Dear Buddhist friends,
Are you someone who identifies yourself with all the different thoughts and emotions?
When you are feeling sad, you identify your whole being with sadness. And you allow yourself to take on that identity—I am sad—then, some momentary bliss is enough to put your whole being into joy, saying “I am happy”.
When you are feeling angry, how do you actually identify yourself? You will go, “I am angry”, right? When this happens, you immediately let yourself get carried away into these different conceptions, emotions and things that you are feeling and thinking.
The Heart Sutra tells us “Neither increasing nor decreasing” (不增不减). In reality, it refers to our lives when good things happen, we should not let our emotions rise; the same goes with unpleasant experiences. As our Master advises us, “You need to exercise control over your mind without any fluctuating rise and fall in your mood”.
When anger or a sense of attachment dominates the mind, a person becomes almost crazed. When we succumb to these unruly emotions, we go out of character, sowing negative seeds which often have far-reaching and destructive consequences that we may come to regret.
Master Lu once reminded us, “As long as you allow negative thoughts to take root in your mind, they will consume the positive energy inside”. In other words, negative thoughts will always overshadow any positive thoughts we may have. Yet, many of us neglect to rein in our negative thoughts and emotions that could potentially lead us to near insanity. Unfortunately, some of us even let our negative emotions fester! By doing so we are making ourselves prey to these destructive powers. By reflecting along these lines, we will realise that our true enemy is actually… NOT outside ourselves.
Over the coming week, please stay tuned when we share with you some of the most important discourses by Master Lu to help you understand what it takes to “Develop the mind of great capacity”. And, be enlightened on how you can become the commander of your own mind and utilise it at will. We certainly hope you will regard this pack as Master Lu’s mindfulness bell, endlessly reverberating within us…..
…… that chimes us to Wake Up!
< LET OUR THOUGHTS NEITHER INCREASE NOR DECREASE >
Master Jun Hong Lu, “You need to exercise control over your mind without any fluctuating rise and fall in your mood”.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Episode 13
WHAT IS PURITY OF MIND?
Master Jun Hong Lu: What is purity of mind? Correcting our mind is the starting point of cultivation of the mind. However, the perception of what is right differs from individual to individual. Even two opposing parties may insist that they are right. This is the first question that we face: What is right? How do we determine what is right?
A selfish person may say, “Aren’t all people like this?” A husband who frequently quarrels with his wife may insist that she does not care about him; while a son who has not been in touch with his 80-year-old mother for a decade may defend himself and retort that she was ruthless towards his wife back then. Under such circumstances, for people who have never once thought that they are wrong for a decade, would they reflect upon themselves?
What would prompt them to reflect upon themselves? Most of the time, it comes from the outside. It could be something that I said during a dharma convention that sets them thinking or a passing thought while they are on the road. Similarly, it could be a moment—like seeing a son supporting his elderly mother or hearing a colleague recount a past event in the neighborhood. All of these could act like triggers that send a sudden wave of remorse within them. However, for this moment of change to take root, they must first have accumulated enough merit and virtue.
As the Chinese expression goes, “Good preparation is the key to success”. Regardless of how you acquire merits and virtues – be it by performing recitation or by doing good deeds – you may only gain the possibility of having an instant awakening after you have acquired them to a certain level to allow the associated type of karmic obstacles to be eliminated. This includes the removal of the defilements that have previously obscured your inherent nature. When this happens, your inherent nature of being unselfish, loving, tolerant and filial will come to the fore.
At the same time, it is important to recognise the source of such defilements – greed, hatred and delusion. Life is hardly a bed of roses and such imperfections of life are largely a function of greed, hatred and delusion, and hence, the term the “Three Poisons”.
Just as you thought you had subdued your selfishness for a while, you revert to your old self, the next instant; when a promotion opportunity arises at work, a sense of superiority complex washes over you. Similarly, just as you managed to resolve the decade-long communication breakdown between you and your mother, and decided to bring her to stay with you, a casual remark by her is enough to send you into a rage again. As soon as a tinge of your kind nature arises, it vanishes just as fast.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 1 Chapter 4
EXERCISE SELF-CONTROL OVER YOUR MIND AND THOUGHTS
Master Jun Hong Lu: The Buddha dharma teaches us to exercise self-control over our mind and thoughts. If a person’s mind is filled with negative thoughts, he will be defiled and gradually find himself drowning in negativity.
On the other hand, a person who is able to exert control over his mind and thoughts will be able to devote himself to being proactive, kind and compassionate towards people and matters around him. As such, he would be able to attract favourable, positive, kind people and things into his life. Those who are always performing kind deeds attract others to join them in performing good deeds, while those who are always reprimanding others will be side-lined.
