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Dear Dharma Friends,

Below are the links to the videos that we shared during the Online English Group Study on 5 Dec.

*Topic: Giving of Dharma*

*Buddhism in Plain Terms | Episode 12 (Part 1)*
https://youtu.be/uLiu-s5cYb4

*Wholehearted Dedication is the Key in Volunteering*
https://youtu.be/h0JCzas0VEk

*Develop Compassion through Life Liberation*
https://youtu.be/ThACIPwXbjo

*Understanding the Needs of Others*
https://youtu.be/edHRcfzRvIs

*Letting Go is not to Give Up Everything*
https://youtu.be/-kA-5wMRukI


*Do share these videos with your family and friends and share the dharma bliss.*

*If you would like to revisit our past sessions’ notes, please click the link below:*
https://orientalradio.com.sg/category/en...ain-terms/

*For more information about the Online Group Study*
Please contact Loh sx (96978356) or Woan Yi sx (82182248).
Buddhism In Plain Terms
Volume 10 - Chapter 36
(An Excerpt)

*VIRTUES THAT STEMS FROM OUR INHERENT NATURE*

Master Jun Hong Lu: Deeds performed after practising Buddhism are considered virtues. When you perform the deeds in the capacity of Bodhisattva, it is entirely different from the concept of doing it to cultivate good fortune and long life.

Virtues are deeds performed on the path of enlightenment, which means they are the deeds of the Bodhisattvas. Also, these deeds should be performed with the aim of accomplishing the spiritual state of the Sound-Hearer, Pratyekabuddha, Bodhisattva and Buddha.

What does this mean? For the kind deeds performed in the human realm, we know that, ‘Virtue has its reward’. Once rewarded, it will be over.

Many people are into doing kind deeds. However, when calamity strikes, their kind deeds are not able to help them counteract the catastrophe.

Many people do not know the significance of meritorious blessings. They only know that these blessings can help eliminate calamities. Hence, those people who survived car crashes are those who possess meritorious blessings.

On the contrary, if you have been doing lots of kind deeds, and you are not able to escape such calamities, this is because you have already used up the fortune you gained.
Wenda20180909B 14:46
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)

*WHAT ARE CONSIDERED THE ACTS OF DHARMA GIVING?*

Caller: Master has always mentioned about the Giving of Dharma, could you please elaborate what acts are considered Dharma Giving and the idea behind it?

Master Jun Hong Lu: Helping others to awaken spiritually, isn’t that a form of Dharma Giving?

When others see you performing good deeds, isn’t that a Giving of Dharma too? 

When people see a Buddhist monk cultivating, they will be inspired to think that, “I shall practise Buddhism too, I want to be liberated from the sufferings.” Isn’t this a way of Dharma Giving too? 

When you show others that you are on a vegetarian diet, it is also an act of Dharma Giving.

Caller: As long as we perform good deeds, help others and always put ourselves in others’ shoes, all these are considered acts of Dharma Giving?

Master Jun Hong Lu: Yes, it is generally so.
Wenda20120506B 11:28
[Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program]

*ABSENCE OF RESENTMENT IN A TRUE BUDDHIST PRACTITIONER*

Caller: I am one of Master Lu’s followers. However, I still harbour feelings of resentment and vengeance within every time I encounter a difficult situation. Why is this so?

Master Jun Hong Lu: Everything happens as a result of karma. A true Buddhist practitioner is one who is compassionate and able to forget the shortcomings of others. If you are compassionate, you should not hate others. If you still harbour thoughts of resentment and vengeance, it shows that you are still lacking in your cultivation. We can only try our best to advise people who we have lower expectations of, not to hate others.

Resentment cannot resolve your problems but will only hurt you. For example, say you hate a person to the core and eventually get them landed in jail for five years. When they almost complete his jail term, you would be terrified, as you would be unable to anticipate what they will do to seek revenge against you after their release from prison. Such torment will go on forever. Therefore, a true Buddhist practitioner must not hate others. Let bygones be bygones and you will be able to avoid a disaster.
BUDDHISM IN PLAIN TERMS
Vol. 10 Chapter 36
(An Excerpt)

*WE HAVE TO CULTIVATE TO UNCOVER OUR BUDDHA NATURE*

The virtuous deeds you performed in the human realm is known as ‘virtue of the secular world’. It is considered worthless, unless it is coupled with an ‘understanding of one’s mind and seeing one’s true nature’.

