No 44 of Living Life Series 1
Who is more likely to come to Divinity, those having more difficulties or those with little or no difficulties for the present?
The answer is obvious. People generally seek help and guidance when they are in difficulties.
Incidentally to be born in the human realm is to be born to a world of duality of suffering and happiness, a world of sweetness and bitterness. This is in fact a blessing as opportunities abound to experience flavours of both hell and heaven. To put this in another way, we are both near and far from Divinity and Heaven. We are both far and yet near the Lord.
Other dimensions are either too lopsided on the negative of sufferings or positive of mundane happiness. Real happiness is beyond the mundane, beyond that which are transient, created, conditioned and caused.
In human life, we can learn fast spiritually because of the dualistic opportunities but learning is limited to the short life span of average three to four scores. We either make it or not.
We have to be mindful and ever conscious of this reality. This is the basis of the contemplative or mindful spiritualist. The wise is aware from moment to moment of the nature of life, and choose not to be affected by the ups and downs, the yin and yang.
He adopts a meditative life in every thought moment, and reinforces this by regular lotus posture concentration meditation.
He clamours not for riches nor denies them. He is at peace with sufferings or difficulties, which he regards as lessons in life. In life every storm will come to an end and there will be calm seas, and calm seas will lead to storm, as reiterated by Lord Bo Tien. But what is important is to be ever mindful, not to be affected, so that there is inner peace of the Holy Spirit always, irrespective of the ups and downs in life, of life storms and treacherous calm seas
Who is better blessed or better poised to learn spiritually, the well off or the less well off? Who is more likely to be pure or egoless? Is it the one with power or the one with none?
The answers are generally obvious. But remember that in meditation, it is not the psychic experiences that are important.
In fact, the less pure or more egoistic and arrogant tend to fall into the trap of clinging on to psychic experiences (which represent power attainment), and mistake these as evidence of spiritual success.
This is true for followers of the various religious paths. This will be true too for followers of the temple of Heaven.
Hence there are many who think they are spiritually successful and near the Lord, but may be indeed far. Those who are ever mindful from moment to moment of their life, and ever think they are far from the Lord, and have a lot to learn are nearer to the Lord than they or others perceive. They may be poor in worldly or psychic endowments. Yes, the spiritually correct may be poor in such things, but having such things do not mean that success is not possible perhaps only more difficult.
The near may be far and the far may be near. Thus have our Lord Bo Tien reminded us time and again.
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The Living Life Series is dedicated to Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). The doctrine is in His image. The image is the doctrine. He who sees, understands and effects the doctrine sees and knows Him. He who does not see, know and effect the doctrine sees not and knows not the saint even if the saint or His image is beside him. The far may be near and the near may be far. Let the doctrine and the saint be part of our life. The lord saint in your life can be any heavenly saint of any religion, sect or school. The doctrine of truth is behind all and this is the Inner Truth that leads all (regardless of their religious affiliation or even if none) to inner peace and heaven on earth here and now and not just in the after life. The ideal worship and devotion is to know and effect the doctrine of God and the saints. The best gospel is the gospel of life. We learn from our life and the lives of others. The true temple is the world we live in. The sky is the roof of the temple and religions and sects are the pillars of the temple. All under Heaven are in the temple. Needless to say that all the saints we know are in this temple. Ji Gong Posat too is no exception. The whole wide world and web is the temple and must be regarded as a sacred place --- a temple for living and learning. It is more important that everyone that counts plays a role in this universal temple if due focus is to be given to the Mission of Heaven. Men must not be distracted by the agenda of men and end up serving the mission of man. That would be a far cry from the Mission of Heaven. We worship God and saints, not man however good that man may be. There should be no hero worshiping or idolizing of man whether he is a charismatic pastor, priest, monk, medium or lay leader. We don't even idol worship the image of any saint but reflect on what the image stands for. - the doctrine in the image. Omitofo 阿弥陀佛!.