Practising Buddhism means being proactively kind and having the ability to control one’s thoughts. Remember, those who can control their tempers and avoid anger and desires, can change their destinies. A basic concept in cultivation is to let go and to use positive energy to help you live in this world, so that you can experience the beauty of sunshine every day.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk, Singapore, 9 May 2019
STEER CLEAR OF UNHAPPINESS BY HALTING YOUR THOUGHTS
Master Jun Hong Lu: Let’s explore the concept of ‘halting your thoughts (止念). It essentially means to stop your mind from dwelling on any particular thought. When you halt your thoughts, in exchange, you will enter a state of mindfulness (定念), allowing your mind to settle. True mental calmness is achieved when you do not have a single thought in your mind—this is what is known as concentration (定).
For example, if you have a quarrel with your spouse, the first thing you should do is stop thinking about your husband’s shortcomings. In other words, you put a stop to your thoughts. You think to yourself, whatever unpleasantness that you are experiencing now, just let it pass. The more you let this fight continue playing in your mind, soon, a flood of historical unhappy episodes between the two of you will gush out which will only make you even more unhappy.
When you achieve this state of true quiescence (真正定得住), there is not even a single thought in your mind—not even the thought of the quarrel you just had with your husband. It is as good as if the quarrel never happened.
Mindfulness (定念) is when nothing concerns you (无罣碍). You think, “What’s the big deal about being scolded by my husband or if we disagree”. You quickly forget about the incident, move on with your chores and get on with your life. It is as if the quarrel never happened. This is because you do not cling onto the matter nor do you let your mind dig any deeper into it. With such a mental attitude, the quarrel will cease there and then.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 10 Chapter 46
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPACT OF YOUR FLEETING THOUGHTS
Master Jun Hong Lu: When you tell yourself, “I must calm my mind; I am not going to think about anything”, however, in reality, you are still thinking about it at a subconscious level. What exactly is on your mind? You might say, “I will not dwell on the matter by focusing on my recitation”, but the fact is, you are already thinking about it at a deeper level of your consciousness (在你的深层的意识当中).
So, in actual fact, have you given rise to the thoughts or have you not? The fact of the matter is, once you bring forth a thought, it gets lodged in your eighth consciousness (镶嵌在你的八识田中), whether you are aware of it or not. Even if you claim you were not thinking, the truth is, you have.
Let me give you a simple example: A quarrel breaks out between a couple. The wife, who has never been physically abusive before, suddenly picks up a knife one day and throws it at her husband, which leaves him wounded. During the police investigation, the officer asks her, “You are known for being kind and have never done something like this before. What made you suddenly think of throwing a knife at your husband?”
The woman responds, “Every time my husband scolds me, I think, ‘I can’t wait for the day to come when I will throw a knife at him’. In fact, this thought crosses my mind every time he verbally attacks me”. Needless to say, the next time the husband scolds her, it has become so natural for her to grab the knife.
This example explains the concept of ‘A stream of consciousness’ (意识流). Your thoughts have already left lasting imprints in your consciousness. Over time, those thoughts will manifest into actions.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 10 Chapter 46
AN UNRULY MIND WILL DRAIN YOUR ENERGY
Master Jun Hong Lu: Our human life is essentially a process in which our energy gradually gets depleted (耗掉能量的过程). This applies to me as well. However, in my case, while my energy may be spent, I will receive even greater energy in return. As for most of you, the energy you spend is in exchange for salary, career, fame and fortune, am I right?
It is important to take some time to think rationally and understand the meaning of life. If you spend your energy every single day, yet fail to replenish it, you are essentially walking slowly toward death, with each passing day, bringing you one step closer.
A calm mind helps you recuperate (心静养神). A person who can quiet his mind has the ability to rejuvenate his energy. In fact, by calming your mind, you restore your ‘qi’ (energy) and blood (气血)—both of which are of utmost importance.
So, how do we maintain the health of our inner vitality? You may go into seclusion and perform recitation of the Buddhist scriptures at home, but if your mind is not truly at peace, your ‘qi’ and blood will continue to be active, which means your energy is still being consumed.
This is like a car parked at the curb, with its engine still running, consuming fuel even though it is not moving. Many people struggle to get a good night’s sleep and wake up looking as if they haven’t rested at all. Similarly, some may have eaten their meals, but the food they eat is not nourishing them. The principle is the same.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 10 Chapter 38
REFLECT ON YOUR PAST, CHERISH THE PRESENT, AND WISDOM WILL ARISE
Master Jun Hong Lu: What would happen if we flipped the ‘young to old’ principle? How would you approach your life journey if it were reversed? Imagine starting life at an old age, having experienced the full spectrum of life’s sufferings—birth, old age, sickness, and death—before gradually moving towards youth. If we became younger with each passing day, would we cherish life better?
