Be good and pure as man to be more than man

No 702 of Living Life Series 1

Let us know God and heavenly saints by first knowing men. If we want to be like God and saints, let us learn first to be good men. This did Confucius (孔夫子) say. 

Confucius (孔夫子) says 
that we learn to be men - 
good men before 
we can be like God

All the talk about pleasing God come to nothing if we know not how to be men. Know the thoughts, know our words and speech and know our actions. 

Gautama Buddha

Gautama Buddha says that all the teachings of saints in this world can be summed up in this stanza. 

Do good, 

Avoid evil, 

Purify the mind. 

This is the teaching 

    of all Buddhas. 

If only we can fathom this well and put it into practice, we are more than men and are enlightened like the Buddhas. 

If we can just try to practice it, we are already good men and if we can push further we are on the path to sainthood. 

The teaching of being good, avoiding evil and purifying the mind is the common teachings of all saints and is in all religions. But what is presented to us by religions are more than this. 

No wonder Confucius (孔夫子) says, "Life is really simple but men insist on making it complicated"  

Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says that the inner truth is one in all religions. It is how to be good and be God-like but beyond that religions can be different and appeal to men in various ways. 

Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨)

Let us be simple and just be men. Let us try to be good as men and the rest will follow. Good begets more good and soon we are way on the path to be more than good men. 

Be good and pure as man and be on the way to be more than man. Ji Gong (济公) explains that what matters is what goes through the heart (mind) and not what one does or what goes through the gut. Be good from the heart.

Ji Gong (济公)

Be good and pure as man to be more than man. This is the teaching of all heavenly saints. 

God in men like Ji Gong (济公) or God out there?

No 701 of Living Life Series 1

Many find it a good pre-occupation to argue till kingdom come that their god is the only God. The issue at hand is whether it matters if someone we respect highly is not God but somehow is still able to be blessing to us because of the good we do as a result. 

Also, of what use or advantage is having God as our god when we think, speak and do that make us unfit to be with him. We are also not deserving to be with God if we have no backbone and just rely on him for everything in life and if we think that we can trespass and hurt others because we falsely think God is behind us. The latter is the main reason why there are excesses committed in the very name of God. 

It is better for men to believe that the sun or moon is God but because of such belief, they are good and kind and show love to all even for those who do not share their faith and for those who even laugh at them. 

But it is a different thing altogether if they even dislike and show disdain for those who do not do what they do - which is to pray to their god, be this the moon or the sun. 

So what matters is the goodness and love that come from the heart because of their belief in the moon or sun, never mind if this is not God so long as their regard for the moon or the sun makes them so loving and caring in many ways, not just to those who are with them or like them but to those who are not like them and not with them. 

What matters is to grow the goodness and pureness of heart. This then is the spirit of God and saints in them, never mind if they are tree or wooden block adorers. 

Men must as a result of their belief grow the God nature in them. Then though men pray to the moon or the sun, God is in everything they do and in what they pray to even though certainly the block of wood, the tree or the moon and the sun are by no means and by any stretch of imagination God. 

If men pray to God but act with anger, ill-will and dislike for those who don't do what they do and who are not with them, they end up idolizing the devil of the ungodly nature in them. Then though they say they pray to God at the altar, they end up growing the devil in them and praying to the devil in the name of God. 

Of course, the ones who have godly ways of love, goodwill and liking for one and all even for those not with them are more worthy of God though they pray to the moon or to a tree. 

But as long as they are good and pure at heart, they will grow the God in them and through their so-called oddity in adoring a tree or the moon, they will be near to God though far because of their adoring the tree or the moon. 

The good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says that the far may be near and the near far, didn't he? So what if the focus of devotion for God is but a tree or the moon? 

The devil is not in what we adore but in whether we are impure and not good at heart - in whether we grow the evil nature rather than the God nature in us. We can adore anything odd as God linked but if we are Godly and pure at heart, we have the God in us.  

Ji Gong (济公) did say that what matters is what goes though the heart and not what we do or what goes through the gut. One story relates that he even chopped up the wooden Buddha image to use as firewood to keep his disciples warm during winter. 

Ji Gong (济公)

He has what we say the Buddha and God in his heart and that matters more than the piece of wood. That piece of wood can be burnt to warm up the body and spirit of men in the harsh winter of life. 

