Better at what we are and not jump the band wagon

No 863 of Living Life Series 1

Often another religion may appear attractive because of its teachings but somehow however hard we try, we may not find it suitable because there is something missing in that religion. We just don't feel comfortable and find no social warmth or attraction. 

There is no fellowship and camaraderie - no joy of coming together and no care or cell group bonding  There is lack of oneness offered by culture of extended family or of cell group that often make up for absence of extended family.

Then not taking up the new religion but staying put in existing religion is far better than being a bad adherent of the new religion. We will simply not do justice to the new religion. After all, we can always incorporate the new principles we learnt from the new religion into our practice of the existing old religion we are in. 

This is exactly what the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 wants it to be. It is better to be good in existing religion and be better at it than to be lousy in the new religion. People must end up better at their respective religions and this is exactly the goal of the mission of Heaven through the messenger Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨. 

The good lord wants us to be better at what we are by knowing what the good lord stands for. He is the Word and the Word is him. 

There is the same inner truth behind all religions. Knowing this and grasping this should make us appreciate our respective religions better and not want to jump the band wagon to another religion. 

Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 champions no religion or sect or favors any. He is not here to start any new religion or sect but merely to show that even in a Chinese traditional temple like Bo Tien Temple 武天宫, there is the same profound teachings found in all religions and sects. 

We must learn to love all beings regardless of species, creed, race or religion. This is loving kindness that is of God and saints. We must love all and not practice discrimination of any form. We must allow others to be different and yet feel they are our brothers and same as us. 

We must believe in all heavenly saints, all religions and their teachings and see them in context. There are no contradictions but if there seems to be, it is because we do not view the teachings in context. This is the message of Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨. 

He urges us to know the respective heavenly saints of our religions and cultures and to see in them the teachings they stand for. The Doctrine is in the saint and the saint is the Doctrine.

This post is about how we can be better at what we are - better in religion. It may be better not to switch religion but to learn from all religions and be better in the religion we are in. 

If there is no culture of cell or care group, then introduce this in the religion we are in. Togetherness or fellowship is a great blessing. Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that a bunch of candles is better at lighting up life than a lone candle. 

In addition to heavenly blessings, people can bless one another. The plethora of abilities and capabilities in a group will count as assets to members of the group. If there is no big extended family culture, go for cell or care group as substitute. 

This is better than being in a new set-up and very much rootless. Even having substantive grasp of good doctrine is no replacement for fellowship of our existing culture and background. In any new set-up, we are just starting off and have long way to grow our spirituality.

To come to the point once again, we must end up better at what we are when we learn good spiritual values of religion. We need not jump the band wagon and end up uprooted from our cultural background and be worse off. 

We only go for the good values. Do we have to give up our culture and background and adopt the new culture? We will most likely be misfits of sorts if we adopt the new culture and somewhat alienated from our familiar culture and background we grow up in and are very much accustomed to.

This applies to all people from all background and culture. Give this some thought not only today but tomorrow and the tomorrow of tomorrow. 

When a religion spreads its wings to a country, it should be integrated into the culture of that country and not replace the culture with a foreign culture. That will ensure the people stay as one people and essentially one culture be it national or ethnic. That will unite and not divide. 

There are however people who like to behave as though they belong to a new culture. That is their choice. God bless us and everyone with many choices, be it in religion or secular matters. But we will have to live with our choices. Of course, we can have change of heart anytime. 

Do let the teachings of a religion be integrated with culture and let not religion introduce a new culture to replace the culture of the people it hopes to win over. Of course then, the teachings of all religions will be integrated into the culture of the country. That had been the case for centuries past. 

For the present and the future, why for goodness sake or what have you, should it be any different from the past? Religion should be assimilated into the culture and not assimilate or worse still displace the culture of the people. 

It was never at all intended by the sage or pioneers to be a social proxy for a country to subtly win over another people or nation. It is also never meant to cause divide and dissension of any sorts. 

But like a flower, some people will be attracted to religion like insects will be attracted for nectar. They may even effect such intentions even unintentionally due to their zest and lack of core spirituality. Well, even if this is so, there is still allot of good that can come about. There is no doubt about that. 

This is exactly mentioned to us by the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨. But as the good lord mentions we must go for better than good. Good alone is not good enough if the intentions leave much to be desired.

