LET US HONOUR THE LORD BUDDHA FOR HIS TEACHINGS ON THE LAW OF THE UNIVERSE THAT GUIDES US TOWARDS LIBERATION
According to the written accounts in the scriptures, our great Shakyamuni Buddha relinquish His throne and ordained as a monk to seek the truth of life (人生的真谛) and the way to liberate from life and death (生死解脱).
Under a Bodhi tree that stood by the shore, the Buddha made the vow, “If I fail to accomplish this path of Supreme-Bodhi, I would rather have this body of mine decimated than rise from this seat”. After seven days and seven nights of uninterrupted contemplation, the Buddha came to a sudden realisation about the root of all human suffering and the path to its cessation. In a nutshell, the Buddha gained a thorough understanding about the truth of the universe and life – this is what is termed as “the attainment of Buddhahood” or “the attainment of the Way”.
On this day when we commemorate the Enlightenment Day of the Lord Buddha, we must recollect His teachings about the truth of the universe that allows us to liberate ourselves from the suffering and vexations of this world. We must learn to understand the law of karma, differentiate good from evil and cultivate all that is virtuous and do no evil, as only then can we set foot on the path to enlightenment. We must also emulate the compassion of our revered Guan Yin Bodhisattva as we embark on this path in order for the Buddha Dharma to bear fruits in this world. With that, we should follow in the footsteps of the Buddha towards unsurpassed and supreme enlightenment.
I hope all Buddhist friends will put in your best effort in your practice.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Daily Words of Wisdom, 20 January 2021
FOR 49 YEARS, THE BUDDHA USED EXPEDIENT MEANS TO SPREAD THE DHARMA, TEACHING THE ‘BLINDED’ MASSES TO OBSERVE THE TRUTH OF THE UNIVERSE
Master Jun Hong Lu: We can draw parallels between Shakyamuni Buddha observing the universe and a person with normal vision observing an elephant while the approach taken by the science field is analogous to “a group of blind feeling an elephant” (mistaking the parts for the whole).
The realm of science is by no means capable of bringing out and portraying the fullness and the true nature of an elephant. This explains why the Buddha teaches us to ‘seek an understanding of the true nature of things and worry not about the inconsequential details’.
For some 49 years, the Buddha propagated the dharma using expedient means. He was both forthright and ingenious at applying a myriad of wondrous oratory methods in delivering His teachings. Technical aspects like the lengths of the elephant’s nose and tail were not what He wanted us to know. It was just a figure of speech to prompt the ‘blinded’ ones like us to open our eyes to see this world.
Some 2,500 years ago, the Buddha already saw planet earth and painted it as a round-shaped Amalaka fruit and this fact was only validated by scientists two millennia later.
He also revealed that there are eighty four thousand lives that take the form of microorganisms in a bowl of water. Thanks to the invention of the microscope because without which, humanity would not have known what bacteria is till this very day!
Scientific laws are formulated in a specific time and space. While Buddhist practitioners should be sensible of the existence of a specific order of the universe, they should also understand that as humans, we can make use of our own mind to design the life we want.
Be diligent and steadfast in your practice. If you do so, you will surely attain Buddhahood in the human realm, and be assured of returning to the embrace of the Buddha in heaven.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting, Singapore, 23 April 2016
< Practise the Teachings >
The Buddha says,
“If you think my teachings are helpful to you,
instead of flattering me,
I will be happier if you put what I teach into practice and abide by them”.
A Buddhist Story by Master Lu – 26 Feb 2020
SEIZE YOUR LIFE – GOOD OR BAD DEED IS A MATTER OF CHOICE
The Buddha has never imposed on anyone to do anything that is against one’s will. However, the great Lord Buddha has taught us what’s wholesome and what’s not, and the choice is ours to make.
Sadly, many people do things that they should not. Not only do they inflict harm unto others, they are also hurting themselves. To make it worse, they refuse to admit their mistakes and herein lies the root of their self-inflicted harm.
As sentient beings, your life depends on how you make the best of what you have. There is a Chinese saying, “No matter how good a quality of the forage that a donkey consumes, there is no way that it will ever develop into a fine horse”. Similarly, as long as you allow grasping and a discriminatory mind to rule you in your spiritual cultivation, you will never become a Buddha no matter how diligent you are in your practice.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk, Vancouver, Canada, 27 September 2014
< A Story in the Buddha’s Time – Story of Sunita >
IT IS OUR RELENTLESS EFFORT THAT MAKES CULTIVATION, ENLIGHTENMENT AND PERFECTION IN SPIRITUAL PRACTICE POSSIBLE
Question: During His time in the human realm, the Lord Buddha practised extreme asceticism for more than 10 years and yet, He failed to come to any spiritual awakening. However, when He meditated with His eyes shut under a Bodhi tree for 49 consecutive days, out of a sudden, He experienced a great spiritual awakening, paving the way for His attainment of unsurpassed and supreme enlightenment. What was the reason behind this?
Separately, does concentration really help one gain wisdom? Is meditative concentration paramount to our practice?
Answer: It goes without saying that meditative concentration gives rise to wisdom. Having said that, this doesn’t mean that all His prior spiritual practice was of no use at all as it formed an integral part of His practice as a whole.
Let’s say you are not full after taking some rice but, after drinking a bowl of soup, you feel full. Would you say that the rice you took before is of no use, and it is that one bowl of soup that makes you full?
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 388), 7 June 2020
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