Chinese New Year is characterised with heart-warming traditional greetings like “Wan Shi Ru Yi” (万事如意) (May your wishes be fulfilled!); “Shen Ti Jian Kang” 身体健康 (May you be blessed with good health). All these greetings pertain to well-wishes about good health, prosperity and happiness. But did you know that “the first wealth is HEALTH”?
Prosperity and happiness are obviously related to Buddhist teaching of blessings derived from wholesome behaviours like the following (to name a few):
📝 Not eating excessively – not too little that you get hurt from hunger, not too much that you get hurt from overeating.
📝 Not putting yourself under extreme stress. Clearly, a certain amount of stress is part of life, but it is important that you know how to navigate a course that is challenging without getting overwhelmed.
📝 Not living in an overly extravagant living space (even if you can afford it).
📝 Not letting your mind be like the rolling clouds – not jumping into conclusion that something is good or bad
and etc……..
Yes, we are talking about “Living a life of moderation”. This exhortation to moderation is what underlies the teachings of the Buddha because both indulgence and deprivation are equally detrimental to our goal of good health.
Master Lu also says, “Never let your mind be like the rolling clouds (云如翻滚何必有); be at ease like the flowing water (心如流水常自在) and your relationship with your body and mind will change for the better”.
It is our hope that with the practical and hopeful advice we garner from this pack, “Every day is a good day. Every day is a New Year celebration.”
Master Lu’s tip: The KEY to good health and longevity!
< LEARN TO REGULATE YOUR MINDSET 学会调整自己的心态 >
Master Jun Hong Lu: You need to adjust your body and mindset. Just like in traditional Chinese medicine, if you have too much ‘fire’ you should drink more water and when the weather gets cooler, it’s time to nourish the body. Readjustment will allow your mind to slowly restore to its fundamental state where it is supposed to be calm and peaceful. Think about this, every day there will be someone who will get in your way, everyday there will be someone who will scold you, everyday you will be unhappy. So why work yourself up over it? You need to safeguard your mind from the rippling effects of the environment.
Master Jun Hong Lu: ‘The Nine Refrainments in Life’ when dealing with people, matters and in taking care of our health.
1 – Refrain from excessive anger (怒不过度)
First, you should refrain from excessive anger (怒不过度). Essentially, it means you should not let your anger take hold of you. A famous person once said, “There is nothing in this world that is more repulsive than an angry face”. Take a look around you, many people are fond of displaying their sour face to others. Seeing such an expression is more intolerable than being beaten or scolded. In fact, a person who always displays his grumpiness is a very selfish person. Thus, don’t be so ready to put on an angry face. To begin with, you do not have an attractive appearance. It would make it worse if you put on a sour face.
A Buddhist practitioner must understand that when trouble comes, you should not give rise to anger as anger is potentially harmful to your liver. This explains why those with liver problems are short tempered. Learn to control your emotions, elevate your spirituality, and adopt an optimistic outlook when dealing with matters. It’s not a big deal! All of you have had your share of life hurdles, haven’t you? You have managed to rise above them and emerged victorious. Hence, you are considered successful people.
2 – Refrain from being covetous of fame (名不过求)
Second, refrain from being covetous of fame (名不过求) which essentially means, one should not be excessive in their desire for fame. In the past, it was said that fame and riches are likened to a sea of suffering that knows no bounds while riches and prosperity are like the passing clouds. On this note, you must remember to take two tablets of antidote: a tablet of contentment in the morning, and a tablet of gratitude at night.
In fact, you should look at this world with indifference (看淡这个世间). After all, we bring nothing to this world and nothing can be taken with us when we leave – the hustle and bustle of life, and the ebbs and flows of fame and fortune. What’s important is for you to let go of your desires as only then will you find peace.
3 – Refrain from excessive pursuance of personal gains (利不过贪)
Third, refrain from excessive pursuance of personal gains (利不过贪). Greed is like a dry well in the desert, capable of absorbing all rainwater, but will never use its privilege to offer convenience to others. Therefore, as Buddhist practitioners, you should tell yourselves, “I should neither indulge in the four cardinal vices (wine, sex, avarice and temper), nor should I engage in love affairs”. (酒色财气我不取，风花雪月我不沾边)
Desire nothing, be carefree, maintain a contented mind, and always let nature take its course. Only then can we achieve the true purpose of learning Buddhism and return to our true nature (返本归源).
