Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s Birthday~Master Lu Jun Hong

Metaphysics Q&A 054 –

 Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s Birthday

http://guanyincitta.com/en/q-a-054/

Q054: Dear Master LuJunHong and the Secretariat: Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s birthday is approaching, as lay Buddhists, what should we do to commemorate the day? How should we do it? Thank you!

A054:

• The Birthday, Enlightenment Day, and Renunciation Day of Guan Yin Bodhisattva are important dates for Buddhists. It is recommended that you perform more recitations, make more vows, perform more Life Liberation including releasing fish, make more prostrations, and accumulate more merits and virtues on these dates.
• You can wake up earlier on these dates, and then offer incense once you have showered. It would be best to recite the Great Compassion Mantra (Ta Pei Chou) 49 times, and Heart Sutra (Hsin Ching) 49 times. This would help the accumulation of virtues to be complete for these dates.
• If conditions allow, you may offer the grand incense at home. After you offer incense and oil lamp in front of the altar, you can then light a piece of sandalwood using an oil lamp on the altar. You can find sandalwood at most Buddhist shops. After you extinguish the flame on the sandalwood, the smoke that comes out is regarded as the grand incense, the fragrance of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Please note that you must not extinguish the sandalwood by blowing with your mouth. You can perform the offering of grand incense three times, and then you can say your prayers, make your wishes and prostrations, and perform your recitations.
• If conditions do not allow you to offer the grand incense at home, you can offer extra incense in front of the altar. For example, if you normally offer one incense stick, then on these special days, you can offer three incense sticks. You can also offer extra oil lamps, fruits and flowers. The above practice is that you are putting in extra effort in making offerings so that it is different to your usual routine.
• Most importantly, use your sincere heart to communicate with Guan Yin Bodhisattva. As we are practising Mahayana Buddhism, it would be best to wish for a safe and peaceful life on these dates.
• In addition, please avoid performing intimate actions on these days.

 [Updated 2012.04.26]

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Consuming vegetables in a meat dish~Master LuJunHong

Metaphysics Q&A 115 –
Consuming vegetables in a meat dish

http://guanyincitta.com/en/q-a-115/

Q115: Hi Master JunHongLu, I have made a vow that I will be vegetarian. Often when we eat out it is not convenient to find vegetarian food. Sometimes even a bowl of vegetable noodle soup would have animal stock in it. Can I just eat the noodle and not drink the soup? Also, is it alright to eat the vegetables in a meat dish?

A115:

• Strictly speaking, if you have made a vow that you will be vegetarian, then you should not consume vegetables in a meat dish. Furthermore, you should not consume any food that has come into contact with meat, seafood, or any of the five pungent spices.
• Under exceptional circumstances when you have no choice but to consume those vegetables, you should state the following in your mind, “May the Great Merciful and Great Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva forgive me, <your full name>, I am consuming these vegetables because I have no choice. I absolutely do not want to eat them at all.”
• Most importantly, this is related to your consciousness. If you are consuming the vegetables in a meat dish and find the vegetables to be tasty, or you even find yourself enjoying the taste of meat, then you are breaking your precepts. This means you have not been able to keep your vow and you should address your wrongdoings accordingly. You need to recite theEighty-eight Buddha Great Repentance (Li Fo Ta Chan Hui Wen) 49 times and sincerely repent your wrongdoings, and then make a new vow that you will be vegetarian.
• If you have made a vow, you must try your best to keep it. You should not find excuses for being unable to keep your vow. A precept means that you must absolutely refrain from doing what you should not do. You must have strong willpower and obey your precepts.
• In addition, you should not consume fertilised eggs (i.e. eggs that can hatch). Quail eggs should also not be consumed as they are already fertilised.
• When you are consuming ingredients including gelatin or fish oil for medicinal or health purposes, if your body does not reject the taste, then perhaps you have not reach the level where you are completely obeying your precepts. However, it would be best to avoid consuming ingredients that contain animal by-products.

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Performing recitations for exams~Master JunHongLu

Metaphysics Q&A 105 –
Performing recitations for exams
http://guanyincitta.com/en/q-a-105/

Q105: Hi Master JunHongLu, my son is having exams soon. What should we recite? What should we do on the day of the exam?

