasures, what emerges would be our potential spiritual and mystical power. What is considered as the treasures of the heart? Master Jun Hong Lu: The hidden treasures of the heart are none other […]
HAPPINESS IS CONTENTMENT Master Jun Hong Lu: Doing good and accumulating merits establishes a foundation for a better tomorrow; sowing the seeds of kindness to reap positive fruits ensures that we have reserves for all of eternity. For happiness to always be by our side, we must learn to be contented with what we have […]
OUR GREATEST SORROW LIES IN LOSING HOPE FOR THE FUTURE Master Jun Hong Lu: As humans, our greatest sorrows lie in losing hope for the future; our worst habit lies in failing to plan our work. The setbacks of many people can oftentimes be attributed towards how they only dream and take no action. A […]
TREASURE EVERYTHING AROUND US Master Jun Hong Lu: We must cherish the people around us, even if they are our foes. The world we live in is governed by the law of subtraction; for each day that we live, there is one day less to be living. This is the same with our enemies; with […]
KEEPING TO YOUR ORIGINAL ASPIRATION LEADS YOU TO SUCCESS Master Jun Hong Lu: To avoid failure in life, we have to be cautious and adopt an unyielding attitude. Most people can only sustain brief periods of enthusiasm. When the initial excitement dies off, they choose to simply muddle along, wasting their life just like that. […]
THE EIGHT CHALLENGES IN LIFE Master Jun Hong Lu: The eight challenges in life are: The challenge of sustaining luxuries The challenge of satisfying desires for wealth The challenge of prolonging honour The challenge of eternalising status The challenge of obtaining good health The challenge of preserving youth The challenge of encountering true affection The […]
HOW SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND THE SAYING: ‘THOSE INVOLVED IN THE MATTER ARE BLINDED TO THE TRUTH WHILE ONLOOKERS SEE THINGS WITH CLARITY’ Caller: What does it mean to say that ‘those involved in the matter are blinded to the truth while onlookers see things with clarity’? Master Jun Hong Lu: This means that when in […]
VALUE THE WORDS OF OTHERS Master Jun Hong Lu: We have to value the words of others and at the same time have good control over each and every one of our spoken words. Regardless of whether others are making a remark to us or vice versa, we must practise patience under both circumstances. No […]
OUR MINDS ARE JUST LIKE A MIRROR Master Jun Hong Lu: In actuality, we are often able to differentiate between good and bad people with a glance. This is because our minds are just like a mirror. When we reflect the evil in the human realm, all that we will see are the evil appearances […]
DO NOT CLING ONTO DESIRES Master Jun Hong Lu: Life is impermanent and lies between our in and out breaths. A person who is encumbered by the human realm’s ceaselessly demanding desires will rapidly forget their innate nature and conscience. A person who always pushes himself to achieve greater fame and fortune will gradually lose […]
FORGIVING OTHERS IS MORE POWERFUL THAN PUNISHING THEM Master Jun Hong Lu: In this world, there is no such thing as a point of no return nor is there a mistake that is irreversible. Thus, when we see the mistakes of others, at times we should remind ourselves that forgiving others is more powerful than […]
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE LITTLE THINGS THAT WE DO Master Jun Hong Lu: As the saying goes, ‘great undertakings have small beginnings, and difficult tasks are tackled from where it is easy’. After all, even a large tree has the origins of a small sapling; a high platform is constructed piece by […]
CURB OUR DESIRES TO AVOID THE REGRETS OF TOMORROW Master Jun Hong Lu: As I often emphasise, life is like a one-way journey — from the small crib we had, to the small box that we get buried in when we pass on, and there is nothing we can take along with us. All that […]
THE MINDSET OF A PERSON IS VERY IMPORTANT Master Jun Hong Lu: The mindset of a person is very important. A wrong mindset may tarnish your image. With a unique line of thought, others will tend to form opinions about you. Symptoms of mental illness include having trouble thinking beyond oneself resulting in one being […]
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LACKING PREDESTINED AFFINITY AND HAVING AFFINITY THAT HAS YET TO COME Caller: Is there a difference where one is said to have no predestined affinity as compared to one’s affinity has yet to come? Master Jun Hong Lu: They are different for sure! Though it is said, ‘Guan Yin Bodhisattva is not […]
COMPASSION IS ABLE TO DEFUSE ALL GRIEVANCES Master Jun Hong Lu: In regard to conflict and estrangement among people, it can never be thoroughly eliminated through worldly approaches, no matter how hard we try. This is because as humans, we only resort to human means, not the wisdom of Bodhisattva. However, the power of compassion […]
PRACTISE UNMOVING SUCHNESS; REMAIN UNMOVED IN ANY GIVEN SITUATION OR WE WILL BE HURT Caller: Recently while reading Buddhism in Plain Terms, I came across a paragraph in which Master said, “In Buddhism studies, one’s mind should have ‘a flagpole that never topples.’ Typically, a person’s emotions are affected, and vexations arise after meeting with […]
GREAT WISDOM ARISES FROM THE STATE OF HAVING NO-DESIRE Caller: Can you explain this quote you once made, “Great wisdom arises from the state of having no-desire”. Master Jun Hong Lu: When there is no desire, there is purity in you; with purity, wisdom shall arise. Let me quote you an example. Desires are like […]
STRIVE TO CREATE OUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES Master Jun Hong Lu: Do not impute all faults and wrongs on others. Our fate and destiny are in our very own hands. When opportunity presents itself to us, do not hesitate to forge ahead vigorously and advance. Do not be jealous when you see the success of others […]