For a deed to be considered virtuous, they have to be equivalent to those performed by the Arhat, Bodhisattva and Buddha. In other words, when one’s dharma-body (Buddha-nature) is uncovered through spiritual cultivation and when enlightenment is attained as a result - this is true Virtue.

Even if you are just preparing a meal, you have to think that, _‘I am a Bodhisattva, and I am cooking for my family who are Buddhist practitioners. I would have to take good care of them’._ With this mind set, the meal you prepared is a virtuous deed.

Instead, if you are thinking, _‘I am just helping them to cook a meal’,_ then this will only end with good retribution as you did not perform the deeds with your Buddha nature. You may just end up with a reward of others telling you, _‘Someday, I will cook a meal for you in return’._
Master Jun Hong Lu’s
Public Talk
Auckland, New Zealand
10 November 2019

*THE CONCEPTS OF THE TEMPORARY AND PERPETUAL*

Master Jun Hong Lu: Buddhist practitioners must understand this: wealth is only your friend for a moment, but a friend is a form of everlasting wealth; glory only grants you honour for a moment, but helping others is the true foundation for honour; academic qualifications only grants you knowledge for a moment, but lifelong learning is what gives you enduring wisdom.
Wenda20180225B 40:56
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)

*DOING OUR UTMOST TO PROPAGATE BUDDHISM ONLINE IS CONSIDERED AN ACT OF SAVING OTHERS*

Caller: What is the spiritual status that one can attain when they do their utmost in propagating Buddhism online, without any face-to-face interaction with the beneficiaries?

Master Jun Hong Lu: Through the use of this ingenious method to help and save people, you will be able to attain the state of a Bodhisattva. In fact, as long as you do well in your spiritual cultivation, and if you manage to save ten, or twenty thousand people, you are regarded as a Bodhisattva.
HOW SHOULD WE DHARMA CULTIVATORS REACT TO THE HARM INFLICTED ON US?

Wenda20160325 29:12

(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)

HOW SHOULD WE DHARMA CULTIVATORS REACT TO THE HARM INFLICTED ON US?

Caller: Master, you have said before that even Guan Yin Bodhisattva had often been deceived by people. We emulate the Bodhisattva in doing good to others but instead, our kindness has been exploited. How do we adjust our frame of mind and continue with our selfless contribution?

