4SAGE - THE GUIDE TO BUDDHISM & GUAN YIN CITTA
Learn one of the best Buddhist practice today known as 'Guan Yin Citta' from Master Jun Hong Lu and understand more about Buddhism, the facts and beliefs rooted in Buddhism and how it serves as both philosophy and religion that develops the culture of peace in his book 'Buddhism in Plain Terms' - unofficially translated to English.
Here, you will learn cultivational methods from Guan Yin Citta to train the mind, repay karmic debts and accumulate merits so that you improve your life and liberate yourself from suffering using Buddha's teachings.
WHAT IS BUDDHISM?
In different societies and communities, the way people view Buddhism is different, and so, their responses are different. In the western world, people possess a more scientific way of observing and understanding the information they receive. So a majority of them see Buddhism as a philosophy and an ideal on how to live life. In Asia, where throughout the history of their culture, they have the tradition of revering and worshipping noble and respectable souls. So they place greater emphasis on this aspect. Unless they are Buddhist scholars or monastic monks, they rarely see Buddhism as a philosophy and more as a religion.
Buddhism is rooted in two fundamental principles that define it. The first principle is that everything in this world is 'empty-natured'. Because it is so, life is impermanent, and it's meaningless to have attachments, which stems from the three poisons - greed, hatred and delusion. Attachments are what leads a person to behave, speak and think unwholesomely. Thus, to return one's mind to a calm and peaceful state, one must learn to get rid of their attachments - as life is impermanent. Nothing lasts forever and you can't take anything with you in death. The Buddhist quotes that westerners hear often about and other Buddhist philosophies are derived from this principle.
The second principle is that the law of causality governs the universe, whether it be the physical world or the spiritual world under the term 'karma'. If you act wholesomely, you'll receive positive karma and experience a positive consequence. If you act in an unwholesome manner, you'll get negative karma and will experience a negative result. People who don't believe in reincarnation would see death as an end. Buddhists believe that the law of causality transcends the physical and their spirit will reincarnate into a form depending on the deeds they committed in their present life. That is how the Buddhist spiritual cosmology of the six realms in samsara and the four sagely realms are derived. That is why virtuous people are believed to go to heaven, while evil people go to hell, and people who are neither good or evil are stuck somewhere in samsara. The religious and spiritual connotations of Buddhism are derived from this principle.
"Wealth and glory are nothing but vanity; worldly pleasures and romance are nothing but suffering. The hard work of our lives will be all in vain, like trying to capture the moon in the water. When we leave this human world, we take with us nothing but our karma. Only when we understand this concept can we achieve true liberation, let go of the self, and attain Buddhahood."
- Master Jun Hong Lu in his book 'Words of Wisdom Volume 3'
WHY LEARN AND PRACTISE BUDDHISM?
Buddhism is an excellent mental remedy to de-stress ourselves from the daily afflictions that plague us in relationships, health, career and money etc. It also guides us to focus on dealing with it from a zen perspective of non-attachment so that our lives improve. It is our mind that determines how we consciously perceive the world around us. So by controlling our mind, we have a degree of control on how we want the world around us via our interaction with the external world. That is our 'free-will'.
However, this control is not absolute because of karma and the karmic affinities we share with the people around us. These are the 'bonds' and relationships that define who we are. If you were born in a wealthy family, you would have more opportunities than somebody born in poverty. If you were born as a caucasian white person in the USA, you would have more opportunities than an African black person born there. That is factually true. Hence, there is also a notion of 'fate'.
Many things in life are outside our control, such as cancer, sudden financial losses, deaths of loved ones, etc.; we have to accept it as it is. However, in Buddhism, it teaches us how to help us attract good fortune in our lives so that most of these unfavourable events are mitigated. That leads me to share with you one of the best Buddhist practice in the modern-day era - Guan Yin Citta.
WHY LEARN GUAN YIN CITTA? WITNESS KARMA & THE TRUTH OF THE SPIRITUAL
The founder of Guan Yin Citta, Master Jun Hong Lu has a supranormal ability called 'Totem Reading' which was granted by the Greatly Merciful Guan Yin Bodhisattva. It allows him to see everything about a person's circumstances, what they've done in the past, their health, relationships, etc. Master Lu uses this ability of his at his Dharma conventions all around the world where tens of thousands of people witness this extraordinary feat. He aims to convince others to believe in the existence of the spiritual realm and karma. That way, he could guide them towards a path of Buddhism so that they can learn to liberate themselves from suffering, attain happiness and propagate Guan Yin Citta. We believe that if everybody practises Buddhism, this world will become a more harmonious place.
For over twenty years, Master Lu has been devoted to the spread of Buddhism and charitable activities. He is also dedicated to the culture of peace. Currently, he has over 10 million followers in over 50 countries and regions. Due to his tireless efforts, credibility and outstanding contributions, he was awarded the title of 'Ambassador for World Peace', 'The Justice of Peace', and the royal title of Dato' in Malaysia.
THE 3 GOLDEN BUDDHIST PRACTICES OF GUAN YIN CITTA - SUTRA RECITATION, GREAT VOWS & LIFE LIBERATION
By performing these 3 Golden Buddhist practices, one could start eliminating negative karma, repay karmic debts and accumulate merit-virtues. That begins the spiritual purification process so that one becomes more fortunate in life and may ascend to the higher spiritual realms after death.
Performing sutra recitations will help you resonate and connect with the Buddhas and Bodhisattva so that they can bless you with their power. The sutras that are recited are all mainstream scriptures such as the Great Compassion Mantra, Heart Sutra and 88 Buddhas Great Repentance. Thus, it helps eliminate your negative karma and brings you strength, wisdom and inner peace.
Making Great Vows is like making a pact between yourself and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. It's where you promise to devote yourself towards a specific wholesome goal, and in return, they will give you their blessings. Thus when you make a vow, you become motivated to fulfil it, and it gives you tremendous energy that supports you to overcome your challenges.
Performing life liberations is the release of animals, especially those in grave danger of being killed. It helps us cultivate compassion towards all sentient beings, thus raising our spiritual qualities and helps us accumulate merit-virtues. Below is a short video to show how life liberation is performed.
GET IN TOUCH
I appreciate any feedback for my translations to 'Buddhism in Plain Terms' as I can always fine tune it. Also, if you require any guidance or if you have any enquiries, I'm happy to help.
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UK Guan Yin Citta Buddhist Charity
25C Claughton Rd,
London,
E13 9PN,
United Kingdom
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Phone:
020 3784 9104