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!.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Do not be spiritually compartmentalized

No 896 of Living Life Series 1

Be convergent but do not be compartmentalized in life, be it in spiritual or otherwise. It is good to have helicopter view but in any issue we still need to be more focused and not just have bird's eye view.

We need to decide what we want to do and what we can do for now and zoom in on that. That is, we need to be convergent, otherwise we will make no progress and be lost in ideals.

But for sure, in spiritual matters, while we want to be convergent and not divergent, we cannot adopt a " I am right and you are wrong" stance. Then we have a closed mind and cannot be open to new ideas and new perspectives in spirituality.

Then, we will not be able to see the perspectives of others on what we believe. Sometimes, the views of others can add depth to what we believe. Also without learning from others, we cannot add on and expand on the basket of our beliefs. This is the shortfall of compartmentalization.

Not only that, we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are right and others wrong. That is when we can get carried away and think that in God's name or in the name of whatever sage or prophet, it is the will of divinity that we ensure others do and believe in what we do and believe.

That is when we will see the ugly side of religion. Why must we end up compartmentalizing religion? Why end up as bigots and think others ways and beliefs are not in tune with the true truth?

We need to be convergent for the here and now and for the moment if are not to daydream and be lost in divergent thinking but we cannot be compartmentalized and be lost to new perspectives that the beliefs of others may add to and enrich our own beliefs and spiritual life.

That is the very rationale Asians over the centuries keep an open mind. They do not care to belong particularly to any one religion or spiritual school of thought. They patronize all places of worship. This is their spiritual culture.

Frankly in all honesty, they do not belong to any religion or sect in particular. This culture has served them for centuries. It enables them to believe in all religions and to learn from others, both the good and not so good. In the process they learn about their own good and not-so-good.

The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 the messenger of Divinity on the oneness of religions exhorts us to learn from life, our own and also that of others. The ultimate gospel is not the written or uttered words but what is written in the lives of men, our lives and beliefs and the lives of others and their beliefs.

You can say that God or Divinity speaks to men in many ways - not only through us but through others as well. So why on Earth be compartmentalized?

A gentle reminder though, we must not be divergent and be lost. We need to be convergent for the moment and to move forward for the moment - for the here and now. With progress and from time to time, we can pause and afford to be divergent and to scan around for additional views and perspectives. This too requires us to keep an open mind. Do not compartmentalize spirituality.

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.