The Lantern Festival (also known as the ‘Yuanxiao Festival’) is an important festival celebrated by the Chinese community on the 15th day of the first lunar month to mark the final day of Lunar New Year celebrations. Besides signifying the first full moon of the year, small glutinous rice balls are eaten on this special occasion to celebrate the harmony and reunion of family and friends.
Most importantly, on this special day, countless Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and officials from the spiritual worlds would visit the human realm – the extraordinary scenes are beautifully depicted in one of the discourses in the pack. Those who are true to their Buddhist practice will stand to receive blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on this day. Hence, Master Lu advises us to focus on reciting more Buddhist scriptures and offering Little Houses on the Lantern Festival.
For more details, please refer to the pack. Last but not least, we wish you a great start to the Year of the Rabbit.
Editor’s Note: The Lantern Festival (also known as the ‘Yuanxiao Festival’) is a traditional Chinese festival that signifies the complete and perfect conclusion of Lunar New Year. It is also a major festival to celebrate the first full moon, a symbol of reunion and togetherness of the year, when countless Bodhisattvas and officials from heaven and the underworld will visit the human realm.
Master once said that the Lantern Festival is an excellent occasion for reunion, which symbolises the unity of heaven, earth and humanity. Therefore, we should step up our recitations on this day to harmonise our energy fields with that of heaven and earth. On top of that, our mind needs to be perfected to a more harmonious state.
As we celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, our revered Master has already made His arrival to the other shore of enlightenment in the Kingdom of the Buddha. However, no matter where our Master is, He will always be in the heart of each and every one of us.
As Buddhist practitioners, as long as our hearts resonate with that of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Master, there will come a time for reunion at the other shore in the Pure Land.
EXTRAORDINARY SCENES OF HEAVEN ON THE LANTERN FESTIVAL
Question:
The depiction below is the extraordinary scenes that unfolded right before my very eyes on the Lantern Festival on 8 February 2020:
On the eve of the Lantern Festival, innumerable Heavenly Dharma Protectors were guarding the paths that led to a myriad of Buddhist altars of various sizes in the Saha World (娑婆国土).
Starting from the 23rd day of the final lunar month of the year till the Lantern Festival, from time to time, Dharma Protectors and Bodhisattvas will observe the Saha World from heaven. They are particularly concerned about this year (2020), as a spate of natural and man-made disasters are just about to break out, inflicting untold suffering to all corners of the human realm.
In the midst of my recitation of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance, my soul became light and was escorted by Dharma Protectors to heaven. I saw Guan Yin Bodhisattva placing Her vase mid-air, where it kept revolving rapidly and radiating blinding rays of light.
The glaze water (净瓶水) in the vase contained the immense positive energy emanating golden rays of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, comprising
Guan Yin Bodhisattva (观世音菩萨),
Nanjing Bodhisattva (南京菩萨),
all Tai Sui Bodhisattvas (太岁菩萨),
Guan Di Bodhisattva (关帝菩萨),
Victorious In Battle Buddha (斗战胜佛),
Shakyamuni Buddha (释迦牟尼佛),
Amitabha Buddha (阿弥陀佛),
Great Strength Bodhisattva (大势至菩萨),
Mahavairocana Buddha (大日如来),
Ma Zu Bodhisattva (妈祖菩萨),
Cundi Bodhisattva (准提菩萨),
the Four Dragon Kings of the Seas (四海龙王),
Jigong Living Buddha (济公活佛),
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (普贤菩萨),
Manjushri Bodhisattva (文殊菩萨),
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (地藏王菩萨),
the Goddess of Mount Tai (also known as Bixia Yuanjun, 泰山圣母碧霞元君),
Wei Tuo Bodhisattva (韦陀菩萨), and
many other Bodhisattvas I was unfamiliar with.
Not long after, the vase gradually tilted, with the glaze water sprinkling in the sky above the Saha World. This was followed by successive rounds of golden drizzle slowly drifting down to earth at a time when the sky was emitting supreme rays of light. Taking on a designated path, the energy of most of these lights penetrated into the statues of Bodhisattva and the yellow landscape pictures of Guan Yin Citta Practice Centres and homes of Buddhist practitioners.
The homes of Buddhist practitioners, who perform recitations or pay their respects to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, including those who practise other dharma doors, were engulfed by these golden rays and energy meant to keep them safe and sound throughout the year, shielding them from the onslaught of evil energy.
A disciple from Malaysia
9 February 2020
Answer: This is how I pray to Guan Yin Bodhisattva:
“May Guan Yin Bodhisattva bless and protect us, the disciples of Guan Yin Citta, from calamities. May the homes of all disciples of Guan Yin Citta be immersed in the supreme light of Guan Yin Bodhisattva”.
With such a prayer, wouldn’t the supreme lights of Buddhas shine on every household?
