Shuohua20141219 19:15
[emoji92]DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RECITING BUDDHA'S NAME AND RECITING SCRIPTURES[emoji92]
Lady listener : I dreamt that I was propagating Dharma at PARIS when I met two elderly men. It appeared to me that they only performed recitation of Buddha's name. They asked me what is the difference between reciting Buddha's name and reciting scriptures. I woke up before I managed to answer their questions.
Master Lu : Reciting Buddha's name and reciting scriptures are different. Reciting scriptures is equivalent to you having connections with the other party, when there is interaction, exchange of thoughts and feelings. Reciting Buddha's name is like greeting someone “Hello, how are you...?”. Which of the above has greater affection ? (When there are interactions, of course. My understanding is, if we have a good spiritual foundation in this life, we have not done any bad, we have always been kind, learning Dharma diligently and we are generally free of any negative karmas, then by reciting Buddha's name we may still be able to make it to Pure Land. If opposite is the case, by merely reciting Buddha's name it will not work. This is when we have to perform recitation of scriptures and Little House. Only through eliminating our negative karmas are we able to go to Pure Land). This is a very common misconception. The fact of the matter is “recitation of Buddha's name” does not mean one only recite the name of Buddha. It encompasses recitation of scriptures as a whole. (Yes). Many people have the misconception that reciting Buddha's name will suffice. This is only applicable to those illiterate elderlies, who are generally kind-hearted and they do not know how to perform recitation. As far as they are concerned “calling out the name of Buddha” will suffice. In any case, this is referred to as “calling the Buddha’s name” not "reciting Buddha's name”. (Yes. In my dream they were telling me that was the case). To call out the name of Buddha and to perform recitation of scriptures are two very different concepts, do you understand? (Yes, thank you Master).
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Wenda20151113 19:00
[emoji92]YOU MAY INCREASE THE RECITATION OF 88 BUDDHAS GREAT REPENTANCE (LIFO) TO 21 TIMES ON THE 1ST AND 15TH DAY OF THE 12TH LUNAR MONTH[emoji92]
Male Listener : Master Lu, the year is ending soon. At the end of last year, you mentioned that we could increase the number of LIFO on the 1st and 15th of that Lunar month to 21 times. Can we do the same for this year? When is the best time to start?
Master Lu : You may start doing so during the 12th Lunar month as it is year end. (Alright. Thank you Master for answering my question). Let me share with you a phenomenon in Heaven. When the New Year approaches, there is joy in the human realm, Bodhisattvas in Heaven will also feel the same. (That’s good!).
When you resolve to starting anew for the new year, when you want to change yourself for the better, Bodhisattva, especially the Dharma Protectors will be very happy. Hence, when a person says, “I want to be reformed…”. Do you know who is most pleased to hear this? It is Bodhisattvas and Dharma Protectors. If a person says, “I must change completely, I am letting go, I have no-self.. I have wronged many times previously, with the year coming to an end, I want to thoroughly "spring clean" all my karmic obstacles. I will go all out to recite LIFO”.
This will please Bodhisattvas.
Year-end is the period where “Settlement of Accounts” takes place. As such, one may recite more LIFO. Do you understand? (I understand). Indeed, it is a period of "Accounts Settlement".
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150822mlroufokaishi 44:08
[emoji92]LOWER YOUR LEVEL OF DESIRE AND BE CONTENTED[emoji92]
If one is ceaselessly in pursuit of one’s desire, to achieve spiritual contentment will be something that will be far from his grasp. I want all of you to lower your level of desire and be easily contented. “I am happy that I have this meal today”, “I don’t have much money, but I am contented”. With such frame of mind, you will be an eternally happy person.
There are those who are incessantly discontented as they are forever in pursuit of their desires. When they are unable to gain what they desire, that is when they will lose their basic human nature and conscience.
Neither status nor gain is real. I have mentioned this in many Dharma Conventions, there are many prominent figures in the world, but how many are well-remembered? Zhang Xue Liang was the famous person behind the 1936 Xi’an Incident, however when students of today were asked about the man behind the Incident, you will be surprised what was the answer given – it is Zhang Xue You! All are gone when a person dies.
