LIVING LIFE SERIES 1

A BO TIEN (武天) MISSION INITIATIVE LAUNCHED ON 28TH SEPT 2010 BY INNER TRUTH NETIZEN 2. THE MISSION IS TO SHOW THE WAY TO HOPE, INNER PEACE AND ULTIMATELY SALVATION FOR ALL BEINGS. THE PURPOSE IS TO SAVE SOULS. IT IS WAY BEYOND NORMAL GOOD WORK LIKE CHARITY AND WELFARE ACTIVITIES. NO ONE SHALL BE SAVED BY GOOD WORKS ALONE BUT BY MORE THAN GOOD WORK. THERE IS NEED TO BE IMBUED WITH THE BASIC DOCTRINE COMMON TO AND BEHIND ALL RELIGIONS AND SECTS. LIVE IN DOCTRINE. DOCTRINE IN LIFE IS PARAMOUNT.

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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!.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

The worship of the Lord

No 126 of Living Life Series 1

(0) This article is the perspective of the writer and not that of an organisation.

(1) Brethren, all of us respect the image of Lord Bo Tien, and we honour the statue of Buddha. Is this tantamount to image worshippers?

(2) Depending on the level of practice, the image brings on different connotations to different people.

(3) To the devotional, the image represents the presence of the Lord. They pray to the image as though the image is Him. But is this the case? Is it just a point of focus for devotion in a shrine?

(4) To the psychic, who dabbles with craft, there is a force in the image. Is there a spirit in the image? May be so to that practising low level psychic. But the spirit, if present, in an image is not the Lord

(5) To the disciple of the Lord, he remembers what the Lord said time and again. He who sees the image sees the doctrine represented and embodied in the image. He, who understands the Lord and the doctrine, is near to the Lord and sees the Lord even in the absence of an image to depict the Lord. He who does not see and practise the doctrine with the result that the doctrine is not part of his life sees the image as the Lord at the shrine but will never see the Lord, is far from the Lord though near the image. He is far though near. The good disciple may be far (from the image) but is near (to the Lord). The good disciple sees the Lord anywhere and everywhere. The other person merely sees the image but not the Lord.

(6) The image is common point for focussing our respect for the Lord. We worship the Lord but not the image. The image is devotional focal point for one and all in our worship of the Lord. The Lord is not a piece of sculpture. He has attained enlightenment. He has not been known to have past rebirth in human form. He is pure beyond form, and exists beyond formless realms. How then could he be reduced to the form of an image? He is with God Almighty, the Jade Emperor who is usually depicted without form. Devotees face the sky when we worship God

“Eye opening” of the image is not to bring in the spirit of the Lord but to dedicate the image to His name. It is more ceremonial than ritualistic. He is not in the image. How can an unenlightened disciple “enlighten” the image? How can the disciple open the eye of the Lord? The image is not Him but is dedicated to Him via dedication ceremony. We dedicate the image to the Lord but cannot open eye of our master the Lord. We respect Him beyond what can be depicted. The best respect and worship lies in practice, and in helping to save others in difficulties

Lest you forget

Do not make the mistake of idolizing any man who tells you about the Word. He is in the same boat as you even if religion refers to him as a religious leader. Mere mention of a religious leader is as good as encouraging idolising of that man. Why must there be hierarchy in religion? Hierarchy is conventional but may end up as liability rather than a necessity or asset. There should be no caste or hierarchy system in religion. No one is to be considered above another in religion. A religious leader or follower is a servant to serve you and not a leader to be idolised. Do not put him on the pedestal and make a monster out of him.

MAY ALL BE WELL AND HAPPY

May all be well and happy. May they have peace. May our departed friends and kins be well, happy and have divine peace. The main writer wishes the best for all for those near and far. Our kins may be far when they had passed on to better lives but they are near though far. He remembers and wishes his parents Mr Siow Soo Koh and Mdm Tay Hung Siang, his uncles and aunties like Mr Tay Koon Huay, his cousins like Mr Tay Chong Sim and his friends like Mr Philip Png well and have abundance of life. May they be rich in spirit for without such ancestors, there will be no posterity - no us and no you and me. They have blessed us and we must blessed them in return forever and ever.