The men who became the seeds for religions as we know today were the very ones who found the prevailing religious practices in the days of old wanting and lacking.
This post draws on the truth behind men who are the reason for religions and why religions today should not end up doing what the great men did not want men to do in the name of religion.
Men in history who became the focus of religions were actually people who expressed distaste and disdain with the ways of those who were religious in their days. They were the very ones who felt that the principles of religions or religious culture were wrong and misleading.
Buddha Gautama as Siddharta was one. As an ascetic after leaving life of prince, he was nowhere near the peace he wanted by fasting and eating only roots. This was the prevailing practice of spiritual teachers then. He found the answer by renouncing asceticism and he became the historical Buddha.
He was not even a vegetarian as he ate what was given when he went alms begging. But truth being told is not as simplistic as we think. Vegetarianism is good for very different reasons but Gautama was no vegetarian.
Buddha Gautama as Siddharta was one. As an ascetic after leaving life of prince, he was nowhere near the peace he wanted by fasting and eating only roots. This was the prevailing practice of spiritual teachers then. He found the answer by renouncing asceticism and he became the historical Buddha.
He was not even a vegetarian as he ate what was given when he went alms begging. But truth being told is not as simplistic as we think. Vegetarianism is good for very different reasons but Gautama was no vegetarian.
Then we have Lao Tse who worked for years till old age as the palace librarian in China. He was upset with the strife that was rife in society more so with the well off and powerful. The worship of status and power was everywhere.
Men had to bribe the authority be it at level of men on Earth or in Heaven to win the favor or reprieve of punishment. This left a bad taste in him and he called it quits in old age and rode on a buffalo into the wilderness from the frontier of the city. A frontier guard asked him to leave behind in writing his thoughts.
This became the earliest writings of Taoism and though very much unintended, he became the pioneer of Taoism. In fact, what he wanted was the peace in retirement by going into the nature and be in harmony with and merging with nature. He wanted to share this with men.
Men in veneration of him immortalized him. They even made him appear domineering figure and exerting divine will over men to be religious.
There is no doubt that he is an immortal and worthy of veneration but men are even in this day and age too carried over by their adoration of him to the extent that he is even considered above God and one of the Three Purities in the Supra Universe beyond the Universe of Heaven, Earth and Hell that are overseen by God.
By doing so, we may lose the essence of his approach to life and this is indeed what he would not want or wish for. This is often the fault of men and not the fault of saints like him.
Men had to bribe the authority be it at level of men on Earth or in Heaven to win the favor or reprieve of punishment. This left a bad taste in him and he called it quits in old age and rode on a buffalo into the wilderness from the frontier of the city. A frontier guard asked him to leave behind in writing his thoughts.
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| Lao Tse leaving the frontier |
This became the earliest writings of Taoism and though very much unintended, he became the pioneer of Taoism. In fact, what he wanted was the peace in retirement by going into the nature and be in harmony with and merging with nature. He wanted to share this with men.
Men in veneration of him immortalized him. They even made him appear domineering figure and exerting divine will over men to be religious.
There is no doubt that he is an immortal and worthy of veneration but men are even in this day and age too carried over by their adoration of him to the extent that he is even considered above God and one of the Three Purities in the Supra Universe beyond the Universe of Heaven, Earth and Hell that are overseen by God.
By doing so, we may lose the essence of his approach to life and this is indeed what he would not want or wish for. This is often the fault of men and not the fault of saints like him.
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| Ji Gong |
Then we have Ji Gong who as man became a monk in a monastery but was expelled for not abiding with the norms and behavior of a monk. He was not even worthy of wearing robes and was asked to leave. He was a pain in the neck. He was disrobed.
He had a mind of his own and found it distasteful for religious men to put on a good image upfront but which was not backed up by cultivation from the heart.
He believed that "it is not what we do or what goes through the gut that matters but what is in the heart." He was chided for eating meat, drinking wine, impropriety and eccentric crazy behavior.