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 363), 15 February 2020
Q&A 141. Lantern Festival
Q: Master Lu, how should we celebrate the Lantern Festival as Buddhists? What should we be aware of?
A:
- No matter what festival is being celebrated, many Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and officials from the underworld will be in touch with us. The Lantern Festival is no exception. The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month and it marks the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
- According to Chinese tradition, we have “Tang Yuan” (glutinous rice balls) during the Lantern Festival to celebrate the harmony and reunion of family and friends. This symbolises the unity of heaven, earth and humanity. When the energy fields harmonise, things will work out better in every respect.
- To harmonise our energy field with that of heaven, we should pray to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas more often, and perform more recitations than we usually do. We can recite the Great Compassion Mantra, the Heart Sutra and the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO).
- During the Lantern Festival, it would be extremely efficacious to recite the Heart Sutra for distant friends or relatives. Your recitation of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance should not exceed 27 times per day. For further details, please refer to Q&A 161: Reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance on special days and Buddhist commemorative days.
- If you have performed many good deeds, you can also recite Gong De Bao Shan Shen Zhou. The Lantern Festival is a day for tolerance, so if you complete more recitations of the Mantra to Untie Karmic Knots, many of your karmic conflicts will be resolved. You can also recite Ru Yi Bao Lun Wang Tuo Luo Ni to help your wishes come true. These Buddhist scriptures can be recited 49 or 108 times each.
- To harmonise our energy field with that of the earth, we should recite more Little Houses than usual to help our karmic creditors, or the deceased friends and family members to ascend to a higher spiritual realm. We can also complete more recitations of the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra.
- From the perspective of humanity, harmony generates prosperity. We can elevate our spiritual level, cultivate our minds, adopt a vegetarian diet, refrain from committing wrongdoings, be a kind person, and perform life liberations to achieve harmony.
- It is exceptionally efficacious to offer Little Houses on the Lantern Festival.
The total number of Little Houses that can be offered should not exceed 49. (This includes the various types of Little Houses for your karmic creditor, a miscarried child, a deceased person who appeared in your dreams or the karmic creditor of your house, and excludes Little Houses recited for others.) However, under special circumstances, you may offer up to 69 Little Houses. - On this day, innumerable Bodhisattvas and the heavenly officials, who are tasked to take care of worldly matters, will descend to the human realm. Hence, it is better to reserve some Little Houses to be offered on the 15th day of Lunar New Year, as they will help eliminate your karmic obstacles expeditiously.
- Traditionally, people hang lanterns during the celebration of the Lantern Festival. This practice emphasises the union of the “three elements”: heaven, earth and humanity, and helps our deceased family members find their way back home. However, as Buddhist practitioners, the hanging of lanterns is not recommended. Instead, we should recite more Buddhist sutras and mantras, and Little Houses.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LANTERN FESTIVAL FROM THE METAPHYSICAL PERSPECTIVE
Caller: Hello, Master. As we celebrate the Lantern Festival (also known as the ‘Yuanxiao Festival’) on the 15th day of the first lunar month, would you please share with us the significance of this special day?
Master Jun Hong Lu: The first day of Lunar New Year marks the first day of spring. As the saying goes, “For every beginning there’s an end”. In this instance, the Lantern Festival which falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month denotes the end of the Lunar New Year celebration. So, the beginning and end are both important.
The Chinese name of the Lantern Festival consists of the Chinese character for ‘first’ (元 yuan), which is homophonous with the Chinese character for ‘roundness’ (圆yuan). It carries the meaning of reunion and smoothness or completeness for that matter. In fact, the Lantern Festival is a perfect and harmonious day that allows people to receive more blessings, and immerse in a more uplifting spirit, or to achieve a more perfect state in terms of family relationships and physical health.
In fact, the true stories of the Lantern Festival have long existed. Every household will celebrate the festival with a series of joyous activities to create the atmosphere of a new year. It is likened to our traditional dragon and lion dance, where the dance movement signifies the elimination and shaking off of the old and the ushering in of the new. All the relevant stories can be found in literature. From a metaphysical point of view, it also signifies a perfect wrap-up to the start (有头有尾).
Source: Wenda20130224A 01:10, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
THE EFFICACY OF LITTLE HOUSES OFFERED ON THE LANTERN FESTIVAL DIFFERS FROM THOSE OFFERED ON NORMAL DAYS
Question: Master has said before that offering Little Houses on the 15th day of Lunar New Year has immense merits. May I ask whether it’s alright to burn Little House earlier but post-date it to the 15th day of Lunar New Year? Would the efficacy be the same as offering it on the actual day of the 15th day of Lunar New Year?
Answer: No, do not do that. What you can do is to reserve some Little Houses in the run-up to this special day. Why do we recommend the offering of Little Houses on special days? Let me ask you, is it right to offer First Incense in advance?
