Goddess of Mercy Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s Renunciation Day ( 观 世 音 菩 萨 出 家 日 ) – the 19th day of the 9th lunar month is the day this great Bodhisattva gave up Her secular life to become a monastic.
There is no doubt that Guan Yin Bodhisattva renounced Her household life out of the purest compassion for us. As we fondly recall the sacrifices that She made, may we be inspired to renounce our self-interests to benefit more sentient beings…..just like this Great Mother of ours.
Join us to pay homage to the Great Compassion Bodhisattva by delving deep into this compilation of discourses and be enlightened on this whole journey of renunciation to fully understand what is that to renounce and why.
Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s Renunciation Day –
A day to inspire us to let go of the many things in life, including the notion of self, and the illusory and transient material things
MASTER JUN HONG LU’S DISCOURSE ON GUAN YIN BODHISATTVA’S RENUNCIATION DAY
Caller: Master, tomorrow is the renunciation day of our great Guan Yin Bodhisattva. Could you give a word or two in commemoration of this special day?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Renunciation day is a day when one makes a resolution. To fulfil Her resolution to deliver and live for sentient beings, Guan Yin Bodhisattva renounced the world. For this, She made the great vow “to lead an ascetic life, I will leave my family behind. For the sake of sentient beings, I must be accomplished in my spiritual cultivation so that I’m able to guide everyone to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and the Four Sagely Realms”. This is how the concept works.
Therefore, renunciation day is a momentous day. It’s a day we make our great vows such as the Four Great Aspirations. In other words, it was the day Guan Yin Bodhisattva made the vow “to let go of my lesser self and worldly self-interests in order to attain a higher state of mind”.
In fact, this is a day worth celebrating as it is the day that inspires us to renounce our self-interests for the benefit of more sentient beings. In this light, this renunciation day is indeed worth commemorating as it is a day where we recall fondly the sacrifices that Guan Yin Bodhisattva made for the sake of sentient beings.
If you take a close look at any of the monastics, deep down, he must have come with a great vow on the day he was ordained. He had to endure various forms of worldly criticisms for having left his parents behind who can only shed tears of reluctance. As for those monastics who have children of their own, there is nothing that they can do but forsake them.
There are many instances where spouses and children of these aspiring monastics were reluctant to part ways on their renunciation day. With tears in their eyes, they left their secular life to join a temple and henceforth, cut ties with their loved ones. Why did they do all this? The most pertinent question is what is the main purpose of renouncing the world? It’s all for the sake of sentient beings and herein lies the difference in one’s state of mind.
These monastics placed the needs of others before their own. In fact, all of you can be considered to have partially left secular life. Why? Besides your work – in fact, some of you chose not to work – you have cast the notion of self aside. Instead of being perpetually preoccupied with those endless streams of household chores or matters, many of you are already making sacrifices and performing meritorious deeds.
Just like many of our youngsters here, who are assisting to respond to questions raised by others, conceptually, they are already leading a semi-monastic life by giving up fame and fortune. On this basis, I feel that Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s renunciation day is worthy of commemoration. After all, it inspires us to gain better insights into the meaning of letting go of the many things in life, including the notion of self, and the illusory and transient material things that we have acquired.
Instead, we should make real gains at the spiritual level which will allow us to follow Guan Yin Bodhisattva and make our way to heaven. There is immeasurable strength that we can draw from the exemplary example set by Guan Yin Bodhisattva. By renouncing the world, Guan Yin Bodhisattva has paved the way for us to gain an understanding that we should not cling to our worldly family at the expense of sentient beings.
Caller: I understand now. Thank you, Master.
Source: Wenda20151030 01:58, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
Every day will be permeated with joy as long as we have Guan Yin Bodhisattva close to our heart
WITH GUAN YIN BODHISATTVA CONSTANTLY CLOSE TO YOUR HEART, YOU WILL BE IMBUED WITH POSITIVE ENERGY
Caller: Hi Master, please share with us some of the blissful occurrences yesterday (19th day of the 9th lunar month) as we commemorated the renunciation day of Guan Yin Bodhisattva?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Every day can be a day filled with dharma bliss as long as you have a positive mindset. On the flip side, if you are drowned in negativity, even on the day of Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s birthday, you will not be able to receive the positive energy. Therefore, the key lies in mastering your mental state. This is because mistakes or transgressions are made when one’s mental state is not reined in and your vibe is off-putting. As an analogy, Guan Yin Bodhisattva is the Sun. There will be brightness and warmth wherever Her light shines on, don’t you think so?
Caller: That’s correct.
Master Jun Hong Lu: If you hide in your room, would you be able to receive the sunlight?
Caller: No.
Master Jun Hong Lu: To receive the spiritual energy of Bodhisattva, you have to venture outside. As to how much light, brilliance and warmth that you are able to take in is something that you have to personally experience. This is a principle that all Buddhist practitioners must understand. The light of Bodhisattva is ever-present. It all comes down to whether you are able to receive it.
You may say, “Today’s sunlight is exceptionally nice and warm” and you step outside to bask in it. But, that’s your personal perception about the sun. As a matter of fact, the sun is ever-present even as it rains the sun is still there, right above the clouds. As long as you keep the sun close to your heart, it may be raining beneath those clouds, but deep down, you know well that once the dark clouds disappear, the sun will reappear and you are still able to bask in the brilliance that the sun gives off.
