No 669 of Living Life Series 1
It is without doubt that individuals who did well in setting up a temple may have personality issues which make them not popular to many once the temple is set up. But without such personalities there will be no temple.
If they continue to be active and to steer the crowd, there will be among those in the crowd, some who will find fault with them though the majority are the silent and appreciative ones.
Once a temple building rises to the sky, people will come and when people do come, they do not remain silent but will want to speak out. Whilst pioneer leaders have done well and should not be forgotten, it does not necessarily mean they are to continue in leadership.
Rather, they should give way to another generation but the new generation must take direction from the pioneer leaders. If they do not and decide to be different, even casting the pioneers away, they may appear to usurp and take over the temple once it flowers .
Then they may be like ants and insects coming to the flower for nectar. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says is unavoidable and we should not blame the flower for insects coming to it.
The few new generation at the helm might think rather differently. They would have different viewpoint. They think they are like new contractors and have choice to do things differently even if what they do riles the pioneers. This state of affairs is unavoidable and to be expected.
Men must learn to give way to the next generation and not expect the next generation to toe the line they have taken. But in their attempt to do differently, the new may undo what was done and may not be able to do what the pioneers want to be done for the long term.
Well, that is why the good lord Lord Bo Tien says the far may be near and the near far. Ultimately men are both far and near because men are men and not saints. Learn from the gospel of life of men, more so in a temple and this is more important than how a temple fares.
It is people who make up a temple and people must learn from the strengths and weaknesses of those with them and around them. If they can learn and see the light, if they can benefit from the gospel of life, this is it. They have arrived and they will learn how to be at peace with life and with the changes as well as the ups and downs in life.
There is doctrine in life. Life is the living gospel. A temple is the people not the building. A temple must have doctrine. Doctrine is not in the written word but is in life. The true doctrine is not written but is in life. Men being men and not saints must learn from life.
Trying to learn from the written word is lame when there is more to be learnt from life around. But trying to learn from life without guidance from the written word can be blind.
Such men go through life without seeing because they have not been taught to see and to know and learn from what they see. In short, they know not what they see. When there is blind adherence to the written word, men may see not what they know.
To begin with, they don't really know. They grasp NOT what they read and just take what they read as gospel truth.
Trying to learn from the written word is lame when there is more to be learnt from life around. But trying to learn from life without guidance from the written word can be blind.
Such men go through life without seeing because they have not been taught to see and to know and learn from what they see. In short, they know not what they see. When there is blind adherence to the written word, men may see not what they know.
To begin with, they don't really know. They grasp NOT what they read and just take what they read as gospel truth.
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| Ji Gong (济公) attained sainthood from learning more from life than from the written word. Many who stick to the texts are stuck with the texts. They see not what they know. They don't really know as they grasp NOT what they read. |