Religion is never like politics. To be popular, there is need to be attractive and religion like politics must flow downstream with the people. But Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that those who want to be more right and go for the absolute must go upstream for clear water. 

Which is easier and which is necessary? Going downstream is easier but it is necessary to attract the masses to be in the stream even if to go downstream. But let us admit that only when they are in the stream can there be the chance for some to go upstream against the current. This however is not popular. This is however how we can be better than what we are. 

The popular way is to go along downstream with popular religion and culture and with that one religion. Perhaps, they may even uproot themselves and jump the band wagon to another religion and culture. It is like uprooting to go to another stream or river where they will have to start all over again. 

But for those who want to be better than what they are, they stay put with their original culture and integrate what they learn from other religion and culture to their own culture. This is how they can reap benefits of better group or cultural support of the community they grow up in. 

Then they learn more from other cultures but stay with the culture of their community for support. In time with spiritual progress, they summon their resources and go upstream for clear water with their base culture as springboard. 

Base culture provides fellowship and group cohesion. It is far from spirituality in ultimate sense. Though far, it is near. 

Ultimate spirituality if introduced right from the beginning may not make any headway. It is near to God and saints. It is the stand-in for God and saints. But to the masses what count is fellowship and cultural support. Ultimate spirituality is near but yet far in this context. 

What matters to the masses is cultural support - group care and support. This is manifestation of loving kindness and matters more than the doctrine even if the doctrine is God and saint and is what God and saint stands for. 

Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 reminds us to reflect that the far may be near and the near far. 

The Word or Doctrine may be better expounded in another religion. It is not necessarily good to jump the band wagon to that religion if this means to uproot ourselves from our group support that we have in the religion and culture we are in. 

It is better to remain what we are and be better off in our existing religion and culture from both the new understanding of doctrine learnt from another religion and the existing strong group and cultural support of our cultural background. Let us be better at what we are and not jump the bandwagon. 

It is immaterial what religion or sect we are in. What matters is that we know the universal truths common to all religions, practice it and be good. Religions are only the means to the end and not the end in themselves. It may even be better to be good in your existing religion than to try to be in a member of another religion. 

For example, you may learn allot from Buddhist philosophy but it is better to be good in what you already are, good in your existing religion than to be a 'bad' Buddhist. This Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 reminds us time and again. 

You can always practice what the Buddha taught in your existing religion and culture. One day, you too can be enlightened like the Buddha even if you are not a labelled Buddhist. 

Labelled Buddhist is a creation of men and not the Buddha. The universal truths were there before the Buddha and will be there in infinity. It is in all religions and compatible with all. 

Somehow, we tend not to see the universal truths even if these are before us. We see only the public image of any religion and not the Word when the Word is the image and the image is the Word. Well this was alluded to by the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨. Praise the lord...

What the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 is trying to drive at is that we know the universal truths behind religions and not dwell on which religion is better. All religions are good. This too is a message of the good lord. 

We should be better at what we already are and there is no need to jump the bandwagon. There is no need to start anew. But alas men tend to be frivolous with actions and do not keep to the age old philosophy in Tao Te Ching 道德经 - Action through no (or less) action 为无为 wei wu wei. 

Men do not exercise careful and mindful choice of actions. Men, the sages of Tao 道 say, are not frugal with actions and tend to forget about parsimony of actions.

Tao Te Ching and "Action through no action." 为无为

No 862 of Living Life Series 1

Chapter Twenty-Nine of the Tao Te Ching 道德经:- 

29.1 If you want to take over the World by manipulation, I do not see you succeeding. 

29.2 The World is the Vessel of Spirit, which cannot be manipulated. If you try to own it, you will lose it. 

29.3 One will lead, and one will follow. 

One is hot, and one is cold. 

One is strong, and one is weak. 

One will rise, and one will fall. 

29.4 Therefore, the Sage avoids all extremes, excesses and extravagances. 

In lines one and two, the sage reminds us that matter is as important as spirit. We must pay attention to body and spirit. The physical World is the container or vessel for the Spirit - Divinity. The two lines spell out the problems for mankind. Man cannot manipulate the World and Divinity. Men must flow along with Matter and with Spirit. 

This is of course another way of saying philosophically as “Action through less or no action” (无为无 wei wu wei). It is more literally translated as "Action through no action". We do not perform any action that creates problems but do less to have peace. 

