No 185 of Living Life Series 1
1) Bo Tien Temple is just like any ordinary temple in Singapore yet it is different.
2) Accordingly, we are told that the sky is the roof of the temple.
2) Accordingly, we are told that the sky is the roof of the temple.
3) Also, we are reminded that the members are the supports of the temple
.
4) Further the main religions of the world are the pillars of the four directions
5) From such facts, is it a Buddhist temple, a Taoist Temple, a Chinese Temple?
6) It is as what you perceive and yet it is not.
7) The Lord Saint of the Temple bears testimony to the fact that it is the temple of Heaven on Earth and vouch for all religions as all religions speak with the same basic inner Truth that we are far from perfection and must be re-united with God.
8) Lord Bo Tien chose to select the initial model of a Chinese speaking temple to begin with but the initial members were literate mainly in English. He wanted to illustrate that even with a cultural temple, there is still the same basic inner truth.
9) The early temple shrine was in a hut with a pakua, octagon of yin and yang on the floor. This gives way to be the premise of an aged home in accordance with the request by Lord Bo Tien.
10) The temple then took the shape of an awning with four pillars that can be moved on wheels.
11) From that, shrine with walls and roof arose but still with the same basic of a shrine with four corners.
12) The temple Saint has said that He has to undertake the Mission of Heaven, and that His temple will have Heaven as its roof.
13) The new temple premise at International Road is still box like and with four corners. It has no roof but has air well or atrium in centre.
14) This is in accordance to the Saint’s description that the sky or heaven is the roof of the temple.
15) The temple, like a fortress, houses the divine octagonal pakua, which looks up to Heaven (represented by the sky) but is delineated by watery oasis from worldly pollution and further protected by concrete fortress building. The flat roof garden top has towers resembling watchtowers with cosmic prisms.
16) A glass pyramidal cone or pagoda hovers over the pakua where will be seated the altar of universal Buddha, Goddess of Mercy and Lord Bo Tien. This cone channels the essence of the Divine Spirit or Energy of the Divine Cosmic Universe, of Almighty God or what Chinese traditions refer to as the Jade Emperor.
17) Four concentric pillars with falling waters loom at the four corners of the pakua garden. This signifies that the major religions of the world protect and deal with the same Divine Truth that can be symbolised and represented by the Divine Octagon.
18) The Inner Truth is that we suffer and undergo rebirths because of our desires or attachments. We need to balance ourselves to be pure and unaffected by the yin and yang* of life. The positive and negatives toss us around, and until we can pacify them we will suffer and be far from God or Enlightenment. We cannot run from the yin and yang of life but we can be guided to be in control, be in balance and when we are on this path, we are on the path to be united with God. We will be in tune with the Divine Essence, which will shelter and guide us like the pyramidal glass cone over the temple pakua shrine area. Heaven or God sends down the Divine Essence to be with us and to bless us. The sky is the roof of the temple or our individual being and it appears to send down its essence (Divine Spirit) through the Divine glass pyramidal cone which shelters and watches over the pakua of the temple or of our individual being / life
19) In another sense, the four waterfall pillars also symbolically represent the Four Great Heavenly Kings who stand guard, are ever vigilant, compassionate and prepared to shed tears and blessings for all (be they individuals or organisations) who are in search of and who tread the path of truth.
20) The shrine is on the ground floor with the stores of the mutual Help and Care as well as the premises of an aged Home and Free Clinic on other floors. This illustrates that Heavenly God through His Divine Spirit Lord Bo Tien supports and will carry the ‘burden’ of mercy and compassion. All members, devotees and well wishers alike can also play their part in one way or another to help this Mission of Heaven.
21) The Divine Essence, channelled and represented by the glass pyramidal cone, comes down and is in the centre and midst of the aged Home, and Mutual Help and Care Wing of Welfare Division of the temple. The Divine Essence is the heart or dynamo of compassion and loving-kindness.
22) May the blessings of Divine Trinity (God Almighty, God as represented by His saints / posats, and God in the form of Divine Essence) be with one and all especially. those who have donated to the Mission of Heaven as represented by the new temple complex.
