Men in a temple may often behave as though they are angels and doing good deeds. There is no doubt that they do good for others. The question is their motivation to do so and why are they so loud and trumpeting about what they do.
They will always say that they are taught by the lord saint of the temple to do good. But their actions in the long run may not support their claim. They do come to a temple to do good but they do so to do good to themselves, not at spiritual level but at mundane level, and often self-centered and far from spiritual - even with devilish touch.
They use the temple as stepping stones to meet their other mundane agenda. If the mundane agenda are not harmful to others, this is in a way acceptable though still far from right.
They use the temple as stepping stones to meet their other mundane agenda. If the mundane agenda are not harmful to others, this is in a way acceptable though still far from right.
But if the agenda are bad and harmful, then there is cause for concern. What they do may be unbecoming of those who carry the good name of the temple and the lord saint. They end up selling away the interests of fellow members and devotees, by turf guarding and grabbing, by sexual and financial misconduct, by short changing the lord saint in the temple and doing their own worldly mission rather than the mission of the lord saint.
The saint becomes the puppet and they make a mockery of the temple and the lord saint. But the lord saint or the temple is like a flower. Lord Bo Tien said that we should not blame the flower for insects coming to it for nectar.
A flower will invariably attract insects. Men will come to a temple for personal gains. Who would not do so?
But some go even further. They commit grave wrong and the unthinkable in a temple, all because of desire for nectar of personal gains.
They even become management leaders and take on clergy roles. They commit the worst in the name of a temple and have social and worldly gains which to many are the blessings they get from God for what they do.
But they are more like devils in the guise of angels. The devil at work in man is man himself, not Satan.
But some go even further. They commit grave wrong and the unthinkable in a temple, all because of desire for nectar of personal gains.
They even become management leaders and take on clergy roles. They commit the worst in the name of a temple and have social and worldly gains which to many are the blessings they get from God for what they do.
But they are more like devils in the guise of angels. The devil at work in man is man himself, not Satan.
Hardly a handful one or two walk the straight line and can stand tall. Often they are the very ones who from the beginning were considered not of the core group or mainstream. They are near and dear to the lord saint though seemingly far.
They are often ostracized, mocked, ridiculed and sidelined. But they continue to shoulder on, often taking on important but non-rosy jobs in the temple.
The meaty and more juicy roles which allow for devils in men to take credit and limelight go to those who are like insects coming to the flower for nectar.
The devil at work in man is man himself, not Satan. Isn't this true? This is more so in a temple or church, but can be anywhere. They often may claim to do good to society than to themselves. They may enrich and benefit themselves more than the society they serve and they are more likely attracted to places of God and saints. Have some thought.
But having said that, men are not saints and men have to learn. Thus it is to be expected that there will always be the flaws in the best of men. Men will always be like that, a bit of devil and man, two in one (like the green figure above) till they attain sainthood. It is therefore best that when we next visit a temple, keep a level head and do not expect to see the saint in man.
