No 662 of Living Life Series 1
All religions must play their part to bring divinity to the hearts of men and this must be concerted effort. There is so much more that need to be done in the face of a fast moving materialistic and physical world where often matters of the heart and spirit seem to be on back burner.
There need to be many and not just one way to bring Godliness or if some would prefer a more secular term, to bring universal peace to all in holistic sense - both spiritual and mundane. Let not two go in one direction for there is much to be done. This exhortation by Gotama Buddha centuries ago to his monks applies to men of all spiritual persuasions.
Then there will be better chance that more will be won over for the need to have peace in men and among not only men but all beings. Some would even go further that there is need for peace with life visible and invisible - in short with whatever exist.
There is need to live and let live, to love and be loved and that is how peace will be. The basic truth to have peace is to be at peace with life and self. There is neither need to go for more and more nor to go for none at all. There is need to know how to optimise life. The means cannot be the ends and the true end is to be at peace with life, with Heaven and God and with all beings. But the first step is to be at peace with self. As our forefathers say, "The journey of a thousand steps begin with the first step."
Religions can bring peace but religions are in a way man-made and this is both good and not so good. Religions are like flowers nurtured by men and where there are flowers, there will be insects and ants coming to them for nectar. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien says.
 |
| 武天菩萨 Lord Bo Tien |
He adds that we blame not the flowers for insects and ants coming to it. In a way, all go to religion for nectar of sorts until they have better insight and foresight to have the higher calling to be at peace beyond the need for nectar from God and saints. But few are those who can reach this state and nectar is still needed along the way of spirituality.
Thus we have different sectors or realms of heavens created by the saints of the various religions. There, beings take on spirituality more seriously and hopefully this will be the case. To put it simple they undergo courses to be enlightened not instantly but over many more lifetimes. Thus we could understand that these realms allow for paradise that men yearn for but the true paradise is eternal peace where men yearn not for more and can do with less nectar.
God and saints do their parts by providing nectar or treats even before men take up a religion and even when they go for one or change from one religion to another. But, alas, men can get carried away and issue threats in the name of God and saints. Such threats have been there since prehistoric times and they sully the good name of God and saints and leave behind a bad taste - worse still nightmares.
In the old days of kings and emperors, what they said were law. Those who strayed and talked back were often beheaded. Then religions existed and people thought that since God and heavenly saints were even more kings and emperors than those on Earth, those who did not believe and toe the line, those who strayed and talked back, all of them would be damned either in the next life or in the present. Beheading was one of the norms then. It was cruel but it was normal in those ancient times but not so now - rather unthinkable.
Rather in modern times of 2014 and beyond, let there be more treats and no threat in the name of God and saints and in the name of religions. After all, we no longer live in the days of the absolute monarchy and democracy is now the norm. God and saints were never unreasonable but it was men who in age-old past portrayed them like all powerful and undemocratic kings and emperors on Earth.
As the saying goes in old China, "as on Earth, so also in Heaven." Need more be said though it may seem simply too presumptive but still holds water in some way.
As the saying goes in old China, "as on Earth, so also in Heaven." Need more be said though it may seem simply too presumptive but still holds water in some way.