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?善事要做到自然?
?做善事要做到自然。师父经常跟你们讲一句话,在马路上看见有一个人要摔倒了,有一种人是去扶他,跑过去的时候想到,“我今天要帮助他,因为我是学佛的人,我有境界啊,我必须扶他起来啊。”有境界吗?有啊。做好事吗?对啊。还有一种人,看见人家快要摔下去了,想都不想,跑过去就把他扶起来,这就是无境界,无所求,无所为,什么都不想,我就是这么做了,这个人走的时候就上天了,他已经到了这个境界,他不是说想出来去做的这个境界,而是他本身就有这个境界了。做善事,修境界,修到自然了,已经不知道自己在做善事,在做功德了,那才是真正的功德。如果你们今天有目的地去帮助人家,想着自己多做点功德,多做点善事,还是有为法,不行。所以,要懂得佛性是空的,内心深处最内涵的佛性,它是空的,了无一性,没有的,叫空性。
20150405 Master Lu’s discourse to disciple
(Question 25)
[emoji92]ELIMINATE KARMIC
OBSTACLES EARLY BEFORE IT DEVELOP INTO "CLUMPS" [emoji92]
Q: We normally pray to eliminate our karmic obstacles when performing recitation of 88 Buddhas Great Repentance Mantra (LIFO). Is it right to say that should there be any remaining karmic obstacles, they are more difficult to eliminate as compared to those eliminated in the earlier stage? Just like the theory of heavier objects tend to sink to the bottom of the water?
A : That’s right. Recitation of LIFO is only able to eliminate superficial karmic obstacles. More serious karmic knots would have developed into bigger karmic obstacles. For such karmic obstacles, recitation of LIFO will not be able to eliminate them completely. It’s like the rust in a kettle. Removing the rust is not going to be easy. To recite LIFO is like you trying hard scrapping the rust in the kettle, followed by the recitation of Little House to further cleanse it.
It is best not to wait until the karmic obstacles accumulate and develop into clumps. Otherwise, elimination will not be possible and the next thing will be you waiting for retribution to take its effect.
Elimination of karmic obstacle through suffering from the effect of retribution will be most torturous. For example, with the onset of cancer when a person undergoes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy. These are equivalent to having a taste of hell on earth; these are all punishments of hell where it is to cause you endless suffering, and in the process your karmic obstacles are eliminated gradually. Under such circumstances, if one still does not perform recitation, it will soon affect the other organs in his body.
As such, we must not allow the karmic obstacles to develop into clumps. Otherwise, elimination will be a challenge. Aim to eliminate them when they are still not serious. For example, a person who habitually violates the traffic rules, runs red light etc., it is a matter of time that he will meet with an accident and may even lose his life then.
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IS IT ALRIGHT TO DO ONLY DAILY RECITATION AND NOT RECITE LITTLE HOUSE
Female Listener: My whole family are practising Xinlingfamen now. On 14th March, I called through your line. The next day my husband started recitation and Little House. It is amazing! Presently my son is also doing recitation. However there is one question: my son does his daily recitations but he is not willing to recite the Little House.
Master Lu: How old is he? (21 years, he is a university medical student, going into his 3rd year this coming September. Master, please give him some advice? I will record for him to listen) little friend studying in medical university, when he graduates, he will become a doctor and heals people emotionally and physically; that is most important. People said, “Heal the illness from the heart”. Sickness and emotion are related. Everyone especially being a doctor; will come in contact with different types of aura when he meets all kinds of people and sometimes may shoulder other people’s karma. It will be best if he can recite some Little Houses as this may increase his energies and repay some karmic debts. It will not be appropriate to recite Little House if he is too young, but he is already 21 years old, so it should not be a problem. Do not ask him to recite too much in the beginning, start with daily homework and gradually it will be alright. This child is quite alright. (Good, Thank you Master).
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