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!.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

What is Tao?

No 253 of Living Life Series 1

道

Tao is the basic eternal principle of the universe and is the source of all phenomena - of being, non-being, and change.

The many perspectives of the word Tao

There are many perspectives to the word "Tao".

(i) Simply put, it means channel, road, path or doctrine. In many of the belief systems, Tao is used in its sense of 'way' as the right, correct or proper way of living or being - a means to achieve the end of attainment, perfection or of full coming into being.

(ii) At a more philosophical level, Tao can be roughly thought of as the flow of life in the universe, or as some essence or pattern behind the natural world that keeps the universe balanced, ordered and in equilibrium. It is related to the idea of basic or primordial energy or qi - the essential energy of action and existence.

(iii) Much of classical Taoist philosophy revolves around cycles. Cyclical continuity of world of nature is in contrast to the linear, goal-orientated actions of human beings. Buddhists refer to this goal directed actions as volitions which are actions based on attachments that will bring on moral consequences. The issue is how not to do so and yet be at peace and flow along with the universe without creating ripples and stir up currents in life. In short, we must not crave for the ups when down or rave over the ups when having them

Tao in relation to Heaven, Man and Religion

Tao means a road or path --- the way in which one does something. This can be in relation to (a) Heaven, (b) Man or (c) Religion.

(a) The Way of Heaven appears beyond normal human norms and expectations, sometimes appear somewhat odd or even harsh. When autumn comes, no leaf is spared because of its beauty and no flower is spared because of its fragrance. A heavenly saint, like a flower, will not stop ants amongst men from coming to him for nectar of goodness. This did Lord Bo Tien remind us in one of His latter anniversary messages at Bo Tien Temple in the early years.

(In heavenly terms, beings(men) like gods should not go not for gain or loss, neither self gain nor others gain but mere balance and peace as one's gain should also be others' gain and others' gain should also be one's gain. Gain and loss are not as important as peace of spirit when gain and loss are immaterial but to be at peace with opposing contingencies of ups and downs of gain and loss is best. This is sometimes referred to as equanimity and the highest level of this is part of enlightenment. This is neither about running away from life of gain and loss nor being tossed about by gain and loss but to do what is best and flow along in peace)

(b) The Way of Man is procreation and self gain. Procreation after all is self gain for man. Of course, there are more to the Way of Man than this two. With regards to self gain, few men will be like flowers to even let ants amongst men to come to them for nectar but not the case for God and saints.

(c) The Way of Religion. There are many religions and sects. Each religion or sect has its own Tao, its doctrine of the way in which life should be patterned and with which adherents need to be in conformity.

Classical Tao in Taoism

One such religion with various evolved schools of thoughts arose in ancient China and deals with Tao based on rich Chinese cultural heritage. It is known as Taoism. The word Tao meant 'the way the universe works'.

The pa kua is a symbol used to represent the Tao and the attainment of perfection of peace of living through Tao.

Pa kua

The Inner Truth behind Tao in religions

Tao or Tou (Way) is referred to by Lord Bo Tien as Tou-li. Tou-li is the doctrine of the way and is the doctrine of life and the universe symbolised by the pakua.

Lord Bo Tien reminds that all religions, different as they may be, have the same basic truth of God or Divinity. He refers to the common underlying tou-li behind all religions as the inner truth doctrine and that each religion can have their additional guidelines, dogmas and precepts to elaborate and add on to the basics covered by the inner truth doctrine. This is so that each can hold on to their followers and enable them to succeed and be enlightened through their respective religions.

The guidelines and dogmas need not be the same, otherwise there will be only one religion and not many. Many religions and many sects in any one religion allow God to reach out to more beings. There cannot be only one way but many ways to do so, just like there are not one type but many types of beings amongst men.

Basically, the inner truth refers to the need to find peace in the cyclical world of ups and downs and in the world of opposing yin and yang. We have gain and loss, honour and dishonour, wealth and poverty and self denial or deprecation and over indulgence and the list of opposites can go on.

We find peace by being with and yet not affected by yin and yang. We should neither run away (deny) nor must we be swept round by yin and yang.

We can do so by being at peace with life and the universe and merge into the peace of God and saints through any religion or sect.

But we do not run away from life when we are at peace. We move on in life and yet stand still like in the centre of the pakua amidst the cyclical yin and yang.

We must be able to balance the worldly contingencies of the opposites in life (such as gain and loss, praise and blame, fame and defame, upsets and jubilation) as depicted by the feet of the lord saint balancing the elements in his image.

We must hold on to the tou-li of God in the same way that the image of the lord saint holds on to the sceptre of truth of God with the right hand.

The left hand in salutation in the lord's image bids us to stay the course and be steady in balancing the yin and yang.

Lord Bo Tien

Saying it in ways more than one

Let the Tao be in your life and you can reap the Tao in any religion of the day. We can say this in many ways

Let the 'the way the universe works' be in your life and you can reap the 'the way the universe works' in any religion of the day.

Let God be in your life and you can reap Godliness in any religion of the day.

Let the Holy Spirit be in your life and you can reap the Holy Spirit in any religion of the day.

Let Lord Bo Tien be in your life and you can reap his presence in any religion of the day.

Lord Bo Tien is not here to start a new religion or to draw you away from your religion but to be with you in your life in whatever religion you are in or even if you have none. He is here to help you reap the Tao in your life through the religion or belief system of your choice.

Cheers. God bless.

The Pa kua - Tao symbol at Bo Tien Temple shrine floor
Photo captured by BWY from upper floor.
Note the reflection of conical glass housing

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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.