 Bo Tien Temple Main Altar Singapore |
Vesak is the three fold day of the birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha. It has been more than 2500 years since his advent to the world.
*It is said that the Buddha himself gave instructions on how to pay him homage. Just before he passed away into supreme enlightenment, his faithful attendant Ananda was weeping.
*The Buddha advised him not to weep, but to understand the universal law that all compounded things (including even his own body) must disintegrate.
*He advised everyone not to cry over the disintegration of the physical body but to regard his teachings (The Dhamma) as their teacher from then on. Only the Dhamma truth is eternal and not subject to the law of change.
*He also stressed that the way to pay homage to him was not merely by offering flowers, incense, and lights, but by truly and sincerely striving to follow his teachings.
*This is how devotees are expected to celebrate Vesak: to use the opportunity to reiterate their determination to lead noble lives, to develop their minds, to practise loving-kindness and to bring peace and harmony to humanity.
Thus we know too from Lord Bo Tien that those who know the teachings or truth know and see the saint or for that matter the accomplished ones like Gautama Buddha.
The best celebration for any saint or buddha is the celebration of knowing and practising the teachings or truth. The best relic to venerate is the dhamma or truth. Practising the dhamma is even better than to venerate a bone or tooth relic of the Buddha or of any sacred item of any saint in any religion or sect.
Thus in some religions and sects, there is no pictorial or sculptural depiction of the founder saint and it is considered wrong to do so. But the truth of the matter lies in the essence that what matters is the truth or teaching of the founder and not how the founder looks like. In fact for those sects or religions which cater to image of the founder, there is no agreed appearance of the founder saint.
But the universal truth of Divinity is one and the same behind the range of presentations that we have come to know as sects and religions. This truth takes the form of collection of basic spiritual principles, one of which is that it is better to know the truth principles and values than to know who and how saints look like and from where they came and to where they had gone. Buddha depicts the epitome of such divinity and sainthood.
The Inner Truth is what God and his saints come to represent. In short, there is Divinity but what are the values that Divinity called God (or what have you) represents. The manifestation of this basic values collectively called the Inner Truth comes to be what we know as religions and their sects.
This is the universal truth as spelt out by the Inner Truth message that is behind all the religions and sects of the world. This Inner Truth message is there all along but was re-elucidated to us by Lord Bo Tien
This is what matters and what more need be said? We just simply need to see the same Inner Truth behind all religions and sects. That brethren is all we need to do and must do.
Surely divinity is one and the same that is responsible for the variety of religions and sects in the world today. This surely is evidence of the compassion of God and Divinity to reach out to as many as possible and in ways more than one.
Cheers and Happy Vesak to one and all - not just for Buddhists but for all. This surely is the wish of Buddha Gautama that all must benefit from his teachings and they need not be adherents or Buddhists.
Wherefore is there the need to say that if we are not followers we cannot benefit form the principles exhorted by a saint or prophet? Only men with narrow minded tunnel vision hold on to such fallacy.
A saint like a flower does not stop even ants and insects from coming to it for nectar. This brethren is analogy told to us by Lord Bo Tien. This is food for thought for the awakening of open mindedness in men and in society. Cheers and Happy Vesak to all and not just to Buddhists....
Buddha feels for all and not just Buddhists. Even the most ardent ones amongst Buddhists will agree? This does spell hope for compassion at the much wider level not just of humanity but of all beings in all dimensions of existence.
Likewise, saints and sons of Divinity do feel for all and not just for those who 'kowtow' or are subservient to them. Let not others who do not 'belong' to them be ostracised but instead be welcome openly and wholeheartedly without any strings and any pre-conditions attached. The way of God and saints are never the same as that of somewhat ignorant ungodly men. Please do not be offended by this statement.
This spirit of all-embracing open-mindedness is an aspect of loving-kindness. It is the very spirit of divinity that is upheld by all faiths and an aspect of the Inner Truth common to all religions and sects. It is more than apt that we remind ourselves of this most divine value on this day of Vesak. Happy Vesak once again...
Dear freinds, let there be many ways and let there be oneness in many. That is the Inner Truth and that is the way as they should be and always will be. This way we see the same God and saints in any house of worship and in any race and culture in this world. God will always reinvent Himself so that He will appeal to the new and to more - always and ever more. He will open more doors for us and we will be spoilt for choice, if you don't mind our saying so.
It would not be unimaginable that one fine day, perhaps there too will be new ways at Bo Tien Temple with many singing English hymns, praying aloud, and even speaking in tongues like those in churches**. This, if it ever happens, should come as no surprise and would still be in keeping with the Inner Truth. There will still be that Inner Truth behind the outward manifestations of spirituality and in whatever forms it may take.
The forms and culture may change but there will always be Inner Truth connection like that behind any religion and spiritual event like Vesak. The day may come when we will see the mushrooming of Inner Truth churches or even Bo Tien churches if some may doggedly prefer to use the name of the messenger of God for the Inner Truth behind all faiths and sects.
Surely, that day can happen and may not be far away though never the primary intention of the lord messenger. The good lord is out to bring out the inner truth behind religions and sects and not to start anew a separate sect, religion or many temples in his name. But mind you, there is no stopping of the mushrooming of Bo Tien churches the world over because men are still men after all.
What is more important is that men see the same inner truth in all religions, sects, churches and temples. This is the mission of the messenger of Heaven who is the good lord Lord Bo Tien.
Dear freinds, let there be many ways and let there be oneness in many. That is the Inner Truth and that is the way as they should be and always will be. This way we see the same God and saints in any house of worship and in any race and culture in this world. God will always reinvent Himself so that He will appeal to the new and to more - always and ever more. He will open more doors for us and we will be spoilt for choice, if you don't mind our saying so.
It would not be unimaginable that one fine day, perhaps there too will be new ways at Bo Tien Temple with many singing English hymns, praying aloud, and even speaking in tongues like those in churches**. This, if it ever happens, should come as no surprise and would still be in keeping with the Inner Truth. There will still be that Inner Truth behind the outward manifestations of spirituality and in whatever forms it may take.
There is no change with substance of spirituality but only the change of presentation of spirituality. Change is inevitable and is part of the truth of life. We have to change or be changed. This is often said by many.
Surely, that day can happen and may not be far away though never the primary intention of the lord messenger. The good lord is out to bring out the inner truth behind religions and sects and not to start anew a separate sect, religion or many temples in his name. But mind you, there is no stopping of the mushrooming of Bo Tien churches the world over because men are still men after all.
What is more important is that men see the same inner truth in all religions, sects, churches and temples. This is the mission of the messenger of Heaven who is the good lord Lord Bo Tien.
*..... partly extracted from wikipedia
** The word church is not peculiar to any religion and in Chinese literally means 'Teaching Hall'. Even the religion with churches started out as temples and synagogues in old times. Churches do not have fanciful and complex images and paraphenalia of traditional worship. That perhaps is one obvious distinction between churches and temples.
** The word church is not peculiar to any religion and in Chinese literally means 'Teaching Hall'. Even the religion with churches started out as temples and synagogues in old times. Churches do not have fanciful and complex images and paraphenalia of traditional worship. That perhaps is one obvious distinction between churches and temples.
