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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!.

Friday, November 12, 2010

The river of life and truth

No 169 of Living Life Series 1





Water from the upper reaches of a river is pure, clear and fresh as river arises in the mountain and forest. As water flows downstream in the river, pollutants and sediments are added. 

(Lord Bo Tien's 1984 Anniversary Message  "Water from the upper source of a stream is pure and clear. When water reaches the mid stream of its course, the water would have been polluted by many users. If men want pure and clear water, then they have to go to upper source of the stream to get it." )

This is true also of river of life. The river of life arises in primordial (yin yang) energy and this provides pure and fresh life force from which the Three Pure Ones arose. This is the Divine Trinity. Jade Emperor arose from the First Pure One and he descended to rule the heavens. As the river of life flows on there arose beings and various dimensions.

For water of a river, water is polluted as it flows downstream but can be returned as crystal clear mountain spring water via evaporation to be with the clouds and descending as rain water to be pure spring water of the river at its upper reaches.

Likewise, beings like men must purify themselves and return like rain drops to join God and saints at the upper reaches of the river of life. This may take one or more lifetimes.

Also if we want to experience the pioneers' vigour and pristine teachings of the founders, we must go to the upper reaches to do so. You may wonder why this is the case. The simple reason is that over centuries dogmas and institutionalisation add layers of elaborations, rituals and traditions to the original teachings. Religions become archaeological departments for us to re-discover the truth in original state.  



(Please refer to Messages before 1974  by Lord Bo Tien )
 
" From time to time in history, saints arose amongst men to lay down certain rules and regulations to help the masses lead better lives and to incline them towards GOD. "

"Over time, these rules become the tenets of an organised religion, but the idealistic spirit and motive, which prevailed during the founding saint's life time, changed gradually after his passing with arising of sects and differing sectarian styles."

"This is why often an organisation cannot bring out spiritual truth more effectively and closer to true nature of life unique to each individual in society. Life is an individual concern. Religion is always centred on life and a personal concern. Religious organisations often may end up over time as archaeological departments trying to discover the past"



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