Confucius (孔夫子) is no God but he embodies the goodness of God in men. It matters not if he is not the God others refer to. He is like God to many and brings out the Godliness in men. Confucius (孔夫子) is revered by the many not only in China but the world over. 

Confucius (孔夫子) says 
life is really simple
but men insist on
making it complicated

It is how Godly at heart men can be, not how they worship God or who they regard as God that really makes the presence of God in men. Men must look up to the God in men like Confucius (孔夫子) and Ji Gong (济公). 

How God orientated men are matters more than the God men refer to in their respective religions, never mind if God seems to be different in different religions. This has to do with men and their culture, and not with God. Religion is culture and culture is religion. God is intrinsic to culture and culture has to do with men. What matters is the God in men not who is God.

Beautiful hearts make beautiful people. Beautiful people make the difference. Even one such a man in Ji Gong (济公) makes the difference and brightens up the lives of many across the centuries and across religions, nations and cultures. What matters is the God in Ji Gong, not who is God. It has to be the God in men like Ji Gong, not who is God that beautifies life with love and cheer. 

The God in Ji Gong (济公)

Let us grow the Godliness in us and be closer to God that way. People of all religions must do so and have God in them.

Religions must not let the issue of God divide men but let the God in men bring all men together under the roof of Heaven. Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says that religions are the pillars in the universal temple with Heaven as the roof and all are in this temple.

The boomerang in life

No 700 of Living Life Series 1

Let us not pretend that we are doing for others good when we are doing so for our own good. But let not this stop us from doing good. 

Better to do good for self in the name of doing good for others. At least, we are doing some good for others as a result of our wanting goodness for self. 

This they say is one early form of mindfulness. It will lead us to be less self-orientated and more civic minded. 

It will bring out the realization of how self serving we are in our attempt to be of service to others. 

There will always be the push and pull. The push is to be more worthy to society and the pull will be how to be more worthy for self - to increase self gain, self-esteem and self-worth. 

Isn't this yin and yang as well? Well it is obvious if you care to know. 

The good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) advises that there be balance as depicted by his image with feet atop the elements. 

Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨)

There must be that balance between the two, not at midpoint but more of push than pull. It will be somewhat dynamic as well. 

But even if there is less or little of pull for self gain, like it or not, the giver receives more than he can give. Isn't this sort of boomerang effect? What given out must come back in some other way. 

The boomerang or what some refer to as karma (volitional action and reaction) does work the other way as well. Any disservice for others creates the same or more for the self. Let this be food for thought but hope it will not cheese us off. Instead, this should vet our appetite for goodness in life, not only for individuals but also for entities like religions. 

Do unto others what we would like others to do to us. Religious entities that speak ill of others will exact more of the same for themselves. The boomerang effect is a reality to contend with. 

Do love and be loved. Try even to love foes but be wise and right about it. Otherwise foolishness begets more of the same and the love is more a bane than a blessing. 

Gautama Buddha says that we must not have ill-will, greed and false views. This is the balanced approach to being good and loving for life, ours as well as others. We must be correct in goodness and in love of life so that we will not be bad in trying to be good and end up creating harm in the long term. 

The long and short of this is that we must be right and logically correct in wanting to be good and to love. This rightness must have less to do with our own personal gain - no greed even when we do good or loving life, our life and that of others. 

This advice by Buddha is universal and is for all. At no time did he say that this advice is only for Buddhists. The term Buddhist is man-made and divides men as Buddhists and non-Buddhists. 

This in a way is not good and this too can exact boomerang effect, won't it be the case? Well, not all will agree but at least consider the points raised thus far. 

Those who agree too must keep open mind and be understanding. "Judge not lest ye be judged" is a well known biblical verse - Mathew 7:1. This too points towards boomerang effect in life. 

At peace with moment dead and moment born

No 699 of Living Life Series 1

Here to live and here to die. Is there the need to know the reason why? 

Is there the need to know when we can never know what comes next at every twist and turn. 

To live is to die and that is for sure. But to die is to live and this too we are told. Must we then die to live and live to die. 

It is not about living and dying but then, we are very much into living and dying. More importantly is the question of whether we are at peace with life and death. 

Do we think we will surely die? Do we think we will never die? Is the way to go is to be resurrected when resurrection means that we live only to come to some end. 