This is how we can arrive at fruitful life and have results through flowing along with Matter and with Divine Spirit. We cannot fight and we cannot avoid. We can be at peace and have more of non-action than action. Action can at times be somehow futile and create problems. Non-action is at times the optimal action. 

Line three and four of chapter twenty nine elaborate on this. There is need to balance the extremes and polarities. We must not mount and go for any extreme but stay clear of extremes or polarities. Often actions may make us mount the extremes or polarities and we will have little or no peace. It is better to have that wei wu wei 为无为 "Action through (less or) no action." 

Line three contains a list of opposites or polarities. It refers to the Pa Kua (eight trigrams) of I Ching 易經. 

please note that there are many variations of Pa Kua

These diagrams reflect all phases of reality we have in life and in nature. Life is not constant and change all the time and from phase to phase in varying patterns. There is impermanence. The only constant is change or impermanence. 

Change is constant and this applies to all. All beings anywhere have to go through these eight phases at one time or another in various patterns. 

Heaven (Chien) leads and Earth (Kun) follows like the seasons - summer and winter. Fire (Li) and River (Kan) reflect the hot and cold of life. Mountain (Ken) stands up towering and strong above the relatively weak water of lake (Tui). Thunder (Chen) reflects rise in life and Wind (Sun) can bring fall - reflects fall in life. 

We need to moderate life and be at peace with life and its changes. There is no way we can avoid the changes. There is no way we can control life and nature. We can only mitigate the effects of the changes and the man of Tao is at peace with Change and with Life and the World - with Spirit and with the World as some would put it in another way. 

The image of Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 embodies the teachings of Tao Te Ching on need to be atop and balance the change in life - the polarities. This is depicted by the good lord being seated and at rest with feet above the opposites. We need to be above and not be affected by change and the opposites in life and in nature. 

We do not possess life. We do not disown life. How do we do so? We go for peace and for this we go for less of actions - economy of actions. 

We are not wasteful or frivolous with actions. We adhere to frugality or parsimony of resources and resources include actions. We are wise with actions. It must be pointed out that we also do not end up doing nothing. We do what are needed and appropriate to moderate life. This is so that we will as far as possible be at peace with the polarities or contingencies of life. 

We do not fight. We do not run away. We go for actions that will make us at peace with life as it unfurls. We do not add to the confusion and create need for more actions. We go for near no action though this is an overstatement. 

Even fools they say are wise if they do not act or open their mouths. Empty vessels make the most noise and disturb the peace.

We must end up doing less or no action to have more - more of peace in life for the higher calling. We stay atop the actions that go round around us and do not end up contributing to the actions - yet we are still part of the actions in life and in the world around us. 

We do not let the actions around us determine us. We determine that the actions will not disturb our peace - inner peace. We achieve this through minimalism of actions - "Action through less or no action" - wei wu wei 无为无. 

Thus for example in the temple of a lord saint, if there be storm among men, people of Tao 道 should not contribute to the storm but be peaceful and pleasant through no or less actions when others go crazy and are making a mess for the temple whatever their intentions - be it good or not-so-good. 

The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 reassures that storm will not last forever and there will be calm after the storm. But it is common sense that all should be weary and mindful not to prolong storm by contributing to the storm. 

The wise one with Tao 道 will go for minimal action and often this is no action - wu wei 无为. He will not join the fray and the mess. He will just seek the shelter of God and saints. Then big issues will end up as small issues even if they cannot be no issue as pointed out time and again by saints like Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨.

Even the lord saint of the temple where people make a mess through their actions will often go for "Action through (less or) no action." The heavenly saint will keep his silence. Perhaps this is divine silence through no action - wu wei 无为.

As with chapter twenty nine of Tao Te Ching 道德经, one may wish to dwell on related translation from the Tao Tê Ching 道德经 by Priya Hemenway, Chapter II: 

2 

The Sage is occupied with the unspoken 

and acts without effort.

Teaching without verbosity,

producing without possessing,

creating without regard to result, 

claiming nothing, the Sage has nothing to lose.

It is indeed amazing that Gautama Buddha belonging to different era echoes the same teachings "Action through no action." 为无为(wei wu wei) in the Tao Te Ching 道德经 by saying that we strive not to have volitional actions, that is, actions based on ill-will, greed and false views. False views refer to no life after death and to eternity of heaven or hell after death. 

