TO UTILISE MERITS TO ELIMINATE KARMIC OBSTACLES, ONE NEEDS TO MAKE THE PRAYER REQUEST TO BODHISATTVA Caller: Master Lu often says that to eliminate our karmic obstacles, we need to have merits. Given that the recitation of the Buddhist scriptures is one type of meritorious deed, so when we recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance […]
YOU WILL NOT MAKE IT IN YOUR BUDDHIST PRACTICE IF YOU STILL HARBOUR HATRED Master Jun Hong Lu: As a Buddhist practitioner, if you still have hatred in your heart, you will tend to enjoy scolding others. And, with this disposition, do you think you will make it in your Buddhist practice? In fact, it […]
WHO HAS THE FINAL SAY OVER YOUR DESTINY Master Jun Hong Lu: When we perform recitation of Buddhist scriptures and pay respect to Bodhisattvas, it does not mean that they will result in Bodhisattvas helping us remove our karmic obstacles. In fact, performing recitation and paying respect to Bodhisattvas are acts that are in themselves […]
ONLY MERITS AND VIRTUES HAVE THE POWER TO OFFSET KARMIC OBSTACLES Master Jun Hong Lu; There are only two ways karmic obstacles are transformed – either they are offset or break out in the form of foreign spirits. While the latter can be an effect of one’s ‘transformed’ karmic obstacles, it can also be due […]
A VIRTUOUS CYCLE IS SET IN MOTION WHEN ONE IS FILLED WITH ENERGY AND VITALITY Caller: Master, if a spiritual cultivator is full of vitality and he feels very energetic all the time, how can he convert this energy to benefit his spiritual endeavour? Master Jun Hong Lu: In fact, if he is full of […]
STAY DILIGENT IN YOUR BUDDHIST PRACTICE TO KEEP IGNORANCE AND BEWILDERMENT AT BAY Master Jun Hong Lu: Let me share a fable with you. Once upon a time, a horse and a donkey came to know that Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang would be travelling to the West to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures. Reasoning that it […]
HOW DOES NEGATIVE KARMA OF SPEECH AFFECT ONE’S BODY? A discourse by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (Di Zang Wang Pu Sa) Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva: “A person who commits serious negative karma of speech may be born with a stutter or has problems swallowing food. These are the karmic ramifications related to this transgression and punishment is definite. One […]
CONSTANT PERFORMANCE OF GOOD DEEDS AND THE RECITATION OF THE EIGHTY-EIGHT BUDDHAS GREAT REPENTANCE (LIFO) WILL EXTEND THE TIME IT TAKES FOR NEGATIVE KARMA TO COME TO FRUITION Caller: We often hear Master narrate stories of the Lord Buddha about the law of causation, featuring this phrase, ‘May all my evil deeds not come to […]
ONE LAMP DISPELS THE DARKNESS OF A THOUSAND YEARS Master Jun Hong Lu: “One lamp dispels the darkness of a thousand years.” The ignorance within our minds is indeed like a room that remains dark for a thousand years. However, with a single lamp, everything can be illuminated. In Andersen’s Fairy Tales, there’s a story […]
EFFECTIVE METHODS FOR SUSTAINING INITIAL ASPIRATION Master Jun Hong Lu: To avoid falling into a state of slackness, it’s best to maintain your initial aspiration. This means reflecting on the reason that thrusted you into the dharma gate, and reminiscing about the blessings bestowed by Bodhisattva. The abundance of inspiration, peace, safety and happiness that […]
WILLINGNESS TO BE AT A DISADVANTAGE AND ENDURING HARDSHIPS ARE WAYS TO ELIMINATE KARMIC OBSTACLES Caller: Master Lu often advises us to learn to endure hardships and always be willing to take the shorter end of the stick. In this present life, if we suffer from humiliations and are on the losing end, does it […]
Life is impermanent, so learn to harmonise with conditions. Let go of all affinities and you will be free from suffering while attaining happiness. 人生无常，一切随缘。放下万缘，离苦得乐。 – Master Jun Hong Lu, Words of Wisdom Volume 9
Life is like a dream which can disappear in a twinkling. The ‘reasons’ that seem worth defending in our heart are in fact fallacies of obsession and paranoia. 人生如梦，瞬间消失。看似内心可以坚持的“道理”， 其实就是执着偏执的“歪理”。 – Master Jun Hong Lu, Words of Wisdom Volume 9
Today, I want to highlight that using Buddhist terms to criticise those who have reached enlightenment is referred to as “arrogance” (adhimāna) in Buddhism. If someone uses the words of the Bodhisattva to attack an awakened individual while studying the Buddha-dharma, such behaviour is termed as arrogance in Buddhist teachings. Such an individual hasn’t genuinely […]
Strict self-discipline is the prerequisite to changing one’s notion of self. 严格自律是改变我相的前提。 – Master Jun Hong Lu, Words of Wisdom Volume 9
If an ordinary person can reach the spiritual state of the First Ground Bodhisattva, they have undergone a qualitative transformation. For example, you are currently following my guidance in learning and practising Buddhism, and if you can meet the conditions of the First Ground Bodhisattva that I have explained to you, then you are a […]
