No 915 of Living Life Series 1
PS After you have read this article or post, do read the follow-up article Irrelevance may end up relevant to religion.
Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 descended in 1969 to reawaken men to the oneness of religions. Religions must stay relevant by reinforcing one another's good works and not by showing that one or two are right and others wrong. All are right and that is for sure.
Religions risk irrelevance if they create ill-will and bad feelings among men in the name of religion. That would be against the primary basis of all religions to foster good, discourage men from the bad and save men through teaching them to have pure thoughts, the basis of purity.
Pure thoughts are not as simple as it appears. We must have right views (no self denial nor false hope), good will and selflessness without self denial. That is one way to sum up what are pure thoughts. There are of course other ways and that is why we have many religions.
If religions exist to outdo one another, religions risk irrelevance. If religions end up with no goodwill for one another, then they are no longer religions. Religions risk irrelevance.
If religion encourages clinging and indulgence to joy of worldly pleasures and riches instead of joy of purity, humility, simplicity and joy of being with God, saints and all fellow men, then it risks becoming irrelevant.
It will only bring men deeper into the trappings of mortal life instead of uplifting men to be released from the ills of life that we know as mortality.
We need to be pure and pureness brings us beyond mortality and will outlast mortality. Purity will bring an end to the cycle of mortality of rebirths.
Thus in a house of God and saints, let there be no trappings of mortal worldliness that perpetuate clinging to sensual pleasures and entertainment to placate and titillate the senses rather than subdue sense desires and nurture the purity of the spirit.
Religion will be irrelevant to the very purpose of religion if it causes emotions to be inflamed so that men pit against men in the name of religion, in the very name of God and saints. That would be great disservice to God and saints. That would taint and bloody their good and divine name. That would be blasphemous to the utmost degree.
Religion too must not be mixed up with politics and business of any sorts as it is never intended to be money making. It is never intended to be partisan and bias.
Pure thoughts are not as simple as it appears. We must have right views (no self denial nor false hope), good will and selflessness without self denial. That is one way to sum up what are pure thoughts. There are of course other ways and that is why we have many religions.
If religions exist to outdo one another, religions risk irrelevance. If religions end up with no goodwill for one another, then they are no longer religions. Religions risk irrelevance.
If religion encourages clinging and indulgence to joy of worldly pleasures and riches instead of joy of purity, humility, simplicity and joy of being with God, saints and all fellow men, then it risks becoming irrelevant.
It will only bring men deeper into the trappings of mortal life instead of uplifting men to be released from the ills of life that we know as mortality.
We need to be pure and pureness brings us beyond mortality and will outlast mortality. Purity will bring an end to the cycle of mortality of rebirths.
Thus in a house of God and saints, let there be no trappings of mortal worldliness that perpetuate clinging to sensual pleasures and entertainment to placate and titillate the senses rather than subdue sense desires and nurture the purity of the spirit.
Religion will be irrelevant to the very purpose of religion if it causes emotions to be inflamed so that men pit against men in the name of religion, in the very name of God and saints. That would be great disservice to God and saints. That would taint and bloody their good and divine name. That would be blasphemous to the utmost degree.
Religion too must not be mixed up with politics and business of any sorts as it is never intended to be money making. It is never intended to be partisan and bias.
Religion must not demand payment for service. Donation must be given freely and voluntarily from the heart without coercion or any semblance of bargain. Money making will make religion irrelevant to it being a religion.
Violence and ill-will in the name of religion are unthinkable. Religion must be far removed from violence and ill-will but instead promote peace and goodwill if it is to stay relevant as religion.
Religion will risk irrelevance as religion if it employs fear tactics and condemnation of those who do not agree with them and go along with them. Often, if this happens, the fault is not in the religion but in the ignorance of men who use the name of the religion in distasteful way. You may say they somehow or other do end up using the name of religion in vain. They tarnish the good name of religion.
We should not condemn them. They need us as their friends. They do need our help and understanding. They need us to change them for the better. They need our love and sincerity.
Religion is about love to all regardless of race, language or religion, regardless of whether human or non-human beings (spirits and animals, perhaps even demons and devils). Religion will be irrelevant if it is meant for a select few and if it cares only for special group.
Religion ideally should care even for those who are suffering and in hell of a life - be it here or down there. Many would be fearful and apprehensive and this is understandable. May be, they are not ready and up to it. One day they might - just like what some Chinese have been doing during the Seventh Lunar Month (Hungry Ghosts Festival)
Religion must care for those who are ruining themselves in wealth and in indulgence even if this is an uphill task. We can be wealthy but not indulgent. We can still be humble, simple and pure but this may not be easy.
PS Do read the follow-up article Irrelevance may end up relevant to religion.
We should not condemn them. They need us as their friends. They do need our help and understanding. They need us to change them for the better. They need our love and sincerity.
Religion is about love to all regardless of race, language or religion, regardless of whether human or non-human beings (spirits and animals, perhaps even demons and devils). Religion will be irrelevant if it is meant for a select few and if it cares only for special group.
Religion ideally should care even for those who are suffering and in hell of a life - be it here or down there. Many would be fearful and apprehensive and this is understandable. May be, they are not ready and up to it. One day they might - just like what some Chinese have been doing during the Seventh Lunar Month (Hungry Ghosts Festival)
Religion must care for those who are ruining themselves in wealth and in indulgence even if this is an uphill task. We can be wealthy but not indulgent. We can still be humble, simple and pure but this may not be easy.
PS Do read the follow-up article Irrelevance may end up relevant to religion.
