Master Jun Hong Lu says, “Don’t be fooled by appearances and always distinguish between what’s false and true. Learn to keep your mind unswayed by circumstances.”
In a world where scams are so prevalent, it is so crucial that we not let our guard down. Learn from Master’s wisdom on:
✅ Spotting greed’s traps that lead to scams
✅ Seeing through deceit with a clear mind
✅ Making smart decisions to avoid fraud
✅ Using wisdom to guard yourself
✅ Promoting awareness to keep others safe
💡 Ready to outsmart scammers and protect yourself? Dive in and arm yourself with Buddhist wisdom! Don’t miss these two insightful videos:
🎥 How A Pure Mind Guards Against Deception
🎥 When Granny’s Lie Goes Hilariously Wrong
How A Pure Mind Guards Against Deception
HOW TO CULTIVATE RENUNCIATION; GREED IS THE CAUSE FOR ONE TO BE DECEIVED
Caller: Master, you once mentioned that things that we love, whatever that may be, will have the effect of binding us, which will then sink us into a state where we become the victim of our circumstances. This underscores the importance of being mentally strong so that you do not get carried away by material possessions to the point where no worldly phenomenon will baffle or make you feel clingy, that is, none of them seems to matter at all. Master, with such a mindset, would it make it easier to cultivate a heart of renunciation (修出离)?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes. Cultivating the heart of renunciation is about not getting chained by anything and hence, able to let go. When no worldly phenomenon is able to chain you down, you will find the way to liberate yourself. You will succeed if deep down, you always tell yourself, “There is nothing that I desire”. Conversely, if you are still telling yourself, “I’ll be fine once I get this matter sorted out”, then, whenever you think about this particular matter, it has the effect of tying you down.
Caller: So, we should avoid falling into that trap. Master, am I right to say that greed, regardless of how little it may be, is the root cause for a typical person to be cheated?
Master Jun Hong Lu: It’s not a little sense of greed but a lot of greed! Those who get scammed can only blame it on their greed.
Source: Wenda20170115A 11:30, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
THE TYPE OF PEOPLE WE SHOULD BE WARY OF
Master Jun Hong Lu: In today’s society, many people are earnestly trying to accumulate merits. Conversely, there are also many people who are mindlessly committing immoral acts and in fact, some of these individuals are fixated on their immediate personal gains and have no regard whatsoever for the eventual consequences. Not only do they undermine the spiritual life (慧命) of others, they also go around amassing illicit gains (敛财). I have seen many cases where they cheat people under the pretext of helping people sort out their visa applications. This really upsets me.
Even Bodhisattvas who descend to the human realm to spiritually awaken sentient beings are driven to Their wits’ end in the face of the gulf of difference in the spiritual state of human beings. Do you understand? At times, it is best to rely on yourself instead of others.
Therefore, it is important to implore Bodhisattva for wisdom so that you can tell apart the people whom you can trust from those that you can’t. Here’s a key point: Do not trust anyone who tells you, “This thing will definitely succeed”. Instead, you should put your bet on those who tell you, “I can’t guarantee success, but I will do my best” because there is a better chance for it to succeed.
Let me tell you this: whether in actions, speech, or conduct, be cautious of those who are all talk and no action. There are really people who are not afraid of ending up in hell! Therefore, it is crucial to sincerely pray to Guan Yin Bodhisattva. With a heartfelt prayer, all implorations will be answered.
In some situations, we should go with the flow, and when you do not have a choice, you should still avoid seeking shortcuts. In fact, in times like this, you should stick to the right path just like how others do. There will be times when our hefty karmic obstacles will cause us to run into many distressing and troublesome situations. You should continue to adhere to your own values. After all, the wholesome seeds that you have planted all along will surely come to bear. Am I right? Hence, do not get overly anxious about it. Say for example, you have submitted something, you may as well just be patient about it and wait for the outcome. During this time, you can pray to Bodhisattva for blessings and compassion. Generally in the practice of Guan Yin Citta, with sincere prayer, wishes will generally be answered.
