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!.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Form and substance ---- Do not disregard the role of form

No 196 of Living Life Series 1

The essential substance of all religions lies in the commonality of divinity behind all religions, what many would refer to as the divine truth of God and saints, how to bring inner truth of the need to be at peace with the polarities or opposites in life and not to be swept around by the polarities and yet to be atop and with the polarities such as blame praise, honour dishonour, gain loss, youth and ageing, health and ill -health etc.

This is presented as both simple and not so simple substance in various sects and religions. One approach is to go for the richness in God and not the richness in Man and yet still be man and not God. It can also be presented as the Pakua or Chinese Octagon with yin and yang to depict the polarities in life. This is elaborated in Buddhist circles as the aggregates and worldly contingencies which bring on turmoil. The balance of this yields equanimity and inner peace to those who pursue the Buddhist way.

Whilst we can divorce substance from form by just believing in divine truth of God, and we can reach God direct without the vehicle of religions, many of us are still very much man and no where near God and saints. We need fellow men and the forms by which the substance of divine or inner truth is nurtured and cultivated in us.

That is why an individual may believe in the lucid and comphrehensive elucidation of the inner truth by say Lord Bo Tien through people like the writer of this blog but for many this alone is not enough. The form though theoretically less important is still critical to push that individual forward to have meaningful life both spiritual and mundane.

Many will not go along with the established cultural vehicles of old for divine truth. Even in modern times religion has to re-invest and re-invent, to innovate and to repackage so as to have proper appeal to the youth of today.

Lord Bo Tien would be too glad for such youth and modern society men to believe the inner truth and yet not worship him or be part of the vehicle of an ethnic Chinese temple.

He only wants to help and be your friend. You will have his full blessings to harness the fruits of inner truth in whatever sect or religion that you find most comfortable and effective.

You can even join a religious group that prance and dance like break dancers and sing or scream like cheer groups so long as such new culture or ways can effect the true essence of the inner truth in modern day souls, otherwise in modern times, many will be lost to divinity and divine truth.

Moreover, we are still earth bound and still every inch flesh and blood of man and we need to live with men and be men. Thus the form of propelling the inner truth of divinity or God is also important but underlying this form must be the correct orientation or substance of the inner truth which are dealt in detail in the various other postings.

Go for the substance of truth but the form too is no less important though without the substance, the form is of less value.

There is form and substance of truth. Do not play down the role of form. Go for the substance and select the form to propel this in your life.

Lord Bo Tien in choosing to descend in an ethnic Chinese temple wanted to show us that substance of truth can be presented even in such a form. He is not here to start any new religion or sect but to show that substance is the same behind all forms.....

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.