A Teacher’s Grace, a Father’s Heart: Guiding Me Toward the Light
Whenever I look back on the path I have travelled, I am filled with gratitude for a singular gift of fate—meeting my Master, Master Jun Hong Lu. It was he who pulled me from the heavy shadows of my life, granting me a new beginning and a future filled with light.
In my youth, my family ties felt paper-thin. A deep, unbridgeable rift lay between my parents. My mother’s forceful personality was like an impenetrable wall, effectively shutting my father out of my life as I grew up. Raised by her alone, I was shaped by her sharp, business-minded pragmatism. She viewed the world through a lens of utility and constant calculation; living in that environment, my own mindset became “dark.” I began to view the world through a veil of defilement.
As I entered adulthood, I unknowingly replicated my mother’s ways—bringing that same need for control, suspicion, and obsession into my work and my relationships. My life fell out of balance, and my path was constantly blocked by my own doing. This was most painful in my personal life, where I became trapped in a cycle of toxic attachment. I wounded myself and those I loved so deeply that I spiralled into depression, eventually reaching a point where I lost the will to live.
It was at this absolute low point—when the conditions of my life were finally ripe for change—that I found the Buddha-dharma, Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door and Master Lu. I began my practice, reciting sutras to resolve karmic conflicts, eliminate my karmic obstacles, and clear my karmic debts. Slowly, I began to pull myself out of the pain and rediscover a sense of direction.
I remember the early days of my practice; it felt like a sudden, jarring awakening. I looked back and was horrified to see how sharp-edged and narrow-minded I had become—I had turned into the very person I disliked most. At the time, I blamed my mother for everything. I felt her “example” had been a blade that carved itself into my character, wrapping me in layers of negativity without me even realising it. I was full of resentment and anger.
Only as I delved deeper into my Buddhist practice did I realise that I was affected by many external factors; my struggles could not be attributed to a single cause. They were the result of my own foundation for awakening, my own karma, and my own unresolved karmic conflicts. By reciting sutras, I began to resolve the friction between my mother and me. Through studying Buddhism in Plain Terms, I came to understand the law of cause and effect. I learned how to practise forbearance, how to let go, and how to elevate my state of mind. Gradually, our relationship stopped being a constant battlefield.
I am profoundly grateful for Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door and for Master Lu. Finally, the trajectory of my life has begun moving toward the light.
To me, Master Lu long ago transcended the role of a teacher; he is like a spiritual father to me. During those years when I was consumed by negative energy and my heart felt like a sunless, dark room, he poured warmth into my soul, thawing the chill that had accumulated over the years. Master Lu’s Buddhist teachings guide me like a light. He taught me tolerance and kindness; he showed me how to step outside my narrow-mindedness and stubbornness to see the positive side and the vastness of the world. Without me even noticing, the mists over my life began to clear.
This transformation was an internal awakening. By reshaping my perspective, I broke free from the shackles of my upbringing. I finally became a person who is clear-headed, positive, and warm.
I remember a time when my career was at a crossroads and I faced a major life choice. My mother’s only concern was my “status” in the eyes of our relatives—whether I could still be someone she could boast about. But it was Master Lu who taught me how to use the “Three Golden Buddhist Practices” to repay my karmic debt and change my own destiny. He gave me blessings on several occasions, and I was also fortunate to have Master Lu perform a totem reading for me, pointing out the direction forward.
Later, when I faced a crisis with a crucial application that seemed to have no solution, my mother stood by coldly. She was waiting for me to beg for her help so she could use it as leverage to trap me back into the life she had planned for me. But once you have seen the true light, you can never go back to the darkness. I refused to return to that life of calculation and negativity. I chose the path of the Buddha—a path of kindness and light. I placed my faith in the Buddha-dharma, persisted in my spiritual practice, recited sutras, and prayed for the mercy and blessing of the Bodhisattvas and Master Lu. Then, the “unthinkable” happened: there was a change in relevant policies, the requirements aligned perfectly with my situation, and my application was approved swiftly. Looking back, I am awed by the inconceivable power of the Buddha-dharma and the protection and blessing of the Bodhisattvas and Master Lu.
I often think: if I hadn’t met Master Lu, if I hadn’t learned Buddhism, where would I be? Due to the karmic conflict with my mother, we would likely be trapped in a dark, oppressive movie of our own making—wasting our lives in a cycle of suspicion and spite, stuck in a past that offered no hope.
As I recite sutras to resolve karmic conflicts and study Master Lu’s Buddhism in Plain Terms, my mindset has changed. Even when faced with betrayal or groundless accusations, I no longer feel the urge to argue. There may be a ripple of emotion, but I can meet it with a calm heart—without anger, without fear, and even with a sense of compassion. I’ve found that when I remain still and calm, the other person’s anger eventually goes out on its own. A storm that could have destroyed everything simply fades into a quiet sea. Such is the miraculous power of the “Five Golden Buddhist Practices.”
I am grateful to have encountered Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door. My life has finally found its home. I am grateful to Master Lu; he is like a father and a lamp, nourishing my heart with Buddha-dharma and guiding me with right intention. He gave me the courage to break through the darkness and shone the ever-present Buddha’s light upon me. In the years to come, I will follow this light, diligently practising Buddhism and awakening myself and others, so that I may be worthy of the Buddha’s grace, Master Lu’s grace, and this new life I have been given.
“Encourage others to turn from evil towards goodness, and do not let the Bodhisattva’s tireless efforts go to waste. Cultivate the mind towards goodness, so as not to squander a lifetime of arduous cultivation. Guide and awaken sentient beings through virtuous deeds, and do not waste this lifetime’s wisdom-life and the opportunity to transform your destiny.” — Excerpt from Master Jun Hong Lu’s Dharma Talk, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 25 December 2016
If there is anything improper in this sharing, I ask the Bodhisattvas and Master for compassionate forgiveness. I bear my own karmic obstacles.
Deepest gratitude to Namo Shakyamuni Buddha.
Deepest gratitude to Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
Deepest gratitude to all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Dharma Protectors.
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