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 […]
ONLY A TRULY GENUINE PERSON IS ABLE TO TOUCH OTHERS DEEPLY Master Jun Hong Lu: Why are the monastics able to preach by example? They instill a sense of dignity in others. Wherever they go, people around them would lower their volume and behave in a dignified manner. In the presence of the monastics, people […]
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 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 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 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 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 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 […]
A GREAT PERSON IS ONE WHO HAS A BIG HEART Master Jun Hong Lu: Buddhist practitioners should understand that regardless of whom you are troubled by, they should be regarded as a person who toughens your self-cultivation and elevates your state of mind. No matter what others say about you or how they insult you, […]
THREE WAYS TO AVOID BEING ANGRY Master Jun Hong Lu: When someone in your family is angry, the first thing you should do is to stay away. But for many people, their first reaction is to put themselves on a collision course with their spouse, only to be embroiled in a heated exchange. In fact, […]
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 […]
THE IDEAL NUMBER OF LITTLE HOUSES TO BE OFFERED FOR A TODDLER ON USUAL AND SPECIAL DAYS Question: For a toddler around one year old, what is the maximum number of Little Houses that can be offered daily, on the 1st and 15th days of a lunar month and on Buddhas’ birthdays? Answer: You may […]
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 […]
OFFERING OF THE FIRST AND SUBSEQUENT INCENSE ON A MINI BUDDHIST ALTAR ON BUDDHAS’ BIRTHDAYS Question: A Buddhist friend does not have a typical Buddhist altar at home, but he does own a mini altar that he uses to perform recitation. With this mini altar, if he offers the First Incense at 12 midnight on […]
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 […]
THE IDEAL NUMBER OF LITTLE HOUSES TO BE OFFERED FOR CHILDREN WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES ON BUDDHAS’ BIRTHDAYS Question: In Master’s latest radio programs, it is said that we may offer three, not exceeding five Little Houses daily, for children. Is this on a case by case basis? I’d like to ask about the maximum number […]
WHAT TO DO WHEN FAMILY MEMBERS COMMIT NEGATIVE KARMA OF SPEECH WHEN BUDDHISM IS INTRODUCED TO THEM? Caller: Hi Master, how should we repent the negative karma of speech committed by our family members when we introduce Buddhism to them. How many times of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (LIFO) should we recite? Master Jun […]