*One word on the yin and yang of life: they refer to the vicissitudes of life, of honour and dishonour, gain /loss, happiness /sorrow, blame / praise, wealth / poverty, health /ill-health, emptiness /fullness, denial /over-indulgence, etc
.
4) Further the main religions of the world are the pillars of the four directions
5) From such facts, is it a Buddhist temple, a Taoist Temple, a Chinese Temple?
6) It is as what you perceive and yet it is not.
7) The Lord Saint of the Temple bears testimony to the fact that it is the temple of Heaven on Earth and vouch for all religions as all religions speak with the same basic inner Truth that we are far from perfection and must be re-united with God.
8) Lord Bo Tien chose to select the initial model of a Chinese speaking temple to begin with but the initial members were literate mainly in English. He wanted to illustrate that even with a cultural temple, there is still the same basic inner truth.
9) The early temple shrine was in a hut with a pakua, octagon of yin and yang on the floor. This gives way to be the premise of an aged home in accordance with the request by Lord Bo Tien.
10) The temple then took the shape of an awning with four pillars that can be moved on wheels.
11) From that, shrine with walls and roof arose but still with the same basic of a shrine with four corners.
12) The temple Saint has said that He has to undertake the Mission of Heaven, and that His temple will have Heaven as its roof.
13) The new temple premise at International Road is still box like and with four corners. It has no roof but has air well or atrium in centre.
14) This is in accordance to the Saint’s description that the sky or heaven is the roof of the temple.
15) The temple, like a fortress, houses the divine octagonal pakua, which looks up to Heaven (represented by the sky) but is delineated by watery oasis from worldly pollution and further protected by concrete fortress building. The flat roof garden top has towers resembling watchtowers with cosmic prisms.
16) A glass pyramidal cone or pagoda hovers over the pakua where will be seated the altar of universal Buddha, Goddess of Mercy and Lord Bo Tien. This cone channels the essence of the Divine Spirit or Energy of the Divine Cosmic Universe, of Almighty God or what Chinese traditions refer to as the Jade Emperor.
17) Four concentric pillars with falling waters loom at the four corners of the pakua garden. This signifies that the major religions of the world protect and deal with the same Divine Truth that can be symbolised and represented by the Divine Octagon.
18) The Inner Truth is that we suffer and undergo rebirths because of our desires or attachments. We need to balance ourselves to be pure and unaffected by the yin and yang* of life. The positive and negatives toss us around, and until we can pacify them we will suffer and be far from God or Enlightenment. We cannot run from the yin and yang of life but we can be guided to be in control, be in balance and when we are on this path, we are on the path to be united with God. We will be in tune with the Divine Essence, which will shelter and guide us like the pyramidal glass cone over the temple pakua shrine area. Heaven or God sends down the Divine Essence to be with us and to bless us. The sky is the roof of the temple or our individual being and it appears to send down its essence (Divine Spirit) through the Divine glass pyramidal cone which shelters and watches over the pakua of the temple or of our individual being / life
19) In another sense, the four waterfall pillars also symbolically represent the Four Great Heavenly Kings who stand guard, are ever vigilant, compassionate and prepared to shed tears and blessings for all (be they individuals or organisations) who are in search of and who tread the path of truth.
20) The shrine is on the ground floor with the stores of the mutual Help and Care as well as the premises of an aged Home and Free Clinic on other floors. This illustrates that Heavenly God through His Divine Spirit Lord Bo Tien supports and will carry the ‘burden’ of mercy and compassion. All members, devotees and well wishers alike can also play their part in one way or another to help this Mission of Heaven.
21) The Divine Essence, channelled and represented by the glass pyramidal cone, comes down and is in the centre and midst of the aged Home, and Mutual Help and Care Wing of Welfare Division of the temple. The Divine Essence is the heart or dynamo of compassion and loving-kindness.
22) May the blessings of Divine Trinity (God Almighty, God as represented by His saints / posats, and God in the form of Divine Essence) be with one and all especially. those who have donated to the Mission of Heaven as represented by the new temple complex.
*One word on the yin and yang of life: they refer to the vicissitudes of life, of honour and dishonour, gain /loss, happiness /sorrow, blame / praise, wealth / poverty, health /ill-health, emptiness /fullness, denial /over-indulgence, etc
.
