HOW TO ENHANCE THE EFFICACIOUSNESS OF OUR PRAYER I feel that all of you present here today are blessed immensely. Many do not know the proper ritual when praying to Bodhisattva. Usually, after offering incense, they will kneel down, start crying and wailing. Please remember, should you have an important matter to pray for, after […]
DESTINY Master Jun Hong Lu: Our destiny, the weal and woe in our life, is predetermined. However, through learning Buddhism, we can control and change our fate. As Buddhist cultivators, we know what our destiny is and hence we can change it. Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting, Hong Kong SAR, China, […]
THE KEY THAT GUIDES US TO ELIMINATE THE VEXATIONS OF THE HUMAN REALM Master Jun Hong Lu: To practise Buddhism in the human realm is very challenging as it requires wisdom. Enlightenment is the ultimate objective of a Buddhism cultivator. Enlightenment is the key to eliminating the vexations in the human realm. I hope you […]
DISCOVER OUR ABILITY Master Jun Hong Lu: Many people realise their potential in a hard way. Human ability is like a diamond, hidden deep underneath the ground waiting to be uncovered. That is why many people can only unleash their potential under difficult situations. Thus, you may never be able to discover your true self […]
AIM TO ATTAIN SELFLESSNESS Master Jun Hong Lu: The ultimate objective of cultivation is to attain selflessness. When facing hardships in life, Buddhist cultivators should aim at leaving sufferings and embracing happiness. People won’t cultivate if there was no hardship. In cultivation, we should aim to attain a state of emptiness. In doing so, you […]
WISDOM EQUATES HUMILITY AND BEING CAUTIOUS Caller: A Buddhist practitioner thought that he was not diligent in cultivation. However, other Buddhist practitioners who know him very well had dreams that he cultivated well. For example, they dreamt that he became a Bodhisattva, brought a lot of delicious food for other Buddhist friends, or had a […]
THE TWO GIFTS IN LIFE Master Jun Hong Lu: I would like to offer you two precious gifts in life. Firstly, forgiveness is a source of happiness. When you forgive others, you will gain inexhaustible happiness. Secondly, health is your biggest wealth. What’s more, if you wish to be happy, practise Buddhism. Source: Master […]
ANY SEED SOWN WILL NOT GERMINATE INSTANTLY Master Jun Hong Lu: When you help others, you won’t get rewarded immediately; when you pray to Bodhisattva and perform recitation, your health won’t be improved overnight. So, many people could only complain that their prayer doesn’t work. Please remember, any seeds will not grow instantly. When we […]
THIS WORLD IS AN ILLUSION Master Jun Hong Lu: A sage is a person with wisdom, he understands that this world is an illusion and that he should leave it behind without further ado. An ignorant person, on the other hand, is one who takes this illusory world as real. To a person who fails […]
LEARN TO STOP USELESS COMPLAINTS Master Jun Hong Lu: Learn to put a stop to your complaints towards others. One who complains about others incessantly will only lay the groundwork of failure for himself; holding onto grievances is dysfunctional and will only aggravate misery. Therefore, to avoid failure, you will have to make the necessary […]
WHAT DO WE, AS BUDDHIST PRACTITIONERS, NEED? Master Jun Hong Lu: If you were an eagle, you could soar in the sky even if there was no one to applaud for you; If you were grass, you could grow even if there was no one to love you; If you were a flower in the […]
A VERY IMPORTANT ETHIC TO OBSERVE Master Jun Hong Lu: Many people think that moral ethic is about aiding others and performing good deeds. However, it is not so. Please remember, as humans, it is very important to know that “Forbearance is a moral ethic”. A person who is forbearing is a person with moral […]
SEVEN REASONS WHY WE SHOULD NOT GET ANGRY Master Jun Hong Lu: We should never get angry as our anger will only eliminate the very last trace of rational thought in us. We should never get angry as our anger will ignite the excruciating sense of grievance deep inside us. We should never get angry […]
DESIRE WILL ONLY LEAD US TO SUFFERING Master Jun Hong Lu: We must understand that our desires should never be taken for our hopes in life. There are many who have yearnings all their lives: “I want a television, I want a car, I want a house, I want….”. These are all desires which should […]
SEE THROUGH THE EMPTINESS OF THE MATERIAL WORLD Master Jun Hong Lu: We have to see through the emptiness of the material world as it is transient. We have to realise that life is impermanent, as the most beautiful body is nothing but a mortal. The most touching love story is nothing but a predestined […]
