Question:

Venerable Master,
​
Can I ask you a little question? People say if we wear a Buddha pendant and leave it on while changing our clothes, we would be committing offenses. Is that right?

Question:

Emituofo;

I wish you good health and much bliss.

I used to be Christian until a good knowing adviser suggested that I try Buddhism.

My life is full of upheavals but I feel that Pure Land Buddhism is very conceivable and very beneficial.

I feel like leaving the home life but people would talk me out of it and inside my mind is full of hesitation, perhaps because I still have a lot of karmic debts.

When I participated in a Guan Yin recitation week, I would feel compelled to leave and go home.
What should I do?

Thank you very much.
​
                      QD

Question:

Ven. Master,

阿彌陀佛. Thank you very much for your reply. I’m sorry I forgot to mention that when I visited Po Lin Monastery they were indeed having their very long Chan Qi which lasted for 70 days (ten weeks), though not everyone there participated. ​

I don’t know whether they eat so quickly at other times, but since you said there is no need to train for it I’ll just leave this matter aside. I think what you said about US people being “more self-indulgent and impatient” is very very true. As I was used to the American city life, it took me a lot of efforts to learn the rules and conventions of Hong Kong Buddhist temples/centers (and I’m still learning them). I feel that this helps me grow in maturity.

Bows in Respect,
​
MH

Question:

Dear Master Yong Hua,

I tried meditation. I won’t be enlightened doing 30 minutes a day. My mind is full of delusions. The only hope is Other Power Amitabha and Boddhisatvas. ​

I want to go to Sukhavati, become a bodhisatva and come back to save beings. What do I practice in the morning and night ?

Thank you,
​
W – Brazil

Question:

Praise to our fundamental teacher Shakyamuni Buddha,

Please kindly clarify the following:

– We create karma with our thoughts, speech and action. Must these become habit energies first before we create karma?

– Suppose that we are on our 100th lifetime. Does it mean that we are subject to the karma created the prior 99 lifetimes? Going backwards, how did it all get started?

– Do we cultivate in order to realize the true self which is un-produced and un-perishing? If our self is unproduced and un-extinguished, what revolves in the Reincarnation Wheel?

I have been pondering about the above issues. Please kindly clarify them for me.

Emituofo!
​
NVL

Question:

Ven. Master!

I am a student. I silently recite the Buddha’s name while I walk to school. At home, I would also silently recite his name while doing the household chores. ​

At night I would then silently dedicate the merit and virtue as [the typical dedication of merit and virtue verse].

Is that correct?
​
QT

Question:

Emituofo:

I a 25-year old who feels rather lost. In the past, I followed my older sister to the temple to eat vegetarian meals and listen to the Dharma lectures.

I would like to leave the home life and take refuge under a master in order to learn the proper principles and develop skills to help others. I feel abandoned because my mother has her own separate family as does my father. I feel like an outcast living on the fringe of society.

Could you please tell me which temple I should go to practice and learn?
​
THN

Question:

Hi:

I am a devout Christian.

My mother recently passed away and I am very interested in your Buddhist concept of the 49-day period.

What can I do to help my dear mother who wishes to go near God?
​
EAD ​

Question:

Ven. Master,

I wish to leave the home life but my family is putting up a lot of roadblocks. I can’t seem to find a way out. Please teach me what to do. Thank you.
​
MJ

Question:

I’d like to know whether or not you monks are enlightened yet or have been liberated and free from suffering or the wheel of reincarnation?

If one does not know the way does it make sense to guide others?
​
S

Question:

Ven. Master,

You are teaching Chan and Pure Land Paralled cultivation. Ven. Hang Truong, also a disciple of Great Master Xuan Hua, is teaching Integral Taichi, meditation and other practices. 
​​​
Nowadays, at The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, what is that Dharma Door? Ven. Hang Dat is also a disciple of Great Master Xuan Hua, what Dharma Door is he teaching?

​Ven. Master, please instruct me which Dharma Door I should learn.

Question:

Ven. Master,

Since doctors cure illness, do they interfere with their patients’ retributions? If so, are there any adverse consequences? ​
​
My life is at a crossroad now. I am not sure whether or not to go into medicine as a profession. While I would like to be able to help others, I am also concerned that it might have adverse effects on my cultivation. I asked many people about it and I was told that there are no adverse retributions because there is no interfering with others’ retributions. ​

Question:

Ven. Master:

I hope that you will instruct me because I do not know much about Buddhism.

In the morning, I would like to bow to the Buddha for 15 minutes but do not wish to recite the Sutras. Can I just only recite the Buddha’s name and bow to the Buddha?

Thank you for your instructions.
​
BTND ​

Question:

Ven. Master,

I’m a beginning Buddhist practitioner, and I heard about you through a fellow practitioner during a short visit to City of 10,000 Buddhas this past July. I bought your book and liked it very much (I find your advice of not using a cushion when meditating especially helpful).

