No 1201 of Living Life Series 1
We like others to say what we want them to say to us. Then we will feel good. But if everybody thinks that way, how is this going to work out. It will only be a pipe dream.
It will only drive us mad when others simply will say exactly the opposite of what we expect them to say to us. They seem so frank and hurtful in their views.
They simply don't have time to waste on niceties. This happens more so in any house of God and saints.
Initially when we are new to them, they are careful not to hurt our feelings but once we are considered as part of them, the more they accept us, the more sharp tongue and unpleasant they seem to be.
Perhaps they do feel for us and they speak out their thoughts in the most impactful way. This however can create more harm and hurt though said with some degree of love. The more they want to show love, the more they speak directly and bluntly.
Perhaps these people try to be samaritans and think they are directed by God and are doing a great service to us and to God by thinking that God wants them to do so that way. They judge for God when God judges not. They are near to God but yet far. They have sharp knife-like tongues that cut in many ways.
The poor souls the ones who seek out their sympathy and empathy may be considered far from God by the sharp tongues but may be more near than them to God. They do not yet have sharp tongues. Then in another sense, they may be far from God though they are near.
Why? They have not grasped the Word. The Word is God. They need to be good and to be good is not to have ego - not to want and want but to still value life come what may - never mind what others think of them or what they may think of themselves.
They should neither be self deprecating nor praise themselves to the sky. Just go for inner peace amid the ups and downs, the to and fros and all will augur well. They will have the inner peace, even a wee bit at a time will do and make progress at that over time.
It is never easy to have inner peace even with God and saints behind us and even with fellowship of brethren in the house of God.
But remember that brethren have the same problems as us. This however does not mean we avoid them. We need them. We need to group up like a bunch of candles to light up one another's lives and shine the way for others to join us in pursuit of inner peace.
The sad part is that all of us are novices in a way. We may end up hurting one another. We need to learn from the plus and minus of life, our own and that of others.
All these pointers are to be found in any religion. The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 highlighted them to us and want us to know that the same truth of life is in all religions. Do learn from life and from others and from all religions.
Among the pointers are most of the following:
1) Near may be far and far near;
2) There is the same basic teachings in religions - the inner truth;
3) For natural crystal clear water, go to the upper source and not flow downstream. There is the same inner truth or upper source in all religions;
4) A collection of candles better than solitary candle;
5) Don't end up with the same problems of the secular world in religion;
6) Learn from life, learn from the strengths and weaknesses of others lives;
7) Inner peace is what we need even if no peace around us. Even if there is peace around us, without inner peace we will not be at peace;
8) Tao 道 or common sense elusive even in religion;
9) The image is the Word and the Word is the image;
10) The mistake in going for belief and emotion and not logic in religion. Religion more logic driven than emotion driven;
11) Doing good for own agenda is still good but not as good as if done with purity of heart or spirit. Inner peace comes from purity of mind unaffected by and atop yin and yang - the ups and downs of life;
12) There is sunrise and there is sunset. Likewise men must work and rest;
We like others to say what we want them to say to us. Then we will feel good. But if everybody thinks that way, how is this going to work out. It will only be a pipe dream.
It will only drive us mad when others simply will say exactly the opposite of what we expect them to say to us. They seem so frank and hurtful in their views.
They simply don't have time to waste on niceties. This happens more so in any house of God and saints.
Initially when we are new to them, they are careful not to hurt our feelings but once we are considered as part of them, the more they accept us, the more sharp tongue and unpleasant they seem to be.
Perhaps they do feel for us and they speak out their thoughts in the most impactful way. This however can create more harm and hurt though said with some degree of love. The more they want to show love, the more they speak directly and bluntly.
Perhaps these people try to be samaritans and think they are directed by God and are doing a great service to us and to God by thinking that God wants them to do so that way. They judge for God when God judges not. They are near to God but yet far. They have sharp knife-like tongues that cut in many ways.
The poor souls the ones who seek out their sympathy and empathy may be considered far from God by the sharp tongues but may be more near than them to God. They do not yet have sharp tongues. Then in another sense, they may be far from God though they are near.
Why? They have not grasped the Word. The Word is God. They need to be good and to be good is not to have ego - not to want and want but to still value life come what may - never mind what others think of them or what they may think of themselves.
They should neither be self deprecating nor praise themselves to the sky. Just go for inner peace amid the ups and downs, the to and fros and all will augur well. They will have the inner peace, even a wee bit at a time will do and make progress at that over time.
It is never easy to have inner peace even with God and saints behind us and even with fellowship of brethren in the house of God.
But remember that brethren have the same problems as us. This however does not mean we avoid them. We need them. We need to group up like a bunch of candles to light up one another's lives and shine the way for others to join us in pursuit of inner peace.
The sad part is that all of us are novices in a way. We may end up hurting one another. We need to learn from the plus and minus of life, our own and that of others.
All these pointers are to be found in any religion. The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 highlighted them to us and want us to know that the same truth of life is in all religions. Do learn from life and from others and from all religions.
Among the pointers are most of the following:
1) Near may be far and far near;
2) There is the same basic teachings in religions - the inner truth;
3) For natural crystal clear water, go to the upper source and not flow downstream. There is the same inner truth or upper source in all religions;
4) A collection of candles better than solitary candle;
5) Don't end up with the same problems of the secular world in religion;
6) Learn from life, learn from the strengths and weaknesses of others lives;
7) Inner peace is what we need even if no peace around us. Even if there is peace around us, without inner peace we will not be at peace;
8) Tao 道 or common sense elusive even in religion;
9) The image is the Word and the Word is the image;
10) The mistake in going for belief and emotion and not logic in religion. Religion more logic driven than emotion driven;
11) Doing good for own agenda is still good but not as good as if done with purity of heart or spirit. Inner peace comes from purity of mind unaffected by and atop yin and yang - the ups and downs of life;
12) There is sunrise and there is sunset. Likewise men must work and rest;
