The First of the Five Precepts: Abstain from Killing (Part 2)

< How Do We Eliminate the Karma of Killing? >  

Through Applying the Three Golden Practices – 1. Performing Recitation

Recitation of Ba Yi Qie Ye Zhang Gen Ben De Sheng Jing Tu Tuo Luo Ni (拔一切业障根本得生净土陀罗尼), Sukhavati-Vyuha Dharani in Sanskrit, or the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra (Wang Sheng Zhou) in short, is for sincerely asking for protection and blessings from Guan Yin Bodhisattva to grant a pleasant life in the present, and a rebirth into the Pure Land in the future.

The mantra can also be recited to transfer merits to small animals that you might have killed in the past, including avian, aquatic creatures, and insects. If you have eaten live seafood or animals before you started performing recitations and practising Buddhism, or have inadvertently harmed animals, including killing or hurting animals in your dreams, you can recite this mantra to transfer merits to them.

The Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra 

Master Jun Hong Lu‘s Discourse (Question 383) | 14 May 2020
USE THE RIGHT MENTAL ATTITUDE WHEN RECITING THE AMITABHA PURE LAND REBIRTH MANTRA (WANG SHENG ZHOU)

Guan Yin Bodhisattva said,

“My dear disciple, the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra (Wang Sheng Zhou) is also known as “Ba Yi Qie Ye Zhang Gen Ben De Sheng Jing Tu Tuo Luo Ni” (拔一切业障根本得生净土陀罗尼). Do you know the root of all karmic obstacles of sentient beings?”

The Heavenly Child replied, “Yes, I do. It is The Three Poisons: Greed, Hatred and Ignorance”.

Guan Yin Bodhisattva continued to ask, “My dear disciple, do you know the mental attitude I embrace in heaven when reciting the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra to help sentient beings ascend to a higher spiritual realm? It is the thought about the sufferings of all sentient beings perpetuated by the three poisons in them since the beginningless of time which trapped them in the evil path of the cycle of rebirth and unable to gain liberation.(想着一切众生之苦皆由无始贪瞋痴而轮转恶道不得超脱)”

“If you are able to adopt such a mental state when reciting the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra, your recitation would be indescribably powerful.”

Master Jun Hong Lu: Guan Yin Bodhisattva is indeed very compassionate and merciful. What it means here is that when reciting the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra, one should hold on to the thought of wanting to help extricate all sentient beings from the sea of suffering. (超拔一切苦难众生) 

With this, your energy will certainly increase tremendously.  That said, this is not an easy task. Only a handful of people would have such a strong resolve to liberate others from the sea of suffering. It is indeed a remarkable willpower.

Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 346) | 21 November 2019
INCREASE THE RECITATION OF AMITABHA PURE LAND REBIRTH MANTRAFOR THOSE WHO HAVE ACCUMULATED NEGATIVE KARMAS FROM KILLING

Question: For those who have accumulated negative karmas from the act of killing, do they still have to recite the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra (Wang Sheng Zhou) if they have recited quite a number of the Little Houses?

Answer: Not only do they have to recite the Little Houses, they should also increase the recitation of Wang Sheng Zhou. This is because sometimes even a minor spirit can cause you feel unwell and make things go awry for you.

Buddhism in Plain Terms | Vol. 8 Chapter 6 (An Excerpt)
THE MEANING OF REPENTANCE

Master Jun Hong Lu: Let me explain the two components of the word ‘Repentance’ (忏悔).

忏 (chàn): to express our penitence for all our past misdeeds, which are effectively the causes of our karma;

悔 (huǐ): to be remorseful and regretful for these misdeeds, which resulted in our karmic consequences that brought us into misery.

So, with repentance, it means that you must deeply understand the causes and effects of your misdeeds, and repent of all these misdeeds, that is, to become enlightened.

Only when you have reflected thoroughly on your wrongdoing, thinking that, “I shouldn’t have done it in the first place, and I should never repeat my mistake in the future”, then you will slowly gain enlightenment. 