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 CONCEPTION OF LOVE AND HATE Master Jun Hong Lu: Any form of love or hatred in this mortal world is accumulated from countless lifetimes. If you are deeply in love with someone today, it is because of the love you had for this person in your past lives and the same goes for the […]
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. […]
HOW DO WE BREAK THE CYCLE OF ANGER? Master Jun Hong Lu: As Buddhist practitioners, you should learn not to take everything to heart as this will be the cause of your suffering. This suffering will then lead you to heartaches and your heart will be tangled in knots, known as the knots of the […]
THE MIND IS THE ROOT OF ALL INTERNAL DISORDERS Master Jun Hong Lu: There is another type of ailment that we humans suffer from and that is, internal disorder. We are highly vulnerable emotionally, either due to the lack of understanding from others or our lack of understanding towards others. All of these are capable […]
GREED BRINGS OUT THE WORST IN A PERSON Master Jun Hong Lu: During the era of Xia Dynasty, there lived a famous archer. His name was Hou Yi. Being the best archer in all of the lands, his fame spread far and wide. One day, the king invited him to the palace to showcase his […]
ONE STANDS TO GAIN GREATER SPIRITUAL ENERGY IF HE KEEPS HELPING OTHERS AND PERFORMING MERITS Master Jun Hong Lu: When you perform acts of kindness today by helping others, wouldn’t you increase your spiritual energy? That’s for sure. Conversely, if you engage in self-cultivation at home, would you claim to have the spiritual energy? In […]
专题分享｜杂修和修行要量力而为 20240506 专题分享【杂修】和【修行要量力而为】 学佛不能浮躁 救人必须要有智慧 （请点击视频链接观看） (如果您无法登入以上视频链接，请点击此链接下载视频) 摘自 2016-10-05 卢台长台湾 台北《世界佛友见面会》节选 （原文链接） 我们做人学佛要实实在在，你们今天跟师父学佛就要全部把它学好，不要学了一点点就跑出去说“我什么都会了，我什么都能干了”，这样会伤害你们的。台长告诉大家一个故事。当年在波罗奈城有一个德行超群、精通法咒的咒文师，他是全波罗奈城名声最大的老师，他有500个学生。有一个学生叫桑耆沃，他从老师那里学了一个起死回生的咒语。但是这个学生生性浮躁，刚学了一部分，还没有掌握解咒的方法，便自满起来，不肯再学了。有一天，桑耆沃和他的同学们一起到森林中去捡柴，在森林当中他们看见一只死老虎。桑耆沃便对同学们夸耀说：“哈哈，你们都不知道吧，我能用我起死回生的咒语让这只死老虎重新活过来！”“哎哟”，大家说，“你有这样的本领啊，让我们看看吧！”这些学生还很聪明：“哎呀，你让我们看看啊，不然我们以为你是说谎，我们不相信你。”说完，几个同学全部爬到树上，从树枝当中探出头来看桑耆沃的表演。桑耆沃就站在死老虎边上默默念咒语，并用石头砸那只死老虎，因为念了咒语之后要触动它，他手又不敢碰它，就拿石头砸死老虎。没想到咒语一念，这只死老虎被石头一砸，“嘭”跳了起来，活了。这时候桑耆沃说：“你们看，你们看，我多了不起呀！哎呀，我多了不起……”话还没说完，老虎“嘭”地一下扑上来，一口咬住了桑耆沃的脖子，还没等他明白怎么回事，就命归黄泉了。桑耆沃一死，那些咒语马上停掉了，失灵了，老虎也马上倒地死亡，两具尸体倒在一起。同学们在树上都吓呆了，大家觉得一切发生得太快，他们都不敢相信自己的眼睛。大家慌忙地爬下树，背着柴回来，向老师报告了这件事情。同学们一边说，一边为失去这么一位同伴伤心落泪。大家听听老师是怎么讲的。老师难过地摇了摇头，拍拍学生的肩膀说：“仁慈和善心，施前当三思。施于好为善，施于恶惹祸。孩子们，不辨善恶、滥施恩情的人，只会把灾祸引到自己身上，慈悲的同时也应该拥有智慧呀！” 我们很多人去度别人，别人还没度好，自己已经被别人的业障缠身了。所以救人，菩萨心疼我们这些佛子，让我们先要救有缘众生。你们知道什么是有缘众生吗？就是一个能够积极向善的人，心中有慈悲心的人，心中有那些能够让别人感受到感恩的人。所以这个老师说“施前当三思”，就是当你要去布施之前，你要三思而行。“施于好为善”，如果你施于好人就是善的；“施于恶惹祸”，你把一个好的事情施于一个恶的人，你就惹祸了。所以很多女孩子，“哎呀，我去度度他吧！”一度，被他拉下水了，害死了自己。所以学佛要有智慧。老师接着说：“你们一定要拥有智慧。”学生们哭着说：“老师，原来起死回生的咒语这么危险啊！”老师说：“我教给他起死回生咒语的时候，本来应该一起教他解除这咒语的方法和行咒的规矩，可他刚学完起死回生咒语，就大叫自己可以去普度众生，不愿意再往下学，结果就成了这样。”学生中也有人曾有这样的经历，听了老师的话，羞惭得低下了头。最后，老师慈悲地教导所有的学生：“学习中的浮躁千万要不得，刚学了一点就觉得自己很了不起，那更要不得！你们一定要记住桑耆沃的教训，以免重蹈他的覆辙呀！”