In our younger days, we often failed to cherish life, which led to us parting ways with our significant others. Had we learned to appreciate life more fully before marriage, we would have thought more carefully before deciding to divorce. I mention this because I hope you will treasure everyone and everything that comes into your life.
You should always take time to reflect, that is, to look at things in a reverse order. If you find yourself dissatisfied with what you currently have, look back and ponder on your journey. By adopting a different mindset and gaining a deeper understanding of your past, you will come to realise that everything you have now did not come easy.
Many aspiring immigrants to Australia would say to me, “Master, all I want is a citizenship, nothing more”. However, once they obtain their citizenship, they suddenly start wanting everything.
Therefore, it is crucial for us to learn to cherish what we have. If you are someone who constantly reassesses and ponders on things in your life, the power of understanding will be with you, and your wisdom will be uncovered. Lacking this quality, enlightenment will be virtually impossible.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 10 Chapter 28
ANY NEGATIVE THOUGHTS WILL DEPLETE YOUR BLESSINGS AND VIRTUE
Master Jun Hong Lu: Imagine a torchlight that has run out of battery. If you replace only one of the two batteries, the torchlight will quickly lose power again. This happens because the old battery will rapidly drain the energy of the new one, causing the torchlight to go flat once more. However, if you discard both old batteries, without worrying about the small residual energy left and replace them with two new ones, the torchlight will work for a long time to come.
This example highlights the importance of keeping only positive energy in your mind and eliminating any negative ones. As long as you allow negative thoughts to take root in your mind, they will consume the positive energy inside. In other words, negative thoughts will always overshadow any positive thoughts you may have.
Therefore, you must avoid negative thoughts and instead, focus solely on positive ones. Over time, these positive thoughts will gradually blossom like a lotus, allowing your kindness to shine through. However, if you constantly generate both good and bad thoughts, you risk depleting your blessings and merits (消耗你的福德、功德).
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 9 Chapter 29
RECITATION PERFORMED WITH SENTIENT BEINGS IN MIND BRINGS IMMEASURABLE POWER
Master Jun Hong Lu: If you can perform recitation of the Buddhist scriptures for the sake of helping sentient beings to be spiritually awakened, imagine the immense power your recitation generates. Had I not told you this, you would have never known its marvellous power.
Many of you only know how to perform recitation, thinking that it will only help improve your health and career. Imagine you could bring forth your power of vow and combine it with your recitation, do you know what you would get? If your mind is focused on the countless sentient beings across the innumerable kalpas (百千万亿劫的众生), you will receive infinite power. Do you understand?
Let me give you a simple example. Imagine a chairman wants to go to work but is struggling with serious health issues. At that moment, if he tells himself, “I am the chairman—if I don’t show up today, production may halt, and the company may not survive,” his determination to go to work will multiply a hundredfold because he thinks of the well-being of others, and in reality, his energy comes from his concern for everyone.
Here’s another simple example: After the Wenchuan earthquake in China, several charity organisations urgently ordered 1,000 tents to be manufactured and shipped from Australia to China. It was an overwhelming task for the factories to fulfill on such short notice. Yet, everyone worked tirelessly to make it happen. Why? Because their minds were solely focused on the needs of those in the disaster zone. The moment they thought of those suffering people, their spirits were instantly uplifted, which induced them to give their all to the effort. Isn’t that so?
The above examples illustrate that if you can perform recitation with the welfare of sentient beings in view, you are a Bodhisattva. As such, you will receive the energy of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and at that very moment, the Buddha-light you emit is infinite and boundless.
This is why reciting sutras is so important – it’s not just a personal pastime, like reading a novel. It is a way to connect yourself with the energy of the universe. If you can receive the energy of this vast cosmic space, you will also be able to radiate that same energy. Do you understand?
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 4 Chapter 9
HAPPINESS AND PAIN ARE IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS FOR SPIRITUAL CULTIVATION
Master Jun Hong Lu: Why do I often take you through a journey of both joy and sorrow (喜悲双受)? During my dharma talks, you will experience moments of elation and sadness. The joy comes from the fact that you have encountered the Buddha-dharma, while the sorrow serves as a reminder of your past so that it may become the driving force that propels you forward on your spiritual path.
A person who lives in constant happiness will never grow, just as someone wallowing in constant despair will not progress either. This is because they cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel nor the path that lies ahead.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 6 Chapter 26
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