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10-11-2024, 11:08 AM
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*IT IS THE MIND AND NOT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT DETERMINES YOUR INNER PEACE AND JOY*
*Master Jun Hong Lu:* Once upon a time, there was a young monk named Fan Liao who was worried about everything under the sun. He felt that he was way too skinny and he found life at the temple distressing. He was worried that people would have a negative impression of him so he was extremely cautious with his words. Feeling worn out and thinking that a change of environment would do him some good, Fan Liao decided to go on a solo trip to a temple in Jiu Hua Mountain.
Actually, Fan Liao’s Master treated him exceptionally well. Right before Fan Liao embarked on his journey, his Master handed him a letter and reminded him, _“My child, please only open this letter after you have reached Jiu Hua Mountain”._
Initially, Fan Liao liked the environment in Jiu Hua Mountain very much, but with each passing day, he felt even more unhappy compared to when he was at the previous temple. So, he opened the letter to take a look at what his Master had to say.
In his letter, his Master told him, _“My disciple, by now, you should be about 300 kilometres away from our temple, but you still feel the same. Am I right? I believe your feeling is no different compared to before because you brought along with you the root cause of your problem and that is, you yourself. *Your trouble stems from you.* You are healthy, both mentally and physically. Your worries do not come from the setback you encounter in the environment you are in. In fact, *they stem from a host of concepts and impressions that you derive from the environment you are in. You allow them to influence your mind which gives rise to distracting thoughts. You are what your mind thinks!* Once you have grasped the meaning of this, please come back. As long as your mind is free of worries, your worries will be kept at bay”._
Fan Liao was greatly depressed after reading his Master’s letter. He felt that what he needed was sympathy, not a lecture. There and then, he decided never to return to his temple. That night, he passed by a small Buddhist temple. With nowhere else to go, he entered the temple. There, he spoke to an elderly monk for about two hours. During the conversation, the elderly monk repeatedly emphasised, *“Those who are able to conquer themselves are stronger than those who manage to capture territories” (能征服自己的人，强过能占领城池).*
Seated on a mat, Fan Liao listened patiently to the old monk’s teachings. He soon realised that what the elderly monk said was no different from what his Master had told him. He started to miss his Master. He recalled what his Master often said, *_“Everything in this world is a creation of the mind. When your heart is still, everything will be in a state of unmoving suchness, and herein lies the dharma bliss”_ (万物唯心造，心不动，一切如如不动。法喜就在其中).*
For the very first time, Fan Liao felt that he was able to look at things with clarity and rationale. It dawned upon him that he was the foolish one all along. He once thought of changing the entire world and everyone in this world. He finally understood that the only thing that needs a change is his own mental attitude.
*Your inner peace and tranquillity is not dependent on your surroundings. Similarly, the joy in life is not dependent on the people around you.* As long as you forge ahead with compassion, you will have all that it takes to materialise what you set forth to attain.
_Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting, Melbourne, Australia, 11 November 2017_
*IT IS THE MIND AND NOT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT DETERMINES YOUR INNER PEACE AND JOY*
*Master Jun Hong Lu:* Once upon a time, there was a young monk named Fan Liao who was worried about everything under the sun. He felt that he was way too skinny and he found life at the temple distressing. He was worried that people would have a negative impression of him so he was extremely cautious with his words. Feeling worn out and thinking that a change of environment would do him some good, Fan Liao decided to go on a solo trip to a temple in Jiu Hua Mountain.
Actually, Fan Liao’s Master treated him exceptionally well. Right before Fan Liao embarked on his journey, his Master handed him a letter and reminded him, _“My child, please only open this letter after you have reached Jiu Hua Mountain”._
Initially, Fan Liao liked the environment in Jiu Hua Mountain very much, but with each passing day, he felt even more unhappy compared to when he was at the previous temple. So, he opened the letter to take a look at what his Master had to say.
In his letter, his Master told him, _“My disciple, by now, you should be about 300 kilometres away from our temple, but you still feel the same. Am I right? I believe your feeling is no different compared to before because you brought along with you the root cause of your problem and that is, you yourself. *Your trouble stems from you.* You are healthy, both mentally and physically. Your worries do not come from the setback you encounter in the environment you are in. In fact, *they stem from a host of concepts and impressions that you derive from the environment you are in. You allow them to influence your mind which gives rise to distracting thoughts. You are what your mind thinks!* Once you have grasped the meaning of this, please come back. As long as your mind is free of worries, your worries will be kept at bay”._
Fan Liao was greatly depressed after reading his Master’s letter. He felt that what he needed was sympathy, not a lecture. There and then, he decided never to return to his temple. That night, he passed by a small Buddhist temple. With nowhere else to go, he entered the temple. There, he spoke to an elderly monk for about two hours. During the conversation, the elderly monk repeatedly emphasised, *“Those who are able to conquer themselves are stronger than those who manage to capture territories” (能征服自己的人，强过能占领城池).*
Seated on a mat, Fan Liao listened patiently to the old monk’s teachings. He soon realised that what the elderly monk said was no different from what his Master had told him. He started to miss his Master. He recalled what his Master often said, *_“Everything in this world is a creation of the mind. When your heart is still, everything will be in a state of unmoving suchness, and herein lies the dharma bliss”_ (万物唯心造，心不动，一切如如不动。法喜就在其中).*
For the very first time, Fan Liao felt that he was able to look at things with clarity and rationale. It dawned upon him that he was the foolish one all along. He once thought of changing the entire world and everyone in this world. He finally understood that the only thing that needs a change is his own mental attitude.
*Your inner peace and tranquillity is not dependent on your surroundings. Similarly, the joy in life is not dependent on the people around you.* As long as you forge ahead with compassion, you will have all that it takes to materialise what you set forth to attain.
_Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting, Melbourne, Australia, 11 November 2017_
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