Excerpt from Master Lu’s Q&A (267), 23 November 2018
Question:
On 8 November 2018, after I fell asleep, I felt lighter than usual and I was enveloped in a golden light which took me to heaven. I flew past a Heavenly gate and reached the Hall of Guan Di Bodhisattva. After being granted permission to enter, I walked in and saw a gigantic and incredibly solemn-looking Buddha. Guan Di Bodhisattva introduced this Buddha to me and said this is one of the Buddha mentioned in the Eighty-eight Buddhas Great Repentance. The name of the Buddha is Namo Victorious in Battle Buddha. I was surprised because he didn’t look like the Monkey King that we saw in the dramas. Instead, he has all the dignified and solemn characteristics of a Buddha, very compassionate.
Victorious in Battle Buddha said to me, “I have heard about a heavenly child under Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s guidance who is assigned to journey into the Underworld and document all the scenes in the Underworld to share with the Human Realm, so I made a trip to the Hall of Guan Di Bodhisattva to meet with you. Heavenly child, you must take note, the path of cultivation is akin to treading on thin ice. No need to pay attention to the voices of slander; inner demons stem from the mind. Your Master has overcome countless hardships to bring such wonderful Buddhist teachings and practice in the Human Realm to you disciples. You must cherish it.
“I have observed many disciples of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door and found a majority of them are sincere. They act in Right Faith with Right Intention. But you must take note: Supranormal powers are just a by-product as you make progress along the path of cultivation. One must not pursue them; otherwise, they would attract demons. If one day an intention of a demon manifests and you disciples are unable to control yourselves, you would deviate to the demonic path.
“You must follow only your Master’s teachings, and rely on his words. That’s what you should do. The Buddha-Dharma is profound and wondrous. You disciples’ foundations are still not solid; you must strive to comprehend the truth found in the Master’s Buddhism in Plain Terms. All the essence of the Buddha-Dharma can be found within. When you are doing a group study of Buddhism in Plain Terms with fellow practitioners, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are constantly blessing you from heaven, so that your wisdom can develop and your ability to understand and comprehend the teachings will improve. Today, The King of Hell wants you to watch a trial at his court. Don’t be late for what you are supposed to do. Leave now and come back soon.”
I was then whisked to the Underworld by a golden light. An offender was kneeling in front of the King of Hell. Today, the King was enraged. When the offender was dragged into the court for trial, he was unwilling to submit and argued back at the King. The offender didn’t stop until the enforcement officers slapped his mouth with a truncheon.
The King of Hell angrily said, “Mortals like you think that you’re so intelligent, but your knowledge and understanding about the Buddha-Dharma, Buddhist scriptures and the space between heaven and earth are only partial. You don’t study and practise Buddhism, nor do you perform the five benevolent acts and you don’t observe the ten precepts. All you’re concerned about are fame, sex and power. You used your own subjective views and partial understanding to interpret Buddhism and created articles and videos to defame Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door as a cult, destroying the wisdom-life of existing and potential practitioners.”
The King of Hell then turned on a display on the side, and it showed how the offender used online social media platforms like Facebook to speak irresponsibly about Guan Yin Citta, and the number of likes and shares were very high.
“The Buddha shows mercy towards you as you behaved out of ignorance and foolishness, so you won’t have to be sent to the Unintermittent Hell. However, all the other offences you committed when you were alive will be tried one by one. Under the laws of the Underworld, you are hereby sentenced to be punished in the Hell of Excrement (the offender was already married, yet he regularly visited nightclubs and led a promiscuous life), Hell of Burning Flames (the offender used Taoist venues and illicitly amassed wealth in the name of charity, embezzled the money offered by devotees, ran illegal businesses and was involved in bribery and smuggling) and the Hell of Tongue Ripping (the offender liked to scold and verbally attack others who he disliked. He would also use vulgar words to abuse and insult his business competitors on the Internet. He also had a very bad temper). This decision is not subject to appeal.”
After the trial was over, the enforcement officer dragged the offender to the Hell Realm for punishment.
The King of Hell then signalled me to return to the realm of the living. I was then enveloped by serval rays of a golden light and returned. When I woke up, it was after 5am.
Master Jun Hong Lu’s reply:
When you practise Buddhism, it’s not for others to see and praise. The Bodhisattvas in heaven already know what you have done; the ghosts in the Underworld also know it, too. Even if you try to keep me in the dark, it’s no use. You must practise diligently, as you reap what you cultivate. Your belly only gets its fill if you eat. When you’re hungry, and your mother says, “Child, let me eat for you,” would you be full? When you cultivate the mind, and if you cultivate well, you’re the one who benefits. Heaven is always watching, so you mustn’t commit unwholesome deeds. You must properly practise Buddhism, cultivate your mind, and uphold and protect Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door. It is such a great practice; it teaches us to love our nation, love the community and be a law-abiding citizen.