As long as men have no-action based on the three roots, they will not create karmic reaction and be sucked into throes of worldly contingencies or polarities like gain loss, praise blame, health ill-health ... 

There is need to have no actions that promote polarities. Then we can have more of inner peace or equanimity while living in life of polarities. 

We must not be into the polarity of life. We must not overindulge in life. We must not deny life for that will also be creating suffering for self and there will be no peace. There must be the middle ground for peace while living in the midst of polarities.

It is appropriate to remind that it is obvious that the same teachings are common to the cultures of India and China though in differing locations, context and era. All cultures are based on the same goodness of humanity. 

But when we use the term religion in place of culture, we tend to see the differences instead. Incidentally, we do not expect people to covert to another culture or race but we do when we refer to religion. Culture simply takes on aspects of other cultures. Religion is less likely to do so. This is ironical. Well that is life. 

Won't the commonality of basic teachings reinforce the message by the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 of the oneness of religions? All religions have the same inner truth but somehow or other elaborated and propagated by men of religions differently.

Truth or rather inner truth exist long before any religion. This is for sure. "Action through no action." wei wu wei 为无为 teaching was there in time waiting to be propounded by religions.

Tao 道 is behind ultimate effectiveness Te 德

No 861 of Living Life Series 1

Chapter 77 in the Tao Te Ching 道德经 states in part the following,

"The Tao of heaven is to take from those who have too much and give to those who do not have enough."  

"Man's way is different. 

He takes from those who do not have enough 
to give to those who already have too much. 
What man has more than enough and gives it to the world? 
Only the man of Tao " 

Well in fact, the way some nations and men enrich themselves may often be to take from those who do not have enough to give to those who already have more than enough. By having reliance on goods and services tax and minimizing personal and corporate income tax, this would be taking money from those who do not have enough and indirectly giving to those who have too much.

But the world has progressed such that humanity in many nations too gives to those who have otherwise little chance of uplifting themselves from poverty line. This is done either through welfare schemes or more notably through free education till tertiary level. Usually it is through both - more so when there is Tao 道 in those who govern. 

Education is often the long term equalizer to achieve yin yang 阴阳 balance. This is Tao 道 in life and is practiced beyond what the world refers as Taoism. 

Likewise in spiritual, those who know more should also give sense of spirituality to those who know less but who are not yet in any position to know more as yet. Such are people who would otherwise not be religious. 

Thus the more learned must innovate and devise ways to somehow bring out the spiritual interests of such individuals in the masses to attract them to the houses of God and saints. This enables the very spiritual to give spirituality to the masses. Ironically, the best way is to further the worldly agenda and interests in of all places the houses of God. This would be unthinkable in the days of the pioneers of religions.

Even if individuals come to the houses of God for worldly social fellowship and agenda, this is better than if they do not come at all. It would be even better if they take over the leadership for only they know how to bring in those like them - never mind if they appear mindless and far from spiritual. This is not a liability just because they further worldly agenda for how else can the worldly be attracted to temples or houses of God. 

As what Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says, "Blame not insects for coming to the flower for nectar." Blame not people for coming to a house of God for worldly agenda. One day among those who come, they will pick up the deeper spirituality and that will be good. 

Thus men of deep spirituality must give opportunities where it is possible to inject some spirituality to others who are not in the least ready for spirituality They must find ways of reducing disparity of yin and yang and work towards yin yang 阴阳 balance not only in themselves but also in others who are far from the disposition to be spiritual. 

The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 did say that the far must be attracted to come to a house of God and be near though far so that there is at least some exposure and hope that one day there will be some who can pick up spirituality and make good. 

The men of spirituality if they are men of Tao 道 do not just enrich those who are spiritual to make them even more so. They do not advance only themselves and their likes on how to be more spiritual. They care to give to some affinity of spirituality in those who don't have any spirituality at all and would otherwise be dead lost spiritually. By so doing, they work towards the balance the yin and yang 阴阳 of spirituality among the masses even if this is a onerous task.

Thus, be it in religion or in secular world of men, there must be balance between the haves and the have-not, between the right and not-so-right and between what appeals and is popular and what is right and proper but not appealing and popular. 

To go by what is ultimately right alone will not carry the ground. A religion or sect will then lose its following and fade into history. How then can it save souls?  

