*IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO LIGHT CANDLES ON BIRTHDAY CAKES*
Caller: Master advised that we should try not to light candles when celebrating birthdays. We are advised not to light candles on birthday cake, because it is somewhat like sending a notification to the netherworld to help us wipe out one year of our life expectancy.
Some Buddhist friends asked, if they were to perform life liberation on their birthday, can they say this to Bodhisattva, “Today is my birthday and I am liberating an ‘x’ amount of fish”. Can they state that it is their birthday?
Master Jun Hong Lu: It is alright to say, “Today is my birthday”. It’s not a problem at all to inform heaven about it. In fact, whether you light the candles or not, there is a probability that one year of your life expectancy will be wiped out. However, if no candles are lit, there is a chance that it will not happen. If you do, it's a sure-fire way of having one year of your life expectancy reduced.
_Source: Wenda20130118 13:19, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program_
You are performing the ten meritorious deeds if you are compassionate and tolerant of others.
Master Jun Hong Lu
Words of Wisdom Vol. 4
*IT IS ADVISABLE TO WEAR PLAIN CLOTHES TO THE CEMETERY TO PERFORM TOMB SWEEPING DURING CHING MING FESTIVAL*
Caller: Is it true that we should not wear flashy or bright-colour clothes to the cemetery to perform tomb sweeping during Ching Ming Festival.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Of course it is better to wear clothes that are plain looking. You are bound to draw scoldings from others if you wear flashy clothes. Your family members will go, "What statement are you trying to make here? Ching Ming Festival is a day when we should opt for plain-looking apparel; why are you in such flashy clothes? What are you trying to show? Is this an occasion for celebration?" Flashy apparel lacks solemnity, do you understand?
Caller: If that’s the case, is white acceptable?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Both white and black are acceptable.
_Source: Wenda20160403B 26:55, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program_
*UPHOLDING THE PRECEPTS*
Master Jun Hong Lu: Think about it: How many wrongdoings have you committed in the past? When it comes to observing the five precepts, you need to have self-awareness and willingness to change for the better.
When you take what belongs to others, Bodhisattvas in heaven can see and even the demons from the underworld will come after you. Why do you want to take things that don’t belong to you? It is because you are greedy and discontented.
I have said before, if you take the hotel toiletries that you did not finish using, you are still considered greedy, even if you are a guest in a hotel. Do not think, just because you paid for the hotel room, it is normal for you to do so. Although this is not against the law and you cannot be considered to have broken the precepts, it is surely a sign that you have greed within you.
Taking what is not yours, do you think this is how a Buddhist practitioner should behave? Think about it. Who among you has never broken at least one of the five precepts? Have you never boasted before? Have you not stolen or killed? Hating someone to the point that you so wished to destroy him is also regarded as an act of killing.
What's more? There are taking of intoxicants, committing sexual misconduct and lying. You need to understand this, and you must then plead acceptance. What does that mean? You need to plead to Bodhisattva, _"Bodhisattva, I must turn over a new leaf; I must make sure that I observe the five precepts!"_
_Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 8 Chapter 9_
*AVOID CALAMITIES THROUGH PERFORMING RECITATION*
*Things to note when reciting the _Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance (Lifo)_*
1. One must recite this scripture with absolute seriousness; recitation must be untainted.
2. The sacred names of the Buddhas must be enunciated with the utmost solemnity and reverence.
3. The following four verses must be recited with a penitent heart:
“For all the evil deeds I have done in the past, based on beginningless greed, anger, and delusion and created by body, speech and mind, I now know shame and repent of them all.”
(“我昔所造诸恶业，皆由无始贪瞋痴。从身语意之所生，一切我今皆忏悔。”)
4. As for the part on:
“May all the karmic obstructions of living beings’ body, mouth, and mind - view delusions, false accusations, self, dharmas, and so forth, be entirely extinguished without remainder.”
(“所有众生身口意，见惑弹谤我法等。如是一切诸业障，悉皆消灭尽无余。”)
One must recite them with the utmost sincerity.
By paying attention to these pointers, your recitation will be more efficacious.
_Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Daily Words of Wisdom, 21 March 2021_
To remember the faults of others is to bear the burden of their karmic obstacles.
