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!.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

The cement for concrete pillar for any mission is love

No 325 of Living Life Series 1

Reference Revisit of Messages by lord saint before 1974

Lord Bo Tien way before 1974 passed down seven basic precepts which would be found in one form or other in various religions. The second precept advises us to believe in the teachings of saints (post No 153 - Nov 6th 2010 The Precepts). Lord Jesus is no exception. He has many wise teachings that even non Christians can value

Many fail to realise the significance of Lord Jesus saying that we must love our enemies and offer the left cheek if they slapped our right cheek. We should not go for an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth as in the old testament of the Bible.

What is meant by the Messiah Lord Jesus is that after his coming, the more divine way is to love without reservations and if you love someone say your son and if he slapped you, would it help the situation if you slapped him back?

Of course, you would be disappointed by your son that he had slapped you even if you as the father had wronged him. You should explain and regret what you did wrong if indeed you were wrong in a way, but if he was still angry and you needed to show your unreserved love. how could you do so? If you chose to run away but after that, the next day he was still sizzling with anger, what next? Surely, you did not want to break up with him and make matters worse. As what Lord Jesus said, you might offer him the other cheek to show your love and this might save the situation.

This is the same as what Buddhists and Taoists as well as Hindus refer to as loving kindness in their own respective ways.

This is the extent that God and saints would love us. Even if we are wrong, and blame God, God will harbour no bad feelings and will not run away from us. He will stay with us and don't mind our bad mouthing Him, figuratively slapping him on the other cheek and on both cheeks over and over again. This way we know He loves us and harbour no bad feeling of us and we could depend on him.

If ever we fail in life, it is not because He fails us but that we fail ourselves. But please don't blame God for goodness sake. What we need is to imbibe that divine love God has for us and be a little bit of God ourselves by not blaming others or be angry with others even if they did us wrong or don't toe our line.

Brethren, for example, if members of a temple or church are sadly enough unhappy with one another, they should still show love for one another and not forsake and excommunicate one another.

The mission of a temple or church is big enough for everyone and each must do their part. They don't have to do the same part for there are more parts than there are members. The work for God is that much more and requires the commitment by all members and even non-members.

Why go for the limit and go for an eye for eye and a tooth for tooth? Worse still is to deny a place in the sun for fellow brethren they don't like.

Love lights up the tree of life and is the cement for the concrete pillar for any mission. Lord Jesus led the way by showing how to love and what is the extent of love - especially how to live and love those who do not see eye to eye with us.

Lord Bo Tien said in 1984 that the members of an organisation must live and let live. The yin and yang must make one whole and yet are different.

Some are more yin and others less yang. If we expect only one approach and one narrow interpretation or one clique culture, all others would effectively be denied places in a mission where the brotherhood of diversity of yin and yang is of critical importance. This lack of wholeness of yin and yang will spell the downside of the mission for that organisation. (Read article 315 dated 28th Oct 2011 - Revisit of 1984 message of Lord Bo Tien)

Luckily in the Mission of Heaven, undertaken and led by Lord Bo Tien, this song of human weakness is not replayed time and again. Otherwise, how can mission members expect all religions and sects to be different in their respective ways and still work as one for the same inner truth of God and for the universal ecumenical need to help beings in difficulties and ultimately to save souls of beings.

The mission to save souls calls for more than one way and more than one view to bring more to God. In fact, there is need for as many ways and views as possible.

This requires those who want to take part in the inner truth mission to likewise come from diverse factions, persuasions and capabilities. Otherwise, there will be no mission as the mission followers would not be setting good example of having diversity and not abiding by the inner truth mission to show the oneness of religions - oneness in diversity.

Diversity does not need to be divisive but can be complementary. The composite of diverse approaches and interpretations can harmonise like the yin and yang making up the wholeness of the divine pearl of the pakua, namely the Taiji, the Great Ultimate. (Do cross reference by reading The Great Ultimate)

Bagua or pakua

Taiji - The Great Ultimate

If there be no love for the diverse persuasions and approaches in society or a mission, there will be no mission. We must even love our foes. Members of a mission or society certainly are no foes even if they hold opposing views. Lord Jesus is right and He is better able to project the need for love amongst men, more so if they belong to the same cause or mission.

Love is the cement to bring all to be a concrete pillar for God's work - the Mission of Heaven. The cement for concrete pillar for mission is love and that makes the mission divine, otherwise how can it be Mission of God.

Without diversity of yin and yang in members of a mission, and without unfettered love amongst men of that mission, the mission will end up not as mission of God but selfish mission of myopic men with one clique or faction taking over and casting out other factions.

Lord Bo Tien reminds us that members of a mission are like the sand particles and if not cemented into a concrete pillar will be blown away by the wind. Praise God once again for heavenly saints and we must believe in the teachings of saints --- as per the second precept of seven basic precepts told to us by Lord Bo Tien, the messenger of God. (Read The Precepts and Revisit of Messages by lord saint before 1974)

Lord Bo Tien

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.