A governing authority of the land too may lose its support as people may find life harsh for the present though many may be aware of the long term good. Without being populist and giving out blessings, how can it stay on in government to deliver the long term good? But without being right and lobbying with the well-off financially, where will the income come from. That too is a greater concern to many countries. Thus good rulers must have Tao 道 to balance the yin and yang 阴阳 in society. 

With regards to religion, the populist or welfare approach is appealing and will attract the crowd. Thus God and saints bestow worldly blessings to men without strings attached just to keep the masses in the fold and attract more. But one day it is hoped that people go for spirituality, that is, to know what is right for them and go for the core - the inner truth of spirituality common to and behind all religions and sects. 

The truth is that both options must be deployed - the worldly and the spiritual, that is the populist / welfare option and the very right and proper option. In the first option, individuals shower blessings and in the other option, individuals cultivate and bless themselves. But with self cultivation, only a small number will succeed at any one time. We need both options. We need the worldly options just to enable the spiritual option. That is the ironical reality.

This is the same truth or reality behind all religions and all must know this. The mission of the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 is to bring about this awareness and two prong approach. There is the inner truth of the balanced approach.

As with all spiritual principles, what works for spiritual will work for the secular mundane world. This did the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 reminds us time and again. 

Well this applies too to the balance approach deploying both populist option and self dependence or cultivation. One promotes self-reliance. The other ends up promoting dependence and religious hold on followers. Only when there is dependence, can followers learn to cultivate and be independent.  

There is need for balance approach and this is referred to as Tao 道. It manifests as Te 德 - the effectiveness or power of Tao 道. Tao 道 is behind ultimate effectiveness Te 德. 

The man of Tao 道 does not wait till he has fully arrived to give or rather enable the potential for Tao 道 in those far from Tao 道. This understanding is central to and the basis of the whole Tao Te Ching 道德经. 

Tao 道 is behind true progress in life and in the world. Tao 道 is behind ultimate effectiveness Te德. It is intuitive in the divine nature of humanity. Yin yang 阴阳 balance is behind progress and is referred to by Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 as an aspect of the inner truth behind life and spirituality. It is what Tao 道 is all about - to bring about Te 德.

Religions may not use the same terms of yin and yang 阴阳 or even Tao 道 and Te 德 but they do in fact refer to the same. In the same way, religions refer to Divinity in different names and perspectives - God, Jade Emperor, Brahma and what have we. 

Tao Te Ching 道德经 on Tao 道 and Man

No 860 of Living Life Series 1

道德经 Tao Te Ching literally means Canon 经 of the Way 道 Tao and Virtue 德 Te. It is the canon 经 of the virtue /effectiveness of the Way. Te 德 has also been translated as power or manifestation.

Tao as defined in the Tao Te Ching Chapter 1 : 

" The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.

The name that can be named is not the eternal name. 

The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth." 

This passage means that Tao 道 is present, and shall never cease to exist. 

The meaning is that Tao has always existed and Tao will continue to exist after all physical matter ceases to exist, for Tao is behind all. You can say it is the creator of all. Tao is even above and beyond God Almighty the Jade Emperor. 

In the Tao Te Ching 道德经, chapter 25, with regards to Tao 道, it partly states, 

"Something mysteriously formed, 
Born before heaven and earth. 
In the silence and the void, 
Standing alone and unchanging. 
Ever present and in motion. 
Perhaps it is the mother of ten thousand things. 
I do not know its name. 
Call it Tao. For lack of a better, I call it great." 

In the beginning of beginning, there was primordial energy or Tao. From it arose the supra-universe with the First Pure One. From one arose two and from two arose three - The Three Pure Ones in the three supra-universes. It is said that from one arose two and from two arose three and more. God Almighty The Jade Emperor was sent by the First Pure One to oversee the universes we know with the yin and yang that evolved from the primordial energy - Tao.

Chapter 77 in the Tao Te Ching 道德经 states in part the following,

"The Tao of heaven is to take from those who have too much and give to those who do not have enough."  

"Man's way is different. 

He takes from those who do not have enough 
to give to those who already have too much. 
What man has more than enough and gives it to the world? 
Only the man of Tao " 

A man of Tao 道 has enough even though he has less. He has less wants and have more to spare. A man without Tao wants more and even rob the poor to enrich himself and others who are already rich and like himself want more. 