< Examples of How to Perform Recitation for Different Types of Karma of Killing > 

Buddhism Your Questions Answered (FAQ) | Q&A 43
HUNTING AND ITS IMPACT ON FAMILY MEMBERS (AN EXCERPT)

Q: Dear Master Lu, my late grandfather was a hunter. Would his karma of killing animals affect me? How can I resolve it?

A: If your ancestors were hunters, the tremendous negative karma accumulated from killing other beings would be passed onto future generations. This is very difficult to resolve, and generally affects the next three generations.

Q&A 43. Hunting and its impact on family members

Buddhism Your Questions Answered (FAQ) | Q&A 34
SKIN DISEASES 

Q&A 34. Skin Diseases

Buddhism Your Questions Answered (FAQ)    
Q&A 56. WAYS TO HANDLE ROADKILL 

Q&A 56. Ways to handle road kill

Question: Now that there is the Self-Cultivation Record Form of Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra (Wang Sheng Jing Tu Shen Zhou), which may come in handy when there is a need to transfer merits to a mass of small deceased animals or creatures, for some of our Buddhist friends whose children and in-laws are not practising Buddhism, their wedding banquets tend to involve the act of killing.

As there is no way to persuade their family members or the in-laws to have a vegetarian wedding banquet instead, these Buddhist practitioners have no choice but to start burning in advance the Self-Cultivation Record Form of Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra to transfer merits to those deceased animals whose deaths would be caused by the wedding, and continue to do so after the wedding celebration.

As a result, will the newlyweds receive less punishment from Bodhisattva? In what way could the repercussions be minimised for the newlyweds? Please enlighten us, Master Lu.

Answer: He has raised a good question. All of you should remember: given no other choice when family members insist on serving non-vegetarian meals, even though the idea is not yours, you should not have the mentality, “Well, if I can’t beat them, it’s natural for me to join them”. That should never happen, this is very important.  

Secondly, from the bottom of one’s heart, one should be thinking instead, “It is a pity, how ignorant humans can be”.

Thirdly, if you burn the Self-Cultivation Record Form of Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra before the fish are killed, these fish will not be able to receive the intended merit transfer if they die or are killed later. In other words, the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra should be chanted after the fish are killed, only then can they benefit from the mantra. 

Thus, if you burn the Self-Cultivation Record Form beforehand, they won’t be able to get any merit at all. After they are killed, you have to make up more of the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra. 

 

Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 138) | 26 November 2013
INTENTIONAL VERSUS UNINTENTIONAL ACT OF KILLING

Question: Abstaining from killing is one of the five Buddhist precepts. Would one be deemed to have violated this precept when one unintentionally kills by stepping on small animals such as ants?

Answer: Yes. There are two types of violations, one is intentional while the other is unintentional. For the latter, it suffices to recite a few times of the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra and the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance.

In cases where the animals are tiny, the recitation of Qi Fo Mie Zui Zhen Yan would be fine. On the flip side, an intentional act of killing would generate negative karma. Therefore, intent is a key factor in determining the severity of the act of killing.

For example, you come across a cockroach, you intentionally step on it to kill it on purpose, this negative karma will enter your heart. The other scenario being, you killed it by chance or mistake, it would be alright to recite the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra. 

 

Wenda20200508   48:48 | Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
OFFERING LITTLE HOUSES AND PERFORMING MERITORIOUS DEEDS TO ELIMINATE THE KARMA OF KILLING 

Caller: When offering Little Houses with the aim of eliminating our karma of killing, should we address them to our karmic creditors, or write ‘<our full name> eliminates karmic obstacles’ in the recipient field?

Master Jun Hong Lu: It’s best to address it to your karmic creditor. The reason being once the karma of killing is completely eliminated, the additional Little Houses offered can still be received by your karmic creditors.