That end some say is not death but to live. Then isn't dying the way men will live again? Call this resurrection to make it sound good and great.

Each moment of life is due to moment dead and life goes on and on like that. Ask not why life is like that but know why there is the up and down and up and down again with no seeming end. 

This is what they call the yin and yang in life. We must not be in the grip of yin and yang but be with yin and yang, yet at peace with yin and yang, be it on earth and in heaven. 

Even in heaven, there is moment dead and moment born and so yin and yang there is in heaven as on earth. What matters is whether we are at peace with moment to moment and with life and death. This is the way of the saints, be it in heaven, on earth and even in hell. Even there are are saints in hell and sainthood is possible even in hell. 

Why care about the long and short of the story of life. Go for peace this moment and more moments of peace there will be. Many drops of water make a mighty ocean. Many moments of peace add up to make a saint out of a man, woman  as well. Do be at peace with moment dead and moment born. 

Be like Ji Gong (济公) ever at peace because he goes for peace that comes from the heart and not what others expect him to do. It is what goes through the heart and not what one does and what goes through the gut. Peace must ever be there with moment dead and moment born, regardless of the views and gossips of men. 

What he has is the peace and that is why he is a saint. A saint is never dead to life for he is ever alive to the peace in life come what may, be it yin and yang or life and death, and be it moment dead and moment born; here, there or in heaven or on earth.

Should we go for beyond even the beyond?

No 698 of Living Life Series 1

The spirituality that gives the taste of more peace is beyond what we know in the mundane life as man. It is the peace that comes with love and wisdom. It is peace that comes with correct approach of not denying what we are or going for eternity of supposedly promise of paradise.

For many centuries, men have tried to deny the senses and even their life thinking that then they can be out of this world and be immortalized in spirit and be beyond man. They deny life of the body and even live without food or even induce death like state. 

But all these bring men far from being alive to life. Instead they experienced the dying process way before death is due. Well for short stints, this can be good learning process but such approach is myopic. Men do need to go beyond this limited view and go for more holistic and helicopter view. Some refer to this as the denial of life.

Then there are those who think that there is eternity of paradise better than the best of what we have as man. This they are told can come if we just surrender and worship a God-head. This may seem better approach than the denial of life as man. 

They get the relief that all will be well as the God-head will take care of all matters and when things don't seem right, they say that they are under trials by the God-head. Well, certainly there is peace for them in a way but to sustain this, they have to live in their world of assumption that the God-head knows and will provide. To them this is reality and not assumption. But isn't a mirage in the desert as real as it can be to the beholder? This peace from view of eternal paradise is beyond the here and now.

But for both categories, the ones who deny life of flesh and the ones who live for promise of paradise in afterlife, there is a catch. What if there is more to the beyond they hold on to? 

There again, we can go on and on. We will not be able to arrive at an answer that satisfies all. Let us then wake up and not strive for the beyond or worse still go for beyond the beyond. 

Let us make the present a divine experience. The sages of old in China have the answer as did the sages elsewhere. 

Confucius (孔夫子) says, "Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated." We do not live life based on the rules or dogmas set by men. We do not do more to please the expectations of those at the pulpit in a house of God. 

What matters is not what we do or what goes through our gut but what is in our heart and what goes through the gut. Didn't Ji Gong (济公) said so. It is better way to have the heartfelt peace than to be tied up with the rules and dogmas and have less or no peace. 

Ji Gong (济公)

We should never deny the present and go for the beyond. We don't need to do that and worst still would be to try to go beyond the beyond. 

Confucius (孔夫子)

Let us follow what Confucius (孔夫子) says. Life is really simple and let it be the way to have peace and paradise now. The ups and downs around us should not matter. We just be atop them and not be affected even if we cannot change them. We just have to manage and be atop. We simply live the true life and realize that "life is really simple but it is us who often insist that we make things complicated" even in religion and spirituality. 

Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) wants us to know that the inner truth behind religions are one and same. It is simple, really simple and not out of this world - not as complicated or contorted as many want us to believe. 

Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨)

There are God and saints. They are there to help. But we need to help ourselves. There is the peace in spirit which we must have. 

Surely this cannot only depend on others, not even God and saints though they can help. We must cultivate the peace of the spirit here and now. 

We must be alive to life and live life that is simple and free. We must not be caught in the cobweb of complications we create and spin for ourselves and for fellow men. 