Source: Zongshu20170124 01:17, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
LIFE LIBERATION SHOULD BE DONE PERSONALLY; TO BLINDLY TRUST THE FISH VENDOR MAY BRING KARMIC OBSTACLES UPON YOURSELF
Caller: These days, some fellow practitioners will go to the fish market where they will often encounter… let’s say, fellow Buddhist friends may introduce fish vendor Mr. A being a Buddhist who practises the recitation of Buddhist scriptures.
I would like to ask, assuming during the transaction, the organiser adopts a hands-off approach, where he does not personally go to the fish market to verify the price of the fish, leaving everything to the fish vendor to handle. On this front, I would like to seek Master’s guidance whether the organiser would have to shoulder a certain degree of the karmic obstacles arising from the fish vendor’s mishandling of the money.
Master Jun Hong Lu: The karmic obstacle will be substantial.
Caller: I see.
Master Jun Hong Lu: If the fish vendor has the audacity to claim, “I believe in the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas”, it is like a murderer claiming, “I have a compassionate heart”. To believe in such a person can be likened to trusting a murderer who professes his compassion.
Caller: True! So, it’s still important for some of the organising members to be present to verify the price even if the fish vendor or some regular Buddhist friends are there to buy the fish.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Definitely!
Caller: So, it is crucial for them to understand the entire process thoroughly.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Of course! If you delegate everything to a fish vendor and if the fish vendor happens to be dishonest, all of you are guilty! It is no longer about who is the organiser. This is akin to using funds intended for life liberation to support others to commit evil deeds.
Caller: Thank you, Master.
Source: Wenda20141017 40:30, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
THE THREE STEPS TO WISE ACTION: OBSERVE, REFLECT, AND ACT
Master Jun Hong Lu: Life is as such: First, observe; second, reflect and third, act accordingly (一看二慢三通过). Firstly, assess the environment. Secondly, carefully consider whether an action is appropriate; and only after a thorough evaluation, should you proceed with it.
As Buddhist practitioners, you should first study the Buddhist texts and understand the principles. Second, you should stay calm when things happen because wisdom arises from a mind that is calm. Lastly, you must be crystal clear that the action you take will not create any new negative karma before you proceed with it.
Life failures often stem from being blind to one’s own flaws, which leads to your loss of wisdom. As your Master, I hope all of you will be dedicated to your Buddhist practice, and be clear about your path of life. In a world governed by karma, you need to know the consequences of all your actions.
Conversely, if you are no different from those mortals who do not hesitate to act, it will be too late when you realise your mistakes. This is because by then the negative karma would have caught up with you, and it’s time to pay back. Hence, the saying in the dharma realm, “Bodhisattvas fear the causes, while sentient beings fear the outcome” (菩萨畏因，众生畏果).
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting, Singapore, 24 April 2016
THE RIGHT VIEW WILL STEER YOU CLEAR FROM MINEFIELDS
Master Jun Hong Lu: You must transform all evil views, malicious thoughts, vexations and ignorance into the Right View (正见), that is, to look at things from the lens of righteousness.Let’s say today, someone tells you that your neighbour is spreading rumours about your family and your immediate reaction is to think negatively which then upsets you. In that case, how can you bring yourself to see the situation with the Right View?
First of all, you must think, “My neighbour has nothing against me, why would he even spread rumours about me?”
Secondly, “Could it have been misheard?”
Thirdly, “Even if he gossips about me, I might have done something inappropriate. I’m not going to hate him for it”. This is how you give rise to the Right View.
Conversely, if a passing criticism about you sends you jumping up and down and picking a fight with others, you are said to have deviated (偏), or to have been led by delusive thoughts (邪迷). Hence, when someone tells you something, you should maintain a proper perspective and not let those words cloud your mind. If you fly into a rage by what you hear, you are said to have been led by delusive thoughts.
Don’t blindly believe in the words uttered by your spouse or child only because of who they are to you.
Think about it, our attachment to the notion of ‘self’ and ‘others’ (人相、我相) makes us err one too many times in life. Frankly speaking, we are fooled by ourselves, not by others, owing to our erroneous understanding of things, causing us to have a wrong perspective, and misjudge the matter in hand. Don’t you think we are inflicting harm upon ourselves?
