LIVING LIFE SERIES 1

A BO TIEN (武天) MISSION INITIATIVE LAUNCHED ON 28TH SEPT 2010 BY INNER TRUTH NETIZEN 2. THE MISSION IS TO SHOW THE WAY TO HOPE, INNER PEACE AND ULTIMATELY SALVATION FOR ALL BEINGS. THE PURPOSE IS TO SAVE SOULS. IT IS WAY BEYOND NORMAL GOOD WORK LIKE CHARITY AND WELFARE ACTIVITIES. NO ONE SHALL BE SAVED BY GOOD WORKS ALONE BUT BY MORE THAN GOOD WORK. THERE IS NEED TO BE IMBUED WITH THE BASIC DOCTRINE COMMON TO AND BEHIND ALL RELIGIONS AND SECTS. LIVE IN DOCTRINE. DOCTRINE IN LIFE IS PARAMOUNT.

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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!.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

God will never need incentives from men but do men need incentives from God?

No 629 of Living Life Series 1

Incentives may work in secular world but there is often a thin line between incentive and bribery. Incentives too have been used in religion to advantage. Religion is ever out to gain followers but whose idea is it to incentivise men? Is it God or is it men?

Do God need to have incentive of more followers before he can feel good about being God? Certainly not if he is God.

It is men who have the grand idea and think God like men have ego needs. Ego is the problem not in God but in men who insist that the incentive for men to be in a religion is the promise of the afterlife in addition to a good life here and now.

Is a place in Heaven and a good life bargain-able items or do we have to be up to the mark to be entitled?

Some even have the cheek to say that men will be punished if they do not believe in God and to make matters no better off, they say that good works is not enough. Good works incidentally should not be done to gain favors of any sorts.

We are indeed fortunate to have a benevolent God who overlook our shortcomings and transgressions. But God being God The Jade Emperor 玉皇上帝 does not depend on men before he feels good about being God.

So do we need to incentivise God by fearing him and have complete faith in him blindly. Do God need us to please and inflate his ego?

God would want us to put on our thinking caps and to be logical and level headed, to be sane in our relationship with God and saints. While love of God is good, love if misplaced and misdirected can go awry.

So in our relationship with God and saints, we need to be mature and not shallow. We must not end up bribing God and saints for that is exactly what God and saints do not need. God and saints do not need incentives from men.

It will be wrong to think God and saints need us to incentivise them so that we will consider continuing to worship them and to practice spiritual cultivation.

Men may need incentive but not God and saints but good men will grow out of the mentality of needing incentives from God and saints. Men should never think God and saints need incentives from men, thinking that otherwise they will not have confidence to be God and saints. That will be absurd but such absurdity abounds.

Though men in religion may need incentive to be religious, they should grow out of the need for incentive and stand tall before God and saints. We are after all men and capable of being saints with God.

We are not animals and dogs. Dogs in a pack look up to the alpha leader for perks and incentives but do we and should we do so? Are we men so godless and lowly as to require incentives all the time? But there are no men who do not need incentive from the start. Babies and children do.

Incentives can end up with crutch mentality and dependence. That is why God and saints want men to know the Word and regard that The Word as God and saints. The Word is Tao 道 which enables spiritual growth. Lord Bo Tien the messenger of God for the oneness of truth in all religions says that The Word is his image and his image is the Word.

Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨

Lest you forget

Do not make the mistake of idolizing any man who tells you about the Word. He is in the same boat as you even if religion refers to him as a religious leader. Mere mention of a religious leader is as good as encouraging idolising of that man. Why must there be hierarchy in religion? Hierarchy is conventional but may end up as liability rather than a necessity or asset. There should be no caste or hierarchy system in religion. No one is to be considered above another in religion. A religious leader or follower is a servant to serve you and not a leader to be idolised. Do not put him on the pedestal and make a monster out of him.

MAY ALL BE WELL AND HAPPY

May all be well and happy. May they have peace. May our departed friends and kins be well, happy and have divine peace. The main writer wishes the best for all for those near and far. Our kins may be far when they had passed on to better lives but they are near though far. He remembers and wishes his parents Mr Siow Soo Koh and Mdm Tay Hung Siang, his uncles and aunties like Mr Tay Koon Huay, his cousins like Mr Tay Chong Sim and his friends like Mr Philip Png well and have abundance of life. May they be rich in spirit for without such ancestors, there will be no posterity - no us and no you and me. They have blessed us and we must blessed them in return forever and ever.