Is being not religious better for spirituality?

No 697 of Living Life Series 1

There is the need for man to lead men and that will always be the case. But that man must appeal to the crowd and this is both a problem and yet not a problem. He will have to serve their needs but if he is wiser than the crowd, he must at times be able to be unpopular so as to bring more good to them. 

There must be that balance between the two aspects so that a better outcome there will be for the crowd. Any imbalance can mean that the crowd will be misled by the man or the man be misled by the crowd for unwholesome ends. 

Religion is an institution of men. People cannot be religious about how to manage a house of God. They must be ever flexible and pragmatic instead of being religiously sticky and rigid. 

Where there is need to have balance of yin and yang, men cannot be rigid and stick to rules. Failure to do so will surely give rise to unrest and less of peace. 

It is better to be not religious - not to insist and to impose, for doing so will undermine spiritual health rather than promote it. Being not religiously attached to principles is better for men of religion. Instead, do things with heart and peace of mind. 

By being far from religious excess on practices may on the contrary allow men to better off and near to God and saints. After all, the means are not the ends and the ends are not the means. What good can we have if we are religiously inclined on the means and end up far from the ends? 

Is this why the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says that the near may be far and the far near. Men must do things from the heart and not religiously adhere to rituals, rules and traditions. 

Ask Ji Gong (济公) and he has this to say, "What matters is what goes through the heart and not what one does or what goes through the gut." Of what use is being religiously rigid about not eating meat and drinking wine when one can even hurt and kill with a foul mouth and when one is drunk with ill-will and has a bad heart? 

Ji Gong (济公)

The man of spiritual can be more spiritual by being not religious and rigid. But this does not mean he must be worldly and attached to the sensual and materialistic needs... 

The man of no spirituality is a victim of sensual and materialistic demands. He too is not religious but definitely not spiritual  - not at peace but he may think at times he is in paradise. 

Well think more and reflect more. That is the way to go and that is what we need to do more. 

Go for Living Life and not be dead to life

No 696 of Living Life Series 1

Are we just leading a dead life? Are we dead to the world just by being religious and thinking of death and the afterlife? We are if we have the wrong outlook on life. 

In life, we are somehow more likely to be influenced by the hell mongers who say that if we do not believe and accept, we will have to believe our eyes in the afterlife. This makes us live for the afterlife and we live as though we are dead to the life here and now even though very much alive. 

Such orientation and preoccupation with better life in the afterlife than we have now demeans the value of life here and now. It vilifies the beauty of life that actually affords so much richness in learning. 

There are the contrasts or polarities - the worldly contingencies like birth death, sorrow happiness, praise blame, honor dishonor and what have you. These are the manifestations of the richness of yin and yang that we must be aware of and can learn to manage and if we can do so even a little, we are on the way to sainthood even here and now in this life. 

We do not wait till in afterlife that is yet to be. Why wait? Why not cultivate sainthood here and now and have the guidance of the heavenly saints. 

That way we are alive to life and we have the Living Life. We are then on the path to liberation from the woes of life due to the forces of yin and yang. We are in control and not under control, be it by yin and yang, by fate or by some men who speak like prophets of doom and gloom and the list can go on and on. 

God and saints never want us to live in doom and gloom and wait for the after life. They do ever want us to make it even in this life. Blessings do not come only in afterlife but in this life by living life. 

We must be well grounded in understanding of yin and yang as elaborated by Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) in the last few messages of his ministry in the first phase of the mission. 

Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨)

In conclusion and to put things simply, we can say that when life gets tough, the tough gets going here and now. They handle life as it comes. They do not shun life and shirk issues. They will not wait for the afterlife and do little or nothing for now. They do not resign themselves to fate and accept that this is merely the will of Heaven though there is the element of fate. They do not just push things to Heaven.

They do what they can and move on, happy with what they can have and at peace with what they cannot have for the present. The present well lived is a present indeed. The past is history and the future can still be a mystery but less so if we handle the present as best as we can. Live the life and not be dead to live. Have the Living Life. 

There are certainly some handouts by Heaven but we cannot live by bread and handouts alone. We have to live life. We do not live on charity but we can on top of living life, additionally be charitable to ourselves and to others. 

We must live life and be able to stand up and be counted with God and saints by endeavoring living life of saints even before we arrive at sainthood. We go for semblance of sainthood even in this life and not leave this to the next life. 

