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.

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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 17, 2013

Reflections on Christmas, Life and Temple

No 428 of Living Life Series 1

Christmas is the season of receiving, of giving and of reconciliation. What are we reconciling with? Life is about happiness. Happiness can come with receiving and from giving. But ultimately, we must reconcile with the reality that happiness is about having meaning in life beyond receiving and giving.

This describes life. When we are young, we receive the blessings of growing up. Parents and society provide us with growth, with education and we pick up life skills to play our roles in adult world. In the adult world, we think we have arrived but though we are giving back and serving society through jobs, we are far from having arrived. We grow older and we realise life is more than receiving and giving.

Life is about finding peace and meaning that will be beyond the receiving and giving, beyond the ups and downs and all else that sages of old refer to as yin and yang. We have to reconcile with all that we know as life. Otherwise, we will not be at peace with life and with being in life here and now and hereafter.

The life of a temple or mission of a lord saint like that of Lord Bo Tien is also like that. There is the receiving phase when heaven gives and then there is the giving phase when men having been blessed have to give as well, albeit to wider society. Then in maturity, life of a temple or mission is beyond receiving blessings from Heaven and beyond giving back to society through welfare activities.

The life of a mission or temple has to do with how to inject peace and meaning to just being men so that men can feel they have reconciled with life. Then men can feel settled and arrived. Then men can stand still and yet move on, like depicted by the yin and yang in the Bagua.

Christmas, life and temple have to do with more than receiving and giving. We need to reconcile with what is beyond receiving and giving and only then we can be at peace with life, with nature and with God and saints. Reconciliation has to do with how we can be one with the whole of existence. We learn to be one with existence, with God and nature.

The archway is one with Nature.
Our life and our temple
should be like that

The Potala Temple is one with Nature
The essence of reconciliation with God and life

Ji Gong is one with Life, Nature and with God
Are we too reconciled and one with God?
Are we one with Tao?

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.