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!.

Monday, December 16, 2013

That much more with God and saints

No 455 of Living Life Series 1

Oil lamps in church or temple
are symbolic of God and saints

It is true that the Word is God and those who live by the Word or rather in the Word is embodiment of God and saints. But the truth is that there is that much more if they additionally know the worthiness of God and saints beyond the Word. No man is saved by good works alone but by the grace of God. Jesus did say.

Why is living in the Word or Way (as Buddhists and Taoists call it) not enough and all need the grace or shelter of God and saints. This is because, no matter what, most who live in the Word are in the ultimate sense, long way off living by the Word. To help them to live in the Word or Way, they need to do two things.

One is to establish routines or good habits so that they can live by the Word more effectively. Without routines, such as time for prayers, reflection, meditation, group discussions, worship, chores etc, it would be onerous to keep focusing the mind on the Word. The yin and yang will distract and swirl the practitioner away from the Word. Routines establish and grow the discipline in men of the Word.

Secondly, by relying on faith in God and saints, they are more inclined to spiritual and to associating and surrounding themselves with divine environment. Their practising the Word enables God to intervene even more, for God will help those who help themselves.

God will even help those who are criminals if God so decides. Lord Bo Tien a saint of God says that if he so decides, he can train an imperfect man or even a criminal in his congregation to be a core follower. That is his divine prerogative. How much more will God and saints do for those who try to be embodiment of God and saints.

Our lives will be richer both spiritually and otherwise if we embrace God and saints though God and saints did say that Doctrine or the Word is all that matter for the Word is God.

The Word as in messages of
Lord Bo Tien summarized
in this book

Frankly whether we live in the Word or not, we can have that much more with God but at some point, we need to live in the Word. In the ultimate ideal, we need to find a balance of living in the Word and living with God and saints. The Way or Tao refers to that balance of the ups and downs of life, the yin and yang. This balance brings peace. While we need to cultivate this, God and saints can shelter us so that we can better cultivate the balance or Tao.

Lord Bo Tien did remind that if sheltered by a heavenly saint, a man practising the Word or Way is like a candle flame. The flame will flicker in the wind and risk being extinguished but will glow even brighter and steadily if sheltered by the saint.

The problem is that there are men in a temple who neither go by devotion or faith in God and saints nor by the Word or Way. They are more than ants that come to a flower for nectar. They come for personal ends and gains which most will do somehow but not to extreme and exclusion of both faith in God and saints and the Word of God and saints.

But Lord Bo Tien did say that we blame not the flower for insects coming to it for nectar. They (those who are like insects coming to the flower) more than anyone else should come to a temple and one day they will learn but when will this be? Leave it to God and saints.

Omitofo.

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.