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, January 2, 2014

Bigotry not a problem but an issue

No 470 of Living Life Series 1

A bigot is one who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ. Bigotry refers to the stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own. To put it in another way, bigotry refers to the actions, beliefs, prejudices, etc., of a bigot.

There are many who think what they believe are the only correct beliefs and others' beliefs are incomplete. But if they are able to accept that these others have the right to their belief, then they are not bigots.

But if they profess that their beliefs are the only beliefs for men and they insist that others beliefs are wrong, then they are bigots.

As there are prevalence of religious tolerance and give and take, bigotry is not a problem but is an issue for men of religion to be mindful of and be aware, so that the world is that much better a place to live in.

Saints and prophets of religions would never want to turn man against man. That would be the last thing God and saints would want. But if bigotry does occur, blame not God and saints.

Lord Bo Tien said that a flower would attract ants and insects to it for nectar. Blame not the flower for insects and ants coming to it.

Likewise a temple is likely to attract men with bigoted inclinations who may even stand out as champions of the faith and edge out the wise ones who see the oneness of religions and sects.

It is to show the oneness of the basic truth of God and Heaven behind all sects and religions, that the lord saint Lord Bo Tien descended in 1969 to point this out through what is referred as the Mission of Heaven through the Four Pillar Doctrine with religions and sects as the pillars and Heaven as the roof. All under Heaven are in the Mission or Universal Temple.

Lord Bo Tien

Lord Bo Tien is just a messenger and he is not here to start a new religion or sect. To show conclusively that the mission is true and possible, he started a Chinese temple and even in a Chinese temple with the many superstitions and traditions and lacking in doctrinal coherence, the truth is present. This is the inner truth behind all religions.

What is this inner truth? The basic truth of God and saints is present in all religions. The basic way to purify oneself so as to be one with God and saints is present in all. It involves the balancing worldly contingencies or vicissitudes like gain-loss, praise-blame and the many other ups and downs of life. This is depicted in his image with feet balancing the elements.

As said, ants and insects cannot be denied from going to the flower as reiterated by Lord Bo Tien. God and saints should not be faulted if men who come to their temples are not following the teachings of the saints and many may end up as bigots.

It is because of such people who are otherwise far from spiritual inclination, who are far any the teachings of God and saints, that temples and churches are set up. God and saints would be more than pleased to see them in the temples and churches as they could otherwise have given temples and churches the miss in the first place.

That the far can be near to them by being in the houses of God and saints is indeed what the God and saints above want. That they remain bigots for now is not a problem as they will learn and others who notice their bigotry will learn even more.

Lord Bo Tien reminded that we learn from the strengths and weaknesses of men in a temple. Bigotry may be an issue with men who cannot tolerate the bigots but God and saints are tolerant and accepting. So why can't men learn to be tolerant? Bigotry is not a problem but an issue for men to learn and be wiser from the learning.

During the lifetime of Ji Gong, the monks at the monastery he was attached for learning despised him because he did not follow the rules of Vinaya (monkhood) and he ate meat, drank wine, talked aloud, sang and dance. The other monks in the monastery however put up an external front to win approval of society at large but they do not practice the Way or Tao from the heart but only put up external front.

Ji Gong The Living Buddha

Ji Gong did and his principle is that what matter is what is in the heart and not what one does and what go through the gut." He succeeded and was able to be the Living Buddha. He helped many and was able to show that men should not be bigots and look down on those who disagreed with or differ from them.

He did not fault the monks at the monastery but they faulted him and drove him out of the monastery in rags and tags. He was not even worthy of a simple monk's robes.

Their bigotry was no problem with him but remains an issue not only for men at that time but also through out history till today. The issue is how men can learn and be wiser from the learning.

Lord Bo Tien allowed or rather chose a bunch of men who are far from being spiritual to be in his temple to roll out and continue his mission. That they could still do that much and could not do more is no problem.

Even those who frowned at such men and are bordering on bigotry are not the problem as well. Without doubt, some element of bigoted ways of men remained an issue but bigotry even if present posed no problem. 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.