Time : Saturday 2pm-4.00pm
Platform : ZOOM Cloud Meeting
Topic of Discussion : UNITY OF KNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE
“If you only talk about theories, without putting them into practice, you will never be ‘one’ with the Buddha.”
On 24 July 2021, Guan Yin Citta, Singapore, held an online English sharing session on the “Unity of Knowledge and Practice”.
The story of the turtle and a drifting yoke reinforced the importance of cherishing our human life for true spiritual cultivation given the rarity of assuming a human form.
The facilitator highlighted various signs of one who does not apply the dharma learned. One clear sign is when one’s thoughts and actions are conditioned by greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, suspicion, jealousy, etc. Not allowing the dharma to penetrate one’s heart is also a sign of learning but not practising the dharma; such people tend to revert to their old habits when challenged or met with adverse situations.
On the flip side, those with unity of knowledge and practice have an equanimous state-of-mind, and a heart of compassion. Not only do they stay rooted to the realities of this world, they view their worldly troubles as Bodhi, and live by the concept of “Impermanence”.
During the session, the participants learned that casually talking about Buddhas and Bodhisattvas without truly understanding and putting Buddhism into practice, will cause one’s merits to reduce to almost nothingness. The facilitator highlighted the importance of tirelessly strengthening one’s Buddhism foundation, as enlightenment is a cyclical process.
In a poignant closing video, Master Lu said, “I hope all of you can lead a life of wisdom and let Buddhism be your guide in life. You must apply wisdom and Buddhist teachings in your day-to-day life to ultimately break free from this shore of afflictions to reach the other shore of enlightenment.”
The upcoming session – scheduled on 31 July – we will explore the true meaning of Filial Piety.
? Let us now look at some comments from participants:
Today’s session allowed me to realise the signs that I’m learning the Dharma without applying it in my life. I waste my life looking only at surfaces of what needs to be done and neglect the potential of cultivating the depths of my inner-being altogether.
This session allowed me to see the importance of learning Buddhism and I will strive to be more diligent in my cultivation so that I can lead by example in order to influence others.
? Join us in our next session
Please contact Loh SX (96978356) / Woan Yi SX (82182248) for more information
⏰ Date and time:
Saturday 31 July 2021 (2.00pm – 4.00pm)
Please click here to download the Summary Slides shared during the Group Study:
Summary Slides_UNITY OF KNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING TODAY?
< Buddhism isn’t About Mere Learning, Be true to your Cultivation! >
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Episode 83 (6 June 2020)
The monk said, “Buddha is in one’s heart, not in the famous mountains and rivers. One kind heart is worth more than a thousand scrolls of scriptures.”
We have to be true to our spiritual cultivation. Buddhism is not about mere learning, it is about putting what you learn into practice.
< HOW EXTRAORDINARY IS IT TO BE BORN A HUMAN? >
A TURTLE AND THE DRIFTING YOKE 盲龟值木
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Daily Words of Wisdom – 15 March 2021 (AnExcerpt)
A TURTLE AND THE DRIFTING YOKE
“To be born as a human is as rare as the chances of a blind turtle popping its head through the hole in the drifting yoke as it rises to the ocean surface for air once in a hundred years” (盲龟值木).
Therefore, we must cherish life; make use of this illusory world for true cultivation; devote ourselves, both body and mind and go beyond ordinary people and reach the realm of sages (转凡成圣) – only then we are able to witness our own Buddha-nature.
So you ask, “I have assumed a human life,
I have also started to learn the Dharma,
isn’t that good enough?”
< Buddhist perspective of: UNITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE (知行合一) >
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms – Volume 1 Chapter 2
ENLIGHTENMENT IS A CYCLICAL PROCESS
Enlightenment is a cyclical process (反复练习的过程) whereby we practise the teachings of the Buddha-dharma and apply them in our everyday lives, and from the experiences of doing so, we gain a better comprehension of the Buddha-dharma. Then we reapply what we have learnt in our everyday lives and the process repeats itself.
This is similar to preparing for a test, where we constantly and repetitively apply the guiding principles in doing our exercises. From these exercises, we keep learning to master the basic concepts until we reach a level of proficiency where we can put the theory into practice freely.
Over the course of cultivation, each time we apply the Buddha-dharma in the correct manner, the level of our spirituality will be elevated accordingly.
