When a prophet or saint made his presence known, he had to work against the social current of the times. The teachings he gave were often somewhat different and counter to the beliefs of the day.
Thus he would not be popular with the king and rulers who would treat him with disdain and talked bad about him, saying that what he did disgraces them, the king and rulers.
They might even persecute and prosecute him when he became too popular to pose a threat to their rule. This might come to pass and did happened.
But as years passed bye and centuries lapsed, men who championed the belated saint or prophet made grand image out of him. They made King out of him. They even used his good name to bring fear and awe to men so that more would believe and be saved. That was the good intention but that made him an authority to be reckoned by men.
Thus far from being downtrodden in his lifetime on earth, over the centuries that lapsed, the saint's good name came to be used to coerce men to toe the line or be perished to oblivion and suffering either on earth or in hell.
From being champion of the downtrodden and the suffering many in his day on Earth as man, the saint was transformed by his overzealous adherents to be a figure to be awed and feared. Men must submit and believe or face the consequences. This image created for the saint surely is not befitting for the saint.
Why must the holy and loving saint suffer such fate or image? It is not that he will this to be. It is also not his fault or his making. It is the making of men who idolise him and make a hero out of him. If others do not idolise him, somehow some men of the saint will find ways to cow these others to submission and awe even if these others do not buy the teachings as the teachings though good do not mesh with their culture and existing beliefs and therefore not easily assimilated
The praiseworthy men of the saint in their fervor to want to impose their beliefs and ways then went further. They would go all out to infuse non-believers with their culture and ways so that they are more like them and more willing to accept their saint. This is not that the men of the saint were not good but that they wanted to do all to please their saint and make him the saint of all men. They badly wanted to share their saint with all men.
Are all these aforementioned the wish of a saint? This may partly be the case but what is more important to the saint is that men must know the teachings and values he eschews and represents. We may refer to these as the Word or Doctrine. Men must see the Doctrine in the saint and the saint in the doctrine. This will be the best gratitude adherents of the saint can give back to their beloved saint.
The best gift out of gratitude for a saint by his followers is to make others know the Doctrine of the saint. This should be the social image created in men by the ardent followers of the saint.
Lord Bo Tien said that men must project the correct image of a saint or prophet. Men must see the doctrine in the image and the doctrine in the image.
For example, the public image created by Amitabha followers in men is that there is no need to fear him or even to believe in him. Men can belong to any religion or sect but if they need help, they can call out his name OMITOFO and he Amitabha will make life better for them so that one day they can be in more congenial milieu to cultivate God's way in their own religion and be better men as well as be in that more favorable position to help others as well.
The wonder of wonders is that even if we believe him not and are not at all available to him, his blessings are available to us. Men will usually not do that but saints will.
He will not deny us though we may deny him. He is after all a saint and none other than Amitabha - a saint of saints. He is the ideal and a Buddha - an enlightened one for all beings even non-believers.
Omitofo.
The wonder of wonders is that even if we believe him not and are not at all available to him, his blessings are available to us. Men will usually not do that but saints will.
He will not deny us though we may deny him. He is after all a saint and none other than Amitabha - a saint of saints. He is the ideal and a Buddha - an enlightened one for all beings even non-believers.
Omitofo.
