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One of the universal precepts introduced to us by the good lord Lord Bo Tien is that we must adore all heavenly saints of all religions and what they teach even if there seems to be contradictions.
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| Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 |
Contradictions in and between religions exist because the teachings are taken out of the exact context of the times and community they were brought up by the saints or sages.
But each religion the good lord said has the right to have clear demarcating dogmas so that followers would not stray and end up confused through divergent thinking. It is often better to be more convergent.
This does not mean it is wrong to venture beyond what are initially taught by the individual's religion but that the individual may just be starting out and not ready to test what are taught like gold is tested by fire. He will just end up ruffled.
The need to test what are taught is said by Gotama Buddha who is a peace loving saint of high standing - a fully enlightened one to his followers.
Certainly, he was not out to ridicule beliefs but he wanted even his own teachings to be doubted and tested by his followers. Gotama too was concerned that many may not be ready and that is why for the majority, belief in doing good, avoid evil and purify the mind is all that is needed.
For starters, the simple five precepts will do and for more there are eight and more precepts as guidelines or demarcating principles to guide men to doing good avoid, avoid evil and purify the mind.
For the more involved, it is about avoiding the three roots of ill-will, greed and false views. The two extreme false views are eternal life concepts (eternal hell or paradise after death) and fatalism concepts (no life after death).
But the so-called false views may still stand good for many for they may spur many to accept life for what it is and be less troubled. This applies to various permutations of eternal life concepts.
They can be considered dogmas. Dogmas need not be proven but are to be taken at face values to promote benefits. But for some, the same dogmas may outlive their usefulness. Dogmas allow for convergence and not divergence of thinking and out look in life.
It is not prudent to illustrate further why the apparent contradictions in teachings between religions are not contradictions but yet seem to be so when taken out of context of times, situations and society. There is the inadvertent possibility that the written language may be adversely perceived and construed by some readers.
But each religion the good lord said has the right to have clear demarcating dogmas so that followers would not stray and end up confused through divergent thinking. It is often better to be more convergent.
This does not mean it is wrong to venture beyond what are initially taught by the individual's religion but that the individual may just be starting out and not ready to test what are taught like gold is tested by fire. He will just end up ruffled.
The need to test what are taught is said by Gotama Buddha who is a peace loving saint of high standing - a fully enlightened one to his followers.
Certainly, he was not out to ridicule beliefs but he wanted even his own teachings to be doubted and tested by his followers. Gotama too was concerned that many may not be ready and that is why for the majority, belief in doing good, avoid evil and purify the mind is all that is needed.
For starters, the simple five precepts will do and for more there are eight and more precepts as guidelines or demarcating principles to guide men to doing good avoid, avoid evil and purify the mind.
For the more involved, it is about avoiding the three roots of ill-will, greed and false views. The two extreme false views are eternal life concepts (eternal hell or paradise after death) and fatalism concepts (no life after death).
But the so-called false views may still stand good for many for they may spur many to accept life for what it is and be less troubled. This applies to various permutations of eternal life concepts.
They can be considered dogmas. Dogmas need not be proven but are to be taken at face values to promote benefits. But for some, the same dogmas may outlive their usefulness. Dogmas allow for convergence and not divergence of thinking and out look in life.
It is not prudent to illustrate further why the apparent contradictions in teachings between religions are not contradictions but yet seem to be so when taken out of context of times, situations and society. There is the inadvertent possibility that the written language may be adversely perceived and construed by some readers.
