No 864 of Living Life Series 1
Empty vessels make the most noise. Those who know little are more likely to make the most noise about their religion and attract others to it.
But it is those few who know more who are better poised to explain the values of the sage of the religion. Though in essence simple, the values are too profound to be grasped by the majority who can only be attracted if delivered in worldly ways and not in the way it is put as in the Tao Te Ching 道德经.
Thus those in the know may choose frugality of words and actions - parsimony. This means he hardly utters the values and if he does do so and act, he will speak in few words and only when others are ready and receptive. In effect, he hardly speaks and hardly find the good opportunities to speak as the opportunities hardly come by.
He who knows will know when to keep his silence and when to speak. But he hardly speaks because most will hardly be ready to listen and to learn. He is no empty vessel and he will not make the most noise.
But we need empty vessels to make the most noise so as to attract attention of the masses. From there, it is only when they are in will the people have the chance to go in-depth to the values in a religion. But at any one time, only a few can do so.
We need worldly ways to bring in worldly people. We even need worldly people to helm a religion or a temple. They are the ones who know how to be with those like them.
We have to have at least some noisy birds of the world to bring in the other noisy birds of the world to a place which is supposed to eschew silence and propriety.
That is the way of the world. We need to have the ways of the world even in a place designated to promote not the ways of the way of Heaven. We need allot of actions and noise to promote no action - wu wei 无为 as advocated by "Action through no (or less) action" - wei wu wei 为无为.
He who knows will know when to keep his silence and when to speak. But he hardly speaks because most will hardly be ready to listen and to learn. He is no empty vessel and he will not make the most noise.
But we need empty vessels to make the most noise so as to attract attention of the masses. From there, it is only when they are in will the people have the chance to go in-depth to the values in a religion. But at any one time, only a few can do so.
We need worldly ways to bring in worldly people. We even need worldly people to helm a religion or a temple. They are the ones who know how to be with those like them.
We have to have at least some noisy birds of the world to bring in the other noisy birds of the world to a place which is supposed to eschew silence and propriety.
That is the way of the world. We need to have the ways of the world even in a place designated to promote not the ways of the way of Heaven. We need allot of actions and noise to promote no action - wu wei 无为 as advocated by "Action through no (or less) action" - wei wu wei 为无为.
Bo Tien Temple 武天宫 is a temple built based on the ways of the world to promote the ways of Heaven. This may mean that people there promote worldly agenda. It is worldly agenda that attract more people and in any temple, we need people. Worldly agenda are necessary and can still be good.
Well, from the overall appearance and the look of things, it does not look like a temple...but this is arguable as it is indeed very much a temple and unique one at that. Just look at it and you will agree.
The world is indeed at the stage where we need the house of God to be like a nightclub with disco lights and loud all round music to bring in the crowd. One day perhaps Bo Tien Temple 武天宫will be like that. That day may not come if the temple is not keen to attract the crowd.
If the house of God hinders the spread of wings of those who want to introduce the outlandish or bizarre ways of the world into a house of God and saints, that will only encourage the flight out of the house of God to set up a new house of God to take the world by storm. No one can stop better ways of the world from promoting the ways of Heaven.
But whether, they can progress to greater heights and instill greater spirituality after bringing in the crowd is another matter. That is the problem...a more upstream or uphill one.
Bringing in the crowd to be near God and saints is good but they may remain far if they do not grow in the Word. Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that the near may be far...and the far near. Those not in a house of God if they grow in the Word is near though far from a house of God.
They are often the silent ones and are not effective in attracting others to The Word. We need ways of the world by people of worldly ways ironically at a house of God to do so. We need ways of the world to promote the ways of Heaven. This is it, isn't it?
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