The moment Bodhisattva sees you offering Little Houses on the 15th day of Lunar New Year, those Little Houses are immediately received and you will be showered with blessings. On other hand, Little Houses offered on those normal days will have to go through the normal line-up procedure.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 211), 1 March 2018
PERFORMING RECITATION ON THE LANTERN FESTIVAL
Caller: Which Buddhist scripture should we recite on the Lantern Festival?
Master Jun Hong Lu: You should primarily focus on offering Little Houses on the Lantern Festival. You can consider setting aside more Little Houses to be offered on that day because it is exceptionally efficacious.
Caller: Does this mean that we should offer Little Houses dedicated to our karmic creditors?
Master Jun Hong Lu: You may offer to your karmic creditors, miscarried child or your deceased parents. On this special day, innumerable Bodhisattvas and the heavenly officials, who are tasked to take care of worldly matters, will descend to the human realm. Hence, it is better to reserve some Little Houses recited in these two days and offer them on the 15th day of Lunar New Year, as they will help eliminate your karmic obstacles expeditiously.
Caller: Should we recite Gong De Bao Shan Shen Zhou on the Lantern Festival?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes, if you have been performing many kind deeds, you must recite Gong De Bao Shan Shen Zhou. You should also recite Cundi Dharani.
Caller: Okay, got it.
Source: Wenda20130217B 22:29, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BEING BORN ON THE LANTERN FESTIVAL
Question: What is the significance of being born on the Lantern Festival?
Answer: Such people will be blessed with a more fulfilled life as they are more accomplished in terms of the meritorious blessings gained in their past lives.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 189), 15 November 2017
CHILDREN BORN ON THE 1ST OR 15TH DAY OF THE LUNAR MONTH ARE VERY GOOD
Question: I am having a caesarean delivery during the first lunar month. May I ask if it’s fine to do it on the Lantern Festival day itself?
Answer: Yes. Children born on the 1st or 15th day of the lunar month are very good, with the former slightly better than the latter.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 357), 16 January 2020
IS IT FINE TO WASH HAIR ON THE 1ST AND 15TH DAYS OF THE LUNAR MONTH?
Caller: Master, there is a belief that we should not wash our hair on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month. Is this true?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Have you done so?
Caller: Yes.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Have there been any changes after washing your hair?
Caller: No.
Master Jun Hong Lu: There you go.
Caller: Some Buddhist practitioners claim that we shouldn’t wash our hair on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month.
Master Jun Hong Lu: There are many such hearsays. What they actually meant is we should try our best to be as dignified as possible (尽量要庄严) in dealing with matters on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month.
Do you think the Bodhisattvas will even mind if you wash your hair, make yourself clean before you pray on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month? Do you think the Dharma Protectors will punish you for doing so? They will not. As long as you act in accordance with the dharma and the path of rightness, what’s wrong with doing things that are clean and wholesome?
Caller: I understand.
Source: Wenda20171105A 02:30, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
THE SAYING ABOUT “DO NOT HAVE HAIR CUT IN THE FIRST LUNAR MONTH”
Caller: Master, there’s a saying, “Do not cut hair in the first lunar month, as it may cause the death of one’s maternal uncle”. Is this true from the metaphysical perspective?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes. “Do not cut hair in the first lunar month” doesn’t mean you should not do so throughout the entire month. It’s best not to cut hair on the 1st and 15th days of the first lunar month. These two days are broadly referred to as the whole lunar month. Just avoid these two days, and you can do it on other days.
Source: Wenda20200119 46:33, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
CAN WE SHIFT HOUSE IN THE FIRST LUNAR MONTH?
Question: Can we shift house in the first lunar month? Is it alright to do it after the 15th day of the first lunar month but still within the first month, say 17th or 18th day?
Answer: It should be fine to do it after the 15th day of the first lunar month because it marks the end of the Lunar New Year period.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 82), 8 January 2016
STAY STEADFAST IN YOUR BUDDHIST PRACTICE
Master Jun Hong Lu: Guan Yin Bodhisattva has always been showering us with blessings. Put in your best effort to perform recitation and practise mind cultivation. Being safe and well is a blessing.
Time is running out. I hope all of you do not waste your time. You must be strict with yourself and keep up the pace in your spiritual practice. Never squander your life because the change that you make every minute of your life foretells future transformation that lies ahead of you.
Many people fail to mend their ways throughout their lives as they simply lack affinity with Buddhism. Now that you have encountered Buddhism, it now boils down to how you walk the cultivation path.
I hope everyone of you will be diligent in your spiritual cultivation. Be sincere in repenting of your past. Take a moment to let your mind settle and enter a state of serenity. Do not let greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance and doubts stand in your way towards a better future.
Pray more to Bodhisattva, for yourself and your family. If you are accomplished in your practice, you are able to protect your family and vice versa. Last but not least, stay steadfast in your Buddhist practice.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse (Question 363), 15 February 2020