But ultimately we must also not be carried away. We must not try too hard and we are still very much human. We should never end up lost and misunderstood... There will be those who think we have gone bonkers, in other words gone to the dogs. 

A very different perspective on God and worship

No 695 of Living Life Series

In the Western concept of God, God is the creator of all and the alpha and the omega. So men must fear God and comply or face consequences. 

In the Chinese concept as also with many other Asian views, God is not the creator of all though he has some role in subsequent creation. He is God The Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝)

He is the ruler of the three realms of Earth, Heaven and Hell. But when he came into being, there was already the universe and life in the universe. 

He is respected and men seek his help through prayers but he is not worshiped as in the monotheistic Western way. 

Prayers are just men seeking for his assistance and blessings just like they may seek and petition for the assistance and intervention of the government of the day in their country. 

Clasping hands in salutation is just a form of greeting like hand shakes introduced by the West. 

Offering of incense sticks is like offering of perfumes to someone when they visit him or her to seek for assistance. Chinese do not go empty handed. They even bring along handy gifts such as oranges and some goodies. What they offer for their host when they visit him, they too likewise offer to God. Surely it is not out of order for them to offer to God whom they refer to as the Jade Emperor. 

Chinese culture is not rooted in worship. They revere and respect or rather they pay homage but they do not worship. 

They respect their seniors, their elders, their ancestors and their rulers but does such respect equate to worship? However when Asians like the Chinese are educated in English language, they take on the language and use terms like worship loosely. 

This article serves to clarify on concepts of God and worship from the non-Western perspective so that there is less chance for bigoted views to create bad feelings and disrupt the peace of the minds of men and among men around the world. 

As Confucius (孔夫子) aptly said so centuries back, "Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated."

Men should not use their own yardstick to measure the approach of other men, more so in religion - especially when referring to God and worship, otherwise they may complicate matters ... 

The use of the word worship can be misleading and contentious more so with the term idol worship. Firstly there is no worship like it is used in the strict sense, but only respect. 

Secondly if men can have statues for living and past iconic leaders for men to revere and evoke fond thoughts, what difference is this from those images for heavenly saints or for that matter God. But for God, even in Chinese culture, few temples have images of God. It is in the nature of men to judge and to complicate matters. 

There is somehow that unavoidable and queer aspect of human nature. Men will ever try to impose their own thinking such as concepts of God and worship on others. The complications of misconceptions arising therefrom need to be understood, addressed and managed. 

The good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) stresses to us that there is learning from life - from the strengths and weaknesses of men. Life is the living gospel and indeed it is and ever will be. 

Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨)

According to Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨), religions are pillars in the universal house of God with Heaven as the roof and all under Heaven are in this house. If there is misconception of those in any one religion with the others, this is due to lack of insight of the different perspectives like those perspectives on God and worship. 

There may seem to be that many different backdrops and emphases in religions. Ultimately what matters is the same basic principles of respect for God and the need for more peace in the three realms and in individuals so that more will arrive at oneness of peace and love with God, saints and the universe of yin and yang. 

Peace comes from understanding and managing yin and yang so that there is no conflict but synergy. The need for proper grasp of the different yin and yang perspectives of God and worship is one good example. 

Cheers for the brotherhood of beings regardless of religions and differences.

Never ever the same as before and in the future

No 694 of Living Life Series 1

Nothing is ever the same as before. What is same is only that what it is now actually belongs to the same flow as what was before. 

Well, religion too is really no exception at all. This is more so with globalization. 

Members of different religions not only live as neighbors but they even live together at times in the same house and family. So what were not issues before will be issues now. 

For instance, Buddha nowadays is also honored by not only Buddhists but by Hindus as well. He is one of the pantheon of gods and saints not only of Hinduism but also Taoism. 

Jesus too is to be found as one of the many saints of Tibetan Buddhists. Nobody will take offence on that, though some harbor quiet reservations of sorts.

Chinese festivals associated with popular religious practices of the many Chinese Buddhists and Taoists have become festivals with Christian orientation among Chinese Christians. Well this is not only accepted but considered marvelous. 