4 – Refrain going overboard when dressing warm in cold weather (衣不过暖)
Fourth, refrain going overboard when dressing warm in cold weather (衣不过暖). First and foremost, I would like to share the meaning of ‘not desiring extreme warmth during winter’ (“冬不欲极温”). What this means is during winter, we should not seek excessive heat. Taking hot showers in winter could cause strokes which explains why many people die while taking their showers. During winter, human blood vessels contract – with heat comes expansion whilst with coldness comes contraction, and stiffness. When there is sudden heat and drastic change in temperature, the person will collapse because the blood vessels in the brain are very fine. Such incidents are common.
On the flip side is ‘not desiring extreme cold during summer’ (“夏不欲穷凉”). What does extreme cold here mean? It’s the type of bone-chilling cold which is not something that we should expose ourselves to. As you notice, many people are fond of keeping themselves cool in summer. However, for those who enjoy extreme coldness in their younger days, chances are they will end up with arthritis in their older days.
In a nutshell, how you wear your clothes and hats are important because it is as easy to catch a cold when one is too warm as it is to suffer from chills when it is too cold. This underscores the importance of adopting the middle path.
5 – Refrain from overeating (食不过饱)
Fifth, refrain from overeating (“食不过饱”). You should not overeat during meals. On top of this, there is a principle that goes like this, “Do not wait till you are famished to eat and if you do, you must not overeat; do not wait till you are extremely thirsty to drink and if you do, you must not overdrink” (“不欲极饥而食，食不过饱；不欲极渴而饮，饮不过多”). What does this mean? Assuming someone is famished, he should not overeat. It is alright to overeat if there is still food in the stomach. However, if the stomach is empty and the person is starving, his stomach and intestines will start to have complications when he overeats.
In times of dehydration, you should not overdrink. It’s common to see many people, who are dehydrated gulping down excessive quantities of water, not knowing that their action will harm their stomach and intestines. As a matter of fact, it is best that you eat until you are 70% or 80% full.
6 – Refrain from living in a large house (住不过宽)
Sixth, refrain from living in a large house (住不过宽), that is, your house should not be too spacious. One should be flexible enough to live in any space as long as it is clean and comfortable. You should not make your dwelling too extravagant and grand.
In the past, it was said that if a house is too big, the family’s fortune will go on the decline (走衰败运). From the feng shui perspective, if there are only three people living in too large a home, the home will lack human energy and this is when ghosts will come. Take a look at where we are, there are so many of us here, do you think ghosts will even dare to come? As such, an overly extravagant living space will result in the person’s loss of willpower which eventually leads him to moral degeneration (蜕化变质).
7 – Refrain from walking too fast (行不过快)
Seventh, refrain from walking too fast (行不过快). Remember, if you are healthy, do not always replace walking with driving, rather, you should replace driving with walking.
Why is it that “one should not walk too fast”? Do not go too fast because it could harm your heart. Assess it for yourself, when you run at top speed and you suddenly stop, you will find yourself breathless and how does this affect you? It affects your heart. When you abruptly stop after a brisk run, you feel unwell, won’t you? Hence, you must take care of your heart.
8 – Refrain from overexerting yourself (劳不过累)
Eighth, refrain from overexerting yourself (劳不过累). After all, there is a limit as to how far we can stretch ourselves. Some people, by nature, do not have the ability to withstand heavy workloads. When people like this take on excess workloads, essentially they are bringing bodily harm upon themselves. This underlines the importance of not overexerting ourselves.
At times, taking on an excess amount of work may take a toll on us psychologically. Think about it, if you are someone who does not have the ability to shoulder responsibility, and is always worrisome, your mind will start to go haywire when you are put under immense amounts of pressure. Many people are not able to handle stress and they need to take things one baby step at a time. In cases like this, once there is pressure, they will go into depression mode and shut themselves out.
9 – Refrain from leading a life of extreme leisure and comfort (逸不过安)
Ninth, this last one is refrain from leading a life of extreme leisure and comfort (“逸不过安”). Those who always stay at home, not wanting to venture beyond the comfort of their home and do not have anything to do in life will lose a sense of responsibility in life and get downhearted.
