No 1365 of Living Life Series 1
When we go to a house of God or saint, we must be well dressed and it is considered disrespectful not to do so.
But who wants us to be well dressed? It is the people and not God. They say that it is disrespectful to God. Well, then what about those who are not well off and the poor. Are they not entitled to be in a house of God just because they cannot afford to dress well?
Not only must we be well dressed in a house of God, we have to conduct ourselves well, not lie on floor in a house of God when we are tired. That will raise eyebrows and invite rebuke.
Well do we need to put an outward front when what we need to have is to have a good heart and be pure and at peace with life and with God and saints?
The saints of God are not attired to the nines and in fact wear humble robes often not flattering at all. What matters is what is in their hearts - not what they do, how they dress and present themselves.
In his days, Ji Gong 济公 was chided for behaving badly and not dressing well. His robes were ragged and tattered and far from presentable.
He did not carry himself well. He rolled and laze around on the floor even in a holy place. He was unkempt. He drank wine and ate meat. He was a monk in a monastery and they asked him to leave.
But unlike many of the presentable monks then, he was clean and pure at heart though not outwardly in the way he dressed and he was not up to mark and norms of behaviour expected of a holy man.
But who is more saintly? Were the monks then more holy and saintly than him? He was and is but not the many others who took the great efforts to impress others - alas only to put on an exterior. (...though of course only a few were back sheep and many have no bad intention. It was just that they had to follow convention)
Do we therefore not take a leaf from Ji Gong 济公 and be good and saintly at heart?
What is the point of flowing along downstream with the crowd and be one with the crowd. As remarked by Bo Tien 武天, it is more important to go against the current and go upstream to the upper source for clear water, to have pure heart - never mind if in the process we fail to dress well and observe decorum.
This is not to say that we purposely irritate others by being unkempt and unbecoming in conduct and behaviour, but that we need to spend more effort to have pure heart - to go to the upper source for clear water.
We of course are far from being Ji Gong 济公. Ji Gong 济公 had his purpose. His body language was a wake up call for many to be more sincere in wanting to be good, pure and saintly.
Appearances help but what matters more is how we are at heart. So long as how we dress or behave does not cause illwill and hurt to others, we can dress casually. Others may not like it and think we are not classy enough for the house of God. Are we disrespectful to God if we do not dress to the nines?
Well, they are like Pharisees in the days of old. Do we need to be like them or be concerned with their remarks? We don't need to but we don't have to go all the way out to rile them. That would be tantamount to belittling ourselves and disappointing God and saints.
Others who put up a front to impress but are not up to the mark at heart are far though they think they are near to God and saints. The near may be far and the far near.
This was pointed out by Bo Tien 武天 who is a saint but has no intention to want us to regard him as one. No need to know that he is saint but to know that what he teaches is applicable and in all religions. He refers to this as the inner truth in life and in religions.
If the house of God is more a house of men, then it would reject the likes of Ji Gong 济公. This is because men fail to make the difference between man and God. Man is man and God is God. The ways of men are not the ways of God and saints. Bo Tien 武天 too reminds us of this.
But who wants us to be well dressed? It is the people and not God. They say that it is disrespectful to God. Well, then what about those who are not well off and the poor. Are they not entitled to be in a house of God just because they cannot afford to dress well?
Not only must we be well dressed in a house of God, we have to conduct ourselves well, not lie on floor in a house of God when we are tired. That will raise eyebrows and invite rebuke.
Well do we need to put an outward front when what we need to have is to have a good heart and be pure and at peace with life and with God and saints?
The saints of God are not attired to the nines and in fact wear humble robes often not flattering at all. What matters is what is in their hearts - not what they do, how they dress and present themselves.
In his days, Ji Gong 济公 was chided for behaving badly and not dressing well. His robes were ragged and tattered and far from presentable.
He did not carry himself well. He rolled and laze around on the floor even in a holy place. He was unkempt. He drank wine and ate meat. He was a monk in a monastery and they asked him to leave.
But unlike many of the presentable monks then, he was clean and pure at heart though not outwardly in the way he dressed and he was not up to mark and norms of behaviour expected of a holy man.
But who is more saintly? Were the monks then more holy and saintly than him? He was and is but not the many others who took the great efforts to impress others - alas only to put on an exterior. (...though of course only a few were back sheep and many have no bad intention. It was just that they had to follow convention)
Do we therefore not take a leaf from Ji Gong 济公 and be good and saintly at heart?
What is the point of flowing along downstream with the crowd and be one with the crowd. As remarked by Bo Tien 武天, it is more important to go against the current and go upstream to the upper source for clear water, to have pure heart - never mind if in the process we fail to dress well and observe decorum.
This is not to say that we purposely irritate others by being unkempt and unbecoming in conduct and behaviour, but that we need to spend more effort to have pure heart - to go to the upper source for clear water.
We of course are far from being Ji Gong 济公. Ji Gong 济公 had his purpose. His body language was a wake up call for many to be more sincere in wanting to be good, pure and saintly.
Appearances help but what matters more is how we are at heart. So long as how we dress or behave does not cause illwill and hurt to others, we can dress casually. Others may not like it and think we are not classy enough for the house of God. Are we disrespectful to God if we do not dress to the nines?
Well, they are like Pharisees in the days of old. Do we need to be like them or be concerned with their remarks? We don't need to but we don't have to go all the way out to rile them. That would be tantamount to belittling ourselves and disappointing God and saints.
Others who put up a front to impress but are not up to the mark at heart are far though they think they are near to God and saints. The near may be far and the far near.
This was pointed out by Bo Tien 武天 who is a saint but has no intention to want us to regard him as one. No need to know that he is saint but to know that what he teaches is applicable and in all religions. He refers to this as the inner truth in life and in religions.
If the house of God is more a house of men, then it would reject the likes of Ji Gong 济公. This is because men fail to make the difference between man and God. Man is man and God is God. The ways of men are not the ways of God and saints. Bo Tien 武天 too reminds us of this.