Men without Tao 道contribute towards yin yang imbalance but men of Tao cultivate yin yang balance in him and are even able to play his part to contribute towards the yin yang balance in the world around him. 

Tao 道 ensures that the universes below the supra-universes are of yin and yang. Those who can balance yin and yang will reach towards the peace of eternal Tao that is even beyond the supra-universes of the Three Pure Ones and their retinues. 

Life is a balancing act for one and all. There is peace when there is balance and restlessness when peace is not there.

The image of the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 manifests the essence of Tao. The image echoes this need to balance the yin and yang - as depicted by his feet on the elements. This can be done through any religion or sect. The teachings of saints of religions will ultimately lead towards this balance. This is the inner truth of the oneness of religions in bringing peace of life in their respective ways. 

Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 is a messenger of Tao to bring this to light in people who are in the darkness and not see the light of the oneness among beings and people alike. 

If humanity listens and is in tune with Tao, there will no taking away but giving, be it with individuals or with religions. Religions like individuals must enrich one another. This will strengthen all individuals and all religions. There is no such thing as "I win and you lose" but "you win and I too as well." This is the balance of Tao 道 - the balance of yin and yang.

"I may not have plenty but what I have is enough. I can still spare and give. This is the spirit of Tao 道." 

A man of 道 Tao in any religion gives to other religions and will not take away from other religions. He enriches not only his own religion but also other religions in ways more than one. 

"What man has more than enough and gives it to the world? 
Only the man of 道 Tao." 

Parsimony as way of life ?

No 859 of Living Life Series 1

In heaven or on earth, what pleases heaven too will please fellow people on earth. As on Earth, so will it be also with Heaven. This is the common belief since the ancient days of emperors and dynasties in old China. 

Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 the messenger of God is here to stress on the oneness of religions to save souls. All religions stress on cultivation of peace. Religions in their respective ways promote peace of spirit in any person and also among people through all religions and sects. This amplifies on the principle of as with Heaven so also with Earth. There must be peace in Heaven and on Earth. 

Many common principles apply to how people relate to both Heaven and Earth. One such belief that applies to how we relate to both Heaven and Earth is parsimony. It promotes peace in the individual and among people. It wins the appreciation of Heaven. 

Parsimony is about being careful with resources, storing up virtue and merits which you can make do for more and can never have too much of. As you accumulate more resources be it money, virtues or merit stores, the more you have, the better poised you will be for the rigors of life - the life events. 

You will be stronger against the odds of life and less affected by the storms of life. There will be more of peace which if you care to think carefully, you can never have too much of. 

If you go about life in this way, you do not attract attention and create envy in others of what you have. Others are less likely to be envious of you because you keep the low profile and are not flaunting your assets and strengths. Life will be more peaceful as others are less likely to challenge you to the test and to taut you. That way you can have a more peaceful life. You do not send them the unconscious message  - "See I have and you don't."

You will even attract people to you who are like yourself - capable people with quiet strengths which can augment what you do not have as yet. Well to state the obvious, you too have benefited others in like manner. 

There is nothing like having parsimony when you relate to people and this applies too to with heaven. It is not about denying others the knowledge of what you have. Rather it is more like being humble and prudent with people and with resources. It is about being frugal with use of resources so that there will be more for rainy days. 

Frugality is about going for what is enough and neither in excess nor denying or not using your resources. It is like eating to live and not living to eat. It is not about not eating so that your resources are not used at all. Then you will not be healthy and energetic to grow your resources. 

Parsimony often leads to simplicity - a simple way of life that blends into society and nature. But simplicity is not parsimony. A person with resources and means leads a simple life and has plenty more of resources to spare. But a person with simple life may not have the resources but lead a simple life because he has no choice due to lack of resources. 

With regards to fate or what is referred to as karma, not depleting it and using it appropriately and leaving more for rainy days is wise. But not using it and preferring to suffer when there is no need to is unwise. This hopefully will give some insight on parsimony. 

Parsimony as way of life works for many but there will be some who find it works against them. Then they must reflect and wonder why? Have they been over simplistic in thinking? Up to a point parsimony works in bringing peace and often this has to do with simple life. 

But to go for more peace and breach the ceiling of peace, some say there is need to go beyond what parsimony can offer. There is need to handle contradictions. Parsimony often requires us to be simple in outlook and not dwell with contradictions. This is the common platform for many when they start out with parsimony.