If you stay at home everyday, thinking, “I don’t want to go out today, not tomorrow too. In fact, I don’t feel like going out at all. It feels good to be staying at home,” let me tell you, over time, you will become more and more lazy and you will not get enough social interaction. You may perceive yourself as someone whose heart is pure and free from desires (清心寡欲) but, in actual sense, as time goes by it will alter your way of thinking (你的心态一定发生变化). You may give it a try to see if this is true.
In the past, a clinical experiment was carried out by confining a normal person in a room, all by himself, without any music, telephone, whatsoever. This person went on with his life in the room and a month later, he lost his ability to communicate with others. This is because language is the tool for communication. You are able to speak because you are spoken to, am I right? Think about those who are deaf-mute. Why is it that people who are hard of hearing are mute? When you can’t hear, you will not be able to speak. If you can’t hear anything at all, how is it that you are able to speak to someone? What can you talk about? This is why if a person is deaf, chances are he is a mute.
It is the same for us humans, we must be more sociable with others, cast the seeds of positive karmic affinity far and wide. Stop and smell the roses and in the context of a Buddhist practitioner, we must participate in dharma propagation activities, establish positive karmic affinity with all, help sentient beings, make great vows and perform life liberation. There is so much joy when everyone comes together. Look at how joyous you all are. You have never thought that you could have the opportunity to travel around the world, have you?
In this modern era of living, we should make sure our body gets the right amount of nutritions. Many people suffer from malnutrition and are undernourished, while some people overindulge and are over-nourished. Regardless of what you do, be it physical exercises, etc, you must know what is ideal. If you overdo it, it will never be good because this is when negative energy is produced, which could inflict harm on you. When it comes to worldly matters, you must know how to manage your mindset, that is, in the midst of your happiness, anger, sorrow or joy, you must hold the Buddha in your heart. This sums up the “Nine Refrainments of Life” that I just walked you through.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting, Paris, France, 5 September 2019
THE ORIGINS OF ILLNESS:
CAUSES AND CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO THE SUTRA OF BUDDHIST MEDICINE
Master Jun Hong Lu: Let me tell you the 10 causes of human illness as highlighted in the Sutra of Buddhist Medicine:
(1) long periods of sitting without food ( 一者久坐不饭)
(2) excessive eating (二者食无贷)
(3) excessive worrying (三者忧愁)
(4) extreme fatigue (四者疲极)
(5) over indulgence in carnal desires (五者淫泆)
(6) anger and hatred (六者瞋恚)
(7) withholding bowel movements (七者忍大便)
(8) withholding urination (八者忍小便)
(9) suppressing the upper body winds (九者制上风) and
(10) suppressing the lower body winds (十者制下风).
The above are the 10 causes of illness.
(1) Long periods of sitting without food (一者久坐不饭)
I shall now elaborate on the above points. People who sit for an extended period without food are prone to illness. Let me ask those of you, who work in the office, do you find yourself so buried in work that oftentimes, you have to skip meals? You must understand that this could be a source of illness. Prolonged sitting or when one sits for an extended period without food is a condition known as, ‘Long periods of sitting without food’ which will make a person susceptible to illness.
(2) Excessive eating (二者食无贷)
Second, ‘Excessive eating’. This is when a person cannot control what or how much they are eating. Such people tend to fall sick easily.
(3) Excessive worrying (三者忧愁)
Third, ‘Excessive worrying’. This points to individuals with depressive disposition. They will fall sick easily because of this disorder.
(4) Extreme fatigue (四者疲极)
Fourth is ‘Extreme fatigue’. This is when a person reaches his fatigue limit such that he is unable to carry on. This will make him vulnerable to illness.
(5) Over indulgence in carnal desires (五者淫泆)
Fifth is ‘Over indulgence in carnal desires’. People who are fond of engaging in lustful acts are vulnerable to diseases because promiscuity zaps their energy.
(6) Anger and hatred (六者瞋恚)
Sixth is ‘Anger and hatred’. This is when a person gets agitated and quarrelsome for no obvious reason. Similarly, such individuals will fall sick easily.
(7) Withholding bowel movements (七者忍大便)
The seventh cause of ‘Withholding bowel movements’ emphasises that one should not restrain the natural urge for bowel movements. It is stated in the Buddhist scriptures that we must take good care of our health and it is specifically mentioned that we should pay attention to our bowel movements.