Nonetheless, even if we did well for nine consecutive attempts but erred on the tenth, all the previous efforts that we had achieved would have come to naught. That’s why cultivation of the mind is like treading on thin ice (如履薄冰).
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms – Episode 56 (AnExcerpt)
UNITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE
There are many Buddhist practitioners who are good at reciting the scriptures and their understanding of the Buddha’s teachings is superb.
However, their behaviour is not even close to that of a human; all that they have learned, they fail to put into practice. In the end all their efforts in cultivation come to nothing.
Therefore, the Dharma teaches the unity of knowledge and practice (知行合一) (i.e., the congruence of one’s knowledge and actions).
To truly understand the Dharma is to comprehend the teachings in one’s heart (真正理解佛法是在内心之中) and be able to apply the Dharma in one’s life – THIS IS THE TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF SPIRITUAL CULTIVATION (修行之解).
< UNITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE >
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk, Macau, China – 13 Feb 2016
EVEN A HIGH LEVEL OF INTELLECT COULD NOT CHANGE HIS BAD HABITS
Once there were three small animals, a crab, an owl and a bat. They went for tuition classes with the objective of eliminating their bad habits. After a few years, they graduated and obtained a PhD. However, the crab was still walking sideways, the owl still slept during the day and was active at night, while the bat was still hanging upside down.
This story tells us that overcoming one’s bad habits is indeed tough. “In psychology it is said that even a person with a high level of intellect could not change his bad habits. Many Buddhist practitioners appear to be well-read in Buddhist teachings, but when it comes to personal gains and bad habits, they are incapable of making any change.
We need to understand that ‘Practice’ is of the utmost importance. We need to transform ourselves, that is, to cultivate our mind and behaviour. To cultivate the mind (修心) is to overcome the negativity in our mind and to fix the greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance and doubts in us. To cultivate our behaviour (修行) is about correcting our negative conduct, transforming our action and speech.
This is the essence of spiritual cultivation. We need to be true to our cultivation instead of superficially seeking blessings at the eleventh hour. When things are going well, we need to prepare for a rainy day. While we are still alive, we need to cherish our spiritual life so that when we leave this world, we can be free from karmic debts, calamities and karmic obstacles, in order to reach a higher lotus pedestal in heaven.
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism in Plain Terms – Episode 60 (An Excerpt)
VALIDATE THE DHARMA THROUGH YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE
All our endeavours in this world must accord with the dharma (the “right way of living” and the “path of rightness”) (如理如法). The viability of the teachings can only be proven through one’s personal experience; only you can tell whether your path of cultivation is right. You have to understand that if you rely on the words of others, it is impossible for you to gain true understanding.
The teaching is something you need to validate through your own personal experience as only then can you fully understand and gain a deeper insight of the truth.
This is just like teaching a child. Many parents often tell their children, “If you continue this way, you will suffer.” However, these children have yet to experience any kind of suffering, hence they are clueless; naturally they are nonchalant towards their parents’ advice.
It is only when they get a taste of pain and the joy that things start to make sense to them, and they will start to believe and act accordingly. Therefore, putting Buddhism teachings into practice in the human realm is a very crucial method of cultivation (非常重要的修行的方法).
< Guan Yin Citta Helps Turn Around My Once Hostile Family Relations >
Master Lu once said, “Hindrances from family members in our Buddhism practice are a manifestation of our karmic obstacles. As Buddhist practitioners, before pointing fingers at our loved ones for being ignorant, we should first self-reflect and assess our own level of spiritual cultivation.”
< Signs that you are Learning Buddhism without Practising >
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism in Plain Terms – Volume 6 Chapter 47 (An Excerpt)
THE “POISON” THAT ENTERS YOUR BODY ONCE COMPLACENCY SETS IN
If Budhhist practitioners become complacent (松懈), that is to say, when they fail to be diligent in their spiritual cultivation (不精进), all the poisons that are harmful to them would enter their body.
Your hatred and jealousy become the poisons that can harm you; so are your grievances (委屈), as this feeling of resentment is brought upon by your lack of understanding of the truth. That said, you will never give rise to any sense of injustice if you are someone who understands this principle.
Therefore, you should always keep your mind healthy and ensure your body is pure. Your body should be perceived as a gift from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Hence, it is your responsibility to keep it pure.