Simply put, it is a mental state that you embrace that makes the difference. The same can be said about how you perceive Guan Yin Bodhisattva. If we have Guan Yin Bodhisattva close to our heart on Her renunciation day, we will immerse in complete bliss. Similarly, every day of our lives is permeated with joy. This is what is called positive energy. Do you understand?
Caller: Yes, I do. Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s renunciation day is indeed a cause for universal celebration.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes, Guan Yin Bodhisattva is truly compassionate.
Source: Wenda20181028A 43:19, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
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THE TRUE MEANING OF ‘LEAVING HOME’ (出家) – An epitome of high self-expectation and discipline
TO LEAVE HOME TO BECOME A MONK IS A NOBLE ENDEAVOUR; AN EPITOME OF HIGH SELF-EXPECTATION
Master Jun Hong Lu: To leave one’s secular home to become a monk or nun is a noble thing to do. What makes the monastics respectable? Why is it that the moment they become a monk or nun, people address them as a ‘Master’? It is simply because the state of their mind has elevated, transcending that of an ordinary human by virtue of their ability to let go of worldly attachments. For that, they are praised and revered by others.
This is why the Renunciation Day of Guan Yin Bodhisattva is revered by all of us. It is a day to show our gratitude and hold Her in remembrance.
In reality, to become a monk is tantamount to imposing higher expectations of oneself, being strict to oneself such that one does not degenerate or be engulfed by the five desires and the corresponding six sense objects (五欲六尘). A true-blue Buddhist practitioner should understand, in learning, the only direction we can go is up because this is the only path that can assure us of an improvement. That said, taking an upward path is relatively more difficult compared to taking a downward one. Just like how we experience walking downhill is a breeze.
Source: Wenda20171105A 04:09, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
THE MEANING OF TAKING REFUGE IN THE TRIPLE GEMS
Master Jun Hong Lu: In the Sutra “Guan Ding San Gui Wu Jie Dai Pei Hu Shen Zhou Jing” 《灌顶三皈五戒带佩护身咒经》, the Buddha once said that those who take refuge in the Triple Gems will be protected by 36 heavenly deities. Now that you take my guidance in learning Buddhism, the disciple initiation ceremony that you undergo is in itself, an act of taking refuge in the Triple Gems: Buddha, the Dharma and Sangha.
The Buddha: You pray to the Buddha daily.
The Dharma: You study the teachings of the Buddha every day.
The Sangha: You adopt a vegetarian diet, recite the scriptures, observe the Five Precepts and perform good deeds.
The Triple Gems of our own nature are to have the Buddha in our minds, to practise the Dharma in our daily life, and to emulate the Sangha by observing the precepts (佛在心中，法在行中，僧在戒中，这就是自性三宝).
As a matter of fact, all of you are very much like a monastic who has yet to be ordained. Physically, you may not have abandoned secular life but you have already done so at heart. A monastic adopts a vegetarian lifestyle, you do likewise. A monastic performs recitation, so do you. A monastic practises Buddhism every day, so do you. It goes without saying that the spirituality of monastics is higher than ours because they are willing to let go of their self-interests in their quest to help others. For this, they are setting a good example for us to emulate. This is why monastics are venerated in the world around.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse, Guan Yin Hall, Sydney, Australia, 9 February 2021
Did you know how Guan Yin Bodhisattva looks will depend on your state-of-mind?
THE NOBLE MARKS AND WONDROUS APPEARANCE OF GUAN YIN BODHISATTVA WILL MANIFEST DIFFERENTLY ACCORDING TO THE MIND OF SENTIENT BEINGS
Master Jun Hong Lu: Guan Yin Bodhisattva has an extremely dignified and compassionate appearance. By taking a close look at Guan Yin Bodhisattva, you would be able to detect the movement of Her eyes and possibly, a subtle change in Her appearance. The greater the karmic obstacles that you harbour in your heart, the more solemn Guan Yin Bodhisattva will appear to you. On the flip side, when your heart is filled with gratitude and adoration for Guan Yin Bodhisattva, Her appearance will transform into one that exudes the utmost compassion and benevolence.
The key items in Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s hands are the vase of glaze water and a willow branch that She uses to sprinkle the pristine dew on the human realm. The ‘pure dew’ is very much like the immaculate nectar that is capable of purifying your soul such that you are able to come to a state of enlightenment, which is ultimately the purpose of the nectar.
Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s primary mission is to alleviate the suffering in the human realm. Whenever we fall ill, in distress or hit by calamities, Guan Yin Bodhisattva will never fail to come to our rescue.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse on the Commemoration of Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s Birthday, 27 March 2016
FEEL THE COMPASSION AND BLESSINGS OF GUAN YIN BODHISATTVA
Master Jun Hong Lu: It is imperative to feel that Guan Yin Bodhisattva has never forsaken us, and is constantly concerned about our well-being. Thus and so, you will walk your life journey with confidence. Lacking this notion, you will find yourself struggling to comprehend the meaning of life, losing your zeal for life and ultimately, losing the life you have altogether.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse to Disciples Worldwide, 16 March 2014
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