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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!.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

All about the bounties of the flesh and spirit

No 497 of Living Life Series 1




No saint can promise paradise but only peace of life. Even this cannot be a handout but man must reach out and make peace with life, not fight for more and more. More may be less and less may be more. That is the truth and irony of life. 

We can get what we want out of the earthly worldly life. For instance, it is likely that all our money is in the bank and we laugh all the way to the bank. We are in heaven in a way but is this the end all or the beginning of more that are to come. 

The flip side is awesome. Money in the bank but man in Heaven. We can only bring along all that are of spirit and none of the flesh and of this world. But we did bring with us to this world all that are of spirit. So ins't it better to be richer in spirit than in flesh? 

 Men too go to a temple for gains and they call these the blessings from God and saints. What we ask for are usually worldly gains. Worldly gains are easier to give but not gains of the spirit or soul. 

Worldly gains are like the nectar of a flower. But peace and joy of spirit is like the joy in seeing the beauty of the flower. However this joy is short lived and will not be forever. But the flowering of inner peace of spirit if perfected can last an eternity.

But all men start out with requests for gains of the flesh and of the world. Men even come to a temple like insects to the flower. This the lord saint did say. He said that we blame not the flower for insects coming to it. This is not the wrong doing of the flower. 

Blame not God and saints for men making use of a church or temple in ugly and really unscrupulous ways to enrich and fatten themselves worldly-wise. Thus said the lord saint who is none other than the good lord Lord Bo Tien. 

 No saint will find fault with us for wanting worldly gains, for as insects are insects and will go for nectar, we too will go for worldly needs for we are of the world. But at the same time, we should not forget to nourish the spirit, for men have both flesh and spirit. But what is of flesh will not last but what is of spirit goes on forever. 

The kingdom of Heaven is beyond the flesh. We can only bring along the bounties of the spirit and not of the flesh. So ignore not the needs of the spirit but do not forget we are still in flesh. 

Balance approach is needed. Flesh and spirit is like fire and water which are opposites in a way but we cannot do without either since we are Man. We need both to work as one. This the sages of old in China refer to as Tao - The Way to be atop and balance the yin and yang. This is as depicted by the image of the good lord with feet above the elements.
Lord Bo Tien
  
Without tending to the needs of flesh, the discomforts of the flesh will develop and gnaw at the spirit. On the other hand, too much tending or indulgence of the flesh and the world dulls the spirit and robs us of the peace in life. 

 Those who are too bent on putting up an external front will want to impress others that they are able to deny the needs of the flesh and worldly needs. They put up a front but at heart, they are not what they project themselves to be. This is not good. 

 They are not putting the heart or spirit in what they do. They are simply put just acting and not practicing from the heart. They are not committing the spirit in practice of what they believe. They are just acting to win approval of others. 

 They have no true principles other than their ego and worldly need to win acclaim from society. As Ji Gong said that it is not what one does or what goes through the gut but what is in the heart that counts. Men must commit the spirit and not let the flesh and the world dictate what they do. 

 Of what use is not eating meat and priestly or charismatic spiritual behavior when a man has no love for others at heart. On the quiet side, that man does the unthinkable unexpected of a monk or spiritual men. He does not have the spirit or heart of a saint.
Ji Gong The Living Buddha
Ji Gong in his life as man was expelled from monastery because he did not toe the line, wore beggarly rags as robes, ate meat and drank wine, sang and frolicked with beggars, monkeys and children. But he committed his heart and spirit in Tao and not act like many others in the monastery who put up show to win approval of men.

 Do commit the heart or spirit but do not deny the flesh. Do not deny the spirit and commit the flesh. Isn't this worthy of reflection to enrich our spirit? 

 We do need to take care of the needs of the flesh to some extent so as to be able to cultivate the spirit. We do not however go for the flesh and neglect the spirit. 

 As always, there is need for balance of yin and yang and that balance point is tricky and a dynamic one, varying from person to person and situation as well.


Ji Gong


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