No 347 of Living Life Series 1
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| Lord Bo Tien |
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| Map from Wikipedia showing in red the State of Perak in Malaysia |
Lord Bo Tien had said in 1975 at Sitiawan temple (Perak Malaysia) two days after mission day of 13th day of nine lunar month: -
(1) Those who pray with sincere heart to the saint, the saint will take heed and those who seek the saint for blessings, the saint will come to bless them.
(2) Big issue will be small issue and small issues will be no issue if men seek the blessings of the saints.
(3) The far may be near and the near may be far.
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| Lord Bo Tien |
It is significant that the three statements were said on the same occasion and of all places at Sitiawan (Perak, Malaysia) on the day of inception of the poly-marble image of the lord saint.
The three statements can be taken independently or together.
It is evident that men must be sincere when they go to a temple. That sincerity makes the difference and must come from the heart. The focus must be on divinity and not on man and the agenda of men. Man is man and God is God.
Many go to a temple like insects and ants to a flower to get the nectar. They are not committed to the purpose of the descent of a heavenly saint like Lord Bo Tien. They have no sincerity towards divinity that comes from the heart. They merely wants worldly blessings. They supersede the mission of Heaven and the saint with their own agenda.
They will get what they want like insects get nectar from a flower but that is all. It is significant to take note that those who come to the lord saint with sincere heart of wanting to play role to support His Mission will not just go for the nectar but will harvest the fruits and seeds so that new plants and seeds will grow for the good of the many and out of compassion for the world.
The nectar is just the initial attraction but whether men wakes up and go for more than the nectar is the issue that will effectively mean they will play role in saving souls not only their own but others. The issue for nectar for worldly gain is just the worldly agenda but the big issue is to save the world and this means how to save men from the cycle of births and deaths.
Though this is onerous and a receding rainbow for many, what matters is to have commitment to God and saints and not the shortsighted agenda of men at worldly level. The few committed to God and saving of souls will survive through the storms and droughts of life.
The saving of souls is the big issue. Such big issue may not be solved in one lifetime but at least with the blessings of refuge in God and saints, even the big issue will be lesser issue even if it cannot be resolved at one go. The good men of God and saints will upgrade themselves from life station to life station and from life to life as they are rooted in the mission to save souls, their own as well as others
The saving of souls is the big issue. Such big issue may not be solved in one lifetime but at least with the blessings of refuge in God and saints, even the big issue will be lesser issue even if it cannot be resolved at one go. The good men of God and saints will upgrade themselves from life station to life station and from life to life as they are rooted in the mission to save souls, their own as well as others
The other noteworthy aspect is that while many clamour for control and dominance of a religious place like a temple, such men may not be as God-worthy as the meek and stand alone few who chose to be at the fringe. and not squabble over the agenda of men.
The men who are swollen headed and dominate a temple and usurp the true divine purpose of the temple of the lord are like the fruit trees in a plantation but when drought comes, even the farmers could not save the trees from withering.
But the good men at the fringe who are rooted in divine principles and motivated in divinity may not be as stout and showy in normal times but when drought comes they will still stand, flower and bear fruit. They last beyond this life and thrive beyond this life as they are rooted in sub-terrain water of inner truth (divine truth) and are able to nourish and save their souls while the rest in the temple of man or plantation withers and fades like lost souls.
Thus the far (that is those who are at the fringe but are rooted in divinity and mission) may be near and the near (who are in the man made temple and seek glory of concrete temple of man) may be far (from God). Their souls wither and go astray waiting to be saved by those at the fringe, those whom they thought could not make it but actually make it for they were sincere and rooted in water of divine mission and truth. (For the reconstructed 1979 message on the tree at the fringe, go to the prelude of 1980 message by clicking Lord Bo Tien's 1980 Anniversary Message)
There are three historical temples built in the name of the lord saint. Two were at Sitiawan (Perak State of Malaysia) but based on mission visit in February 2012 by Elder Ling Diung Kwong only the first is likely to continue to stand and grow as the legal existence of the second is under question. The other beside these two awaits a fate that depends on how it is managed. All depends on how a temple is managed. Can a temple be like the lone tree at the fringe rooted in sub-terrain water of inner truth and orientated towards the Mission of Heaven and not the agenda or mission of man?
The answer is obvious and options are open. It all depends on the men who are at the helm. Certainly they can make it if they want to. They can make it by rooting themselves in God and saints and not in the ways of men. They can and they should.
Thus though the management of a temple can be near to the saint, they may indeed be far. They chose worldly welfare issues as the primary end instead of means to the end. The primary end should be the saving of souls. Emphasis should be on saving souls.
Welfare issues are secondary though they admittedly are important initial means to that end for a significant many. They go for the smaller issues and forget to handle the big issue. Thus they neglect the big issue of the need to save souls and let it fester in the background of life, wasting precious time.
If they are sincere and want to be close to the saint, the saint will go to them and bless them. With the blessing of the saint, even the big issue of saving souls will be no issue but at least lesser issue if it cannot be no issue for the interim. Handle this big issue and other smaller issues will be no issue. But if men go for smaller issues, they may be so carried away that they leave the big issue of saving souls aside. That would defeat the purpose of the descent of a saint like Lord Bo Tien.
The Three Sitiawan pointers were made in the small subsidiary temple at Sitiawan Perak, Malaysia. The lord saint must have his reason for giving the three pointers there. The far and seemingly at the fringe may be near and the near may indeed be far. This may well be for any temple in the world, not necessarily that at Sitiawan Town of Perak State of Malaysia.
There are three historical temples built in the name of the lord saint. Two were at Sitiawan (Perak State of Malaysia) but based on mission visit in February 2012 by Elder Ling Diung Kwong only the first is likely to continue to stand and grow as the legal existence of the second is under question. The other beside these two awaits a fate that depends on how it is managed. All depends on how a temple is managed. Can a temple be like the lone tree at the fringe rooted in sub-terrain water of inner truth and orientated towards the Mission of Heaven and not the agenda or mission of man?
The answer is obvious and options are open. It all depends on the men who are at the helm. Certainly they can make it if they want to. They can make it by rooting themselves in God and saints and not in the ways of men. They can and they should.
Thus though the management of a temple can be near to the saint, they may indeed be far. They chose worldly welfare issues as the primary end instead of means to the end. The primary end should be the saving of souls. Emphasis should be on saving souls.
Welfare issues are secondary though they admittedly are important initial means to that end for a significant many. They go for the smaller issues and forget to handle the big issue. Thus they neglect the big issue of the need to save souls and let it fester in the background of life, wasting precious time.
If they are sincere and want to be close to the saint, the saint will go to them and bless them. With the blessing of the saint, even the big issue of saving souls will be no issue but at least lesser issue if it cannot be no issue for the interim. Handle this big issue and other smaller issues will be no issue. But if men go for smaller issues, they may be so carried away that they leave the big issue of saving souls aside. That would defeat the purpose of the descent of a saint like Lord Bo Tien.
The Three Sitiawan pointers were made in the small subsidiary temple at Sitiawan Perak, Malaysia. The lord saint must have his reason for giving the three pointers there. The far and seemingly at the fringe may be near and the near may indeed be far. This may well be for any temple in the world, not necessarily that at Sitiawan Town of Perak State of Malaysia.
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