The wondrous ways of saints

No 480 of Living Life Series 1

Saints are not men though men can cultivate Tao or Way found in life and religions to be saints. The way saints carry out the mission to save beings do differ from the ways of men. Let us dwell on the wondrous ways of some saints.

Lord Bo Tien

The lord saint Lord Bo Tien was never known to men or history till 1969 when he descended in someone who was never a believer and not religious in any sense. But he made it and the man he chose did become religious somewhat though short of expectations of many. 

Then the lord saint predicted that what happened to religions over the centuries will befall the temple that grew as a result of his descent. Men would decide how they wanted it to be and not what the lord saint designed it to be. 

The lord saint emphasized that this is not because they did not believe in the saint but because some men were like ants and insects coming to a flower for nectar. 

Such men will impact on religions as they did on temples and churches. They and not the saints and prophets of religions evolved and made the history of religions and temples. 

Men departed from the basic original doctrinal emphasis of religions which embodied the inner truth or core principles common to all religions. This the lord saint said we must let the world realise so that more will awaken to the basic way of all religions. All religions share this same inner truth way or Tao.

Then to top it all, the lord saint said that if he as saint decides to train even wayward men or even a criminal in spiritual or Tao, no one should doubt his intention as this would be his prerogative. He added that "the men who are far will be near and the near far."

Ji Gong the Living Buddha is another saint who surprised and baffled many. He became a monk in the monastery in his life as a man in China many centuries ago but though he is now a living buddha, he was no monk of the time at that time. Why? 

He was non-conformist and broke all rules of monks and was not fit to continue as monk. He was asked to leave and he wore rags. His wayward ways include eating meat and drinking wine. 

Ji Gong The Living Buddha

Though far from what a monastery would expect in a monk, he was more than a monk as he had cultivated Tao or Way in the heart. He says that what matters is not what one does or what goes through the gut but what is in the heart. The heart is where God or Buddha lies. 

But almost no other saints drank wine and ate meat. But Gautama did and he is the historical Buddha though he did not drink wine. 

Gautama Buddha

Gautama as man went round for alms and people offered alms to him and these include meat they had for their meals. Even before his enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, many gurus and holy men thought he had strayed when he stop ascetic ways of eating only roots and took on eating food and meat. 

He was neither starving nor over eating, and neither attached nor denying food. Any food that came his way was alright. 

This was so that he could have health to pursue meditation and enlightenment. He was an enigma of his day, in a way just like Ji Gong. But they kept to the principle of no clinging and denial be it for food or otherwise. They were focused on purifying the heart or mind. 

But people nowadays think that the way to go is not to eat meat. What is the point if they are attached and cling on to food even if it is just vegetarian food. To free the mind, there must be neither denial nor attachment. Some may end up doing great disservice to their spiritual goal by relishing in vegetarian food.

Having said this, many men do not eat meat and in a way this is noteworthy but saints like Gautama and Ji Gong did. This did not stop the two from becoming who they are. They are the saints of men and no less fully enlightened Buddhas.  

Ji Gong eccentric and ever merry

Some may feel uneasy that a Buddha drinks wine. Ji Gong was sober though eccentric with or without wine. With wine in gourd, he drank, sang and danced his way around but he was focused and clear in helping men. He could but many of us could not cultivate Tao and a clear mind if we drink wine. That is the difference. 

Ji Gong stayed away from temples and religions during his lifetime as man and showed that he could reach out to men and bless them without being in any temple or religion. 

He performed many miracles but the greatest miracle was that he could make it as a saint and did his part to save beings without religion and without a temple.  He continues to do so.

He was pure and perfect at heart and neither deny life nor cling to life. He neither deny temple or religion nor attached to religion or temple. He neither deny food and drink nor attached to food and drink. In the end, he is still acclaimed to this day by religions such as Buddhism and Taoism 

Ji Gong demonstrated what Bo Tien taught that the whole world is the universal temple. The sky or Heaven is the roof. Religions and sects are mere pillars in the four cardinal directions to mark the temple and to attract and wake up men that they are in the temple of God and saints. 

He also go to the roots or upper source for clear water. In his lifetime as man, he practised from the heart and not from the gut. He cultivated and practised amongst men in his day and to this day he continues to do so. 

Go to the upper source
if we want clear water.
This Lord Bo Tien did say.

There are many other saints in this world and they are wonderful just because they are in many ways truly non-conformists and did what otherwise men would not do. They are saints and not men. 

But mind you, if men cultivate Tao by balancing the ups and downs in life, the yin and the yang, they can be saints or at least be on the path of sainthood. 

This too is as depicted in the image of Lord Bo Tien with feet on the elements. As Lord Bo Tien did say, "The doctrine is in the image and the image is the doctrine."  

Omitofo

Omitofo never fails men.
Just call out his name
He is the saint of saints