Question:

Emituofo:

Do you know anything about immortality dharmas?

Can Buddhist disciples practice such dharmas? Would such practices have detrimental effects on our Buddhist practices?

Please kindly teach me.

Thank you.
​
PVT

Question:

Emituofo,

I would really appreciate your kind guidance.

I realize that I have a lot of greedy desires and therefore I resolved to recite the Shurangama Mantra [not clear…]. ​​

However, after each time that I recite the Mantra I often have unwholesome thoughts whereas when I do not recite the Mantra, my mind would be normal: not that it is free from greedy desires but rather it is not as heavy and uncomfortable as when I recite.

Please teach me what to do. Thank you.
​
HD

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:

Ven. Master,

Will you please clarify a few things for me?

My parents have medicine to cure stomach ailments and ulcers. They healed a lot of people but never charged a cent for it.

Once, they gave the medicine to a person in the neighborhood. Once healed, this individual started criticizing my parents. When my parents brought the medicine to the temple’s free clinic, they would encounter criticism as well! I really fail to understand; why that would happen?

Please kindly explain this to me.

Respectfully,
​
NTB

Question:

Ven. Master,

I am a lay disciple.

I took refuge with my Master at my village in 2010.

Recently, I  set up an altar at home to worship the Buddha. ​

Each morning, I offer incense and make the vow for rebirth to the Pure Land. I do not have a lot of time to recite sutras or recite the Buddha’s name. I have two children of school age who keep me quite busy.

After I learned about Buddhism I resolved to attain liberation this lifetime. My wish is that my two children would someday leave the home life and cultivate vigorously in order to help society and others.

I don’t know which Dharma Door to cultivate or how to cultivate it. Many people advised me to cultivate Pure Land. My husband does not want me to go to the temple, except for on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. Often, he scolds and berates me severely. It makes me quite upset but I do not know what to do. My husband is much older than me.

Please kindly tell me what to do?

Emituofo!

Thank you very much.
​
NTTT

Question:

Ven. Master,

I worship Shakyamuni Buddha. Is it OK for me to recite the Infinite Life Sutra? Please clarify this for me.

Emituofo,
​
VTH

Question:

Ven. Master,

First, allow me to say that my sister and I are very grateful that you took time of your busy schedule to talk to us for so long. ​

​Unfortunately, we had an engagement with our family or else we would have loved to ask you to clarify a lot more things for us. Please kindly clarify the following for us:

1. In your Chan Handbook, you transmitted the Buddha Recitation Dharma Door to the readers. Can we use the same methodology to recite mantras?

2. When we Use the Guan Yin Dharma Door (Contemplating the Sounds Method), do we contemplate both the sound and the Dan Tian. Would that not create distractions [the mind being split between two tasks]?

3. In the Handbook, you indicated that the Shurangama Mantra is the most powerful. Should I memorize it in Vietnamese, Chinese or English? If I do not have the time, is it OK to just recite the heart of the Shurangama Mantra?

​I hope that we will have the opportunity to participate in the temple’s Fo Qi (Buddha Recitation Week) or Chan Qi in the future.

We wish you good health, peace and bliss, blessings and wisdom in abundance and success in the Buddha’s work.

Respectfully,

TD

Question:

Greetings Venerable Master,

I came across your website while searching for the teachings of Venerable Master Xuan Hua, and I had the luck of finding the Q&A section. ​
​
I’d like to say in advance that I am sorry if I may sound rude or offensive. I do not consider myself to be a Buddhist but I greatly admire Buddhist teachings; they sound right in my heart. I also admire the resolve of left-home people to cultivate in order to help all living beings. I already learned a lot from the Q&As, but I have some questions I was hoping that you may clarify:

Question:

Dear Master,

First of all, I would like to pay my respects to you in thanks for organizing the Chan Qi retreat for us. During the one month I stayed at Lu Mountain Temple, it felt like I was living in a small version of the Mahayana Pure Land and that you were the Cardinal who with altruism saved living beings by teaching us the meditation dharma.
​
Lu Mountain Temple is a calm, relaxing, dignified place, and very suitable for meditation. While there, I learned a lot of meaningful things: Spiritual cultivation practice is the best daily activity; we should have no fear of suffering (that is, we should be willing to accept the suffering and have patience to bear it when most people do not); and do not be satisfied with what we have achieved. You have taught us that we should not waste our samadhi energy with false thoughts. This energy which is on a higher plane is unconditional but it is lost when we think false thoughts because they are conditional.

Question:

Emituofo.

We already have two children but my husband still prefers to spend time with his friends, drinking among other things. I want to convince my husband to walk the Buddha path with me but am not sure what I should do. ​

I often recite the Buddha’s name and repent, hoping that my husband will quickly change his ways. I also pray that the Buddha will awaken my husband: but is it too greedy of my part?

Please kindly instruct me.

PSD

Question:

Ven. Master,

Please teach me how to make vows.

Thank you very much.
​
MT ​

Question:

Na Mo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha:

Please kindly instruct me!

It hurts me deeply to talk about this.

