THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT IS IMMUTABLE, WISDOM CANNOT BE BESTOWED, THE TRUE DHARMA IS INEXPLICABLE, AND SPIRITUALLY AWAKENING WILL NEVER COME TO THOSE WHO LACK AFFINITY WITH BUDDHISM
Master Jun Hong Lu: A disciple of the Buddha asked the Lord Buddha, “You have such immense divine-supernatural powers, boundless compassion and wisdom, but why are there still suffering and calamities in this world?”
The Buddha replied, “I may be endowed with unparalleled divine-supernatural powers in the universe, there remain a few things that I can’t do.”
Please listen attentively, everyone. We wish to help others but to do so, we must have the ability because the moment we let our guard down, we run the risk of inflicting harm on ourselves.
The Buddha once said, the law of karma is immutable because you reap what you sow. You must shoulder the karmic retribution for the evil deeds that you once committed. This is to say, you will receive kindness for the seeds of goodness that you sow and vice versa. No one is able to stand in for you. Even the Bodhisattvas are rendered helpless in this regard.
Secondly, wisdom can never be bestowed upon others. Anyone who wishes to gain wisdom has to face the test of trials and tribulations. This is because favourable conditions will only cause one to degenerate.
Those who can’t embrace adversity will never amount to anything in life. Individuals who always indulge in worldly blessings will never go far in their spiritual cultivation. People who are constantly showered with compliments or do not sweat over basic necessities of life will very soon retreat from their cultivation. In fact, hardships may ensue.
Thirdly, the true dharma is inexplicable as the truth of the universe can never be encapsulated in words. In fact, it can only be actualised through practice or actions.
Just like today, I’m teaching everyone to recite the Buddhist scriptures. If you do not recite, you will never realise the dharma. The moment you start doing so, you are able to verify the existence of the dharma. If none of you recites the Buddhist scriptures, the dharma will never prevail in this world.
Fourthly, spiritual awakening will never come to those who lack affinity with Buddhism. While sharing the dharma with others, if you are faced with their reluctance to listen, respond or speak, clearly, they are individuals who lack the affinity with Buddhism. There is no way that we can help them awaken spiritually.
However, the Bodhisattvas are compassionate – Guan Yin Bodhisattva tells us that these people may lack the affinity with Buddhism at the current moment, but it will not be forever. As their affinities develop and ripen over time, we can still share the dharma with them.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting, Hong Kong, China, 20 June 2015
