Do not be taken in by fads

No 493 of Living Life Series 1

The modern world of 2014 and beyond is different from the world of the sages many centuries ago but yet it is still the same in that people still go for fads or practices of the day. This applies to religion. Fad is trendy somehow and men who follow fads are men after all and not saints. 

Religion like the world has 
changed and yet is the same

It was the fad in the days of Ji Gong as man for those who wanted to be religious to enter the monastery and to be a monk. Ji Gong as man did just that. 

Ji Gong The Living Buddha
 ever so care free 
and not abiding to fads 
and fancies of men

But in his life as man, he saw through the nature of fellow men. They followed fads and not substantive spirituality. The fellow monks went by the rules and behavior of monks. They put up with the norms and acted as expected by society. They acted with decorum, did not eat meat, did not take to liquor and were every inch monks as expected by society. 

But Ji Gong realised from day one as monk that many were only putting up a show and not true to the Word or Tao. They harbored thoughts and feelings that did not commensurate with Tao - the doctrine of securing divine peace come what may, the doctrine that enabled sages to balance the ups and downs (yin and yang), not run from them or being swept around by them like the revolving yin yang globe. 

Do not end up being swirled 
around by yin and yang
But be atop yin and yang 
like the feet of the lord saint
Lord Bo Tien in his seated image

They were wanting in true love for men, let alone animals and other beings though outwardly they were holy and praise worthy because they do not eat meat. They did not take to hard drinks but were often intoxicated even if they did not touch a drop of drinks. They spoke nicely and acted nicely. 

But they were taken in by greed, ill will and the need to win approval and praise of men in society. It was not that they did not want to conform but they tried to. They ended up what the modern world would refer as followers of fads rather than followers of spiritual doctrine. They were far from God and saints though by virtue of being monks, they were near to God and saints. 

Lord Bo Tien with feet atop 
and balancing the elements

Lord Bo Tien in one of his messages says that the far may be near and the near far. But this was indeed true in the case of Ji Gong. He is no fad follower but acted from the heart. 

Ji Gong's adage is that what matters is not what fad we follow or what society dictates us to do. We should not live to win approval and flattery of society. We should live in the Word and the Word is God. He says that what matters is not what goes through the gut or what we do, but what is in the heart. If what we do or eat do not commensurate with what we cultivate in the heart, then we are not living in the Word or Tao. We are just fad followers. 

We should not want men to tell us, "This is the right temple or church you go to, no wonder you are educated and affluent." Modern society in the year 2014 and beyond is replete with many examples of fad followers, more so with religion. They may well end up worshiping men, not God and saints.

Many discard the religion of their fathers and ancestors. This is all because they feel that the religion of their fathers will make them look small, less fashionable and somehow that much so unworthy of their affluence, educational or financial status. 

They are no better than the monks of the monastery in the days of Ji Gong as man. They change religion or sect like changing clothes. They go for face value and want to go along with the tide or stream. They feel exonerated and less disgraced by their ancestors by dissociating with the religion of the ancestors. 

If they are however true to God and saints by cultivating the Word from the heart, then they would realise that it is pointless to change religion or sect, and equally pointless to change temple or church like changing clothes or fads. We should not make a fad out of religion. 

Some or rather many do not change religion, but they still reinvent the religion so that the practices and culture are more in keeping with their affluence, societal standing and status. They do somehow feel ashamed of what the pioneers of their religion or temple did. 

This happened too in a temple of the lord saint Lord Bo Tien where later entry members may say that they are new subcontractors and proceed to water down and alter the mission to save souls to one of just doing welfare activities when the good lord stresses that the mission is more than welfare activities.

Ji Gong The Living Buddha

It is better to be dressed like a beggar like Ji Gong than to be garbed like a royalty with garments of gold and glitter and have no heart for Tao behind God and saints. To be able to do so, Lord Bo Tien adds that we go for the upper stream for clear water.

Like it or not, fads will continue to steal the show in religion and religion will change hands like fads. But what is important is for men to go to the upper stream for clear water and not be carried away further downstream by fads. 

Ji Gong did set the pace for us not to follow fads and be lost down stream instead of  going upstream against the current to upper source for clear water. 

Buddha Gautama

It is more difficult to go upstream and Buddha Gautama says that enlightenment is only by going against the current. Certainly this is true, don't you agree? 

But mind you, some people starting out in life or spiritual may well have to follow die-hard rigid ways or fads. Young children for example must be told to hold on to hands of adults when crossing road till they are big enough to look out and cross road on their own. 

Fads are good to start off with so that more will be attracted to religion but beyond certain point, the usefulness is no more there and following fads can cause the undoing of spirituality in men. 

Fads are means to an end but not the ends in themselves. They do keep followers of a sect or temple to toe the line, gel together and not be distracted. Fads may not be right or wholesome at all to observers but they can serve their purposes, don't they?

Fads do serve their purposes at times but do not be taken in by fads. That religion too depends on fads is both a bane and a blessing. Fads do not last and if it persists, it will likely cause the demise of the institution. 

Fads may come and go but the real substance of religion is always there somewhere, buried over by centuries upon centuries of fads. Men must dig into the many layers of fads to arrive at the spring of clear water that is the basic doctrine of the founders. 

Men must go to the source for clear water. Lord Bo Tien in an early message said that men must toil and work the ground and the reward is the clear water to quench the thirst. 

If men of mission or temple under his name stick with fad of social endeavors such as welfare activities, then like any fad such as joss sticks, urns and joss papers, this will fade away with time. 

What are left behind are footprints in the sand of time and even these will be erased by the wind. Men must not be taken in by fads but go for the clear water at the source. 

Fads do take on religions. Some fads are outdated and some are the in-thing or current. Fads that are current will not be so for long. Fads will fade away and people will ever change religion like they change fads.

There is no loss if we are not following a fad for less of fad is more and more of fad is less of affinity with God and saints. This is again like what the lord saint Lord Bo Tien says that the far is near and near is far. 

Omitofo

Buddha Amitabha
Omitofo