Master Jun Hong Lu: This is simple. Superficially you may seem to have been hurt but in reality, he is the one being hurt. Although he has taken advantage of you, you do not owe him anything as he is the one who now has done something that has harmed his own soul. He will have something on his conscience for the rest of his life. He will continue to feel sorry towards you even after he passes away while you might not think about that person ever again. You will recover from it in no time as if nothing had happened before. He had hurt you and although there is no visible wound on him, his own soul is bleeding from the injury.
Let me tell you a true story. There was a boy who was crazily in love with a girl. The girl ended up single and lonely. She was very unhappy and disgusted as she found the boy has many issues. She decided to change him and make him a better person and wrote him a letter: “In order to make you change for good, I have decided to ignore you for a month so that you can rid yourself of your weaknesses and ill behaviour”. In those days, it would take quite some time for the letter to be delivered. Thinking that the girl had left him for another boyfriend, he took vengeance by throwing acid into the girl’s face. Eventually when he received the letter, he regretted what he had done and felt miserable. The girl underwent cosmetic surgery and recovered. She made a complete break with the boy from then on. She was not grievously hurt but what about the boy? He lived in agony since then. In the end, he slipped into depression and committed suicide. Think about it, this is a true story and it is not fabricated.
When a person cannot get what he wanted, he would react in an abnormal manner. When people say, “You are not behaving normally”, that is to say that you are abnormal. An abnormal person is no longer a human and an inhuman person behaves like an animal. So the story ended. Therefore, do not be indebted to other people. It does not matter if you are harmed by others because when they harm you, they are being ignorant. Deep in your heart you are well aware of it, so it won’t leave you with a feeling of deep hurt. You will understand that the real hurt will actually be felt by the one who has caused harm to you. Take my case as an example, how many people have taken advantage of my kindness to seek blessing from the Buddha. I bowed and prayed to the Buddha on their behalves. When their problems were resolved, they turned their back on me. They even went to the extent of scolding me, There are so many people of this kind. What should I do? It would cost me my life if I were to dwell on these issues and fume with rage every day. I have long forgotten about it. It is my blessing to able to help others. If he is down and out today, it is his bad luck and I feel sorry for him. When you feel sorry and show compassion for this person, it will not leave any trace of scar in your heart, but it will leave a scar in his. (Master, you have helped him and now he is treating you this way, he will regret and feel remorseful one day). Regret he will! Some of theses people have already ended up in hell with regrets, haven’t they! During the discipleship initiation ceremony, they pledged, “Oh, Master, I will follow you all my life!” Then I give them lots of blessings. In the end, they made use of me to make money and perform Totem reading for other people. He scolded me for correcting him. Is he not dead now? (Yes, indeed) It has happened right before our eyes, won’t the incident caution you people to cultivate earnestly?
SEEING MANY SPIRITS INSIDE THE SUBWAY, AND NEEDING TO BE CONSTANTLY MINDFUL OF SENTIENT BEINGS’ SUFFERINGS TO ENABLE ONESELF TO BE PERPETUALLY ADVANCING
26/06/2020 | About Spiritual Cultivation


Shuohua20160429 11:56

(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)

SEEING MANY SPIRITS INSIDE THE SUBWAY, AND NEEDING TO BE CONSTANTLY MINDFUL OF SENTIENT BEINGS’ SUFFERINGS TO ENABLE ONESELF TO BE PERPETUALLY ADVANCING

Caller: A Buddhist practitioner is vaguely aware that he has a mission in this life. There was a time when he slackened a little and developed cramps as he recited the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance. Then, the spirit planted a thought in him: “Do you know that it is very difficult for us spirits to do cultivation in the spiritual world? Sentient beings have such a great condition and environment and yet they do not take advantage of this situation to cultivate properly!” There was another time when a Buddhist practitioner was travelling on the subway, he actually saw that many spiritual beings were waiting for him to save them and he started to shed tears. He had previously asked Bodhisattva how to maintain diligence in the practice of Dharma. Bodhisattva replied to him: “You must always think of the sufferings of sentient beings.” He finally realised the Bodhisattva’s words when he saw so many spiritual beings on the subway. Master, please advise him on how to continue cultivating correctly.

Master Jun Hong Lu: He needs to put in more effort and be even more diligent in helping other people. It is not a joke that they let him see what others cannot see. This is to let him know that sentient beings are suffering and can become ghosts in the spirit world in an unwary moment. Spirits in the underworld are not able to do cultivation, unlike sentient beings who can cultivate best on earth. Do you understand? (I understand now, Master. So he should use his energies to help sentient beings, right?) Yes, indeed.
Master Jun Hong Lu
Buddhism In Plain Terms
Volume 7 Chapter 24
(An Excerpt)

*PURSUING A HIGHER STATE OF MIND IN LIFE*

Buddhist practitioners are familiar with The Three Studies and the Three Poisons. We start from observing discipline, concentration and wisdom to eliminate the deep rooted seed of greed, hatred and ignorance in us.

Discipline eradicates greed, Concentration eradicates hatred,
(when our mind is calm, there will be no hatred in us)
Wisdom eradicates ignorance.

Hence, it is clear that the Three Studies of Morality, Concentration and Wisdom is effective in eradicating The Three Poisons.

We need to understand the importance of exterminating the 'seed' of our deep-rooted bad habits - the greed, hatred and ignorance strongly-entrenched in us.

Bodhisattva has been relentlessly teaching Dharma that evolves around the Three Poison. This is because these poisons are in the roots of our nature which has been accumulated over many lifetimes, which is why it is termed 'deep-rooted'.