No 188 of Living Life Series 1
Actions speak louder than words. What we do in the name of the Mission
To think alone is not enough. We must act. Good thoughts must be followed by the relevant good actions. Good actions favour good thoughts.
We cannot be mere believers of a heavenly saint like Lord Bo Tien. We need to be good doers. We need to transform our beliefs into actions of true practice. This will win others over. Mere written doctrine will not do so. There are various facets or angles of practice.
Devotion reinforces faith in Divinity as may be represented by the Lord Saint. It is the action for commitment. It strengthens the thoughts of commitment.
Loving-kindness is a praiseworthy thought, but it must translate into actions of compassion or charity. Compassion is the action for kindness not just for ones own but for others as well.
Mental discipline is good. We have to guard our mind to keep it balanced and calm, to be unruffled by the positives and negatives in life. Physical actions of discipline, such as attending religious services, fasting and vegetarianism are means to enhance our mental discipline. Disciplined actions foster in turn a more disciplined mind. Acts of discipline are the actions for mental discipline.
Cultivating thoughts of awareness is not good enough. We have to show actions of awareness – actions that reflect that we are aware and reflective of events around us, of the negative tendencies in our minds, of the feelings of others, and of the consequences of our thoughts and actions.
To have pure thoughts, such as radiant and effusive kindness, we need to have correct actions and practices. We need to join and participate in a religious set-up for fellowship. Our actions and that of the others in the group will create a good atmosphere to generate more pure or noble thoughts. These pure actions promote more pure thoughts, which translate into more pure or correct actions.
No wonder, all sages of ancient wisdom admonish us to practise and not just to believe. Practice enhances belief. Do not just think. Please act. Be a man of action and not a man of thoughts.
Time and tide wait for no one. We need to act – to practise. Mere belief is not enough. Religion is no academic subject for us to excel in, for us to debate on, or for us to show-off how learned we are – how one religion is superior to another in doctrine. Religion has to do with practice. It is important to practise. Practice produces results. Mere thinking leads to no where.
Remember that, even if we know little, the little we know, if well practised, is more worthwhile than knowing and reading scriptures in abundance and not practising.
A heavenly saint like Lord Bo Tien instructs us through real life experiences, through event language -- the chapters of our life as they unfurl, and not through written scriptures. Why? The reason is simply because practice is the pillar of realisation and spiritual success.
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