They say that dwelling with contradictions goes against the assumed basic simplistic thinking connected with early practice of parsimony. There is need to balance the contradictions or polarities of life - not avoiding contradictions which is running way and not handling life and complexities. 

True parsimony (as some would dare say) is not to avoid contradictions but to make complex life simple and peaceful even with contradictions - the yin and yang. When starting off in practice of parsimony, we avoid contradictions so as to grow parsimony. When we are better at it, we handle contradictions and are not worse off in anyway. 

Parsimony is not about running away from complexities of life. Ultimately it is about handling contradictions as they come our way. We have to do so in simple way and not deplete our mental resources and we can achieve this through balance* approach. We have to leave behind and gather more reserve mental resources for the life that is yet to come. Some call this quality of frugality but perhaps it is more of productivity.

The *balance of yin and yang brings ultimate peace and simplicity to complex life. This is reflected by the image of the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 with feet astride and atop yin and yang.

As a test of your grasp of parsimony as way of life, let us go through some examples. Who is more likely to be happy and at peace? Is he the one who earns 1000 dollars a month but is frugal and has 200 dollars to save a month or the one who earns 5000 dollars a month but always in more debts because he spends 6000 dollars a month? 

Will a beggar who begs for living and has no earned income be happy and at peace even if he has hoarded 100,000 dollars in the bank? Will the beggar be at peace living on others left over food, living in rags and sleeping on public parks with no shelter and no family? 

Will a guru of light livelihood and responsibilities be more at peace than one with heavy responsibilities and jet life livelihood? Some say that gurus well acclaimed and well received all over the world exhibit peace and happiness even though they might shoulder heavy responsibilities and jet themselves all over the world. It is rare but possible though an uphill task. 

Who is more likely to have inner peace? Of course, he is the guru with light livelihood and responsibilities as he is less attached. He leads simple life and tries to be effective in simple ways - never going overboard. But good gurus need to spread their wings around the world and they need resources. They often forgo the simple life to reach out to the world. The world is so blessed that there are such gurus. 

The Buddha became what he was not because he was a prince but because he went for simplicity and a light and simple livelihood. His resources then did lie in his spirituality. He was well supported but he never took others support for granted. He would never indulge in their support. 

He moved on from place to place and from people to people. He was frugal and never overtaxed the resources of supporters. He too practiced parsimony as way of life. He is the Buddha - the fully enlightened one.

Parsimony as way of life works for many but it is only a means to the end but not the end in itself. It is more difficult to succeed in life spiritually or otherwise without growing the parsimony virtue in us. Some will argue that parsimony has limitations but for now and for many it works. 

Live within means and we will be richer and more at peace. To do so, do be simple in needs and wants. Want less and have more. Be simple and convergent and not be divergent and carried away. 

Parsimony as way of life is the way to beat inflation for the individual. It is always best to spend less when there is inflation. But if all think that way and spend less, there will be gloom in economy. People need to spend to boost the economy. 

But generally speaking, parsimony as way of life has its merits. We do not end up living on future earnings and good fate. We end up on positive note. 

Even with a relatively meager income, we have more than enough earnings to save for future. The same applies to good deeds and store of merits. 

We do not deplete our merits and resources. Our life will be more even and peaceful over the whole life span as we are backed by reserves of good fate and financial backing.

Mindful to celebrate life by going for peace

No 858 of Living Life Series 1

Mindfulness has caught up as the in-thing in life. People are practicing mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness simply put is about being aware of the moment and of the present. It is about being aware that the past is history, the present is a present and the future is yet to be and perhaps even a mystery. 

So this being the case, the reality is that religion is about the here and now and not about life beyond this life - life after death. But the mortal and insubstantial nature of life bites hard into our very spirit in life and we want and expect immortality after death. We want eternal life...

We sing about the promise of immortality in life after death. Isn't this lamenting about the mortality of life we have here and now? 

There must be more focus on life that we have now. Life certainly is not substantial in that there is no immortality but like it or not, it is the only substantial life we can have for now though of course, limited and yes very finite. 

We have to be mindful of life here and now and that life is precious. We must make do with life and be mindful to make the best of it. This is what mindfulness has to be and should be. This is how we value the blessings of God and saints and of our elders and ancestors. 