(8) Withholding urination (八者忍小便)
The eighth cause, ‘Withholding urination’ advises against suppressing the urge to urinate. Those who have the tendency to suppress their urge to urinate will end up with health issues. It is alright if it happens occasionally, but persistent suppression is a no-no.
(9) Suppressing the upper body winds (九者制上风)
The ninth cause is ‘Suppressing the upper body winds’. It is common knowledge that our body is divided into ‘upper wind’ (上风) and ‘lower wind’ (下风). It is said in Buddhist teachings that we must be courteous in our choice of words. There will be occasions where we should not be too straightforward. Instead, our speech should be refined.
What is ‘upper wind’? It is our respiratory tract (呼吸道). In this context, you should not suppress your yawns or sneezes because if you do, you will fall sick easily. When there is an urge to yawn, you should let it out. However, you should cover your mouth with your hand. Sometimes, when people try to control their respiratory activities, like sneezing or yawning, they will find it to be very uncomfortable. If you need to cough, it’s better to discreetly step outside because curbing can be harmful, health-wise.
(10) Suppressing the lower body winds (下风)
What is ‘lower body wind’? Let me now teach you something. Using coarse language may be something habitual to many people where they often curse and swear. However, there is this one offensive word that must never be uttered. Remember, regardless of the situation, you must refrain from this disrespectful word. You may only refer it to as ‘to emit wind from the lower body’ (下风). Throughout history, this coarse word that we are referring to here was off limits in temples, many formal settings, and even in the imperial palaces. In fact, they were only allowed to say, ‘lower body wind’. Lower body wind basically means the air that is forced out of the body. Hence, the term ‘To control the emission of wind from the lower body’ (制下风) that is, to hold the air in is something you should not do.
To sum it up, ‘illnesses stem from these 10 causes’. These causes are sources of illness, as expounded by the Buddha in the Buddhist scriptures.
As human beings, we should have a good control of what enters, dwells and gets discharged from our body (我们做人，入、住、出要控制好).
The Buddha tells us that “入” (enter) pertains to factors such as food that we consume and the wind chills or temperature that penetrate our body.
What does the word ‘dwell’ (住) here means? Basically, it tells us that we should refrain from getting angry and worried. We should not let hatred and jealousy penetrate and dwell in our hearts
‘Discharge’ (出) refers to the acts of sneezing, bowel movements, and etc.
The Buddha’s teachings offer us many profound insights. Learning Buddhism is about understanding the principles, mastering your emotions and temperament, and managing your physical well-being. Only through this, you can make better use of this illusory body of yours for spiritual growth (借假修真). Dedicate yourself to the Buddhism study, make spiritual progress each and every day, so that the day will come for you to enter the Four Sagely Realms, and set foot on the Buddha Land.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 25 August 2017
THE EIGHT ESSENTIAL PERSONAL QUALITIES (人要有八种素质)
Master Jun Hong Lu: The eight essential personal qualities:
- Refrain from revealing your emotions casually.
- Do not readily complain about your difficulties and what you went through with everyone.
- Always ensure that you have considered a matter thoroughly before seeking the opinions of others.
- Do not voice your incessant dissatisfaction even if you are given the opportunity to do so.
- Deliberate on important decisions before announcing them.
- Avoid speaking anxiously, as appearing nervous will make others think that you are someone who lacks self-confidence.
- While being confident is good, it is important not to overlook the opinions of others.
- There is no lowliness nor nobleness in people, always remember to be polite in dealing with everyone in every situation.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk, New York, USA, 14 October 2018
Master Lu’s final tip: The KEY to good health and longevity!
< WHAT YOU SEE MAY NOT BE REAL 眼见亦非真 >
Master Jun Hong Lu: Never let your mind be like the rolling clouds (云如翻滚何必有) because what you observe today will soon disappear. Just like your troubles will be gone tomorrow and there will be new troubles thrown your way and new solutions to these troubles will appear the day after.
Therefore, safeguard your pure mind. Whatever happens, don’t be too quick to conclude that it is good or bad. Instead, allow your heart to be at ease like the flowing water (心如流水常自在).
< Buddhism in Plain Terms < 白话佛法共修分享