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 8 Chapter 25
THE POWER OF DIGNIFIED DHARMA CHARACTERISTICS
Master Jun Hong Lu: What is the ultimate goal of observing the dharma characteristics in you (看自己的法相) as taught earlier? It is to make you invulnerable to all evils (百毒不侵). There are many evils around us. For example, in our daily lives, someone who wants to deceive you, will first try to make you happy by telling jokes, paying for your meals, and giving you gifts to lower your guard. Once your guard is down, it becomes possible for them to dupe you. This is a common tactic. They make you laugh and feel happy then, they smooth talk to manipulate you.
If you make use of the dharma characteristics in you (用你的法相), for example, you would observe if you would fall for all the sweet talks they are presenting you with. This is what you need to maintain – commonly known as ‘dignity’ (尊严) in the secular world. Your dharma characteristic is your dharma body (法相就是你的法身). If you do not want to be deceived, you must first have a dignified demeanour. If you act crazy and confused, people will take you for a ride. Con artists always assess if a person can easily be deceived. So, maintaining your dharma characteristics is important. Do you understand? If a person doesn’t appear dignified, they will give others the impression that they are gullible. People will not dare to approach and deceive a woman, who hardly smiles and carries herself in a dignified way.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 3 Chapter 3
EMBRACING INNER CALM AND SEEING BEYOND ILLUSIONS
Master Jun Hong Lu: If you can see all events in life as ordinary occurrences, then sadness, grief, and sorrow will not affect you. By maintaining an ordinary mind when observing the world, the heart finds stillness (平常心看人间，心能安止). Only with such a mind can the heart remain calm, ceasing the operation of worries and troubles. When everything is viewed with equanimity as a natural occurrence, your heart becomes stable, peaceful, and motionless. When the heart is still, it has attained serenity. Before we act, it’s our heart that moves first, which spurs us into actions. Impulsive actions arise from a restless heart, followed by physical movements.
It’s essential to discern unwholesome things and illusions, and not be deceived by them (不被幻相所惑). Understand this: appearance can be deceptive. Humans and all things possess dual natures. Thus, do not let worldly illusions mislead you. What you see might not necessarily be the truth, and what remains unseen might not always be illusory. One should rely on their capacity for enlightenment, and wisdom (要靠悟性和智慧).
Practising the dharma is a form of realisation (修法就是体悟的一种). It pertains to cultivating our human practices — it is the method of cultivation in the Human Realm. This encompasses acts of kindness, accumulating merits and virtues, assisting others, and prioritising the greater self over the lesser self. Being benevolent, offering assistance, and practising generosity are integral aspects of this spiritual practice in this human realm. Practising the dharma involves gaining insights into one’s feelings and capacity for enlightenment, understanding the principles of the human experience, and helping others. When you assist others, they often return the favour. Once enlightened, you will realise that as you recite Buddhist scriptures, Bodhisattvas will come to your aid and protect you.
Those whose minds are swayed by external marks or appearances tend to have their priorities mixed up, allowing their minds to be swayed by circumstances. For instance, when everyone is engaging in an action, even if it’s clearly misguided, you may find yourself compelled to jump onto the bandwagon. Isn’t this getting your priorities wrong? You become captivated by the spectacle of others’ actions, disregarding your conscience and inherent nature, and focusing on superficial illusions. Do not let your heart’s direction be dictated by the environment. Just because everyone is doing something doesn’t mean you must follow suit. Remain grounded regardless of external pressures. Remember, do not be deceived by what’s in front of your eyes and always distinguish between what’s false and true. Learn to keep your mind unswayed by circumstances, and let your soul remain unaffected by karmic conditions, which means your soul remains unaffected by karma.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 2 Chapter 20
IS FORWARDING SCAM ALERTS CONSIDERED INTERVENING WITH THE WORKING OF KARMA?
Caller: It’s common to observe an online social norm where people disseminate information to forewarn others of deceptive schemes, etc. For example, information cautioning people against scams or child abductions. We do pass on such information to those around us, stating, “Scam Alert! Stay Vigilant!”. If the recipient is destined to go through these calamities but having read our alerts, he is more vigilant now, does it mean we have intervened with the working of karma (动因果)?