Caller: I understand now. Can the Giving of Dharma related to the practice of vegetarianism, abstaining from killing, and performing life liberation, help eliminate the karma of killing in a targeted manner? For example, by making a vow to post 1,000 discourses for the purpose of Dharma Giving in a year? 

Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes.  

 

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< How Do We Eliminate the Karma of Killing? >  

 

Through Applying the Three Golden Practices – 2. Making Great Vows, 3. Performing Life Liberation

 

 

Wenda20141212  06:02 | Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
THE POWER OF VOWS IS THE KEY TO LEARNING THE DHARMA; HOW TO STRENGTHEN ONE’S POWER OF VOWS (AN EXCERPT) 

Master Jun Hong Lu: The power of vows is the most important element when it comes to the practice of Dharma. A strong power of vows can overcome any obstacle, including those of our mind; a vow is actually a type of powerful energy.

You are asking where the power of vows comes from: it stems from compassion. When a person feels compassion for all sentient beings, and understands that he should feel compassion throughout his life, he will begin to derive power from his vow.

How does the power of vows of a Bodhisattva arise?
A Bodhisattva sees the pain and suffering in this mortal world through each person who comes to them for guidance, crying and begging; a Bodhisattva’s power of vows arises from the sadness and compassion they feel for other people. 

 

Journey to Heaven and the Underworld | 20 November 2018 (An Excerpt)
THE KING OF HELL EXPLAINS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BEING A VEGETARIAN, PERFORMING LIFE LIBERATIONS AND MAKING AND FULFILLING ONE’S VOW

The King of Hell:

“Based on the vows you Buddhists have made and the good deeds that you have promised before the Buddha, the Underworld will gradually cross out the unwholesome deeds that you did in the past from your records.

But most importantly, it relies on whether you have truly repented and sincerely want to be a kind-hearted person. That’s why a person must be cautious when making a vow in front of the Buddha. It is not a joking matter.

“We have already received a decree from heaven that anybody who breaks their vow will be punished. The good will be rewarded, and the evil will be punished, it’s only a matter of time. Every religious practice teaches people to do good and refrain from evil, which is to eliminate your evil thoughts and evil minds with your acts of kindness. Performing life liberation and adopting a vegetarian diet are recorded as benevolent deeds in the Underworld, while killing is recorded as a great offence.” 

 

Wenda20181104A 16:44 | Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
PERFORM LIFE LIBERATION FOR THE DECEASED WHO HAD ACCUMULATED NEGATIVE KARMAS FROM KILLING DURING HIS LIFETIME 

Caller: Master Lu, do we need to perform life liberation for a deceased, who was involved in the act of killing fish during his lifetime? 

Master Jun Hong Lu: You must perform more life liberation for him. 

Caller: So that means, for such unique cases, we can still perform life liberation for the deceased?

Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes, absolutely for special cases.

Caller: How many fish should we liberate in general? Is there a guideline or we may do so based on his circumstances? 

Master Jun Hong Lu: Generally around 100 fish.

< How Do We Abstain from the Act of Killing? > 

Wenda20160501A 44:50 | Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
WHY CONSUMING FRESHLY-KILLED ANIMALS CAUSES CANCER; BODHISATTVAS ARE UNABLE TO HELP NON-VEGETARIANS WHO ARE STRICKEN WITH SERIOUS ILLNESSES

Caller: Hi Master, there is a Guan Yin Cittapractitioner who has been cultivating for some years, but has recently been diagnosed with a malignant illness. When I asked him, “Have you vowed to be a full vegetarian?”, he replied, “No. I have only vowed to be a vegetarian on the 1stand the 15th of each lunar month.”

Master, I’d like to find out whether Bodhisattva is able to help someone like him who is stricken with a serious illness, but has yet to meet the most important criterion, that is, adopting a full vegetarian lifestyle? 

Master Jun Hong Lu: You have basically answered your own question. You would be deemed to lack the most fundamental requirement of being a compassionate person if you can still bring yourself to consume the meat of these animals.

