Recently, an organization has emerged called ‘Spiritual Dharma’ which repeatedly holds dharma ceremonies under the banner of Buddhism. It confuses people who want to convert to Buddhism via internet communication. So what exactly is this organization, ‘Spiritual Dharma’?
‘Spiritual Dharma’ is also called ‘Head Lu Spiritual Dharma’ and ‘Guan Yin Spiritual Dharma’ according to the investigation of this author. It was founded around the year 2000 by an Australian Chinese man named Lu Junhong. Lu Junhong, who also calls himself ‘Head Lu,’ was born in Shanghai in 1960. He used to work for the Shanghai Changning Opera Troupe and Jingan Shaoxing Opera Troupe. He moved to Australia and acquired citizenship in 1989. In June, 2007, Lu Junhong founded the Oriental Chinese Radio Station in Australia and titled himself the head of the station and president. Lu Junhong used his station to communicate ‘Spiritual Dharma’ via programs like Q&A of Mystery, To Be Frank, Vernacular of Buddhism, Overview of Mystery and so on.
Lu Junhong with a halo
It is universally acknowledged in the Buddhism circle that ‘Spiritual Dharma’ is not real Buddhism but a distorted religion outside of the Buddhist system.
On the 21st of February, 2014, major Buddhist groups in Malaysia made a joint statement, saying that the ‘Spiritual Dharma’ Lu Junhong promoted had added interpretations which were never on the traditional Buddhist scriptures, and warned the public not to be deceived by a distorted religion outside of the Buddhist system.
On the 13th of July, 2014, the spokesman of the Chinese Buddhism Association made a statement regarding issues of the ‘Spiritual Dharma’, saying that this organization did not obey Buddhist doctrine and did not belong to real Buddhism. He pointed out at the same time that throughout the history of Chinese Buddhism, not an eminent monk or a man with great virtue called themselves the incarnation or spokesperson of any religion or Buddha. There was no expression of ‘looking into totem’ in the classics and doctrine of Buddhism. The ‘Spiritual Dharma’ distorted some of the concepts and theories of Buddhism, which were not in accordance with Buddhist doctrine. The association called for people to boycott the ‘Spiritual Dharma’.
Screenshot of the State Administration for Religious Affairs webiste
The ‘Spiritual Dharma’ has all the features of a cult.
According to the explanation of The Supreme People’s Court and Procuratorate of P.R.C., cult organization is always founded under the illegal usage of religion and Qigong. They deify their leaders and use means of making and spreading superstition and heresy to confuse and deceive people, develop and control group members, as well as break the laws and harm society.
The ‘Spiritual Dharma’ was established by illegally using the name of Buddhism. The ‘Spiritual Dharma’ stated that they were ‘spreading the essence of Buddhism’ and ‘disciples could learn Buddhism and cultivate soul and behavior by following Head Lu’. The way of learning Buddhism was ‘reading, freeing captive animals as well as making wishes’. The Chinese Buddhism Association expressed explicitly that the ‘Spiritual Dharma’ was not in accordance with Buddhist doctrine. It is a common view in the international Buddhist circle that the ‘Spiritual Dharma’ is not real Buddhism.
The ‘Spiritual Dharma’ deify their leader Lu Junhong. Lu Junhong called himself the spokesperson of ‘Guan Yin Bodhisattva’ who possessed the ‘magic power’ of Bodhisattva, and could see people’s destiny as well as anticipate someone’s future through viewing the past. Lu Junhong also said that he had ’48 Dharmakaya’ and they hid by day and came out by night to ‘save people’ in their dreams. Every sentence he said was ‘Buddha talk’ and ‘enlightenment of Guan Yin Bodhisattva’. The spokesman of the Chinese Buddhism Association said that some eminent monks or men with great virtues were indeed enshrined to be the incarnation of Buddha and Bodhisattva by their believers in Chinese Buddhist history. However, they were all acknowledged by Buddhist disciples in later generations based on their merits and virtues instead of publicly announced by themselves when they were alive.
Screenshot of the ‘Spiritual Dharma’ website
The ‘Spiritual Dharma’ made up heresy to control their disciples. The ‘Spiritual Dharma’ stated that now is the ‘period of the Dharma ending age.’ If you want to change your destiny, you need to get on the ‘liberation boat of Guan Yin Bodhisattva’ and Lu Junhong is the spokesperson of ‘Guan Yin Bodhisattva’. He claims that people need to listen to the program created by him and read books written by him, such as The Totem World, Little House Common Sense, Vernacular of Buddhism and so on to get on the boat of liberation.
Lu Junhong ‘created’ a so-called ‘little house’ of a mixed combination of scriptures and incantation (Heart Sutra, Great Compassion Mantra, Rebirth Mantra and Mantra Tujuh Buddha). Disciples recited the content according to the rules and times he set up. After reciting, believers would paint a red dot in the circle on a yellow paper shaped like a small house and then burn it. Lun Junhong said, ‘the little house gathers all the energies from the universe and has huge function’, ‘one piece of the small house can be equaled to 10 golden sticks’, and ‘the little house can eliminate karma and pay your debt’.
The ‘little house’ created by the ‘Spiritual Dharma’
Lu Junhong said that he already sowed seeds of lotus in the heaven for disciples of ‘Spiritual Dharma’ and that later they would all ‘go to heaven’ with him. He said, ‘if you follow me, I will speak to Guan Yin Bodhisattva to bless you to avoid disasters, if you are not faithful to Spiritual Dharma, you will suffer from cancer, and run into disasters and devils’.
Self-praise sentence on the website of the ‘Spiritual Dharma’ (screenshot)
The ‘Spiritual Dharma’ is an illegal organization. It has not registered in the relevant department. However, it has held illegal activities in China and developed disciples secretly. In recent years, victims reported to police constantly that the ‘Spiritual Dharma’ organization did harm to disciples and accumulated wealth by unfair means.
We appeal to netizens to sharpen your eyes and make a clear distinction between right and wrong to avoid straying into the trap of the ‘Spiritual Dharma’ cult.