Master Jun Hong Lu: No. You should uphold the principle of doing all that is wholesome (众善奉行). You are just being kind. It is wrong to say that they are destined to be unlucky. Even if they are truly suffering from bad luck, you should still do your part to rescue them from their misery. You have made a conceptual mistake here.
Caller: Am I right to say that despite the alerts, calamities will still befall him since such misfortunes have been predestined?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes. You are performing a kind deed by forwarding those alerts. As for him, if he is fated to encounter the calamity, he will likely ignore what you send and still fall prey to the scam as it is meant to be.
Caller: Whatever it is, we should still do kind deeds.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Of course!
Source: Wenda20170623 01:00:07, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
DON’T WAIT FOR A SCAM TO HAPPEN TO MAKE VOWS — HELP OTHERS REGULARLY
Caller: A fellow practitioner, who is an accountant, recently fell victim to an online scam. He was completely out of his mind and transferred RMB540,000 from his company’s account to the scammers. It only hit him after it had happened, so he quickly reported it to the police. He realised that it must have been his karmic pass (劫) because he is 43 years old. After the incident, he made the vow to liberate 1,200 fish, offer two batches of 108 Little Houses each, and recite 100,000 times of the Mantra to Untie Karmic Knots . On top of this, he has also pledged to liberate 50,000 fish once he recovers his money. Master, would these vows help eliminate the karmic obstacles associated with this scam?
Master Jun Hong Lu: There’s a saying, “People will never shed a tear until they see the coffin” (不见棺材不掉泪).
Caller: Yes.
Master Jun Hong Lu: What a large amount of money he had. Why don’t you ask him, back then when he had that hundreds of thousands of dollars, how many fish had he liberated? Now that it has happened, here he is saying, “When I recover my money, I will certainly do this and do that”. This is a typical case of trying to fix something only after it’s broken. It is not a healthy line of thought.
Caller: That’s right.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Had it not happened today, would he fork out the money to perform life liberation? It goes to show that he lacks self-awareness and realisation.
Caller: True. Master, there are many fellow practitioners who go all out to perform meritorious deeds, and when things happen to them… Actually, there was a fellow practitioner who was on the verge of being cheated, and then, the Bodhisattva visited him in his dreams and directly advised him to avoid managing money. This helped him avoid being conned. What a vast difference!
Master Jun Hong Lu: Exactly! You only make these vows after being conned. Had it not happened, would you fork out your money to help others? It’s never a good thing when you don’t help others.
Caller: Yes. Is there still hope of recovering the money after making the vows?
Master Jun Hong Lu: For this, you might as well ask a fortune-teller. There’s nothing much to say because it all falls back on him. Tell him to sincerely repent.
Caller: Understood.
Master Jun Hong Lu: The onus is on us to repent of the many bad things committed in our life.Now that the karmic consequences have effectuated, he hopes to recover the loss. He should ask himself, is his intention to recover the money for saving captive lives genuine or does he have other agendas? This is something he knows best. Am I right?
Caller: Yes, I will get him to listen to the recording.
Source: Wenda20200105 55:37, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
HOW DO WE EFFECTIVELY QUELL HATRED IN OUR HEART?
Caller: We have Buddhist friends who are diligent in their cultivation and have shown improvement in their behavioural conduct. However, they are struggling with the hatred in their hearts and it feels like there is a karmic force that is binding them, making it so difficult to shake off the negative emotions that keep taunting them. May I ask, Master, how do we effectively overcome our resentment?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Hatred stems from the lack of wisdom. Put on your thinking cap, how does one attain wisdom? Wisdom comes to those who are compassionate. Wouldn’t you be able to quell your inner resentment when you bring forth that compassionate heart of yours?
Caller: I see.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Assuming you hate this person but if you see him through the lens of compassion by focusing on those aspects that you can take pity on him, would you still hate him?