WHAT CAN YOU BUY WITH MONEY? Master Jun Hong Lu: • Money can buy you a bed; but it can’t give you a good night of sleep • Money can buy you jewellery; but it can’t give you beauty • Money can buy you a house; but it can’t give you a harmonious family • […]
LIVE BY THE PRECEPTS Master Jun Hong Lu: When Buddha passed to Nirvana, his disciples knelt in front of him and asked: “Master, after you are gone, what are we supposed to do?” Buddha answered: “The Precepts will be your teacher.” As long as a person live by the Precepts, he will never be strayed. […]
DO NOT TRY TO CHANGE OTHERS Master Jun Hong Lu: Do not try to change others as it is the most arduous task. By accommodating others, you will earn affection, respect and care from them. A foolish person often seeks to be understood by others, while a wise person seeks to understand and care […]
MAINTAIN A CONTENTED HEART Master Jun Hong Lu: Let me share with you a few phrases that will give you hope in life. Please remember this – always maintain a contented heart. It is not easy to be contented. Be thankful that you are alive today, as there are many people who have failed to […]
REPENTANCE IS THE KEY Question: If one with a higher state of mind repents frequently, even towards matters that didn’t cause any karmic debts, does this generate merits? Answer: Frequent repentance is not regarded as a meritorious act, but is helpful in eliminating karmic debts speedily, thereby making your prayers more efficacious. Many people think […]
HOW TO HANDLE OTHERS’ SHORTCOMINGS Question: As our Buddhism learning and practice deepen, we tend to be more aware of our own and other people’s shortcomings. While we work hard to overcome our own shortcomings, however, we might also expect others to be of a higher standard and no longer see them as kind as […]
FEWER DESIRES LEAD TO GREATER CONTENTMENT Master Jun Hong Lu: If we live and die for desires, you would end up becoming a slave of desires in your next life. We shall not become the slaves of our desire. Fewer desires leads to contentment and a person with few desires is a content person that […]
THERE IS BUDDHA NATURE IN ALL OF US Master Jun Hong Lu: “Settle your heart and find your root; that is where your kindness lies”. There is nothing really to contend for. There is Buddha nature in every one of us. The Buddha tells us: “All beings possess a Buddha-nature”. Since all of you aspire […]
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS WITH NON-BUDDHISTS Question: With regards to our daily engagements with non-Buddhists, going out to eat and drink is a very common way to socialise. However, Buddhists like us do not smoke or drink and only eat vegetarian food. How should we better handle these social interactions? What are the options available for us […]
POWER OF ENDURANCE Master Jun Hong Lu: The utmost accomplishment in cultivation is one’s ability to endure, as our endurance is our greatest strength. If you wish for serenity and peace at home, you have to endure; if you wish for a safe society, you have to learn to endure; if you wish to resolve […]
LIVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT Master Jun Hong Lu: Buddha once told us that we can only live in the present moment. He told us to live on this very day, at this very moment. We can never go back to yesterday, neither can we have tomorrow come to us in advance. To live in […]
AVOID BEING JUDGEMENTAL ON FOUR ASPECTS Master Jun Hong Lu: I want you to learn that in our Buddhist practice and everyday life, there are 4 things that we should not pass judgement on: Firstly, do not judge the good or bad of others, as it does not have any effect on your life. Secondly, […]
FOUR THINGS WE SHOULD NOT WASTE OUR LIVES ON Master Jun Hong Lu: We know that we should not waste our lives away and here are four things in particular that we should not dwell on: Number 1: Our worries. Worries are an absolute waste of our lives. To worry is to make things difficult […]
TO FORGIVE OTHERS IS TO BE KIND TO ONESELF Master Jun Hong Lu: If you wish to receive help from others, you must first offer help to others; if you wish to be loved by others, you must first love others; if you wish to gain benefits, you must first let others gain benefits from […]
DO NOT RUN AWAY FROM REALITY Master Jun Hong Lu: We should not run away from reality. We should be strong and rise to the challenge. We come to this world to overcome hardship in life. Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting, Tokyo, Japan, 7 October 2016