Never allow yourself to slack off in your practice; neither should you have the slightest inclination to stop learning Buddhism or performing recitations. This is because once you stop, something invisible will enter your body. This toxin is a product of your change of view in life (自己转变观念的毒素). Your thoughts that contain hatred, jealousy and greed will lead to your creation of karma that causes harm to yourself (产生因果，会伤害你).
So, the next time you feel that you have been wronged, you should be happy; it is a good thing as you can take the opportunity to make use of your Buddha-mind to remove this “filth” (污垢). On the contrary, if you have a sense that many things are not going your way, it is a sign that this fatalistic poison has already penetrated your body.
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism in Plain Terms – Volume 2 Chapter 18 (An Excerpt)
DO NOT FOCUS ON EXTERNAL CULTIVATION; PAY ATTENTION INTERNALLY
Some people only cultivate themselves on the exterior, not on the interior; they neglect the potential of cultivating the depths of their inner-being, altogether.
What does this mean? They only know how to put up a pretence of practising the dharma and do not make genuine effort to cultivate themselves (没有去真正地修行).
In consequence, they become haughty and arrogant. They are conceited because they fail to understand the mark of a true spiritual cultivator is one who is dedicated to cultivating their inner being (靠内心修为).
It is pointless, if you are good at talking and theorising the teachings; reciting the scriptures and performing virtuous deeds just to show off to others; and performing kind deeds while thinking of tangible returns. Once these thoughts arise, all your effort, be it on the surface or on the interior will go to waste.
Wenda20130526B 01:07:55 (Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
THE IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG FOUNDATION IN SPIRITUAL PRACTICE (An Excerpt)
Caller: Some fellow practitioners think that they are more advanced in their spiritual cultivation than others. They are of the opinion that some of the teachings of Master Lu are for the masses and have nothing to do with them due to their comparatively higher level of spirituality (修行的境界比较高).
We are puzzled by their views. Can Master enlighten us?
Master Jun Hong Lu: It’s very simple. This is someone who is haughty and arrogant (贡高我慢). You think others’ level of cultivation is lower than yours; you think that your seniority makes your level of spirituality higher than others’ and you look down on them. This essentially means that you have not fully understood the notion of equality (平等观念) and you are arrogant. You might have started earlier than others, does that surely mean that you are better than them in your practice?
If this is the case, does this mean that you are better if you entered university earlier than your batch-mates but you have retained for five years while your previous batch-mates have already graduated? It is about one’s spiritual state of mind (境界).
Basic knowledge should go through rounds of revision. You should be tireless when strengthening your foundation. In other words, you need to reinforce the foundation of the Buddhism mindset in you (学佛的基本思维建设). In this way, you will be able to build a taller building. Some people think they can ignore the importance of this foundation and put all their efforts into adding on more levels to the building. Lacking the foundation required, the building eventually collapses.
Wenda20150710 53:37 (Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
HOW DO WE JUDGE IF WE HAVE DEVIATED FROM THE RIGHT SPIRITUAL PATH?
Caller: Greetings, Master. How do we judge if we have deviated from the right path (偏差) in our Buddhism practice?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Despite your spiritual practice, you feel increasingly hateful and troubled; you seem to hate everything around you, and nothing pleases your eyes. This is a sign that you have strayed from the right spiritual path.
Caller: I see. So, some of the signs includefinding things to be unsatisfactory despite our practice, or having an increasingly unstable mental state (情绪上面越不稳定).
Master Jun Hong Lu: That’s right. If you are unable to control yourself, especially if you are prone to losing your temper (发脾气), that is a sign that you have deviated from the right spiritual path.
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism in Plain Terms – Volume 11 Chapter 28 (An Excerpt)
DID YOU ALLOW THE DHARMA TO PENETRATE YOUR HEART?
Many people claimed that they have been practising Buddhism for many years, but when met with problems, they are unable to hold fast to the Buddhist teachings. The moment they are met with relationship issues, the Buddha will be thrown to the back of their mind; as soon as they are met with other life troubles, Bodhisattva is dismissed from their mind. This is how ‘subpar’ cultivation looks like (没有到火候).
The Dharma theories we learn today are meant to help us transform our mortal mindsets (凡夫转化心态).
If a practitioner perceives Buddhism learning and practice as two separate entities and continues to respond to worldly challenges with a mortal attitude, fierce and malicious, he is effectively lacking in his cultivation (没修好). Many people look very dignified, with their palms together when performing recitations. However, once their children return home and start to stir up troubles, they will cast away their prayer beads and start scolding them.
