Which of the two religious ideologies is your cup of tea?

No 897 of Living Life Series 1

Life is no bed of roses. Roses may be beautiful but if handled, they pricked. Life is like that. Life is beautiful but it does hurt. 

What happens when it hurts? Most men tend not to admit it but believe that the real life is not the life they have and the real family is not as important as the life and family they have in a house of God. This is one form of religious ideology. 

This to non-believers is the denial approach but to believers, it is not denial but going for the big picture. It is going for hope and realization of hope. There is life in fellowship of worshipers.

(Such approach was capitalized by mundane non-religious systems as village communes, cell groups and grass root organisations. It does serve its purpose. It seems to go well with religion as in the mundane world.)

The other is to admit that life is indeed painful in the long run. Whatever it offers us is in the long run no longer there but just memories. They admit that there is pain and want to know why life is like that. 

They want to know the cause. They no longer want to join the mess but leave the mess to know more.

The cause is due to approach to life. Men tend to deny that where there is the beginning, there is the end, and where there is the end, there will be a new beginning. This the East refers to as rebirths. Rebirths are because we do not learn enough not to go for the pleasures of the senses which do not last. Even the pleasures of the mind do not last. The mind takes on mind objects and is they say the sixth sense. 

Where there is no clinging to what pleasures of senses, there is peace, and beginning and end then make no difference. Soon there will be life beyond beginning and beyond the end. 

This need not be the Buddha. This can be you

Adherents of such ideology accept problems as they come, do what they can but give themselves the reality check. They keep their peace. 

But followers of the previous ideology prefer to think that they should go for their sage as the father and their house of God as their family. If this too is not enough, they hold on to the promise by their sage of the afterlife. This ideology then appears to be more attractive. 

Which of the two is your cup of tea?  Can we not have both? In fact one religion, offers both albeit for different groups of people. The writer would prefer to have both. This may border on absurdity.

But didn't the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨advise all to believe in the sages of all religions and that all religions are one though different? This is the basis of his mission to make aware this inner truth of oneness of religions. 

We must believe in oneness in diversity. So it is only right to go for all when posed with this question. Which of the two religious ideologies is your cup of tea? 

Well, it is best to go for both? Why? Well, one is fragrant sweet and the other is bitter sweet. One is simply too good to be true and the other is too real and harsh. Having both is better than having either one. 

Often we start off with fragrant sweet and then upgrade to bitter sweet and later go for both. But a few connoisseurs of tea will swear by the bitter type minus the sweetness. 

It is just like that and there will be those who think that Divinity will provide for better days and that there is learning from any ill wind. Divinity has it's purpose in misfortune of men. This is not that God and saints are mean and harsh. Divinity is always kind and misfortune makes us even better. 

The other school of thought is that misfortune or the harshness of life is the very nature of life. Even the so-called blessings and pleasures of worldly life considered God-given do not last and they leave a void - a pain and emptiness that make us want more of the same or even better. 

The cycle goes on and is in the long run tiring and bothersome. This school of thought resolves that we can end this cyclical trap and be free and liberated. This school of thought is for the hard headed but how strong can we be. 

But alas, we must admit it. Most do need help and solace from time to time. That is why it is better to subscribe to the two schools of thoughts or ideologies. No man is an island and men need families and social belonging and support. Even celibate monks or priests do. 

Like said earlier, we would rather drink different types of tea than stick to one kind. We need to be kind to ourselves and sometimes, we need to daydream but not for long. We need to face reality as well. Then we go back to some more of day dreaming. 

God and saints as well as our fellow men go along with us in our dreams. Dreams are stress relieving. Religions must dabble with dreams but how real can dreams be? That is why we need to handle the hard truth of life from time to time in between day dreaming. 

But all said, it is best to go for the best of both worlds. Have it not just one way but both ways. Ha ha, are you dead serious about this?

Go for all religions and not just one if you have the stomach for all. Then you have the best of all religions and saints. But some say that a rolling stone gathers no moss but we are not saying you must roll from one religion to the next but to believe in all saints and all religions. Cheers. 

Do not be spiritually compartmentalized

No 896 of Living Life Series 1

Be convergent but do not be compartmentalized in life, be it in spiritual or otherwise. It is good to have helicopter view but in any issue we still need to be more focused and not just have bird's eye view. 

We need to decide what we want to do and what we can do for now and zoom in on that. That is, we need to be convergent, otherwise we will make no progress and be lost in ideals. 

But for sure, in spiritual matters, while we want to be convergent and not divergent, we cannot adopt a " I am right and you are wrong" stance. Then we have a closed mind and cannot be open to new ideas and new perspectives in spirituality. 

Then, we will not be able to see the perspectives of others on what we believe. Sometimes, the views of others can add depth to what we believe. Also without learning from others, we cannot add on and expand on the basket of our beliefs. This is the shortfall of compartmentalization. 

Not only that, we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are right and others wrong. That is when we can get carried away and think that in God's name or in the name of whatever sage or prophet, it is the will of divinity that we ensure others do and believe in what we do and believe. 

That is when we will see the ugly side of religion. Why  must we end up compartmentalizing religion? Why end up as bigots and think others ways and beliefs are not in tune with the true truth? 

