Isn't it strange that the moment the concrete building rose for a temple, the lord saint of that temple often took to the backstage. But before this came about, he was with men and men with him. Not a week then would pass by without some news or talk of the lord.
Has this to do with the message that the temple of any saint is the people and not the building? Perhaps it has and this should be the case.
Has this to do with the message that the temple of any saint is the people and not the building? Perhaps it has and this should be the case.
But have men learnt? Well 'yes' and yet 'no' for there are those who prefer the concrete building with only the image of the good lord as perhaps one of three.
No need for fanfare except on the few festive days when men came in numbers but on most usual days, there are only columns of concrete and the occasional sound of the aged destitute or the old man here and there. Is this the fate of temples?
This sound of silence they say is good and reflective of the nature of life in society. But what have become of the drive and the live of the days of old when never a night or week passed by without the buzz and hive of activities of men in white, blue and yellow scurrying around and talking animatedly of what the lord saint had said.
Why has there been silence and where has the men of old gone? What have become of the new blood and what are they up to? Worry not for they know what they are doing. But still there will be concerns.
The new blood must inject new ways and new life and not make museums out of temples - museums for people to remember that these temples were once people orientated but now where have the people gone on the usual days? Only on the few festive days will such temples come alive.
There must be need for innovation to bring in people on the usual days but can the people somehow be up to it. That is the big question. Otherwise the sun sets once the building rises.
But surely with sunset, there will be sunrise and then sunset again. The cycle goes on without lasting respite. The seeker of spirituality must be on his own and have the peace within so as to weather the yin and yang the sunrises and the sunsets in life, in religion, in temples and in churches.
Otherwise, he will be a poor soul, ever always at mercy of the times and of life - even at the mercy of the pastors and masters of spirituality. Men often decides for God and saints, when God and saints don't even do so for men. That is so and so be it - amen.
So when God or a lord saint is passive, he is not doing nothing but by doing nothing, that is keeping silence, he is doing something and putting across a point or two. What matters is how perceptive and how mindful we can be.
But there must be balanced approach the sages refer to as Tao. Do not be spiritually indulgent. Do not go overboard to destroy the already fragile peace - neither deny and let go nor cling on to and not let go, even in matters of spirituality. How to do this is the issue. God knows even if we don't. But please don't blame God.
To surmise, the sun sets once the building rises unless there are new men and new initiatives better than the old. That is life, isn't it? But then the cycle repeats itself.
There must be need for innovation to bring in people on the usual days but can the people somehow be up to it. That is the big question. Otherwise the sun sets once the building rises.
But surely with sunset, there will be sunrise and then sunset again. The cycle goes on without lasting respite. The seeker of spirituality must be on his own and have the peace within so as to weather the yin and yang the sunrises and the sunsets in life, in religion, in temples and in churches.
Otherwise, he will be a poor soul, ever always at mercy of the times and of life - even at the mercy of the pastors and masters of spirituality. Men often decides for God and saints, when God and saints don't even do so for men. That is so and so be it - amen.
So when God or a lord saint is passive, he is not doing nothing but by doing nothing, that is keeping silence, he is doing something and putting across a point or two. What matters is how perceptive and how mindful we can be.
But there must be balanced approach the sages refer to as Tao. Do not be spiritually indulgent. Do not go overboard to destroy the already fragile peace - neither deny and let go nor cling on to and not let go, even in matters of spirituality. How to do this is the issue. God knows even if we don't. But please don't blame God.
To surmise, the sun sets once the building rises unless there are new men and new initiatives better than the old. That is life, isn't it? But then the cycle repeats itself.