They go right into a mortal mode, clearly manifesting as one (显凡夫相); you can’t detect a single trace of Bodhisattva in them! This is called subpar standard of cultivation. In Buddhism, it means they have yet to put in ‘real effort’ in their cultivation. What does ‘real effort’ (真功夫) in spiritual cultivation mean then? It is when your Buddhism practice penetrates right into your heart (修到内心).
Why is it SO IMPORTANT to practise what we learn in Buddhism?
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism in Plain Terms – Volume 3 Chapter 22 (An Excerpt)
SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT IS THE KEY TO EARNING MERITS
If a person casually talks about Buddhas and Bodhisattvas without truly understanding and putting Buddhism into practice, his merits would be reduced to almost nothingness. If a person lacks in-depth understanding and practice of the dharma method and Buddhism teachings, he would have no merits at all (没有功德).
When your state of spirituality is elevated (境界提高), your attainment from the things you do will correspondingly be elevated. If you do something from your heart, you will be blessed from a spiritual level (心灵的回报). Conversely, if you do something superficially, what you receive will be nothing more than a superficial reciprocation (外表的回报).
< A PERFECT BALANCE – EQUANIMITY >
SIGNS YOU HAVE UNITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM:
You have a state-of-mind of EQUANIMITY.
When something happens, you think, “It’s ok. This is normal.”
When someone is unhappy with you, you think, “It’s ok. I will treat her better from now onwards.”
When others do not agree with your views, you think, “It’s ok. Let’s go with the flow.”
< SIGNS YOU HAVE UNITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM >
1. EQUANIMITY (平常心)
Equanimity: A complete openness to experience, without being lost in reactions of like and dislike.
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse – Sydney Guan Yin Hall (24 Nov 2010)
AN EQUANIMOUS MIND
If you can treat every occurrence in this world as a natural phenomenon, then you will not be saddened, nor will you grieve. When you view this world with an equanimous mind (平常心),calmness is achieved and thus, you will not be overwhelmed by worries.
When you begin to see all phenomena as ordinary, and that they are things that occur naturally, your heart is pacified (平定) and peaceful. This is the state of an unmoving mind, that is ‘calm-abiding’ (安止).
2. You begin to cease your worldly line of thought
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse – Sydney Guan Yin Hall (20 Nov 2011)
CEASE OUR WORLDLY LINE OF THOUGHT
How does one cultivate the mind?
First and foremost, one should learn to differentiate between the good and the evil in this world. To do so, one must use one’s intelligence to reflect (思考) and apply wisdom to determine whether the matters in hand are deemed appropriate from a Buddhism standpoint (如理如法).
We should check our everyday experiences against the theories taught by the Buddha, go deep into its analysis (分析研究) and decide if what we do is appropriate. This is how you will gain a true understanding of the teachings.
Only when one begins to analyse and comprehend the Buddhism theories, (分析、理解佛理) he is said to have begun his journey of mind-cultivation (开始修心).
We must cease our worldly mindset (人间的思维). As Buddhist practitioners, we have toeliminate this human’s line of thought in us.
What is “worldly line of thought” (人间的思维)? It is the line of thinking with the tendency to perceive falsehoods as the truth (把假相认为是真相).
As the above is being understood, the same goes with Buddhism studies, we need to know that understanding its theories is key. (学佛要懂佛理)
Today, if you believe what is false, thinking that you are reaching the end of your life journey and hence, death is upon you. Aren’t you allowing falsehood to cloud your eyes? Did you know how many cancer survivors there are out there? How did they make it?
What is false can appear to be real (假相可以转为真). It is only through the eyes of “ultimate truth” that you see through its falsity. (你用真相去明白它，你就不认为它是一个“真相”了.)
3. NEVER HOLD ON TO ONLY ONE PERSPECTIVE
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse – Sydney Guan Yin Hall (20 March 2020)
NEVER HOLD ON TO ONLY ONE PERSPECTIVE
Buddhist Practitioners should not insist on a single perspective regarding any issue (不能只有一个见解). We should never hold onto our own views stubbornly; otherwise, it is considered as ‘attachment’ (执著) and this inflexibility will lead us to ignorance.
