PRACTISE CONTEMPLATION OF IMPURITY AND GENEROSITY TO QUELL GREED Master Jun Hong Lu: First and foremost, to quell greed, you must practise contemplation of impurity as well as generosity. What is contemplation of impurity? “Contemplation of Impurity” is an important method in the Zen tradition. Through contemplating the impurity of all things in this world, […]
ABIDING NOWHERE, THE AWAKENED MIND ARISES Master Jun Hong Lu: “Abiding nowhere, the awakened mind arises”. This verse is cited in the Diamond Sutra and it refers to a state of mind that is equivalent to the Bodhi Mind. When you are not concerned about your self-interests in all of your undertakings; when you have […]
HOLD BUDDHA AND BODHISATTVA CLOSE TO YOUR HEART Master Jun Hong Lu: Be it performing recitation, spiritual cultivation or practising Buddhism, you should hold Bodhisattvas in reverence. You have to feel that you are physically in front of Buddhas with a constant sense of closeness to Them. If you often feel that you are right […]
DO NOT SEEK THRILLS Master Jun Hong Lu: Humans are not made to experience too much thrills. Each time the body is stimulated, parts of the soul leave the body. When the thrills become too intense for some people, their souls would leave their bodies indefinitely. Although the soul would be able to find its […]
THE THREE FIELDS OF BLESSINGS In Buddhism, there are three types of blessings and collectively, they are termed as the Three Fields of Blessings. The Field of Blessings is capable of generating the conditions for good fortune. The first Field of Blessings comes when you make offerings to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and this […]
DO NOT LET GREED CONTROL YOU Master Jun Hong Lu: As humans, we are filled with greed for pleasures our entire life – wanting this today, and that tomorrow; desiring this today and that the next. Essentially, this is the damage that we inflict on our minds every single day. Therefore, no matter what it […]
CONTEMPLATE THE THOUGHTS AS IMPERMANENT; CONTEMPLATE THE BODY AS IMPURE Master Jun Hong Lu: Bodhisattva urges us to contemplate our thoughts as impermanent. Many of our shortcomings are centered in our bodies. Hence, Bodhisattva wants us to know that our bodies are impure and our minds are always in a state of flux, that is, […]
QUIT GRASPING; BE FREE FROM DESIRES Master Jun Hong Lu: The human realm has always been a place that taints our inherent nature; a realm where all the contamination takes place that causes our innate nature to be clouded. It is not that our Buddha nature is lost. In fact, its presence can be likened […]
STAY ROOTED TO THE REALITIES OF THIS WORLD Master Jun Hong Lu: If you detach yourself from the realities of life in search of the dharma, you are in reality setting yourself farther apart from the dharma. This is because ‘The Path’ is in one’s heart. Many people like to say this: “I must find […]
TO CONTEMPLATE IS TO ILLUMINATE THE WISDOM WITHIN Master Jun Hong Lu: To ‘contemplate’ is to reflect and illuminate the wisdom that we inherently possess. When you observe the consciousness of your spiritual being, wisdom arises in you. A person, who is capable of being accomplished in his spiritual cultivation, will unceasingly reflect on the […]
BUDDHISM PRACTICE IS AN EDUCATION ON ‘THE WAY OF LIFE’ Master Jun Hong Lu: I hope all of you can be awakened to the truth of “suffering, emptiness and impermanence”. You need to truly understand that there is nothing we can gain from this world and put this understanding into practice in your daily life. […]
VIEW OUR WORRIES AND TROUBLES AS BODHI Master Jun Hong Lu: It is important for us to view our worries and troubles in a different light; we need to make use of them to generate Bodhi that aids in our spiritual cultivation. In this way, your whole being and life is immersed in Bodhi. A […]
AFFLICTION IS EQUIVALENT TO BODHI Master Jun Hong Lu: Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are the experts in mental afflictions. They are engineers in the ‘mind’ field; the Doctors and Professors who can help us break free from our worries and see through the reality of things. Bodhisattvas are the ones who have gained wisdom from their […]
NEVER HOLD ON TO ONLY ONE PERSPECTIVE Master Jun Hong Lu: Buddhist practitioners should not insist on a single perspective regarding any issue. We should never hold onto our own views stubbornly; otherwise, it is considered as ‘attachment’ and this inflexibility will lead us to ignorance. When you say, “He is so detestable, I just […]
CEASE OUR WORLDLY LINE OF THOUGHT Master Jun Hong Lu: We must cease our worldly mindset. As Buddhist practitioners, we have to eliminate this human’s line of thought in us. What is “worldly line of thought”? It refers to the tendency to perceive falsehoods as the truth. As such, when we learn and practise Buddhism, […]