A105:

• First of all, students must study hard, and prepare for exams with a proper mindset.
• The following should be included in the Daily Recitation before the exam:
  
  • The following is recommended as a minimum: the Great Compassion Mantra (Ta Pei Chou) 7 times, Heart Sutra (Hsin Ching) 7 times, andCundi Dharani (Chun Ti Shen Chou) 21 or 49 times. You can say the following prayer, “May the Great Merciful and Great Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect <full name>, and help <full name> to have wishes fulfilled, to have exams go smoothly, and to achieve academic success.”
  • Generally, starting from about three months before the exam period, the recitation of the Eighty-eight Buddhas Great Repentance(Li Fo Ta Chan Hui Wen) can be reduced to once per day to avoid the activation of negative karmas into foreign spirits, which may affect the exam performance.
• It is also recommended that you make Great Vows and perform Life Liberation.
• If you sense that there may be foreign spirits occupying the student’s body, it would be best to perform the transferring of merits as soon as possible using Little Houses, and address them to the “Karmic Creditor of <full name>”.
• If the student does not have sufficient time to perform recitations, the student can begin with reciting the Cundi Dharani 21 times per day. The effects would be significantly reduced if family members are performing all the recitations, and the student does not recite at all.
• The day of the exam is also very important. The student can carry a charm or amulet, and wear clothes that match the colour of his Totem. Most importantly, you should perform the following recitations. You can recite the Great Compassion Mantra 7 times in the morning. While the student is in the exam room, family members can recite the Heart Sutra and the Cundi Dharani for him continuously, and sincerely ask Guan Yin Bodhisattva to protect and bless him, so that he will gain wisdom and pass the exam successfully.
• Unreleased results are classified in the “Yin” category, whereas released results are classified in the “Yang” category. Therefore, after the exam, but before the results are released, you can still improve your exam results by reciting the Cundi Dharani.
  
  [Updated 2012.06.26]

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Lantern Festival~Master Lu Jun Hong Metaphysics Q&A

Metaphysics Q&A 141 – Lantern Festival

http://guanyincitta.com/en/q-a-141/

Q141: Master Lu Jun Hong , how should we celebrate the Lantern Festival as Buddhists? What should we be aware of?

A141:

• Regardless of which one of the 24 Solar Terms it is, many Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and officers from the spiritual worlds would visit us on special occasions, including the Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15^th day of the first month according to the lunar calendar and it marks the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
• According to Chinese tradition, we consume “Tang Yuan” or glutinous rice balls during the Lantern Festival to celebrate the harmony and reunion of family and friends. Indeed, this symbolises the fact that we harmonise our energy field with the spiritual realms, and we minimise obstacles. The spiritual realms include the heavens and upper realms, as well as the underworld and lower realms.
• We harmonise our energy field with the heavens and the upper realms by making more prostrations to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and performing more recitations. We can recite the Great Compassion Mantra (Ta Pei Chou), Heart Sutra (Hsin Ching) and Eighty-eight Buddhas Great Repentance (Li Fo Ta Chan Hui Wen). Please note that the recitation of the Eighty-eight Buddhas Great Repentance should not exceed 7 times per day.
• We harmonise our energy field with the underworld and the lower realms by reciting more Little Houses (Hsiao Fang Tsu) and transferring merits to our Karmic Creditors, as well as to deceased relatives and friends. We can also recite more Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra (Wang Sheng Chou).
• At the same time, from the human perspective, harmony generates prosperity. We can elevate our spiritual level if we mindfully and sincerely cultivate our minds, practise vegetarianism, refrain from committing wrongdoings, be a kind person, and perform Life Liberation. During the Lantern Festival, you can recite the Mantra to Untie Karmic Knots (Chieh Chieh Chou) as much as possible, as this is one of the most effective days to perform the recitation of this mantra. You can also recite theCintamani Cakravartin Dharani (Ju Yi Pao Lun Wang To Lo Ni) and pray for good fortune. Generally you can recite the Mantra to Untie Karmic Knots and the Cintamani Cakravartin Dharani (Ju Yi Pao Lun Wang To Lo Ni) 49 times or 108 times on this day.
• Traditionally, people would hang lanterns during the celebration of the Lantern Festival. This practice emphasises on connecting and uniting our energy field with the higher and lower spiritual realms. The purpose of hanging lanterns is so that our deceased family members can find their way back home. However, as Buddhists, the hanging of lanterns is not recommended. It would be better if we perform more recitations and recite more Little Houses for the deceased.

[Updated 2012.07.05]

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Giving Gifts~Master Lu Jun Hong

Metaphysics Q&A 134 –
Giving gifts
http://guanyincitta.com/en/q-a-134/

Q134: Hi Master LuJunHong, when we give gifts during festive seasons or special occasions, what should we be aware of?

