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!.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Be wary of cult culture in religious society

No 141 of Living Life Series 1

“Adore and worship God and Heavenly Saints but not man”

"Man is man and saint is saint. Know who is man and who is saint."

"The ways of men are not the ways of God and saints"

Cult culture creeps in when men look up to leading disciples to be representatives or proxies of a heavenly saint rather than have direct relationship with the saint.

Individuals end up adoring and hero worshipping men rather than God and saints.

The word of man becomes the word of God and saints.

Individuals end up giving to man rather than to God and saints.

They end up wanting to give what they would give to men to gain favor of men.

Men takes over and speak for God and saints.

Men end up championing leaders in men rather than God and saints.

Cult culture creeps into the modern religious institution as with ancient society when master ('sifu') mentality dominates and takes over control of the organisation.

Cult culture is divisive and turns religion against religion, sect against sect, and clergy against clergy. Cult culture is base, distasteful and far from wholesome

Cult leaders end up belittling others' perspectives, beliefs, religions and sects. This is not the way of God and saints. God and saints will never turn men against men. Bloodshed is not and never will be the way of God and saints.

Men may be divisive but not God and saints. God and saints are all embracing and accommodating of diverse needs. Thus there will be not one religion but many. For any one religion, there will be many sects and approaches.

What is more important is the spirit or essence and not the form. The spirit or essence is the need to save souls and bring all to God and saints. The 'form' may be diverse and they are the religions and the sects. This is the inner or ultimate truth behind life and religions.

Lord Bo Tien divines to reach out to one and all on the inner truth of life and faiths. He is not here to start a new faith or sect but to renew the perception of inner truth behind faiths. When this is more effective, there will be ever more of the oneness amongst diversity of faiths and sects. Then there will be less trait of cult in religious society at large. But as long as there is human weakness and imperfection, cult will lurk menacingly from within religious set-ups. But this is of no concern so long as the wider humanity persist in the mission of the inner truth behind religions and life.

Cheers ....All men and beings any where and every where are brothers regardless of the diversity of color, creed and religion. This is the will of God and saints. Lord Bo Tien is only one of the many saints.

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.