EQUANIMITY Master Jun Hong Lu: If you can treat everything that occurs in this world as a natural phenomenon, then you will not be saddened, nor will you grieve. When you view this world with equanimity, your heart will be calm and settled. It is only with equanimity can one attain tranquillity, and thus, you […]
RIGHT MINDFULNESS IS THE FORTRESS AGAINST AN INTRUSION OF EVIL THOUGHTS Master Jun Hong Lu: As Buddhist practitioners if you become complacent, that is to say, when you fail to be diligent in your spiritual cultivation, all the toxins would enter your body. Your hatred and jealousy become the poisons that can harm you; so […]
A TURTLE AND THE DRIFTING YOKE Master Jun Hong Lu: “To be born as a human is as rare as the chances of a blind turtle popping its head through the hole in the drifting yoke as it rises to the ocean surface for air once in a hundred years” (盲龟值木). Therefore, we must cherish […]
ACCEPT MASTER’S CRITICISMS WITH GRATITUDE Master Jun Hong Lu: As your master, I am sharing the Dharma teachings with you every day, just like a father, constantly pointing out your flaws. Therefore, you must be appreciative of my efforts and understand that I am truly helping you for your own good. Can you imagine what […]
LIBERATION FROM SUFFERINGS IS THE OBJECTIVE OF BUDDHISM PRACTICE Master Jun Hong Lu: Tell me, is there anyone here who is free from attachment? You are either attached to your child, yourself, money or fame. Every one of us has our own set of attachments. For all things that you fail to let go, it […]
ONLY BUDDHIST FRATERNITY IS ENDURING; BE OF GREATER HELP TO OTHERS Master Jun Hong Lu: Let me reiterate what I’ve said before: In life, family love cannot be compared with Buddhist fraternity. What do you think Buddhist fraternity is? It’s the love that Bodhisattva bestows upon us, don’t you think? What about family love? It […]
REGARD THE MASTER AS A BUDDHA Master Jun Hong Lu: Only when you take the minds of sentient beings as your own, you are perfecting yourself for the benefit of others. In Buddhism, it is often said that one must learn to honour the masters and revere their teachings, and regard them as Buddhas. Why […]
“IMPERMANENCE” EXPLAINED Caller: Master, how does impermanence (non-permanence) come about? Master Jun Hong Lu: ‘Non’ (无) means ‘nothingness’; ‘Permanence’ (常) means long-lasting. Hence, putting them together, ‘impermanence’ means, it appears that there is something and then there is nothing – now you have it, then you don’t. Is this simple enough for your understanding? Caller: […]
WISDOM IS THE KEY TO LIBERATION FROM SUFFERING Master Jun Hong Lu: A person who is able to eradicate suffering, is one who does not put himself in the midst of the suffering. This is when Prajna or wisdom is gained. Should someone scold you today, and you don’t even feel it. In that case, […]
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE Master Jun Hong Lu: Buddhist practitioners should place emphasis on nurturing their morality and innate attainment. There must be a unity of knowledge and practice. If you only talk about theories, without putting them into practice, you will never be ‘one’ with the Buddha. Just like […]
HOW CAN WE ESCAPE THE FOUR SUFFERINGS AND BE TRULY HAPPY? Master Jun Hong Lu: Birth, old age, sickness and death are inevitable. Suffering starts at birth and it goes on to old age. The suffering from ill health is unspeakable; and death is agonising. Nobody can escape these four types of suffering, regardless if […]
WHAT IS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF HAPPINESS? Master Jun Hong Lu: What is the characteristic of happiness? It lies in the standard of happiness. What makes a happy person? He is one who is free from greed, hatred and ignorance. A person with no greed is one with discipline; those who have no hatred are calm; […]
OVERCOMING SUSPICION WITH PURE FAITH Master Jun Hong Lu: If you frequently maintain an enduring heart; because you believe that he is a good person, because you believe that he will not hurt you, your mind will naturally be steadfast. Why are there many people who are suspicious of others? It is due to their […]
THE KARMIC RETRIBUTION FOR KILLING Master Jun Hong Lu: There are two types of karmic retribution for the act of killing. Firstly, those who often commit the act of killing will have relatively short lifespans; and secondly, they will be prone to illnesses. In other words, if one is always in poor health or has […]
WHERE DOES HAPPINESS COME FROM? Master Jun Hong Lu: The Bodhisattva says: “When you help others, you will be very happy.” Well, when you do just that, you continue to feel the happiness. Then, when others are grateful and hold respect towards you for helping them, won’t you be even happier? And where does this […]