Traditional Malay village earth gods or deities are part of Chinese temples alongside Buddhist and Taoist saints and deities. Just keep your eyes open and you will not be surprised that this is true. Even a Chinese Muslim general is revered by Chinese Taoists and Buddhists in a Chinese temple in Malacca - The Cheng Ho Temple. 

So how can religion of 2014 and beyond will ever be the same as centuries ago. It is more likely that with social pressures and interaction, there will be less demarcation between religions as with racial cultures. 

A century or perhaps less from now, nobody will say that he or she is of this or that religion but will only say he or she holds certain religious beliefs and take guidance from such and such saints. 

People will still be religious but no defined entities of religions that we still know of today in 2014. This may sound odd but it is a matter of getting used to the idea. 

Even today, a Buddhist today is unlike the Buddhist 2500 years ago. The same applies to those of other faiths. 

It is only natural that in years to come, it will be out of the fashion or norm to identify with a particular religion. People will just say that these are their beliefs and those are the saints they revere. 

Even the word "worship" will be out of fashion as God and saints do not dictate and no one will like to be dictated to in time to come. We cannot even have the second last word. Only time have the second last word but may not have the actual last word. 

No wonder the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) descended in 1969 to prepare the ground for all to believe in God and saints of all religions and to go for the beliefs common to all religions. 

Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) 
speaking through the late P. Philip

Men may want to believe in more than what are common to all religions. It is their choice. God and saints do not dictate to men but neither should men dictate to other men, let alone God and saints.

Religion is never ever the same as before and in the future. In time, there will still be religiosity but less or little to do with specific religion. How's that as food for thought? - awesome or awful? It must be both and that would be distasteful as there will be decline of all religions.... 

With near absence of specific religions as pillars, religiosity cannot last for long. Do remember what the good lord say that heaven or sky is the roof of the universal temple. The whole world is that temple. Religions are the pillars in the four cardinal directions and all are in this temple and its compound. (The Four Pillar Message)

Without institutional religions as we know them today (2014), there will be no hold on to the masses to go along certain directions because then there will be no dogmas. Though dogmas are rigid, they serve some purpose for most people. 

That is why religions and their dogmas (the need to hold on to people) are parts of the key points in the Four Pillar Message of the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). 

Dogmas can differ from religion to religion and is the prerogative of a religion. That is how religions appeal to different sectors and peoples of the world to reach out to as many so as to save as many... or ever the more many.

Religions alone are not enough and we need in every religion to have many many denominations, sects and schools to cast a much wider net and reach-out, though there may be as many downsides to this as there are upsides and gains. 

The twin issues facing a house of God

No 693 of Living Life Series 1

It is inevitable that many involved in religious practices are actually more involved in lifestyle related activities than in spiritual pursuit. Spiritual pursuit becomes the excuse for more social life and rallies people together. 

The drawback if any is that people are drawn to religion not because of religion but because of the social attraction. This may appear to be more evident recently but if we care to analyse it, social issues had always been the motivation for people to gather together be it in religious or secular organisation. 

This had been the case during the days of the saints or sages many centuries ago. Men of spiritual may lament that people in a house of God are rather superficial in spiritual matters and more into social enrichment. 

The gathering of people who want to be cared more than to care is not at all a bad thing. It is no doubt ironical that people in a house of God want to be cared rather than to care. They come for nectar to sweeten their life, more particularly worldly life. 

As the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) puts it, they come like ants to a flower for nectar. They come to a place dedicated to God and saints but are more dedicated to their social and worldly needs. 

Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨)

This is, like it or not, a necessary step before we can hope that men will in time dedicate themselves to more spirituality. We must meet the social and worldly needs first and the rest can then follow. 

Too often harping on spiritual issues will only diminished the crowd and leave it empty. But harping too much and too long on social agenda will also make a house dedicated to God spiritually empty. People might as well go out to the world beyond. In fact they will end up doing so. 

Thus there are the twin issues faced by any house of God. The solution lies in having some sort of dynamic balance in meeting social lifestyle demands on one hand and pure spirituality on the other. This will ever be a challenge for any house of God. You cannot have one without the other. 

Isn't this twin issues another example of yin yang nature of life and society? There is need for balance and to be atop life of yin and yang as depicted in the image of the good lord with feet atop the elements of yin and yang. 

Yin and yang pose problems if not managed but are blessings if well managed, just like fire and water. They can complement and life and society can move and roll on smoothly and in peace. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) reminds us time and again.