No 406 of Living Life Series 1
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| Lord Bo Tien |
If Lord Bo Tien is that chosen one to be a messenger of God for the oneness of religions, that all religions take reference to the same God, then the mandate must be supported by able and capable men who are wealthy, academic and highly spiritual. But this was not the case and many who do not know him would think that the so called mission may well be a sham. He would rather work with 'nobodies' than 'somebodies'
He gave certain pointers which may explain why he had to execute the mission with a loose bunch who are generally not impressive and may even be a turn-off save for a handful few. Even this handful few who are good are also not good in many areas to the point that they can disappoint others.
One pointer he gave is that the mission is not the mission of man but the Mission of Heaven. It is by Heaven and not by men. So perhaps to prove the point, he would rather have unimpressive men to work with at human level. Then he could show that even with such handicap, the mission will go on and spread.
Another pointer he referred to is that the flower should not be blamed for insects coming to it for nectar. The insects will come for nectar and not for the beauty of the flower. Those who know more and are more motivated by the mission will be edged out and put off by those who come to get nectar for personal and worldly gain.
The opportunists will take on mantle of leadership but will hijack the divine mission for their own personal mission or agenda. For example, he commented that setting up old folks home is good but there will be those who do so for personal agenda to further their own interests not in spiritual realm but in the social and quasi-political realm. They will push forward this and relegate spiritual to oblivion or at best pay lip service to spiritual.
The third pointer is that if we have highly good and spiritual men, the wider public may think that the lord saint is the concoction of the intellect of these men. For example, if the medium or divine intermediary though whom he gave many a sermons is of great potential and flawless in all ways, then the public will not see the saint as saint and the man as man. There will be no stark contrast to show that saint is saint and man is man.
Clever men too can act very spiritual and be very impressive at the pulpit but they may just wear the spiritual mask to hide their main intentions - the darker side. They may misuse a church or temple and push God to the fore so as to further their personal ends. They may corrupt the spirituality of a church or temple and mislead congregation to give more to the church or temple in the name of God. The main benefactor will not be the people at large, not God or the church or temple but these men who may be socially acclaimed leaders, pastors or monks.
Bo Tien Mission may well be spared off such personalities disguised as angels but it is generally still not spared off those who come for nectar of personal gain. The flower cannot be blamed for insects coming to it for nectar. This did Lord Bo Tien say.
There is perhaps no better way to show that there is God and the Mission of God by having ground mission with a group of common men with common problems and weaknesses. Better to work with those who are more nobodies than somebodies.
This would actually show the need to have mission and the mission after all must seek out such men --- the more of nobodies than somebodies. God and saints need to seek out such men and they need to be saved more than others who are better. So why not the mission start with, work with and end with such men "who are never somebodies but more of nobodies."
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| Ji Gong |
Even Ji Gong the living Buddha chose to act like a nobody. He was like a beggar, talked like a joker and drank wine. He was like one of those whom others would not think is of any spiritual value and did not act like one with religious finesse. But he is well cultivated at heart and a saint.
Even in trance, he would speak and act through the trancer as though he is no saint, sitting on floor, dancing and prancing around, talking frankly and be very abrupt. But his saintly nature comes through in the miracles and help he doles out.
Often, the solution he metes out in the lives of men are that simple on hindsight. Ask those who have benefited and they will have many stories to tell.
The best miracle is that he makes better men out of men. He awakens these men and bring on awareness of how to have peace be it mundane or spiritual. He was able to do so without making these men study scriptures but by making them understand life and how to have no burdens in life and yet not deny life.
It is simplicity that counts, be it in the perspective of mission or a saint like Ji Gong
When men were nobodies and had precious little or nothing in status or wealth, life was simpler and relationship more plain selling as well. But with progress in life of men due to blessings say in temple work, ego rears it ugly head and men can no longer be easy with one another. Men may even go after the father figure and bite the hand that raised them. Thus they inevitably break precepts of respecting elders just because elders are not perfect. The rest of the story you know better. This is the sad aspect of the stories of many families, societies, temples and churches.
Simplicity counts - better nobody than somebody.
It was better have more nobodies than somebodies in the early phase of the mission of Lord Bo Tien when all were young and fresh from school and national service, when all were nobodies in 1969 than 40 plus years later when many had progressed and were somebodies in society.
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Insp Ling
old photo |
In post 1969 era, all had to look up to Elder Ling then a senior police officer for leadership in management and setting up of mission's new concrete building. He had good heart but was rough and tough even hurtful but he held sway and that mattered and augured well for local and overseas mission. He had since left the front line but remains in the backdrop despite reservations by many.
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| The early post 1969 era |
All in 1974 era had mistakes and weaknesses but they were able to overlook and work as one; for being nobodies, they had less status and pride. But times have changed and many have drifted from one another but some are still good and that is why there is localised and limited initiatives which may still has semblance of mission. The charity drive of the local initiative as in 2013 is way ahead of doctrine.
Doctrine has allot to catch up and must supersede charity aspect as the mission proper is doctrine based. There would have been no need for mission by the lord saint if just for charity activities as charity had and has been the practice of many temples and churches.
The mission is to set the pace for others to follow and not to follow what others have been doing. Lord Bo Tien descended to make the difference and not to start another run of the mill temple, church or charity. The difference has to do with doctrine and oneness of God behind all religions.
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The early post 1969 era with Inspector Ling
at helm standing on right and in 'white' |
It too was better for Ji Gong as monk Daoji in ancient China to act like nobody than to show otherwise some 1000 plus years ago (as of 2013). He did not follow the norms - by being dirty and beggarly, by eating meat, drinking wine, dancing and rolling on floor like a vagabond. Thus he was frowned at and even despised at by the dominating high echelons of society at that time 1000 plus years ago (from 2013) in China and was expelled from the monastery.
