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!.

Friday, May 15, 2015

The end-all story of Wesak waiting to be retold

No 873 of Living Life Series 1

The story of Wesak is the story of the birth of Buddha as man Gautama, his enlightenment under the fig tree and his ascent all on the same day.

It is not about a new religion, about a new culture but about seeing things as they really are. In his last life time as a man and no less a crown prince, he was not satisfied why there is impermanence.

All have to undergo insubstantial nature of life be it on earth or in heavens. All need to be reborn again and again due to their attitude to life of wanting. Wanting results from false views or delusion that they can live forever in whatever life time they are in.

A man never thinks his life will end even though he sees the end in all lives. The same applies to the one in heaven. He is no different in that he too will have an end though his time in heaven is relatively like in eternity due to long lifetime.

But each share the problem of karma. They use up their karmic energy and create new karma that will be depleted. There must be that end-all that is not the end of existence of life. There must be life where there is new creation of karma that will be cruel to the man or being in that there will be the depletion of karma seen as the end of one life and the beginning of yet another. The cycle of rebirths go on and on.

There must be the cessation of rebirths in this manner. There must be the endless and the non-created - life beyond rebirths on Earth, in Heaven or in Hell. This ideal is the end-all of imperfection. This is the end-all of the irony of life manifesting as incessant rebirths.

The call of Wesak is the call to wake-up and to begin the end of delusion that life on earth and in heaven or hell is forever. The upkeep of this delusion is worsen manifold by clinging that yields two other harmful traits of (1) greed or clinging and (2) self-centered nature often manifesting as ill-will.

We must stop cultivating the three mental roots of false views (eternity and no life beyond the present are two of the many false views), attachment and selfishness. We must cultivate the opposite positive roots of correct views, goodwill and non-clinging.

Non clinging has nothing to do with giving up of life. It is simply put about stopping our not being at peace with life - our own life as well as the lives of others. It is about being one and at peace with life and the whole world.

No wonder the Buddha says that long is the night to him who is wakeful and long is the cycle of rebirths to him who knows not and sees not the reason for this seemingly endless rebirths. Those who see the true nature and cultivate the end of the three negative mental roots and the promotion of the three positive roots know that surely they will see the end to their rebirths and be with the enlightened ones.

They will be lightened and be free from the burden of rebirths - be the rebirths be on Earth, Heavens or Hell. This is the end-all story of Wesak waiting to be told again and again on every Wesak. This is the end all that even God Almighty and the godly beings in all heavens, earth and hell aspire for. Yes there are godly beings in hell just as there are godly beings on Earth.

Mind you, it is not about changing religion or culture. It is about being better at what we are and what we want in life through any religion or culture. It is about being better than what we are and this certainly does not need us to jump the band wagon and switch culture or religion. This certainly does not need us to start afresh but to continue from what we are and be better. This too was echoed by Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 who wants us to understand the oneness of all cultures and religions.

May all beings be well and happy. May all be good, avoid evil and purify the mind by eradicating the negative mental roots and cultivating the three positive mental roots.

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.