Pigs are known to consume filthy things and yet, you dare to consume their meat which will end up in your body. In the case of chicken, they feed on those dirtiest things that pass through the drainage system, and also the place where urine is discharged. Can you imagine consuming those chicken meat? Some even have the audacity to consume dog meat. Dogs are fond of eating faeces and you have to be out of your mind to consume them. 

Do you even consider yourself to be a human? Do you think it’s possible for you to become a Bodhisattva? Is it even possible for you to avoid developing any serious illnesses? The answer is clear, don’t you think? It’s way too filthy – beyond words!

Wenda20120101 | Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program (An Excerpt)
COMPASSION IS THE GOLDEN KEY THAT UNLOCKS ALL ‘DOORS’

Master Jun Hong Lu: The act of ‘Giving’ can quell greed, hatred and ignorance. This is one method of cultivation through physical action. At the spiritual level, one must cultivate compassion as it is the golden key that unlocks the rest of the ‘doors’. (有慈悲心这个金钥匙，可以打开所有的门)

Whenever you still do not feel like adopting a vegetarian diet, you can make an attempt of casting the animals under the light of compassion – imagining the animal claws that you consume are the hands of the children, the sardine tin looks exactly like a coffin.
The moment compassion arises within you, your craving for freshly-killed animals will cease. So is your desire for meat-based food. Where does a compassionate heart come from? It’s through the recitation of the Great Compassion Mantra and the Heart Sutra. 

Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 12 December 2015 
AVOID DEVELOPING NEGATIVE KARMIC AFFINITIES WITH ANIMALS BY ADOPTING A VEGETARIAN DIET

Those who cultivate their minds should always know that it is like having a driving license. Those who drive can’t go without a driving license because it is a must to have one in order to drive.

Similarly, only by observing the Buddhist precepts would Buddhist practitioners be able to truly cultivate their minds.

Those who fail to observe the Buddhist precepts will never go far in their spiritual cultivation. Those who can’t even be a vegetarian will develop negative karmic affinities with animals. If prolonged, one will slowly lose the most beautiful gift in the human realm and, that is, one’s spiritual life (慧命). 

Those who are vegetarians will have wisdom in life. On the flip side, those who always consume meat will have their seeds of compassion being cut off from them (断灭慈悲的种子). Their spiritual lives will slowly disappear.

A vegetarian diet engenders good health, wisdom and compassion and only then, one can receive the blessings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and gain resonance with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (佛的加持和佛的感应).  

Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 411) | 5 Sep 2020 (An Excerpt)

Great Strength Bodhisattva (大势至菩萨): 

“Sentient beings who are stuck in the cycle of rebirth due to their ignorance (无明轮回) are pitiable. When I observe how sentient beings in the human realm consume fish, prawn, chicken, pork, it is just like seeing humans eating humans (人吃人). Humans are made of flesh and blood and so are the various creatures of the water, earth and air – they, too, are made up of the five senses
(五识感官 – sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch).”

“When they are slaughtered, they too will cry, feel the pain, and fear death. Before they fell to the evil realms (恶道), creatures of the animal realm were sentient beings from the human realm just like you, yet you now consume their flesh. In the eyes of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, it is just like humans eating humans.”

Guan Yin Bodhisattva (观世音菩萨):

“In the Chinese character for “meat” 肉, there are two of the Chinese characters for humans 人, representative of how this is just like humans eating humans. All disciples of the Buddha, if you have already developed a mind compassionate enough to perform life liberation, why not become a vegetarian? As all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas harbour mercy and compassion, They can only sigh as They cannot bear to see sentient beings eat each other in this cyclical of existence (相吃而轮回).”

Ma Zu Bodhisattva (妈祖菩萨):

“If you wish to pray for the blessings and protection of Bodhisattva, you must not commit the act of killing, instead, you should become a vegetarian. The sin of killing is incredibly severe. If you do not wish to develop cancer in the near future, quickly adopt a vegetarian diet before karmic retribution makes you regret your action. By then, it will be all too late.”