Say, you are duped and you so hate the swindler, but if you can think of him eventually being caught, put behind bars for decades to come, or potentially being shot dead, that would have been a hefty price to pay for that small sum of money he cheated from you. Think about the number of people who have been thrown into jail these days for cheating other people’s money. People who were cheated would be so hateful of these swindlers, right?
Caller: Yes.
Master Jun Hong Lu: What do these swindlers get at the end of the day? They end up dying behind bars. What if they were your children or siblings? For that little amount of money, their entire life is in ruin. If you can think of it this way, it will resolve a lot of the karmic grievances in your heart. You can also regard it as a lesson bought. This is how it is for humans to gain a bit more understanding about life. Unfortunately, there’s are no two -ways about it.
Source: Wenda20160226 00:40, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
SHOULD WE ADOPT A PRECAUTIONARY STANCE IN OUR SOCIAL INTERACTION?
Caller: Hi Master, when we adopt a simple mind in our social interaction, we cast everyone in a positive light, which means we do not doubt them or even be wary of them. Unfortunately, such ideals are bound to be shattered by the harsh reality.
For instance, if we are too trusting, chances are we would end up being deceived or taken advantage of by others. We understand there is an element of the law of cause and effect to be observed and what we experience is a karmic debt that is to be repaid. However, after a prolonged period, we are bound to become more prudent and inclined towards precautionary measures in our interpersonal dealings. In this regard, does it mean our mind has become less pure compared to before?
Master Jun Hong Lu: It would be ideal if everyone was pure and honest. Neither is it bad if everyone was wary of each other. Having said that, being wary of others will slowly breed a heart of resentment (有了戒备心之后，慢慢就会有瞋恨心). This is a natural chain reaction.
Why is it that Buddhist practitioners should avoid harming others at all costs and not be wary of people? This is because when you are wary of others and on your guard against people, your state-of-mind will deviate from normalcy. The energy that you exude from within becomes negative and is devoid of positivity. Therefore, it is important that you must have faith in others at the outset. If you get hurt in return, what harm can it do to you? At the most, you lose some money. What’s the big fuss? You can choose to minimise your interaction with these people after learning your lessons. After all, human life is a mere few decades. Our ultimate goal is to ascend to heaven. Are there bad people in heaven?
Caller: No.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Would Bodhisattva even harm others? A definite no! If you bring a suspicious mind to heaven and are preoccupied by suspicion towards other Bodhisattvas, you will fail to be a Bodhisattva very soon.
This explains why many monastics leave their secular life behind to live in the mountains. They needed to protect their pure and kind heart from being tainted by the vexations and karmic obstacles of this world. By cultivating in the mountain, they are able to cut themselves off from all the defilements and achieve purity of mind.
Caller: I understand it now. It’s indeed tranquil.
Source: Shuohua20131227 12:36, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
SHOULD WE GIVE TO THOSE BOGUS BEGGARS?
Caller: I have one more question on “Compassion”. We are taught that we need to have the same compassion for all beings. Unfortunately, in this day and age, there are many fake street beggars, who just want to make a quick buck. If we give without knowing whether they are genuine or not, would we add on to their karmic obstacles and inadvertently incite their evil behaviour? Would we also generate negative karma for ourselves?
Master Jun Hong Lu: First and foremost, you need to have the right perspective of compassion. Make no mistakes – are you practising compassion towards yourself or others? For example, when you give some money to others, on the surface it may appear that you are being compassionate towards them. In fact, you are the one who stands to gain. This is because it is through your compassion that merit is generated (因为你的慈悲心，所以才会造就了你的功德).
No matter whom you show compassion to, do not think that you are on the losing end. This is because, the moment your compassion arises, heaven, earth and the Bodhisattva will know about it.
The small amount of money you give will not make those beggars rich; similarly it will not make you go broke. In fact, the compassion you show towards others will be like a salve for your soul. As to whether the beggar is genuine or not, the negative karma is his to contend with. Let it be if he continues to create negative karma. Are you willing to kneel down and beg? Are you willing to pretend like a beggar? As for him, clearly, he is already suffering from present-life retribution (现世报). You think you still want to hold back your compassion? If you consider this perspective, you will understand.
Source: Wenda20131006B 03:11, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program