Religion is about life and mindfulness of life. Religious practices to be meaningful should deal with life here and now more than life of the here after, otherwise doomsday cults may not be a rarity

If a heavenly saint in a temple deals only with life hereafter, no one will be at the temple. If the saint takes care of the life of devotees here and now, there will be the crowd and vibrancy of life at the temple. 

In a church, many go there not to wait for life after death but to celebrate life here and now. They sing and they pray. They have fellowship and joy of togetherness. They go for outings after church services. Life is a joy and a celebration.

But many temples end up being temples for life after death and they house the ashes of the lives gone. Instead of congregations of the living, there are the congregations of the lives who have passed over to the other world. The gates are even closed at sunset. This is not the original intention but is an example of how culture requires men to respect the elders and ancestors. 

But the greatest respect we can accord to the ancestors and elders is to show that temples are where the living can celebrate life - that they value their lives and mindful to want to value life, more so when it is not lasting. Let temples be where people can celebrate life and this is the way to go more so if we want to respect ancestors. 

Our ancestors surely would not want us to wait for death but to be happy with life - to inject a celebratory vibrancy to life and what better place than in a temple. This must extend to beyond the temple, that is at home and in the world of life beyond the temple.

Well this must extend to the world we live in. After all, the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that the world is the universal temple. The sky or Heaven is the roof of the temple. All under Heaven is in this temple. Religions of men are the pillars of this universal temple. 

Let there be celebration of life in this temple but do so wisely - no living in the future or in the past and no denying or indulging but be mindful, purposeful and wise. Do not repeat the follies of the past and do not live as though we are no longer in the present or that the future matters not. 

Live and celebrate life with what we can have. Go for the peace in life. We should neither live in the illusive dreams and promises for the future nor live in gloom and doom though all will surely pass on one day. 

Be mindful to go for the peace of the here and now in our daily life. This is what matters if we want to have the peace of God and saints one day. This of course is distant and a daydream for now. 

Be mindful to celebrate and value life. Peace is what we need and let us celebrate whatever peace we can have. Do not mourn, moan and groan. Do not be ecstatic and be in the clouds. 

Just be level-headed and be mindful to be at peace. This is the way to celebrate life. This is the Way or Tao the good lord refers to. This is the way to live life - just be at peace to celebrate life.  

Learn from all fellow beings

No 857 of Living Life Series 1

Everyone is a candle and emits light which can benefit others nearby. One may be better off and a bigger candle flame but he or she can also benefit from the light of the candle flames of others. But of course one must not enter into the darkness of those others. This may sound profound and vexing. Let us elaborate. 

Those who know a little may be better than those who know more in bringing spirituality to the masses. Those who know allot may belong to the lot who know much more but may be of little help in kindling the spirituality of the masses who know too little and just want to follow the crowd and not the few who know allot and not with the crowd. 

The religion of yesteryear depends on those who know but the religion of today depends on those who know less but are willing to go the mile or who are prepared to pander to the worldly needs of fellow men. 

Is this what the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 meant when he said the far may be near and the near far? Perhaps this is so or perhaps this is too far fetched. 

Knowing little can be better than knowing more but knowing more is not a liability either. So where do we go from here?

Doesn't it mean that at whatever point we start off with, be it religious or otherwise, we are no better or worse from one another. This is food for thought and let us be mindful and be more aware. 

We can learn and gain spiritually from others even if they may appear to know nothing or to know little or to know what we think is far from correct. 

There is need to admit that we too need to know from those we think know not or know little. We need to learn from those whom we can be their teachers. We need to learn from those who work for us and with us as well as those who don't work with us or are for us. 

We need to learn from the goodness of all fellow men and beings. They too can learn from us. That way we bring one another to more light but let us not drag one another into darkness and oblivion. Better to see the good in fellow beings and to be better off from this and also learn to avoid their dark side - not to do what they are better off not doing. 

Be humble to learn from all fellow beings and that is the way to grow in spirituality and to help others to grow as well. We need all to grow and glow. We need all religions, sects and beliefs to reach out to men. That way all can grow and glow even more. 

All religions and belief systems are one in God and saints. Some like candles may be smaller and some bigger but together they light up the darkness of the lives of men. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 tells us. 

The good lord is for all religions and sects. He is not here to start any or to show his magnificence. He would rather be in the background and any temple with his name be lack luster and less than ordinary.