Endurance is one's innocent glory in the next world

No 336 of Living Life Series 1 

-- this write-up is inspired by and dedicated to Elder Ling Diung Kwong

"................. Many a pride cover those who achieve the light of enlightenment. But the wise are those who never fear of being misunderstood. Endurance is one's innocent glory in the next world." (Quote from Golden Wheel Missioner - Png Philip)

For the finite number  of those who understand the true nature of life and know what should be done, the road to spiritual advancement is sure but needs effort and time. Along the way, there will be distractions and hiccups from the many others in society to dislodge them from the path well trodden by the sages of old. But to evade these many others in society, that is, to deny society and take off into the wilderness is not the way. For everywhere we go, we will be with life, nature and the universe and we can never run away but be with them somehow.

The pride of the one who knows truth and life often may make him want to tell others that they have erred or are not that right. But this pride can at times be misplaced and the more the wise one tries to influence others not ready to listen, the more he finds he is not heard and others may find him odd, stubborn, a sore thumb or rather a stick in the mud.

But he should contain his pride and do what he can to share the truth and the true nature of life. If after that, the many in the society are still not with him, he still can hold on to his understanding, hold his head high and have pride but ...... he should still be with them and be a candle of light and truth for them even if they are not with him. This is more so if the others happen to be his blood and kin.

Moreover, it is divine to treat the many others as kith and kin as well and to have their best interests at heart. Hopefully one day, things may happen and his efforts will bear fruit.

Others may misunderstand him and point fingers at him for being wrong, for wanting to stir up the mud and cause irritation which may even be considered  by these others as mischief by the wise one that is him. Fear not of being misunderstood but persevere and do what can be and should be.

But he should always mean no harm even if others disagree and feel he is doing them harm. Hold on to the pride of spirituality but do not let the pride run wild, get the better of the situation. Do contain it, treasure it and have quiet satisfaction or pride that at least one has understood and is on the way though a long long way.  But it is a sure way to spiritual enlightenement of being and release from rebirths.

Do what one can for those still far behind but often, no more than that. For if one tries to over do, one may be heavily misunderstood and be regarded as a trouble maker, up to mischief in the name of Heaven. 

Endure any gossips and any ill comments for that may be better than creating more gossips and ill wind. Hold fast to the truth and move on but from time to time gently prod others to move closer to more spirituality but don't go more than that.

Just do your part and leave the rest to providence. For that would be more than enough and you would have done allot for the good of the many and out of compassion for the world, albeit that little section or niche of your world.

Hold on to your pride but neither let your pride push you to run others down, nor let others run you down. Do your bit, a wee bit at a time and do what you can. Even if you do not succeed to convince and win others over, that's fine so long as you do what you can.

Don't join them to be not so right but don't leave or forsake them either, more so if they may be kith and kin or your brethren in life or under the same saint.

Let them throw stones at you but do not be hurt or wish to hurt.  For that should not be the case if you are indeed on the road of spirituality and wisdom.

Heaven and saints know though the men you want to help or change may not. Your reward and glory come from being right and being balance and at peace with life and with nature. Men and beings after all are part of nature.

Your rewards are heaped up for you by Heaven and will be reserved for you, either in the latter years of this life or the next.

Sages of old tell us to be with nature and life but not be thrown about by the vicissitudes of nature and life. We should be with nature and at peace amidst the yin and yang --- the joys and woes, the plusses and minuses of society at all times.

We must handle life as depicted by the seated image of Lord Bo Tien with feet astride the yin and yang and with one hand holding on to the truth of life and the other reminding that we be steady and stay focus at all times on the mission of life.

 "Namo Bo Tien Posat"

The wise are those who never fear of being misunderstood. Endurance is one's innocent glory in the next of world.



Gautama Buddha

For example, many frowned and perceived Siddhartha as drop-out of society when he gave up princely life to be an ascetic and beggar upon realising the sheer folly of worldly life. Why must men live blissfully unperturbed by problems of  birth, aging, illness and death and think that these affect others and not themselves?

He could not convince his five spiritual friends when he wanted to eat to sustain life for they thought he was weak in mind and had gone bonkers to eat, for eating meant then that he also had given up the way of the holy ones. They left him but he was sure of what he did was right and feared not being misunderstood. Endurance of even ridicule was necessary and was his innocent glory when he became the fully enlightened "Sama- Sam-Buddha".  Only when he became the fully enlightened Buddha, did they come back to him.

"Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sama sam Buddhasa"

Gautama Buddha

Truly, the wise are those who never fear of being misunderstood. Endurance is one's innocent glory in the next of world. However, the wise are finite and limited compared to the rest. The wise are few and outnumbered  and outdone by the many others. The wise must endure and stay on course to be a blessing to themselves in the end and then to be blessings to those who doubted and ridiculed them previously.

Ji Gong The Living Buddha

Posat Ji Gong too was no stranger to controversy and to being misunderstood.

After the demise of his parents and in war torn times, he was distraught and uprooted. He became queer, and roamed the land from Tiantai to Linan in Zheqiang. Finally, he became a monk at the then Ling Yin Temple and was ordained as Daoji. Thus secluded, he focused his mind on spiritual development. He was determined to serve humanity and went about to lighten the burdens of living for the common man.

On the flip side however, he was still noted for his wayward behavior and often broke the Vinaya - the rules of conduct of the order of monks. He openly ate meat and drank wine. He frolicked with monkeys at the hillside. He sang songs with children in wine-shops. Instead of being in monks robes, he was always dressed like a beggar wearing worn clothes, hat, shoes and always with a fan in one hand and a gourd containing wine in the other. But appearance was deceptive for he was kind hearted and was always dead serious and ready to lend a helping hand to ordinary people.

The monks in the monastery where he was ordained were at wits end and tried time and again to make him toe the line but they could not succeed and had to ask him to leave the monastery to be on his own.

From then on, he perfected the way and became a saint. No one would doubt that. Many of the monks then initially thought he was hopeless as his eccentric outward behaviour was great concern to them. He was no showman and was living proof that what is important is the purity of the heart and not outward show. 

One can appear religious, prime and proper. One could observe even the outward ways of monks and the clergy but what is the point if the heart is far from perfect and pure. He knew the way and cultivated it but his eccentric behaviour of drinking, frolicking and even eating meat puts off many including the clergy. Yet he was of help to the many as he continued to perfect the spiritual way.

He did not allow his pride of knowing the way and being in the way got the better of him. He did not need to impress others by being showy and conforming to the norms. He developed himself in his own way and proved others had misunderstood him.

But being wise, he never fear of being misunderstood. He demonstrated that what is important is what goes through the heart and not what goes through the gut. He was considered useless and had to leave the monastery. But he was sure of himself and he attained enlightenment. He helped many in their problems. Endurance is certainly one's innocent glory in the next world. When he joined the world of posats and became Ji Gong the living posat, no one could doubt him anymore.

"Namo Ji Gong Posat"

Ji Gong Posat

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