At least, he could be a nobody and be with the numerous nobodies. Otherwise, he would be blocked by the high society monks and echelons and be distanced from the wider public, the down trodden and the rest of the nobodies in society.
He had to behave like a nobody so as to reach out to and bless the nobodies and at same time provided the timely wake-up call for the somebodies when his sainthood became well known later. This way both nobodies and somebodies could have their hearts awaken to Tao, be blessed and be enlightened.
If he had been prime and proper and had toed the ethics of monastery, the somebodies would be more emboldened to ever be more upstarts and self conceited, be that more intoxicated by ego though they might abstain from alcohol and looked prime and proper. The nobodies too would not have the blessing of his mingling directly with him.
Enlightenment is never meant only for the well heeled and nobility but for all - both the nobodies and somebodies.
Simplicity counts and it is far better to be more of nobody than to be somebody as far as the cultivation of the heart of Tao or Way to God and inner peace is concerned.
Simplicity counts and one day not far from 2013, there is no need for images, shrine or place of worship. There may in time come the day when institutional religion is a thing of the past. This may be far fetched but is already the norm for many who are spiritual and yet without a religion. Religion will outlive its value if it is to divide men and make them come to blows with one another.
Let there be simple relationship between man and God. Man must not think the world of himself and the one who feels he is nobody even when he is somebody is the one God can count on.
The one who literally has nothing should not give up but have confidence he can have more and be somebody if he is content for now for being a nobody.
The reason is that if he has the heart and peace of spirit, he is better off being a nobody than the one who has plenty and is somebody but empty at heart. The latter is the actual nobody.
Simplicity counts - Better nobody than somebody.
Let us be reminded of Ji Gong. Ji Gong is more than a somebody who behaves like he is a nobody. He is a saint who does not appear to be a saint but acts like he is not one but like any vagrant on the floor at the street corner.
Ji Gong is new and in a way a nobody to any temple in the name of Lord Bo Tien but this does not mean he cannot be somebody in the Mission of God with Lord Bo Tien as messenger or facilitator.
Lord Bo Tien too did say in 1975 that he was not here to display his magnificence and majesty as a heavenly saint and he tells precious little of himself. The image only personifies the doctrine. We know precious little of him, in fact almost nothing of him except that the image is the doctrine and doctrine is his image.
It would appear that he wanted us to know the doctrine of God knowledge and didn't want us to know that he is somebody in Heaven. It is alright to have the impression that he is a relatively nobody compared to the other saints and he had been unknown to man till he made himself known from around 1969 and even then we know almost nothing of him.
He is certainly somebody but yet portrays himself as nobody. We could not even have his image at altar unless there are the images of Buddha and Goddess of Mercy. The images of Buddha and Goddess of Mercy must take precedence over his image and his image should not be in any households save perhaps for his handful of pioneer followers.
His temple if any is only the representation of or the gateway to the universal temple with the sky or heaven as the roof and religions as the pillars. All under heaven are in this temple and even nobodies are part of the temple. No one can be barred from the temple.
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The universal temple.
All religions and saints
under same God.
All in one |
There are three gateways so far to the universal temple but the last listed the Living Life Series is taking dominance in the mission as it is doctrine based and the mission is a doctrine mission. It has enabled people far and wide apart to appreciate and be involved.
There are the few in the other two gateways who are less concerned with doctrine and more to be somebodies in society. Their myopic orientation to society angle is fueled by their wanting to change fast from being nobodies to somebodies, albeit more in societal standing and that in a way is good as well and no doubt about that.
That is a blessing that they want and the lord saint Lord Bo Tien will provide this as well. It is their choice and focus but all should move on to more lofty spiritual focus. One or two do have spiritual focus but want to take on leadership role in spirituality even before they are better cultivated because of the void in spiritual leadership.
They in a way are still nobodies and yet want to be more than nobodies. They are better than the self professed somebodies who see the dust in others eyes but fail to see their own. Hopefully the writer is not like them, but only time will tell. Who knows? He may not be able to see dust in his own eyes, as said by Lord Jesus.
Lord Bo Tien did say in 1975 that the far may be near and the near far. The nobodies are better to work with than the somebodies but yet from time to time the reverse is needed.
So long as doctrine is in the heart of a man and that man lives by doctrine, it does not matter if that man is a nobody or somebody. He who knows and sees the doctrine, knows and sees the lord saint. This Lord Bo Tien said in 1975. He is loved by gods (saints) and men. Heaven stands by that man and is in that man.
With doctrine, there is simplicity and less complexity in life. Problems if any are not as bad after all even if they are difficult ones. Issues will be no issues to man of doctrine. Big issues will be small issues even if they cannot be no issue. There will be peace come what may. God is with him and he is with God.
The man who lives by doctrine is somebody even if he is a nobody. The man who knows doctrine and lives by it will know he is a nobody even if he is somebody.
Be like Ji Gong. Though more than a somebody for he is a buddha and a saint, he acts like a nobody, goes for simplicity and prefers the floor of men than a seat in Heaven. He prefers the grey robes of a beggar and looks every bit dignified in it.
He belongs to no temple, sect or religion but is accepted by all religions and sects as he does not have any historical hierarchical position in any religion. If his image is at a temple, it is not in the main shrine but in the courtyard to signify that the world is his temple.
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There are three gateways to the universal temple: -
(1) Singapore gateway
(2) Sitiawan gateway
(3) Global gateway - the main gateway
(1) Singapore gateway of the universal temple with the sky or heaven as the roof and all are in this temple. Religions are the pillars of this temple.
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