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.

.

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!.

Friday, August 26, 2011

The boss of our life

No 292 of Living Life Series 1

The boss in our life must be some one who can shelter us and yet let us live our own life. He must be able to pick us up when we fall and cheer us up when we are down. Who is such a person?

Divinity or God must be that boss. But how do we relate to Him.

Lord Bo Tien, a heavenly saint of Divinity has taught us the universal prayer which tells us clearly that heaven should be the boss of our life

"To all heavenly saints I greatly adore. I believe in your existence and thy glory is in the thoughts of men. I seek for thy protection and guidance so as to live better for the time to come."

Issues in life are many and plentiful. On our own we can help ourselves only that much but when sheltered by heavenly saints, we can do more.

By ourselves we can have that much of peace but with the umbrella of saints, we can have more.

Saints multiply our blessings and even if there be problems, we can pray to the saints. Those who worship the saints the saints do know. Those who seek them out the saints will be with them.

Remember that the ways of men are different from the ways of saints.

Saints help those who help themselves by complementing the efforts of men, by opening up options for men and by showing to men that there is more to life than men may think they must have or do.

Saints show us that in every limitation or hardship, there is hope.

Every dark cloud has a silver lightning.

Every storm will end up with calm sea.

Drought cannot be forever. "When we worked the ground of life, we will soon reach the fountain of the water of life." Lord Bo Tien said.

The saints shelter us and lift up our spirit when we are faced by the scorching sun of life - by the problems of life. But it is matter of time, we will reach the fountain of life to cherish and quench our thirst. This did Lord Bo Tien remind us.

The man who plants his life in divine principles or ground of life will be able to flourish like the tree at the fringe of plantation even when drought withers all the trees in the plantation.

Why? That tree is planted in ground with sub-terrain water or the divine fountain of life - the inner truth that spells out the way to overcome difficulties and save our souls.

He may not flourish in abundance but he will not wither either. But, he will be steady and have peace and live always - neither suffering from wants nor suffering from over indulgence.

God through saints can help us in issues of life by blessing us and sheltering us. Even if there be obstacles, big issues will be small issues even if they cannot be no issue. Small issues be no issues

Let divinity be the boss of our life but we must do the work of life and not leave it to the boss to do the work. Divinity our boss through saints like Lord Bo Tien helps those who helps themselves.

More important is for us to go the extra mile and contributing our part to do His good works. We must believe in the mission of God through saints. What is this mission?

We need to help others to overcome difficulties by helping them though they too must be taught and given the tools to help themselves. This is the beginning to the end of saving souls. This is the Mission of Heaven which all religions work towards in their own differing but complementary ways.

Do make it a point to let God through heavenly saints be the boss of our life.

For us at Bo Tien Temple, God is the boss of our life through Lord Bo Tien. We need to take part in His good works that is the Mission to save souls without starting a new religion but through any religion or in secular society.

But remember that the mission is that of Heaven and we take part in the work of the saints so that we will be able to share the joy and peace with God and saints. This joy and peace would be immensely more than if the mission is only the mission of men. So that's why Lord Bo Tien gives us the chance to be a wee bit of the Mission of Heaven. We should never degenerate and turn it into a mission of man.

Lord Bo Tien

Lord Bo Tien as the boss counts on us and to be His good executive assistants, we need to cultivate the three spiritual aspects of the Way or Tao. There are three aspects to the way to save souls not only our own but others as well. This is referred to as 'Tou-li'

Firstly, we need to meditate and be mindful on need for as much inner peace as possible amidst the ups and downs in life.

Secondly, we need learn the spiritual ways to make good in life - both mundane and supramundane. The principles that bring spiritual rewards if applied to mundane life will bring worldly comforts but not excess. With comfortable mundane life, we will be better poised for spiritual progress and to channel say through practice of divine spiritual art the blessings of the leng - Holy Spirit in Chinese Hokkien. But any excess or overindulgence in worldly life will hinder spiritual progress. We need to cultivate the way to gain mastery of divine or inner peace unaffected and yet with the yin and yang of life. We learn also to tap into the infinite peace of the leng

Thirdly, let us pray to the heavenly saints and take part in their Heavenly Mission to help those in difficulties and save the myriad souls and beings.

For us at Bo Tien Temple, the patron saint Lord Bo Tien takes the driver seat. He is the boss of our life. We are passengers and do what each of us can in our own small way in the Mission to help those in difficulties.

Every one in sentient sphere has difficulties in one way or other. Difference is only in type and magnitude. We are blessed to be at least passengers of the Mission of Heaven to save souls. We should try to be more than passengers but not take over the driver seat.

The Mission is the Mission of Heaven and will always be that way. Never should it be usurped to be the mission of men. So long as it is the Mission of Heaven, there will be more pleasantness and less of human issues.

Otherwise with men trying to be the boss, it can turn wayward and devolve to be the mission of men as the issues of men tend to be many and plentiful to the extent that we may see terrorism, bigotry, struggles and wars within and amongst nations.

When men think they know better and be intolerant of the differing ways of other religious beliefs, things can turn ugly and they end up far from spiritual and may even shake the often finite and fragile peace we have on earth.

Let us pray therefore in earnest that men must let Heaven be the boss and not let men be bossy to other men. Sages and the wise amongst men are few and finite but sages and wise in Heaven are that much more. Associate with the holy, divine and wise, and let heavenly saints be boss to be overseers of our lives.

"To all heavenly saints I greatly adore. I believe in your existence and thy glory is in the thoughts of men. I seek for thy protection and guidance so as to live better for the time to come."

Let Heaven be the boss of our lives

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.