Lord Bo Tien's 1980 Anniversary Message
There are many trees in plantations. Come dry season, the trees shrivel, do not fare well and have few fruits. At the fringe, there is a lone tree. The grass and shrubs around it remain green and flowering despite the dry season. This lone tree pales in comparison with the trees in the plantations in good seasons. Somehow, however, despite dry season, it still has a good crown of leaves and fruits. Though rivers dry up and there is hardly a drop of rain, it ironically thrives better than the trees in the orchard. The farmers are at a lost but a few decide to relocate their trees to the fringe. Soon these trees too survive the dry spell and could flower and bear fruit.
How do we explain this? The answer is simple. The lone tree at the fringe is rooted in ground with subterrain water stream in all seasons. Even not tended to and watered by farmers in good seasons, it can still survive though less majestic than the trees in the plantations. But the trees in the plantations wither in the dry season as the farmers could not secure any water for the trees. The lone tree at fringe rooted in ground stream has continuous water supply in all seasons. It could survive even when not tended and watered. (It would certainly fare even better if tended and nurtured with more water in good seasons)
Brethren, adherents of religious institutions too must ensure their institutions must be sustained not just by the water of conventional ways of sectional society but more importantly, by the all-season underground water of inner truth.
How do we explain this? The answer is simple. The lone tree at the fringe is rooted in ground with subterrain water stream in all seasons. Even not tended to and watered by farmers in good seasons, it can still survive though less majestic than the trees in the plantations. But the trees in the plantations wither in the dry season as the farmers could not secure any water for the trees. The lone tree at fringe rooted in ground stream has continuous water supply in all seasons. It could survive even when not tended and watered. (It would certainly fare even better if tended and nurtured with more water in good seasons)
Brethren, adherents of religious institutions too must ensure their institutions must be sustained not just by the water of conventional ways of sectional society but more importantly, by the all-season underground water of inner truth.
The inner truth is that God and Heaven reach out to us via more than one religion or sect, via more than one tree of hope. This is to allow more to experience the inner peace amidst the yin yang ups and downs in life. This inner peace is achieved by recognising, by balancing and by non-denial of yin and yang. We will then not be tossed and swept around by yin and yang. Yin and yang refers to the worldly contingencies or axes in life like gain loss, health sickness, praise blame, honour dishonour, elation and dejection, mania and depression etc which create restlessness and dis-ease. We do not need to wait till kingdom come in after-life to have heavenly peace. We can do so here and now. Only by inner peace can we be one with the peace and purity of the holy spirit of God and heavenly saints ('leng' in Chinese Hokkien). We will have heavenly inner peace of our spirit or inner being here and now. We develop the God or Divinity within us.
Religions and sects are thus the trees of hope to save souls by appealing through diverse ways and means to reach out to as many as can be to bring on the inner peace in the world within every individual. For the trees of hope to be effective all the time, the religions as trees of hope must be nurtured by the water of inner truth and not just driven by water of sectional preferences, interests and norms unique and peculiar to sectional society. The latter are effective but religions would otherwise be more effective for all seasons if rooted in water of inner truth.
There is another application of the lesson of the lone tree. Do we as individuals want to be the lone tree and survive all seasons and contingencies of life? We can do so by being rooted in underground water of inner truth when we practice and profess our separate spiritual approaches? We are one in inner truth (that is in our goal to have godly divine inner peace) but remain distinctive in our separate approaches.
Do we want to see the oneness of religions and sects or do we want to see the sects and religions as divides and contradictions? Just like water and fire, they complement and make nature more whole, so too with religions. They may appear different but serve the diverse needs and make humanity more wholesome and divine. Religions have their worldly or mundane ways to attract, meet needs and hold on to their adherents. They need to evolve and to be innovative to do so. Collectively, they appeal to more men than what could be achieved by just any one religion or sect. But to be more effective, not to cause divides, and to be synergistic, they must be sustained concurrently by the divine underground water of inner truth.
Last but not least the lone tree lesson can be applied to another perspective. The lone tree can represent the fringe small and modest organisation of the lord saint. The organisation (like many others) is not set up to roll out another sect or religion. As His lordship has stressed, it is to serve as platform to promote better understanding of religions and why God and Heaven have sanctioned proliferation of more religions and sects to be pillars to bring more beings to the fold of divine peace here and now. There is no need to wait for the afterlife.
In time, many more religious institutions the world over will be persuaded to adopt the intentions of the many organisations like that of the lord saint and uphold the inner truth. They can reach out in their own separate, special and unique ways. Yet they will rejoice in and complement the good works of other institutions. This points to the harmony, infinite compassion and peace so characteristic of divinity but not instinctive in men.
This hopefully gives a glimpse-cum-discussion of the 1979 anniversary message. The attempt at re-enactment does not do justice to the divine wisdom of the lord saint.
Religions and sects are thus the trees of hope to save souls by appealing through diverse ways and means to reach out to as many as can be to bring on the inner peace in the world within every individual. For the trees of hope to be effective all the time, the religions as trees of hope must be nurtured by the water of inner truth and not just driven by water of sectional preferences, interests and norms unique and peculiar to sectional society. The latter are effective but religions would otherwise be more effective for all seasons if rooted in water of inner truth.
There is another application of the lesson of the lone tree. Do we as individuals want to be the lone tree and survive all seasons and contingencies of life? We can do so by being rooted in underground water of inner truth when we practice and profess our separate spiritual approaches? We are one in inner truth (that is in our goal to have godly divine inner peace) but remain distinctive in our separate approaches.
Do we want to see the oneness of religions and sects or do we want to see the sects and religions as divides and contradictions? Just like water and fire, they complement and make nature more whole, so too with religions. They may appear different but serve the diverse needs and make humanity more wholesome and divine. Religions have their worldly or mundane ways to attract, meet needs and hold on to their adherents. They need to evolve and to be innovative to do so. Collectively, they appeal to more men than what could be achieved by just any one religion or sect. But to be more effective, not to cause divides, and to be synergistic, they must be sustained concurrently by the divine underground water of inner truth.
Last but not least the lone tree lesson can be applied to another perspective. The lone tree can represent the fringe small and modest organisation of the lord saint. The organisation (like many others) is not set up to roll out another sect or religion. As His lordship has stressed, it is to serve as platform to promote better understanding of religions and why God and Heaven have sanctioned proliferation of more religions and sects to be pillars to bring more beings to the fold of divine peace here and now. There is no need to wait for the afterlife.
In time, many more religious institutions the world over will be persuaded to adopt the intentions of the many organisations like that of the lord saint and uphold the inner truth. They can reach out in their own separate, special and unique ways. Yet they will rejoice in and complement the good works of other institutions. This points to the harmony, infinite compassion and peace so characteristic of divinity but not instinctive in men.
This hopefully gives a glimpse-cum-discussion of the 1979 anniversary message. The attempt at re-enactment does not do justice to the divine wisdom of the lord saint.
Lord Bo Tien's 1977 Anniversary Message
"Everyone is like a tree. Compare thus two trees. A tree with abundant leaves but has shallow roots looks good but can easily be uprooted when beset by storms. A tree with poor crown of leaves and foliage but are deeply and well rooted could withstand storms and drought. Which would you prefer? The grasp and practice of the doctrine will enable you to be rooted to face big problems and issues."
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