When you say, “He is so detestable, I just don’t like him.”, “This job is too boring. I hate it”, “I want my son to make it into the elite school, no matter what.”
These are all examples of attachments.
Many people become highly opinionated (自以为是) after gaining some degree of Buddhism knowledge to the extent that they cannot accept what I teach anymore.
To this, the Buddha say, “A person whostubbornly holds onto his opinion and becomes disdainful (藐视) towards differing views is ‘despicable’ (卑劣).”
This is because you are unwilling to listen to others’ opinions and you think you are always correct. In reality, you are ‘bounded’ by your views (绑住了) and you will never be able to give rise to wisdom (不可能产生智慧).
4. You truly understand the concept of IMPERMANENCE and live your life according to it
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms (Audio) – Episode 48 (4 March 2020)
BUDDHISM PRACTICE IS AN EDUCATION ON ‘THE WAY OF LIFE’(An Excerpt)
Master Jun Hong Lu: I hope all of you can be awakened to the truth of “suffering, emptiness and impermanence (苦空无常)”. You need to truly understand that there is nothing we can gain from this world and put this understanding into practice in your daily life. Assuming your manager demotes you today. You don’t have to get upset over it. Who knows, a new manager may take over soon after and he may reinstate your position. Assuming you fall sick today, ailing from cancer, but for all you know, you bounce back to health soon after. These are all possibilities.
Put this understanding into practice in your daily life. Spiritual cultivation is nothing more than a method to help you understand what life is all about; a teaching that helps you understand how to go about life.
As your Master, when I teach you the practice of Buddhism, in essence, I am guiding you the way to go about your life.
Should we be kind? Should we show more kindness to others? Should we remain calm in times of adversity? Should we remain steadfast instead of being fickle-minded? Don’t you think all of these are education on how to go about life? Think about it, this understanding of ‘the way of life’ is ultimately to help you be awakened and be liberated (开悟解脱).
5. You have a heart of COMPASSION
Compassion 慈悲 : Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others and a wish to help them.
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk, New York, USA (8 May 2015)
THE TRUE PRACTICE OF COMPASSION
Master Jun Hong Lu: We must be devoted to the welfare of others.
Once, there was a traditional Chinese doctor, who would prepare a pocket-size hot water bag during winter. Every time his hands turned cold, he would immediately replace the water in the bag with boiling water.
During every medical consultation, without fail, he would put his hands in his pocket to draw some warmth from the hot water bag. Upon seeing this, his fellow doctors asked, “Are you afraid of the cold?”. He replied, “No. I am not afraid of the cold. I just don’t want my patients to feel the cold. I hope they are able to feel my warm hands every time I examine their pulse.”
This doctor also demonstrated the same behaviour at home.
Once, he accidentally broke a flower vase. After sweeping up the entire floor of broken glass pieces, he carefully wrapped them up in a bag and sealed it with an adhesive tape before writing on it, “Caution: Broken glass.”
This piqued the interest of his fellow colleagues who then probed, “This is such a small matter, is it necessary for you to show such level of care?”
The doctor responded, “I always see the garbage collectors rummaging through the rubbish. I’m concerned that they may get themselves cut.”
This is what compassion looks like!
Joy will permeate the lives of those who have the well being of others in their hearts; misery belongs to those who only have their self-interests in mind.
I sincerely hope that everyone of you will live your life for sentient beings; feel their pain and suffering as your very own (人伤我痛) as only then, are you able to truly practise the compassion of the Bodhisattva.
6. You stay “rooted to the realities” of this world while cultivating
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism in Plain Terms – Episode 90 (An Excerpt)
STAY ROOTED TO THE REALITIES OF THIS WORLD
If you detach yourself from the realities of life in search of the dharma, you are in reality settingyourself farther apart from the dharma (离开现实生活而去寻道觅法，反而离道更远). This is because ‘The Path’ is in one’s heart.
Many people like to say this: “I must find a good master to ensure that I will be successful in my spiritual quest.”
However, the best master is none other than your own inner awareness (内心的觉悟), which refers to the inherent Buddha nature in you.
So, why are you going around with a golden bowl in your hand asking for alms?
Spiritual cultivation must stay rooted to the realities of this world (修行不能离开世间); to turn away from such realities is to turn away from success.
