Tai Sui Bodhisattva is on duty on a rotational basis to oversee the Human Realm. They are also deities in Heaven
Why should we pray to Tai Sui Bodhisattva?
Excerpt from Wenda20160115 01:03:50
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
Why should we place a tablet of Tai Sui Bodhisattva on the altar? We have been making offerings to Tai Sui Bodhisattva to bless us with safety. Why so? Not only should we pray to Tai Sui Bodhisattva whenever we have “conflicts with Tai Sui” for a particular year, but also in the times that we don’t. He is the Bodhisattva on duty for the year. (Yes.) You should pray to him regardless.
Make offerings to Tai Sui Bodhisattva if you encounter bad luck in a certain year
Question:
A practitioner dreamt of many people burning yellow papers for Tai Sui Bodhisattva. The yellow papers looked like CVs. Other people told him to burn the yellow papers, but he didn’t. Does it mean he needs to make offerings to Tai Sui Bodhisattva?
Answer:
Definitely. He might encounter bad luck this year, therefore it’s best for him to pray to Tai Sui Bodhisattva. They are Bodhisattvas on duty on a rotational basis.
Tai Sui Bodhisattva supervises Heaven and the Underworld. If one can pray to Tai Sui Bodhisattva more often and has the state of mind of a Bodhisattva, they will receive blessings from Tai Sui Bodhisattva
Excerpt from Wenda20160205 01:26:46
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
Caller:
Master Lu, we make offerings to Tai Sui Bodhisattva on our altar. What should we do to benefit Tai Sui Bodhisattva?
Master Lu:
There is no need. You can simply pay respect to him by offering incense and praying regularly. The most important thing is that you pray to Tai Sui Bodhisattva. Tai Sui Bodhisattva isn’t a corrupt official; he doesn’t require you to make offerings to him.
Caller:
Master, you previously said that Tai Sui Bodhisattva is also a Dharma Protector. He has many subordinate Dharma Protectors who keep records of things happening in the Human Realm. Have Dharma Protectors transcended the six realms of rebirth?
Master Lu:
Yes, they have. Tai Sui Bodhisattva supervises Heaven and the Underworld. Using an analogy, he is like an imperial envoy in the ancient times. Do you understand?
Caller:
Okay, I understand.
Master Lu:
During the Lunar New Year, many people would talk about paying respect or having “conflicts with Tai Sui” for the particular year, but not many of them make offerings to Tai Sui Bodhisattva. What about Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door? Do we not pray to Tai Sui Bodhisattva?
Caller:
Yes, we do.
Master Lu:
Now you understand.
Caller:
Many people would wear a pendant or hang an amulet when they have conflicts with Tai Sui.
Master Lu:
Yes. When people have conflicts with Tai Sui, do you think wearing a pendant would resolve the conflict? You need to pay respect and pray to him. But where should they go? Can they find a place where they can pray to Tai Sui Bodhisattva?
Caller:
That’s right. Master, as you said, firstly they should pray to Tai Sui Bodhisattva. Secondly, they need to perform more good deeds in order to be blessed by Tai Sui Bodhisattva. This way, their conflicts with Tai Sui would be resolved. Is that right?
Master Lu:
I’ll give you an example. Let’s say you are a judge. Do you still make mistakes often? Once you become a lawyer, will you still break the law? Once your spiritual level is elevated and you perform many good deeds, you will become someone with a Bodhisattva’s spiritual state. You don’t break the precepts. This way, Tai Sui Bodhisattva will regard you as a person of kindness, a person with a Bodhisattva’s state of mind. Will you still have conflicts with Tai Sui? He would bless you for sure.
Tai Sui Bodhisattva is on duty on a rotational basis
Excerpt from Wenda20120217 04:23
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
Tai Sui Bodhisattva is the Bodhisattva of the year. In fact, he is a Dharma Protector managing and supervising kind and evil deeds in the human world. He is also a deity in Heaven.
Excerpt from Wenda20160122 27:25
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
Tai Sui Bodhisattva is the Bodhisattva or deity of the year. Once they are on duty, they will keep a record of the things people do. In fact, there are many lower-ranking Bodhisattvas under Tai Sui Bodhisattva who help to keep a record of the good and bad things people do.
Caller:
Does Tai Sui Bodhisattva have a high level of spiritual attainment in Heaven?
Master Lu:
He is also a Dharma Protector. The Bodhisattva on duty changes every year. Therefore, if someone shows an image of Tai Sui Bodhisattva, that can’t be real as the Bodhisattva changes yearly. Tai Sui Bodhisattva is a sacred position, not a specific Bodhisattva. Do you understand? It is like a chairman serving his tenure for a year. You can’t show the chairman’s photo and say he’s the chairman forever. Tai Sui Bodhisattva doesn’t always stay the same, the Bodhisattva changes every year.