One day, a monk that I really admired the most embraced me. As I was still stupefied, he asked me whether or not I was attracted to him. I immediately answered that I was not. He instantly apologized to me. Afterward, I thought about it and told myself that I was not interested in him and yet he chose to embrace the dust and he was not actually embracing my body.

Ven. Master, is my thinking correct? Or am I just fooling myself?

Thank you for your help
​
LHM

Question:

Ven. Master,

I know of someone who left the home life a long time ago.

Recently, that person is considering returning to lay life: would that involve committing offenses?
​
TTMH

Question:

Ven. Master,

What is the Pure Land Dharma Door?
​
LBN

Question:

Ven. Master,

I feel miserable because my daughter will not listen to me even though she is only in the sixth grade. She is twelve years old. What am I to do?

Emituofo,
​
Buddhist disciple TH

Questions:

Ven. Master,

What do you think about the Fa Lun Gong?

Thank you.
​
MTV

Question:

Ven. Master,

I am very happy that you returned safely from your trip to Asia to take care of the temple matters.
​
I recently spent a lot of time to listen your Dharma Talks from your web site repeatedly. As a result, it has helped restore my original faith and respect you. The eight winds blew and yet you were unperturbed and at ease, whereas your disciple’s mind was deeply moved. My gongfu is still quite inadequate [even after decades of vigorous practice]! Once again, please accept my sincere apologies [for doubting you].

Question:

[Regarding a comment made about a senior monk’s Dharma]

I agree with your assessment. Mahayana and Hinayana are two different paths. What are we Buddhist disciples to do? Where can we find Shakyamuni Buddha’s Proper Dharma?
​
QV ​

Question:

Ven. Master,
​
I still do not understand: what is meant by “breathing naturally” and do “not interfere with the breathing?” Please give me an example and elaborate.

In my limited understanding, to breathe naturally, does that mean that one does not take long or short breaths? Please kindly clarify this for me.

When I am standing or sitting on a chair, I can breathe very comfortably, my breath fills up my stomach effortlessly (it takes about six seconds to fill up my stomach) and I feel very good. However, while sitting, especially in full lotus, my breathing becomes difficult. The first three seconds are OK, but afterward it does not feel comfortable, as if there is some obstruction and I experience discomfort in my stomach. When I continue to breathe, air cannot fill up my stomach as much as while I am standing or sitting in a chair. Similarly, when exhaling, the first three seconds are OK but afterward, it feels uncomfortable.

Question:

Ven. Master,

If I have sex with the person I love, is it a violation of the Deviant Sex Precept? If so, how do I repent for it? Please kindly instruct me.

Emituofo,
​
HP

Question:

Ven. Master,

I have two questions:

1. If a lay Buddhist disciple masturbates, is that a Precept violation? Is that repentable? Is masturbation a violation of the Deviant Sex Precept?
​
2. When I recite sutras, I still have a lot of false-thinking and that makes me very afflicted. Am I creating offenses because I cannot control my thoughts?

Please kindly instruct me so that I can better understand Precepts.
​
Emituofo,

JK

Question:

Ven. Master,

I have a niece (my brother’s daughter) who is 16 years old. Her physical body is developing normally but her mind is not. Her mind is that of a 2-year old: she cannot speak, she has no memory, and she needs help to bathe.

Occasionally, she goes into a fit and destroys everything in sight. Her parents are very sad and miserable as they have taken care of her for all these years.

I’ve come to realize that my brother’s family and my niece have very heavy karmic obstructions. Therefore, on my niece’s behalf, I often repent, recite sutras and recite the Great Compassion Mantra, hoping to lighten her karmic retribution.

Is my thinking correct? If so, can my actions have any positive effect?

Please teach me how to help diminish her karmic obstructions and to turn her toward the Triple Jewel for guidance and help.

Thank you very much and I wish you good health.

Respectfully,
​
TA

Question:

Ven. Master,

I have been contemplating my breath as per your instruction. I need further direction because I think ran into some problems:

I inhale and expand my tummy, hold my breath for 2-5 seconds and then exhale. Often when I hold my breath, my stomach starts making bubbling noises even as air comes out from my mouth. While I contemplate my breath, I feel very comfortable. If I prevent the air from escaping then I feel a little bit of discomfort. Also, I pass gas while I meditate but I still feel as comfortable as before.

Is there anything wrong with my practice? Please clarify it for me. After I started following your meditation methodology, I feel better and can sleep better. For that I am very grateful and wish you great health.

Respectfully,
​
TA

Question:

Ven. Master:

I was born into an area where Buddhism was obstructed and could not thrive. Thus, when those to whom I introduced Buddhism obtained great results, I became blissfully happy.

In time, I came to realize my path to leave the home life and return to my area try to propagate the Proper Dharma.

Unfortunately, due to my mistakes, while I was preparing for my university examinations, I could not practice that much and could only recite the Buddha’s name in a very limited way. And now I have a change of heart about leaving the home life, and love and desire well up inside of me. This is the biggest reason for my hesitation. I read Master XuanHua’s biography and used what I learned from it to not indulge in worldly pleasures. But my greed for love is extremely overwhelming. Please kindly assist me.
​
HS

Question:

Ven. Master:

What can we do to detach from our memories?
​
DMĐ