He had a mind of his own and found it distasteful for religious men to put on a good image upfront but which was not backed up by cultivation from the heart.
He believed that "it is not what we do or what goes through the gut that matters but what is in the heart." He was chided for eating meat, drinking wine, impropriety and eccentric crazy behavior.
Jesus in his time as man frowned at those in synagogues who spoke from a high pedestal. He was not liked by notable leaders of synagogues. But some men today may still use his name to instill fear and make small the men who do not submit to the teachings made in his name.
This may make some men to misperceive him when he believed that men must be meek. "The exalted will be humbled and the humble and meek will be exalted."
But the flip side is that it may still be alright for men to use his good name or the good name of any saint in any way they deem fit, as long as goodness prevails for all in the end.
This is the uniqueness of religions which defy the odds and often multifaceted. No one is wrong but everyone is right even if they do not speak the same tune as others or the saints.
It is still pertinent to remember the universal prayer Lord Bo Tien taught, "To all heavenly saints, we greatly adore. We believe in your existence and thy glory is in the thought of men. We seek for thy protection and guidance so as to live better for the time to come."
Lord Bo Tien also reminds us to look for the upper source for clear water and not to accept what men of institutional religions tell us as the gospel truth.
Moreover, the lord saint said that the true gospel is in life and we have to learn from the strengths and shortfalls of men, more so in men of religions.
The lord saint also said that it is alright for religions and prophets to propound dogmas and beliefs that differ and may be contradictory with that of other religions.
Religions have to have their own ways of holding on to their flocks so that they can be with God and saints and go the needed further step to cultivate the Way or Tao by being more discerning. This is in all religions.
Men must cultivate in-depth spirituality by balancing and staying atop worldly contingencies as depicted by the image of the lord saint with feet atop the elements. Sages of old in China refer to these as yin and yang e.g. fire water, gain loss etc. The image is the doctrine and the doctrine is in the image. This did the lord saint say.
The highlighted in blue constitute the various aspects of what Lord Bo Tien refers to as The Inner Truth behind religions. The lord saint says that existing religions and sects are good enough. There is no need for him to start any new sect or religion. His mission is to inculcate grasp of The Inner Truth in whatever religion or sect we are in.
Omitofo.
This may make some men to misperceive him when he believed that men must be meek. "The exalted will be humbled and the humble and meek will be exalted."
But the flip side is that it may still be alright for men to use his good name or the good name of any saint in any way they deem fit, as long as goodness prevails for all in the end.
This is the uniqueness of religions which defy the odds and often multifaceted. No one is wrong but everyone is right even if they do not speak the same tune as others or the saints.
It is still pertinent to remember the universal prayer Lord Bo Tien taught, "To all heavenly saints, we greatly adore. We believe in your existence and thy glory is in the thought of men. We seek for thy protection and guidance so as to live better for the time to come."
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| Lord Bo Tien |
Lord Bo Tien also reminds us to look for the upper source for clear water and not to accept what men of institutional religions tell us as the gospel truth.
Moreover, the lord saint said that the true gospel is in life and we have to learn from the strengths and shortfalls of men, more so in men of religions.
The lord saint also said that it is alright for religions and prophets to propound dogmas and beliefs that differ and may be contradictory with that of other religions.
Religions have to have their own ways of holding on to their flocks so that they can be with God and saints and go the needed further step to cultivate the Way or Tao by being more discerning. This is in all religions.
Men must cultivate in-depth spirituality by balancing and staying atop worldly contingencies as depicted by the image of the lord saint with feet atop the elements. Sages of old in China refer to these as yin and yang e.g. fire water, gain loss etc. The image is the doctrine and the doctrine is in the image. This did the lord saint say.
The highlighted in blue constitute the various aspects of what Lord Bo Tien refers to as The Inner Truth behind religions. The lord saint says that existing religions and sects are good enough. There is no need for him to start any new sect or religion. His mission is to inculcate grasp of The Inner Truth in whatever religion or sect we are in.
Omitofo.