这个故事就是告诉我们，我们人不能骄傲，学了一点点东西，以为可以去救度众生了，好好跟着师父学吧，你们差得太远了，你们不要以为学了一点点东西就能到处去讲法。有人问过师父：“师父，如果我们去弘扬佛法，发心是好的，我们讲错的话，有没有罪过？”有没有啊？（众答：有）好了，所以不要乱讲话，讲错的话，即使你发心再好，也会有业障。所以要记住，一个医生只管开药方，不管病人吃得死活，他一定不是一个好医生！ 做到“一门精进”要听师父的话 摘自 Wenda20201016 29:53 节选（原文链接） 女听众：有不少师兄在已经许愿清修或者一世修成的情况下，还在朋友圈不是专一发心灵法门的内容，或者会看一些星座新闻等不是师父开示的内容。然后就有师兄梦到这些师兄有杂修的情况，而提出要让他们一门精进，提纯气场。请问师父，一门精进的要求，有什么具体的需要去做的吗？ 台长答：没什么要求，师父还活着，听师父的。很简单，你今天在大学里读书，老师还在，你当然听老师的（是）不听就不要去上课了。左看看、右看看，你能控制得住自己的？（对）你知道什么叫对，什么叫错？要是能够知道什么叫对，什么叫错，你就不会造这么多业了（是） 社交平台上看得太杂 不利于修心 摘自 2015-06-20 中国·香港《佛友见面会》共修组提问 节选 （原文链接） 问：在微信平台上除了发师父的开示外，是否可以发一些关于素食养生、启迪别人心灵的小故事或者因果故事，还有提及到修法和启发善心的文章？这样是否如理如法，是否违背了一门精进的原则？ 答：实际上它是不违背的。但是要记住，有些人刚刚开始学佛，你给他看了太多的辅导书，反而会让他摸不着正确的道路。记住了，学到一定的时候……举个简单例子，现在你学心灵法门，你就看心灵法门那些书，那么台长能不能看其他高僧大德的书？（能）为什么？我有辨别力，你们没有辨别力。现在知道，书上是每个人的观点，一部《心经》可以把它译成千万种意思，一部《大悲咒》也可以说成千万个意思，还有很多说佛说法的大经文都是根据每位法师自己的修养、根基而来的，因为不是菩萨说的，所以你怎么能知道他是对还是错，让你能够接受还是不接受呢？那么不看，可能你会更清楚一点；看了，你必须要有识别这些书如理不如理、如法不如法的能力。举个简单例子，你开车，一条大路很容易走到自己的目标；如果你今天路很熟，可以绕小路，照样可以到目标。你是情愿走大路，还是情愿绕小道？ 只有菩萨才可以讲经文 摘自 白话佛法 (五) 30、【读《心经》谈“色即是空，空即是色”】 节选（原文链接） 《心经》不是一般人能够解释的。有个弟子每天看师父的《白话佛法》，他说：“深可以往深里去看，浅可以往浅里去看，师父在里面讲解的含义非常非常的深奥。”实际上就跟我们理解《心经》和《大悲咒》一样，还有其它很多的经文。要去讲经文的人这个人必须是菩萨。很多大法师他们可能前世就是菩萨再来，所以他们能讲。但不是所有的法师都能讲经文的，如果讲错了会造口业。 不同的书存在不同的气场，学佛要一门精进 摘自 Shuohua20130201 13:15 […]
IT IS ONLY THROUGH CALMNESS THAT YOU SEE THE TRUTH Master Jun Hong Lu: As Buddhist practitioners, you should actively practise concentration. What is concentration? No matter what suffering and tragedy you are faced with, you need to stay calm, unperplexed and untroubled by what you see. This is because what you see today may […]
‘THE INVISIBLE WOUND’ – THE AFTERMATH OF CONFLICTS AND DISPUTES Master Jun Hong Lu: One of the reasons we as humans suffer is because of our inability to see the reality, we are as if blind to the true nature of things. All conflicts and complex interpersonal relationships entail invisible wounds. After having a row […]
OUR PHYSICAL BODY BRINGS US THE GREATEST SUFFERING Master Jun Hong Lu: Let me tell you, you need to reckon the one thing that brings the greatest suffering to our life. And that is, your physical body. Your body is well at one time, and unwell at another. It suffers pain at one time, and […]
NEGATIVE CAUSES CAN ONLY HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON YOUR FUTURE AND CAREER Master Jun Hong Lu: Imagine that a husband and wife have been quarrelling for quite some time. One asks, “Why are you picking a fight with me today?” The other one says, “Because of something you just said”. “When did I say this?” […]
WEI TUO BODHISATTVA’S WORDS OF ADVICE FOR VOLUNTEERS AT DHARMA CONVENTIONS AND OTHER RELATED QUESTIONS Caller: Greetings to Master! The Singapore Dharma Convention is just around the corner and Wei Tuo Bodhisattva has a word or two of advice for those volunteers at dharma conventions. Let me share it with you, Master. Wei Tuo Bodhisattva […]