Having “conflicts with Tai Sui”
How should we pray to Tai Sui Bodhisattva to help family members who have “conflicts with Tai Sui”?
Excerpt from Wenda20130707A 25:38
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
Caller:
I pray to Tai Sui Bodhisattva and Guan Yin Bodhisattva at home every day. My son is in Hong Kong. If he has “conflicts with Tai Sui” this year, how should I make my prayers to Tai Sui Bodhisattva?
Master Lu:
You can say “May Tai Sui Bodhisattva bless my son so that he can pass this year or his zodiac year of birth safely.” You can pray like this and also make vows for both your son and yourself. Since you are praying to Guan Yin Bodhisattva, Tai Sui Bodhisattva would help you for sure.
Resolving “conflicts with Tai Sui”
Excerpt from Wenda20160115 01:03:50
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
Caller:
We often say, “conflicts with Tai Sui”. What does this mean for us? What problems will we encounter?
Master Lu:
Having “conflicts with Tai Sui” means that the predestined karmic obstacles will increase in severity and the punishments will also be harsher. For example, if you are under Tai Sui Bodhisattva’s watch and happen to have conflicts with Tai Sui, you may die from a car accident instead of just suffering minor injuries. When you have conflicts with Tai Sui, even if you have only done a tiny misdemeanour or have a slight evil thought, Tai Sui Bodhisattva will keep an eye on you and won’t be lenient. It is like having a police car behind you. Eventually your wrongful acts will be seen. Do you understand?
Caller:
Yes, I do.
Master Lu:
If there’s no police behind you, you can keep driving and be alright. Once a police car drives behind you, your slightest wrongdoing will be caught. In the end you will panic, and you’ll be stopped for violating the traffic rules the slightest bit.
Caller:
Okay, I understand. The year 2016 is the year of the Monkey. Those who were born in the year of the Monkey, Tiger, Pig and Snake all have conflicts with Tai Sui this year. For these people, other than praying to Tai Sui Bodhisattva and reciting Xiao Zai Ji Xiang Shen Zhou 49 times a day, are there anything else they should do?
Master Lu:
Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door is very practical. Why do we pay respect to Tai Sui Bodhisattva? We have been praying to Tai Sui Bodhisattva to bless us with safety every year. Why do we pray to Tai Sui Bodhisattva? Whether or not you have conflicts with Tai Sui, it’s good to pray to the Bodhisattva as he is the Bodhisattva on duty.
Don’t use the image of a particular Tai Sui Bodhisattva on the altar; the yellow paper doesn’t need to be changed every year
Q&A on Tai Sui Bodhisattva
Excerpt from Buddhism: Your Questions Answered No.29
Question:
Master Lu, I am praying to the image of Tai Sui Bodhisattva on the Buddhist altar in my home. While practising Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door, I realised that Tai Sui Bodhisattva changes every year. Should I invite this Tai Sui Bodhisattva to come down from the Buddhist altar?
Answer:
You shouldn’t use a particular image of Tai Sui Bodhisattva. You can print the words “Tai Sui Bodhisattva” on a piece of yellow paper, written in either simplified or traditional Chinese characters, and frame it.
If, as in your case, you are praying to Tai Sui Bodhisattva with a particular image, not knowing if it is the current Bodhisattva on duty, you may invite the image of Tai Sui Bodhisattva to come down from the Buddhist altar. You can change it to a piece of paper with the words “Tai Sui Bodhisattva” printed on it and frame this piece of paper for praying. This way, you do not have to change it every year.
Before inviting the image to come down from the altar, you should recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 21 times, the Great Compassion Mantra 7 times, and the Heart Sutra 7 times.
Then you should say, “Thank you to Tai Sui Bodhisattva, for helping me, <your full name>, and my family in the past. Thank you, Tai Sui Bodhisattva! Thank you, Tai Sui Bodhisattva!” (You must not say, ‘I’m inviting Tai Sui Bodhisattva off the altar.’)
The first time that you pray to Tai Sui Bodhisattva, you can make offerings of water, fruit and oil (using an oil lamp). Then you can make an incense offering in front of the Buddhist altar and say the following prayer: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva bless me, <your full name>, with your compassion, please invite Tai Sui Bodhisattva into my home.” Finally, recite the holy name of Tai Sui Bodhisattva 108 times, and then recite the Xiao Zai Ji Xiang Shen Zhou 21 times.
发表于 2021-9-7 13:50:08