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 solar terms, I have just mentioned them and I don’t wish to elaborate further. That said, I’d like to give you a little bit more pointer. Why is it more efficacious to recite the Buddhist scriptures on the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month? This is because countless Bodhisattvas are present on these days. Hence, the effectiveness of the recitations will be better.
Caller: Is it right to say that the 24 solar terms are periods that we need to pay special attention to?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes, they are. The solar terms in the heavenly and human realms are tightly related.
Caller: Will there be an increase in the efficacy of our recitations and prostrations to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on these days?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes, you stand to gain more because it is more efficacious to do so on the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month. That’s all I can say.
Caller: Is it also more efficacious to recite the Buddhist scriptures during the 24 solar terms compared with those normal days?
Master Jun Hong Lu: That’s right. This is why some people choose the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month to do certain things. Why do people adopt a vegetarian diet on these days? Think about the innumerable Bodhisattvas, who are present on earth. This is one reason why some people avoid committing misdeeds on these days. Since ancient times, it was said that married couples should avoid physical intimacy on these dates.
Caller: Are there also many Bodhisattvas present during the 24 solar terms?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Be it the Chinese New Year or other festivities, a huge number of Bodhisattvas will descend. That said, during certain solar terms, instead of having Bodhisattvas being present, spirits from the underworld will make their way to the human realm in droves. One case in point is the Ching Ming Festival (Tomb-sweeping Day).
Source: Shuohua20130809 15:28, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program