7. You look at your worries/troubles as BODHI (烦恼即菩提)
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism in Plain Terms – Episode 91 (An Excerpt)
AFFLICTION IS EQUIVALENT TO BODHI 烦恼即菩提
It is important for us to view our worries and troubles in a different light; we need to make use of them to generate Bodhi (菩提) that aids in our spiritual cultivation. In this way, your whole being and life is immersed in Bodhi.
A simple example would be, you are an expert in a certain field due to your lifelong experience and being constantly exposed to all kinds of problems related to this particular field of expertise.
As a result, you are able to solve just about any kind of problem that comes your way. Does this not make you a ‘Bodhi expert’ (菩提专家) in this particular field?
That said, if it’s not for all the ‘love, anger, sorrow and joy’ (喜怒哀乐) of this world, how would the Buddha find anything to make reference to when He teaches us the dharma?
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism in Plain Terms – Episode 91 (An Excerpt)
BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS ARE EXPERTS IN MENTAL AFFLICTION
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are the experts in mental afflictions (烦恼学的专家). They are engineers in the ‘mind’ field (精神领域的工程师); the Doctors and Professors who can help us break free from our worries and see through the reality of things.
Bodhisattvas are the ones who have gained wisdom from their troubles. That is why they are able to see clearly the sufferings and distress of all sentient beings and come up witha diverse ingenious method to help us subdue our worries, and transform them into Bodhi (转烦恼成菩提的妙法).
< THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE >
Master Jun Hong Lu’s Daily Words of Wisdom (3 April 2021)
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE
Buddhist practitioners should place emphasis on nurturing their morality (道德) and innate attainment (性德).
There must be a unity of knowledge and practice. If you only talk about theories, without putting them into practice, you will never be ‘one’ with the Buddha (与佛相应).
Just like a person who claims that he can cook. He can go on and on with all the culinary theories. However, if he has never cooked a single dish before, he can never be considered a good cook.
Knowledge is like a map;
Practice is like scaling a mountain.
A good teacher is akin to a mountain guide.
Only with a correct path and a mountain guide to lead the way, you steer clear of all the traps on the route.
When all is said and done, you make it to the summit, to finally get a glimpse of the true essence of the Buddha’s teachings.
Learning Buddhism without a teacher is like consulting a doctor but not taking their prescriptions.
Spiritual cultivation for your own gains is selfishness.
Misinterpretation of Buddhism leads you nowhere.
Buddhism practice is a process where you realise the truth through cultivation and gain understanding of the principles by transforming them into action.
How much do you know about the teachings? How much have you learned through putting these theories into practice?
This is the kind of responsibility you hold towards your own life, the life of others and the path that leads to liberation.
You need to understand the severity of your own karmic hindrances. Only when you are equipped with this knowledge are you able to understand the karmic hindrances of sentient beings, help them in the elimination so that they will rediscover their wisdom.
< SUMMARY >
1. The story of the turtle and the yoke remindsme of how rare it is for one to find his way back to the human state. I need to cherish this human life for true spiritual cultivation.
- My thoughts and actions are conditioned by the poisons of greed, anger, ignorance, suspicion, jealousy, etc.
- I waste my life looking only at surfaces of what needs to be done and neglect the potential of cultivating the depths of my inner-being altogether.
- I allow my arrogant confidence to take over me and deem others as less worthy.
- I feel increasingly hateful and troubled by the people and matters around me.
- I fail to hold fast to the Buddhist teachings. When I meet with some adverse situations or when I am challenged by someone else’s behaviour, I start to go back to my “old-way” of thinking and reacting.
- Do I have an equanimous state-of-mind, am I composed and undisturbed regardless of what I am experiencing, be it good or bad?
- Do I truly understand the truth of “Impermanence” and live my life according to it?
- Do I truly practise the compassion of the Bodhisattva?
- Am I able to cease my “worldly” mindset?
-
Do I apply wisdom to determine whether the things I do are appropriate from a Buddhism standpoint?
-
Can I regard my worries and troubles as an opportunity for me to gain Bodhi (enlightenment)?
< TO BE SPIRITUALLY LIBERATED – LEAD A LIFE OF WISDOM AND DHARMA >
Wenda20171013 46:20 (Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
Master Jun Hong Lu, “I hope all of you can lead a life of wisdom and let Buddhism be your guide in life. You must apply wisdom and Buddhist teachings in your day-to-day life to ultimately break free from this shore of afflictions to reach the other shore of enlightenment.”