No 1017 of Living Life Series 1
The truth behind religion is that it tries to bring salvation for all. But religion sometimes try to be very impressive and make spiritual growth beyond the understanding of the common man. Then at the other extreme, there is the religion that makes it so simple. Just believe and be good. Either way, religion can become its own undoing.
There is however one reality behind religion. You cannot say the same thing to all. Religion is about the individual - how he finds peace in spirit and meaningful relationship with men, with life and with God as well as coming to terms with mortality.
That is why organized religion though able to reach to many may end up not meeting the needs of the many. But if it does meet, it is because of fellowship among men.
Men must help one another and cheer up one another. Men must stand up to be concrete pillar of strength and not stay as individual sand particles to be blown away. This was emphasized by the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨.
It feels good to be not alone. There are fellow men around. There is also God and saints. They do answer prayers. This is the truth behind life and religion. The truth lies in fellowship.
But the problem in many temples is that men are men and the issues of men are many and plentiful. Where men meet, they often end up having problems with fellow men. Isn't that pathetic?
That is why every year at any temple of the good lord, there is the 49 day purity observance before Mission Day on 13th day of the ninth lunar month.
Those observing the 49 days of purity observance must make the effort of coming together in the temple. They observe keeping the gap shut as the mouth is often the cause of problems. We must talk less and make effort to be kind in speech and in body language.
But this is not enough. We must silence the background noises in our head. We must meditate not alone but as a group. We must have fellowship even in meditation.
The feel good factor from group gathering insures people in group from splitting hairs. Like family members they will stay together somehow. The bond lies in fellowship.
This practice of yearly purity observance can easily be replicated in any temple of any religion. Many are already doing so for centuries past.
But men are men. They do have short memory of sorts. After a while, complacency sets in. The clatter of voices return and the noises in the head comes back.
It seems good to have them as then men have something to talk about, something to argue on and to find fault with one another. They even forget they are in a temple and do the unthinkable in a temple. They end up not having fellowship. They are on their own and they think they are in paradise.
But when men meditate and pray together, they have bonding - fellowship. Even if they have differences, they can put their differences aside.
Even religions do not go it alone. They must work in fellowship with all other religions. All religions are one. The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨is the messenger of God and saints on the oneness of religions. That people need cell groups when there is no extended family is the evidence for the need of fellowship, be it in life or in religion.
There is however one reality behind religion. You cannot say the same thing to all. Religion is about the individual - how he finds peace in spirit and meaningful relationship with men, with life and with God as well as coming to terms with mortality.
That is why organized religion though able to reach to many may end up not meeting the needs of the many. But if it does meet, it is because of fellowship among men.
But the problem in many temples is that men are men and the issues of men are many and plentiful. Where men meet, they often end up having problems with fellow men. Isn't that pathetic?
That is why every year at any temple of the good lord, there is the 49 day purity observance before Mission Day on 13th day of the ninth lunar month.
Those observing the 49 days of purity observance must make the effort of coming together in the temple. They observe keeping the gap shut as the mouth is often the cause of problems. We must talk less and make effort to be kind in speech and in body language.
But this is not enough. We must silence the background noises in our head. We must meditate not alone but as a group. We must have fellowship even in meditation.
The feel good factor from group gathering insures people in group from splitting hairs. Like family members they will stay together somehow. The bond lies in fellowship.
This practice of yearly purity observance can easily be replicated in any temple of any religion. Many are already doing so for centuries past.
But men are men. They do have short memory of sorts. After a while, complacency sets in. The clatter of voices return and the noises in the head comes back.
It seems good to have them as then men have something to talk about, something to argue on and to find fault with one another. They even forget they are in a temple and do the unthinkable in a temple. They end up not having fellowship. They are on their own and they think they are in paradise.
But when men meditate and pray together, they have bonding - fellowship. Even if they have differences, they can put their differences aside.
