In any life story of a sage, we will always be told that the sage left home or society to seek the answer to the problems of man, that is how to find happiness beyond the mundane or worldly joys that are often deceiving and at times treacherous. The solution is invariably a spiritual one.
In those days, it is not a choice of which religion but what temple or teacher to learn from. The would-be sage can also learn from the teachings of more than one teacher and this was the norm.
At no time did the would-be sage have to choose the religion to believe and there is no religion to bar him from learning from other religions.
But this is not so today. The man of 2014 and beyond has to decide which religion is best for him and if he takes up a specific religion, he must accept all that are in that religion. Few in truth will do that though they profess to do so, just because they must appear to conform to the norms..
What has become of man over the centuries? Perhaps, to put it in another way, what has polluted and complicated the search for spiritual truth?
One word to sum up is that spiritualism has become politicized and separated and partisan like politics into camps or parties. Is this necessarily bad or good? Well the answer is not a straight forward one.
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| Lord Bo Tien ever poised to bring out the inner truth behind religions not to start any religion or sect. Any temple in his name is just incidental and not by divine design. The world is the universal temple with religions and sects as pillars All under heaven are in this temple |
Lord Bo Tien in his inaugural message which is referred to as the God Knowledge did mentioned that there must be many ways to attract men to spiritual. Thus there must be religions.
Religions must decide the strategy of how to attract men to God and saints and what men should believe so that men will not stray and have better chance to stay on the path in the long haul.
In short, what each unique religion offers are the prerogatives of religions. Thus dogmas which are often difficult to verify and substantiate are promulgated as sort of assumptions or starting points or springboards but they have the force of laws behind them.
They must not be questioned or challenged. But this can be contentious. But at least, dogmas do serve one purpose. They prevent straying and ensure followers stay in the orbit of the religion they have embraced. Intellectual adventurism is not condoned and given a place.
The teachings of a religion not only include the basics or inner truth common to all religions but also many other add-on teachings often unique to that religion and which may contradict the teachings of other religions.
But there is the truth of God and saints. There is also the need to cultivate oneself amid the polar disparities of life so as to arrive at peace and oneness with God and saints. These constitute the basics or inner truth behind religions.
Over and above these, the add-ons are still necessary and without them, there is no character and uniqueness to a religion. They provide the form and distinctiveness of a religion.
Over and above these, the add-ons are still necessary and without them, there is no character and uniqueness to a religion. They provide the form and distinctiveness of a religion.
But for the more serious and discerning in spiritual, they must focus and stress on the inner truth to go the mile. Men of religions who want to be more serious and committed to Tao (Way to sainthood) must do these specifically and in depth.
Lord Bo Tien said that men need to go to the upper source of a river for clear water. But do be mindful that before a man can go to upper source, he must be able to be at the river. Before man can cultivate deep spirituality, men must be in a religion or to put it bluntly be in a downstream derivative of inner or basic truth of God and Tao (Way). Need more be said.......
Obviously for more, men must go to the upper source for clear water. Men can do so either in this life or wait till next life when in Heaven but why wait and procrastinate?
We can have Heaven or Pure Land here and now if we want to cultivate Tao. Going to Heaven is one thing. Cultivating Tao is the other. The saints will bring Heaven to us so that we can cultivate Tao. We cannot guarantee tomorrow but we can ensure the here and now. Omitofo.
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| Omitofo brings the whole of Pure Land to those who want to practise Tao |
We don't have to go to a temple or religion to cultivate Tao. Saints like Omitofo never say believe in them and we will be saved. They only say if we want blessings, just call on them. There is no need even to worship, least of all to fear and serve them before they will bless and save us. There is no need to be in a temple and be subservient.
Ji Gong in his life as man went to a temple to be a monk but was not satisfied. Rather, the monks of the monastery found him wanting and deplorable because he did not follow norms and be subservient. They wanted him very much to conform before they could accept him as one of them.
So what if he ate meat and drank wine? So what if he sang and frolicked with playful children, commoners and monkeys? The important point or the crux of the matter is that he believed that "what matters is not what one does or what goes through the gut but what is in the heart."
He was not like one of them and they were unlike him. He could not find the answer in a temple and he stood out like a sore thumb in the temple. He went for the upper source and Heaven was with him in his heart. He became a saint and distinguished himself by blessing the multitude.
He left temple to go to the world and that is the way of any saint. No saint stays put in a temple. He is after all Ji Gong or Lord Ji The Living Buddha. Omitofo.
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| Ji Gong in open courtyard of a temple with his sight set on the world. |
