Everyone who is inspired by the saint in a temple must know thus. He must know what the saint represents, what is the mission of the saint. He too must know clearly how he is going to fit into the grand divine plan. He must be mindful that he comes to a temple for his own agenda and that it is not wrong to do so or to begin with as this is common and the very reason why most come to a temple.
To say that even a lay leader in a temple has no personal motivation to come to a temple is not being honest. What is wrong in having personal motive or to seek personal gratification?
To say that even a lay leader in a temple has no personal motivation to come to a temple is not being honest. What is wrong in having personal motive or to seek personal gratification?
Nothing wrong so long as there is awareness and so long as man does not subsume the broader mission of the saint under his personal mission or purpose in life due to his big-headed incliniation. A saint will not prevent men from coming to a temple whatever the motive they may have.
It is like the flower which cannot deny insects from coming to it for nectar. Hopefully after getting nectar of blessings, man will go along and walk the path of saints and not just live the life of mere men. It is not that men must leave the family life, the job he has and the society he is in.
But for goodness sake, do be good and live by the guidance of the saint, live by the Word of the saint and make the Word come to life in one's life. The principles and ethos of the Word of God and saints should echo too in one's life as man.
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| Lord Bo Tien |
The spiritual values can work for both spiritual and mundane life. Lord Bo Tien say this time and time again. Let us thank Him for his guidance and blessings. But let not the weakness of man get the better of us and make us forsake the spiritual values for human aspirations and ambitions.
That may be disappointing but is a reality somehow for many temples and churches. Some may say that the situation is as good as the saying that men of temples may end up as wolves in sheep's clothing.
Now and then this not-too-often sad state of affairs translates into the unthinkable. For instance you may think that men of a temple driven by self interest will be civil and not shoo away their brethren from a brother temple.
But in the grip of human weakness, they may may shoo them away when they come to visit, just because they chastise their brethren for leaning on the shoulders of other men they do not see eye to eye with. This is due to ignorance, self interest and even encroached on bigotry.
The saint of the temple will be disappointed but will understand that they are being human after all. We all know that to err is human. Just because they are not as good does not mean they should not be in the temple or they must be removed from lay leadership.
On the contrary, as long as they still want to be in the temple, as long as they have some flicker of the candle light of spirituality, the saint will let them stay, bless them somewhat as well in their lives as men. The saint will let them learn and develop but fate is in their own hands.
Their weakness will be glaring lessons for other men to learn and not make the same mistakes. Lord Bo Tien reminds us that life after all is the living gospel. We learn from our own lives and from the lives of fellow men. The somewhat bigoted men, (pardon the use of the strong term bigot) too will learn at their own pace but perhaps even if not in present life may be in future lives.
Judge them not but learn from them. Remember to learn not just from their weaknesses but also from their goodness for they are not all devil but they too have the saint in them.
Your brother may spurn you but let not this irks you. Learn even from the brother who spurns you not only from their wrong but from their right as well. The brother who spurns you may be of service to you if you know how. Learn from their goodness and bring out more goodness in them as well. Wake-up call may be needed but often not necessary. But if needed on rare occasions, it must be meted out judiciously and prudently without hurt and malice.
This lesson on the brother who spurns you applies to every aspect and situation in life, not just in a temple but in your life in the family, job, social circles and what have you. Give more thought to this and get the better out of life and not the worst of life. Cheers
This lesson on the brother who spurns you applies to every aspect and situation in life, not just in a temple but in your life in the family, job, social circles and what have you. Give more thought to this and get the better out of life and not the worst of life. Cheers