Next, I will unfold and explain to you so that you can clearly understand how to cultivate to reach the Bodhisattva’s realm. You must hold yourselves to the standards of the Bodhisattva’s spiritual state, cultivating enlightenment, and thus attaining the complete realisation of Buddhahood. Firstly, you must “have endurance, the ability to withstand difficulties, and […]
You all know that the wholesome deeds you performed can be transformed into merit and virtue. Let me ask you: For someone with merit and virtue, could their merit and virtue be transformed into wholesome deeds? Yes, it could happen to ordained practitioners. If they choose the monastic life in this lifetime but do not […]
Last time, I introduced you to the concepts of Dharma Body, Emanation Body, and Reward Body. So, what is an Emanation Body? What is a Dharma Body? What is a Reward Body? And how do they differ from one another? Let’s begin with the Emanation Body: what kind of life state does it embody, and how […]
Next, I want to discuss the concept of the “present moment” with you all. Many esteemed Dharma Masters frequently use the term “present moment,” which means immediacy or the ‘here and now.’ It calls for immediate cultivation of the mind, an instant commencement of learning Buddhism, and the immediate undertaking of meritorious deeds. Harness all […]
It’s crucial to remember that in practising Buddhism, we should avoid greed, anger, and ignorance. If someone offers to help you acquire wealth, be cautious and deeply reflect on whether their motives are genuine. Bodhisattvas won’t assist us in acquiring material wealth. Wealth comes as a result of your past acts of generosity and deeds […]
Continuing our discussion, it’s essential to emphasise the equality in transmitting the Dharma. This equality means that when I pass on teachings to you, and you convey them to someone else, the process upholds the absolute equality between individuals. Such equality also applies to the faith and concepts surrounding Dharma transmission. How can you stand on equal […]
Every day, we chant the holy name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva. But how should we do this correctly? The complete invocation is: “Namo the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate, Saviour from Suffering, and Vast Miraculous Guan Yin Bodhisattva.” Most people chant: “Namo the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva” or simply “Namo Guan Yin Bodhisattva”. […]
Last time, we discussed the ‘Dharma of association’, which essentially relies on supportive power. What is supportive power? It is the force that assists and propels you. For example, when you are cultivating your mind, someone might suggest, “Don’t practise this Dharma Door; I know of a better one.” If you become confused, you need […]
Let me share with you a few tips for reciting Buddhist scriptures under specific circumstances: 1. When contemplating emptiness, refrain from thinking about any individual or situation. Keeping your mind at peace is essential. It’s crucial to maintain a serene mindset. If you are not in a positive mindset, you should recognise it’s only temporary. A […]
BODHISATTVAS FEAR CAUSES, WHILE SENTIENT BEINGS FEAR EFFECTS Master Jun Hong Lu: There was a quack doctor who misdiagnosed and caused someone’s son to die. To make up for his mistake, he gave his son away to be adopted by this family. After some time, he caused someone’s female servant to die. To compensate, the […]
LETTING GO IS ABOUT TRANSFORMING WORLDLY AFFECTION INTO THE LOVING-KINDNESS OF THE BUDDHA Question: How can we truly apply the truth of letting go in our daily life? How do we go about showing filial respect to our parents, and taking care of our children, and yet still able to let go of them in […]
PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM RETRIBUTION ARE PRONE TO CREATING NEW NEGATIVE KARMA Master Jun Hong Lu: Those with a negative mental attitude are prone to accumulating karmic obstacles. When they are hateful towards others and survive on a steady diet of negative thinking, karmic obstacles will soon find their way to them. In this […]
THE FOUNDATION FOR OFFERING EFFECTIVE PRAYERS TO BODHISATTVA IS COMPRISED OF THREE FACTORS Master Jun Hong Lu: Number 1: Karma from previous lives. Number 2: The level of your cultivation in the present life. No matter how admirable a person’s cultivation was in his or her past lives, if they only do bad things and […]
ALWAYS KEEP YOUR INITIAL ASPIRATION CLOSE TO YOUR HEART Question: Master, how do we resolve a mental state that oscillates between being tensed up and relaxed that we experience while performing recitation or mind cultivation? For example, under intense pressure, we can recite up to seven or eight Little Houses a day, but we may […]