A134:

•  Shoes should not be given as gifts. From the ancient times to the present, shoes are symbols of “iniquity”. Anything that is not on the proper path is considered to be iniquitous. In addition, you should be aware of the following regarding shoes:
  Avoid wearing shoes that have previously been worn by others.
• Avoid wearing white, red or yellow shoes.
• Avoid wearing high heels if you wish to conceive. Wearing high heels means that your feet are not connected to the ground and you are not “down to earth”, thus you are likely to be physically unwell.
• The shoe cabinet should always be closed and be kept clean and tidy. Otherwise, it may affect the energy field at home.
• In the shoe cabinet, if your shoes are placed so that they are pointing inwards, then the iniquitous energy would be coming inwards; if your shoes are pointing outwards, then the iniquitous energy would be going outwards.
• It is best to place the doormat outside. As you enter the door, you can step on the doormat a few times to leave the negative energy outside your home.
• If you dream of shoes, it is generally not a good sign, and it usually predicts misfortune or trouble. You can include theJvala Mahaugra Dharani (Hsiao Tsai Chi Hsiang Shen Chou) in your Daily Recitation. It could also be related to interpersonal conflicts. If you dream of wearing shoes that are too small, so that your feet are restricted by ill-fitting shoes, it means that you would have difficulties with achieving your goal. In this case, you should recite the Mantra to Untie Karmic Knots (Chieh Chieh Chou), and continue to recite Little Houses for your Karmic Creditors.
  
         
  
   
•   Clocks should not be given as gifts.
  • In Chinese, “giving a clock” sounds similar to “farewelling someone in a funeral”.
  • Clocks represent the boundary for the “Yin” world and the “Yang” world. As one hour passes, the bells ring and this hour is gone forever, never to return. It is equivalent to the reduction of one’s lifespan. For a similar reason, the celebration of birthdays is not encouraged.
  • It is best to avoid having a large clock or a clock that is visible from the main door. It is also not recommended to have a hanging clock in the bedroom. If you must have a hanging clock at home, you can place it in the kitchen.
  • If you dream about clocks, it is generally not a good sign, as it means that time is running out. You should increase the number of times that you recite for each sutra and mantra for your Daily Recitation, and recite more Little Houses. In addition, you should make Great Vows and perform Life Liberation.
• Items such as scissors, knives, etc. that are used for cutting or breaking things apart should also not be given as gifts.
  • If you dream that someone gives you scissors or knives, it means that you may experience break-ups in your relationships.
  • It is also not recommended to give nail clippers.
• For red pockets, it is best to have whole numbers, for example, $50, $100, $200, etc.

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[Updated 2012.07.05]

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Disciplining misbehaved children~Master Lu Jun Hong

Metaphysics Q&A 127 – 

Disciplining misbehaved children

http://guanyincitta.com/en/q-a-127/

Q127: Hi Master Lu Jun Hong, my child is very hard to discipline. My child does not listen to me, no matter what I say or how I say it. What should I do?

A127:

• There are many possible reasons for children to misbehave.
• First of all, you should not use the analytical mind of adults to interpret the naive and playful nature of children.
• Generally, if a child does not like to study or listen to you, you can recite the Heart Sutra (Hsin Ching) for the child and sincerely ask Guan Yin Bodhisattva to grant the child wisdom.
• If a child is always having conflicts with their parents or family members, it may be due to negative karmic ties from previous lives or the child may have come into the parents’ lives to collect karmic debts. The recitation of the Mantra to Untie Karmic Knots (Chieh Chieh Chou) is also required.
• Another possible reason is that there are Karmic Creditors or foreign spirits occupying the body of the child (could be a child that was aborted or miscarried by the mother). Then the recitation of Little Houses would be required.

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Birthday celebration~Master Lu Jun Hong

Metaphysics Q&A 136 – Birthday celebration

 http://guanyincitta.com/en/q-a-136/

Q136: Hi Master Lu Jun Hong, what should we be aware of for birthday celebrations?

A136:

• Birthday celebrations for a living person should be based on the Gregorian calendar rather than the lunar calendar.
• On your birthday, you must not perform the act of killing, as the resulting karmic obstacles due to negative karmas generated would be doubled on your birthday. During your birthday celebration, if you and others consume live creatures, then all the negative karmas from the killings are counted towards you.
• It is best to be vegetarian on your birthday. If you can perform Life Liberation it would be even better.
• In addition, it is recommended that you perform more recitations and recite more Little Houses.
• It is best not to light or blow out candles. When you light candles, it is similar to informing the underworld that one year has been deducted from your lifespan.

[Updated 2012.07.05]

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