-Master Jun Hong Lu, Words of Wisdom Volume 6🪷
记别人的缺点在心中，就是帮别人背业。
-卢军宏台长佛言佛语 (六)🙏🏻
*WHO IS IN CONTROL OF OUR DESTINY?*
Master Jun Hong Lu: Destiny is the path generated from the string of karma that is ought to be experienced in this life. Be it the cycle of rebirth or destiny, it strictly follows two fundamental principles. The cycle will repeat itself and without exception, all sentient beings fall under its purview. These two principles form the foundation of reincarnation, before which, all sentient beings are viewed equally with no exception.
The first principle is the foremost law of the universe: The Law of Cause and Effect (因果定律) – something that everyone is familiar with, that is, you reap what you sow. The principle of karma is an immutable law that the innumerable Three Thousandfold World Systems (恒河沙三千大千世界) have to strictly abide by. There is no force that is capable of intercepting the cycle of causality.
If you mistreat your mother-in-law today, these negative seeds of ‘cause’ are sowed, chances are, they will bear fruit in the form of conflicts with your spouse in your next life. Those, who had committed countless acts of killing in their past lives, will be afflicted by ill health in this lifetime. As you sow, so shall you reap.
The second principle is the Principle of Heaven (天理). When we talk about the “Principle of Heaven and the Appropriate Retribution”, it is not something that can be taken lightly. In fact, the Principle of Heaven is a management system, which specifies in detail the karmic causes and the corresponding consequences, the extent and the exact timing that the retribution will be served.
The Heavenly Principle does not only govern individuals, but it also covers a region, a dynasty, a country and even the world at large. Natural and man-made disasters are the negative outcomes of collective karma. The greenhouse effect is a perfect example. All of these fall under the jurisdiction of Heaven.
The moment one commits an evil deed, or gives rise to an evil thought, the corresponding karmic retribution that he or she so deserves will automatically be arranged as per the Principle of Heaven.
Following that, it will be transformed into a karmic obstacle, with a scheduled time and date when it will be unleashed in one’s future life. The same goes for good and virtuous deeds, the karmic reward will automatically be planned according to a specific schedule.
_Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 1 Chapter 8_
Everything in the human realm is impermanent and we must not try to hold onto such things. Everything will pass and disappear into memories. To make the most of today is to live in the present.
-Master Jun Hong Lu, Words of Wisdom Volume 7
人间一切无常不可留恋，
一切都会过去，都会消失在记忆当中，
把握今天才能活在当下！
-卢军宏台长佛言佛语 (七)
Master Jun Hong Lu’s
Public Talk
Auckland, New Zealand
October 6, 2016
WHY DO PEOPLE WHO WALK A LOT LIVE LONGER?
Master Jun Hong Lu: Let me share with you, why people who walk a lot live longer? Do you have any clue? I was told by Bodhisattva that when a person walks, his head will receive the energy field of heaven, whereas his feet absorb the energy of earth. He is connected to both heaven and earth. This is referred to as “the connection of energy between heaven, earth and human.” It explains why when a person walks, the blood vessels in his entire body are cleared, promoting blood circulation and restoring his immunity system. As a result, he will recover from many ailments. Walking is a very good form of physical exercise. I hope all of you can walk more, even if you have a car. Take a walk for twenty minutes to half an hour and I can assure you that you will live a long life.
*KARMA OF SPEECH IS THE EASIEST WAY FOR ONE TO SHOULDER THE KARMIC OBSTACLES OF OTHERS*
Master Jun Hong Lu: In today’s society, you commit karma of speech not only through words uttered but also through words written. When you post an article online to criticise others, or make a sarcastic remark about someone, aren’t you committing karma of speech? The on-line slanders, though non-verbal, have cast aspersions on the person, stirring up others’ misunderstanding towards him. In this regard, aren’t you committing karma of speech?
A new age comes with new karmic obstacles. In the past, when there was no computer, karma of speech was committed verbally. Now, this can be done with your hands. Even when you are not speaking, you are still committing karma of speech through your written messages shared online, aren’t you?
_Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 9 Chapter 15_