Unfortunately I don’t have enough blessings to meet with you in person, as I just moved to Hong Kong from the US. When I was reading your Q&A session, I was very excited to see that you mentioned you had visited quite competent temples in Hong Kong. Could you please recommend to me some good temples in Hong Kong? I hope eventually to be able to find a GKA to guide me.
Thank you very much and I wish you a great Thanksgiving.

Bows in Respect,
​
M​

Question:

Ven. Master:

What does ”receive and accept” mean?

Thank you.
​
DTYL

Question:

I am 19 years old. I saw a video on the grave consequences of violating the deviant sex precepts.
I realize that I violated the precept and wish to repent. Would I still need to undergo the retributions?
​
PVT

Question:

Dear Sir, Madam,

We are spreading the Buddhism in Sydney Australia. I live in the western Sydney where Muslims and Christians are majority in our area. ​

The people from different religion do not want us to spread the Buddhism in our area.

Would you please be able to donate hair relic or tooth relic to us?

A single tiny bit will do. We need relic to protect us from danger and guide us to Dhamma journey.

Thank you very much.

Regards,
​
DMZLA

Question:

hello sir,its great to contected to you.i am 33 year multipal slip disc patient and cant sit for long,i am very comfortable in layinh down streight(which dotcor also advisid me) can i do metditation while laying down?i know it seems foolish.but it comes to my brain and i asked. Thank you.
V ​

Question:

I heard that Master Xuan Hua stated that to maintain the Great Compassion Mantra without practicing the 42 Hands & Eyes Dharma is like having hands without feet.

I also understand from his explanation that one should not practice the Hands & Eyes Dharma without receiving official transmission. In that case, if I were to maintain the Great Compassion Mantra alone, what effect would it have?

Could you please explain how I should maintain the Mantra?
​
DVH

Question:

Ven. Master:

I practice the Pure Land Dharma Door and have a few questions that I hope you will help clarify for me! 

– I leave the Buddha recitation machine on when I go to bed. Is there a difference between the Buddha recitation seeds during sleep and when I am awake?
– I frequently listen to the Buddha recitation machine. Every now and then I have the urge to recite the Buddha’s name and then would hear the recitation sound from the machine. How does that affect my chances of rebirth?
– When I recite the Buddha’s name, my mind feels cool and refreshed and I often feel a rush. Is that state actually the Buddha and Bodhisattvas’ help as described in the sutras? However, some CDs say that such state is the result of being touched by yin beings…

Please explain for my sake in order for me to stop worrying and having doubts!

Finally, I wish you health and bliss so that you can quickly realize the Way!

Emituofo
​
HNT
​

Question:

I have tried sitting in full lotus and it helps in my practice.

However, I have a problem now as I prefer sitting cross-legged (not necessary full lotus), or with my legs bend whenever I sit down. ​

​Over years, and feel the blood flow in my legs is not as good as before, the condition may not be reversible. Hence I am concern with sitting in full lotus during practice even though I would really prefer to do so.

Could you give any advice on what I should do so I can sit in full lotus during practice and not develop leg problems in the future?

Thank you.
​
RJ

Question:

Ven. Masters,

I married a woman who seems to be of the world: she seems to enjoy oral sex. I have yet to give her my consent but she has dropped hints that she would definitely get satisfaction elsewhere if she is left unsatisfied. ​

May I ask: Is it OK to have oral sex with one’s wife? The reason I ask is because we already have children and to divorce would not be good karma either.
​
NVC

Question: 

Ven. Master!

I am a student. I silently recite the Buddha’s name while I walk to school. At home, I would also silently recite his name while doing the household chores. At night I would then silently dedicate the merit and virtue as [the typical dedication of merit and virtue verse]. Is that correct?

QT

Question:

Ven. Master!

I am a lay Buddhist disciple.

I encountered the Great Compassion Mantra and became enamored with it. Thus I vowed to the Buddha and Guan Yin Bodhisattva that I would maintain the Mantra in order to dedicate the merit and virtue from such recitations to my past creditors.

I also hoped that my family would become vegetarian. However, recently my workload has increased so much that I could not recite the Mantra regularly anymore. This makes me feel very guilty.

I hope that you will teach me the proper recitation method so that I can properly repent for my failure to keep my vow to the Buddha, Bodhisattvas and Gods because it was never my intention to make false promises to them. This failure makes me very worried and scared.

Please kindly teach me. I hope to hear from you soon.
​
LA

Question:

Ven. Master!

Please help clarify for me the following:

1. I have been reciting the Buddha’s name for quite a while, but because of scheduling conflicts from work, I have not been able to do it at specific times. ​​Usually, I recite the Buddha’s name all the time everywhere: whether it be while walking or working with my hands. I wonder whether or not such recitations would be beneficial at all because I fear that I have been calling out to him instead of reciting his name.

2. Often while I eat meat and fish I would recite his name: am I committing offenses? My question is if I recite the Buddha’s name but I am not a vegetarian, would I be committing offenses?

I hope that you would kindly instruct me.
​
NTL