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!.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

The promise of Amitabha to all.

No 457 of Living Life Series 1

We need to be crystal clear like the crystal ball above
with regards to Amitabha and not follow the crowd

This post on Amitabha quotes the sayings of Lord Bo Tien which are always universal and basic to all religions but men project as though religions differ in basic doctrine. Yes religions and sects do differ in elaboration of doctrine but they are one in basic doctrine and in Heaven. It is not surprising that the quotes are in line with teachings of Amitabha as they are with all religions and sects.

Amitabha and saints going all out to bless those who tread the Way

Why did Amitabha not go for ultimate enlightenment but he vowed to stay behind till every being is saved? Why did Amitabha create The Pure Land? What is the Pure Land?

Amitabha and saints welcome and bestow blessings
to beings who call out his name. They do not wait till the afterlife
before bestowing blessings of The Pure Land. Namo Omitofo

Well Amitabha did notice that many are not in the correct disposition to understand the true nature of life. Many are entangled in the ups and downs of life, the yin and yang to sages in old China or worldly contingencies or vicissitudes to orthodox Buddhists in India like gain-loss, honor-dishonor, praise-blame etc. They are so trapped in the spider web of life that there is need to solve one problem after another.

Like what Lord Bo Tien did say that the issues of men are many and plentiful. On top of that Lord Bo Tien added that there will always be the strong wind that comes the way of men even in a temple of the lord, such that even those who know the doctrine and practise it cannot keep their feet planted in the ground, they will be swept away.

But when the wind stops blowing, there will be calm and many will return. But the world of yin and yang throws up many strong winds and that is the problem. So time will be wasted.

True that men must cultivate the Way or Tao by staying atop and balancing the ups and downs of life to have peace. But there will always be storms after the calm seas and calm seas after the storms. This too Lord Bo Tien did Lord Bo Tien say.

Whilst it is indeed true that men have to undergo cultivation on their own, even with the shelter of saints, they may find it onerous. Every man Lord Bo Tien said is like a candle flame or oil lamp, which if sheltered from the might of wind of life will glow ever better.

Amitabha and the Bodhisattvas stand ready at Pure Land
to effect blessings to all who call out his name Omitofo
both in the present lives and also in their afterlives

Amitabha Buddha knew that and studied the various buddha lands over long time and created by virtue of his vast merits the Pure Land so that those who call out his name OMITOFO many times will have access to him and the Pure Land right now in the present life and thereafter in the afterlife.

Amitabha and Heaven ever ready to reach out
to those who call out his name - OMITOFO

He and the saints with him like Kuanyin, Ji Gong and Bo Tien will be with them and give the peace that is congenial to cultivation of Tao or Way for more peace. Even those who understand not and know not the Doctrine or Tou-li (spiritual logic) will not be left high and dry on the wayside of Tao.

All they need is to call out to Amitabha, and the way will open for them. Big issues will be small issues even if they cannot be no issues. Small issues will be no more issues. This was echoed by Lord Bo Tien and Ji Gong.

They will be blessed in the present life and at the end of the present life, if they call out Omitofo ten times, they will continue to be with Amitabha and the saints in Pure Land not just mentally but in person as well. There they will learn, grasp and cultivate Doctrine and if there be the need, be sent to other dimensions to go further and help themselves and others as well.

This is the eternal promise of Amitabha to all. We do not have to kowtow, worship or fear him. By the way, God and saints do not need men to fear them and worship them before they will help. There is no bargain.

Depiction of Pure Land with Amitabha and Bodhisattvas
in session radiating blessings to beings.
Truly there are many buddhas looking after beings .

Ask and it shall be given. Seek and ye shall find. This we learn in the Bible and was uttered by Jesus. Amitabha upholds the same principle but men must gain and learn in the process. Men must be better off spiritually and morally - and not in mundane and immoral decadent sense. They must become more worthy.

Amitabha and all saints will agree that there is no need to even worship or believe, let alone fear him. Just call out OMITOFO and we will know the difference.

But the problem with men of faith is that they project their egos into religion and coin the term Pure Land Buddhism when the truth is one and the word Buddhism is invention of men and not of any Buddha. As advised by Lord Bo Tien, men must go for the upper source for clear water. Likewise men must go for the upper source for the early knowledge on Amitabha.

Go for the basic and early teachings of Amitabha and not the evolved projections and interpretations of men over the centuries, men who are out to glorify and blow up and distort the image of Amitabha. He never meant to create exclusiveness and chosen people who are a class of their own.

His teachings are never meant to divide men into those who are adherents of Pure Land and those who are not. All men of whatever spiritual inclination or even if none are near and dear to him, here and now and not wait till they come to his Pure Land in the afterlife. Like what Lord Bo Tien did say, the near may be far and the far near.

Amitabha and saints reaching out to those who call out his name

The eternal promise of Amitabha is that we need only to call out his name and he will be with us to make things better and life will be more peaceful. Pure Land exists for us here and now. We do not need to wait and wait till afterlife. His Pure Land can come to us and we do not wait to go to Pure Land in the afterlife.

Amitabha is all for this and not for us to dream of the afterlife. That will be tantamount to creating another rainbow for craving. All be they saints or beings will be with Amitabha on this basic clear understanding of his teaching. We should dispel darkness with light. Amitabha is afterall the Buddha of Infinite Light.

It must be pertinent to stress over and over again that Amitabha is often misunderstood and misrepresented. Calling out his honorific will invoke the blessings of not only Amitabha but the whole host of Bodhisattvas, deities and God. He is in a way symbolic of all Buddhas.

Even God and deities have regards for him. In a sense, he is beyond the goodness of the immortals / gods combined. But mind you, in Heaven they do not compare and say who is better or greater when ego and pride are inconsequential.

There is no pecking order or pack mentality like in animals and dogs which men might still have. There is no jealousy or wrath which are abhorrent characteristics of those below Heaven. How can men ever say that God or Buddha is a jealous and wrathful God or Buddha and add that men shall not worship any others beside that one God or Buddha? That would be belittling God or Buddha.

Many may think that calling out Amitabha's name should only be done by vegetarians, preceptors, nuns and monks and not by any others. This is incorrect and a misconception.

Amitabha Buddha vowed to help all here and now and not wait till afterlife. We don't have to belong to him, be Buddhists or members of any religion before we can receive his blessings.

We only need to want help and call out his name - OMITOFO. We do not even refer to hims as Lord Amitabha and often refer him as Amitabha or Omitofo.

Namo Amitabha. 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.