Reclusive Retreats Helps Clear One’s Mind and Gain Mental Strength

Posted Posted in Excerpts from Buddhism in Plain Terms

RECLUSIVE RETREATS HELPS CLEAR ONE’S MIND AND GAIN MENTAL STRENGTH Master Jun Hong Lu: Our minds must always be pure, and in our daily lives, we should frequently undertake brief reclusive retreats. These reclusive retreats help clear and free our mind from all thoughts. By detaching ourselves from worldly matters and dedicating time to recitations […]

HOW DO MERITS AND VIRTUES ELIMINATE NEGATIVE KARMA?

Posted Posted in About Merits and Virtues

HOW DO MERITS AND VIRTUES ELIMINATE NEGATIVE KARMA? Caller: When we pray to Guan Yin Bodhisattva to use our merits and virtues to eliminate negative karma for cases where foreign spirits are present, are those merits and virtues used directly to repay the foreign spirits? Could they be used as a substitute for Little Houses […]

THE MAGNITUDE OF MERITS LIES IN THE INTENTION

Posted Posted in About Merits and Virtues

THE MAGNITUDE OF MERITS LIES IN THE INTENTION Caller: In your early discourses to disciples, Master mentioned, “Distributing dharma books generates tremendous merits, and even Buddhas and Bodhisattvas praise highly of those who distribute dharma books”. Master, exactly how significant are these merits? For fellow practitioners who perform dharma giving online, should the measurement of […]

SHOULD ONE DECIDE TO CONTINUE RECITATION AFTER OFFERING THE FIRST INCENSE ON BUDDHAS’ BIRTHDAYS, CONTINUOUS OFFERING OF INCENSE IS NECESSARY TO AVOID ATTRACTING FOREIGN SPIRITS

Posted Posted in About Festival and Special Days

SHOULD ONE DECIDE TO CONTINUE RECITATION AFTER OFFERING THE FIRST INCENSE ON BUDDHAS’ BIRTHDAYS, CONTINUOUS OFFERING OF INCENSE IS NECESSARY TO AVOID ATTRACTING FOREIGN SPIRITS Question: On several occasions after offering the First Incense on Bodhisattvas’ Birthdays or Enlightenment days etc., I continued to recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO) throughout the night without […]

THINGS TO TAKE NOTE OF WHEN PERFORMING RECITATIONS

Posted Posted in About Performing Recitation

THINGS TO TAKE NOTE OF WHEN PERFORMING RECITATIONS Master Jun Hong Lu: It’s not recommended to feel excessively energised when performing your recitation. Many people will say, “I’m very energised when I recite the Buddhist scriptures; the moment I recite, I feel energised”. When you are charged, your eyes will be wide open, causing excessive […]

THE FUNCTIONS OF BUDDHIST SCRIPTURES

Posted Posted in About Performing Recitation

THE FUNCTIONS OF BUDDHIST SCRIPTURES Caller: The way foreign spirits inflict harm on humans is by disrupting our neuro systems, controlling our emotions and interfering with our rational thinking. The power of the scriptures of Bodhisattva lies in their ability to clear the flow in one’s meridians (energy channels) by removing blockages in the nervous […]

NEGATIVE KARMA WILL BE ELIMINATED WHEN THE MIND AND BUDDHA CONNECT DURING RECITATION

Posted Posted in About Performing Recitation

NEGATIVE KARMA WILL BE ELIMINATED WHEN THE MIND AND BUDDHA CONNECT DURING RECITATION Caller: In Buddhism in Plain Terms, you mentioned that “recitation can eliminate negative karma”. I’d like to know, as negative karma is being eliminated during our recitations, how do we unite the compassionate vows embodied in the Buddhist scriptures, and the state […]

Be Tolerant to People Who Are Overzealous in Their Dharma Giving

Posted Posted in About Spiritual Cultivation, Q&A (Blog)

BE TOLERANT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE OVERZEALOUS IN THEIR DHARMA GIVING Question: We have a dedicated platform primarily to broadcast Master’s latest discourses and notification on the activities of Guan Yin Hall. In the group, there is an overzealous disciple who diligently forwards Master’s discourses that he receives from other social media platforms, including Words […]

Dire Consequences Await Those Who Slander a Dharma Door That Is Capable of Enlightening Sentient Beings

Posted Posted in Excerpts from Buddhism in Plain Terms, Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk

DIRE CONSEQUENCES AWAIT THOSE WHO SLANDER A DHARMA DOOR THAT IS CAPABLE OF ENLIGHTENING SENTIENT BEINGS Those who have yet to realise the path of the Bodhisattva or have yet to be enlightened, if they were to slander any dharma doors that have helped enlighten others, innumerable karmic calamities will befall them, besides having to […]

Always Leave Room for Manoeuvre in Our Interaction With People

Posted Posted in Excerpts from Buddhism in Plain Terms, Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk

ALWAYS LEAVE ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE IN OUR INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE Master Jun Hong Lu: Anish Kapoor, a contemporary British sculptor, became famous overnight with his sculpture “Descent into Limbo”. One day, a reporter from the famous British newspaper The Sunday Times interviewed him. The reporter, who was a sculpture amateur, was eager to find out […]

IS IT ADVISABLE FOR CRITICALLY-ILL PATIENTS TO RECITE ADDITIONAL LIFO ON SPECIAL DAYS?

Posted Posted in About Festival and Special Days

IS IT ADVISABLE FOR CRITICALLY-ILL PATIENTS TO RECITE ADDITIONAL EIGHTY-EIGHT BUDDHAS GREAT REPENTANCE (LIFO) ON SPECIAL DAYS? Question: On special occasions such as the Buddha’s Birthday, we are recommended to recite 27 times of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO), can critically-ill patients do the same? Answer: First and foremost, the terminally-ill person should make […]

IT IS ESSENTIAL TO VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE DISCOURSE BEFORE SHARING IT ONLINE

Posted Posted in About Merits and Virtues

IT IS ESSENTIAL TO VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE DISCOURSE BEFORE SHARING IT ONLINE Caller: Master, many Buddhist practitioners post the dharma teachings on the internet However, some of them have been involved in actions that are contrary to proper conduct and teachings. Lately, we have noticed some public social media accounts bearing names similar […]

When Karmic Conditions Arise, We Will Experience the Results of Our Own Deeds

Posted Posted in Excerpts from Buddhism in Plain Terms

WHEN KARMIC CONDITIONS ARISE, WE WILL EXPERIENCE THE RESULTS OF OUR OWN DEEDS Master Jun Hong Lu: Buddhist scriptures say, “When karmic conditions arise, we will experience the results of our own deeds”. This suggests that upon realising that whatever unfolds is the consequence of karma taking effect, you will not be overly fixated on […]

The Arrogant Monkey

Posted Posted in Excerpts from Buddhism in Plain Terms

THE ARROGANT MONKEY Master Jun Hong Lu: During the Spring and Autumn-Warring States period in China, King Wu went up the Monkey Mountain. All the monkeys, except one, fled the scenes upon seeing an army of soldiers in armour. Wanting to show off its agility, one lone monkey was seen jumping from branch to branch. […]