We need to be convergent for the here and now and for the moment if are not to daydream and be lost in divergent thinking but we cannot be compartmentalized and be lost to new perspectives that the beliefs of others may add to and enrich our own beliefs and spiritual life. 

That is the very rationale Asians over the centuries keep an open mind. They do not care to belong particularly to any one religion or spiritual school of thought. They patronize all places of worship. This is their spiritual culture. 

Frankly in all honesty, they do not belong to any religion or sect in particular. This culture has served them for centuries. It enables them to believe in all religions and to learn from others, both the good and not so good. In the process they learn about their own good and not-so-good. 

The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 the messenger of Divinity on the oneness of religions exhorts us to learn from life, our own and also that of others. The ultimate gospel is not the written or uttered words but what is written in the lives of men, our lives and beliefs and the lives of others and their beliefs. 

You can say that God or Divinity speaks to men in many ways - not only through us but through others as well. So why on Earth be compartmentalized?

A gentle reminder though, we must not be divergent and be lost. We need to be convergent for the moment and to move forward for the moment - for the here and now. With progress and from time to time, we can pause and afford to be divergent and to scan around for additional views and perspectives. This too requires us to keep an open mind. Do not compartmentalize spirituality. 

Ask not but seek for salvation

No 895 of Living Life Series 1

Salvation is not for the asking. It is never a question of "ask and you shall have" but rather of "seek and you shall find"  

Even in matters of doing good and avoiding evil, it is the doer who must take the initiative and the actions. He has a choice of religions to decide how best he could do this.

No amount of believing will do any good unless believing lead to actions that are good and that purify the spirit. 

Believing in the guidance and benevolence of God and saints is good as a starting point or launch pad for spirituality. It is indeed a necessary starting point. 

But ultimately what matters is that we must go beyond belief. We must not be frozen into inaction and crutch mentality by belief. 

Salvation is not for the asking. We must cultivate the path to salvation by asking for guidance and for blessings to be able to seek salvation. The path to salvation is to avoid evil, do good and purify the mind or spirit.

We must not just believe but act on our beliefs. We must not wait to be saved but we must act on our beliefs. 

Believing in God and saints is good but if we go no further, we will not grow in spirituality but be stymied by mere faith and belief. 

True belief and faith make us go the mile to tread the path of doing good, avoiding evil and purifying the spirit or mind. 

Salvation is not served. Ask not to be given salvation but for the way and guidance to salvation. 

Ask and it shall be given. Seek and we shall find. This is true but this does not mean that we push the job to God and saints when we must undertake the job to be saved and be with God and saints.

We must not only believe but we must act on our belief. Somehow, there will simply be some who just believe, sit pretty and go no further than believing. 

Whatever we want, we can of course, get others like our parents to give us but ultimately in the long run, we have to grow up and get things done for ourselves. If we can, we must where feasible give to others more so those who are needy and cannot do so for themselves. 

This principle of not asking but seeking actively applies to both spiritual and the mundane. Do not stretch out our hands all the time. What are hands for? Surely we can put our hands to work and get things done - be it salvation or otherwise.

It is another illustration of what the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 said that a good principle can certainly work for both spiritual and mundane. 

Another good universal principle common to all religions and societies is that we should go for the principle or doctrine explained by the leader and not go for the leader. 

In the spiritual world, we must go for the Word for the Word is God and saints. 

In the corporate world, we too must go for the corporate philosophy and not the manager for the philosophy of business represents what the manager stands for.  

Of course, we must believe in the sage or manager and to do so, we must agree to the thinking or doctrine and effect it.

Naturally, with regards to spiritual, if we practice the doctrine, we will have salvation. If we only go for the person in the sage or prophet and ask for salvation without any regard for living and effecting the doctrine he stands for, we are, well in a way, done for. We will be far from salvation. 

We may claim to be near but we are far from both the sage and salvation. The near thus may be far. This applies to all religions. This did the lord saint Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says. 

Those who are not in habit of worship but follows the doctrine of the sage of a religion is in fact near to that sage though far. The far too may be near. The good lord did add.

Three photos that depict the mission

No 894 of Living Life Series 1

Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 reminds us that before men can have full insight of life, men need the guidance and assistance of saints and sages of religions to walk through life from moment to moment. 

They not only need the blessings of saints but they also need fellow men and be blessings to one another. Most importantly, they must cultivate themselves by knowing the moment and be blessings to themselves.

In any house of God such as a temple, there is the need for two types of leadership, spiritual and administrative. The 2nd photo above shows the late P. Philip seated serving the good lord as the spiritual leader and Elder Ling standing and effecting role of administrative leader.

The mission of the good lord is to awaken men to the oneness of religions - that the same teachings of doing good avoiding evil and purifying mind is common to all. Humanity must see religions as complementary and enabling God and saints to reach out to all. One religion by itself can never make it.

Be in touch with the moment

No 893 of Living Life Series 1

There is spiritual learning in every situation we face in life. To be spiritual, we must live life and not run away from life. 

Even avoiding life and its problems is itself a problem and there are spiritual lessons to be harnessed from this. The problem is that many go through life blindly and never learn and be wiser from the learning. 

In fact they make the same mistakes time and again. Men must wise up and learn from every moment by living in the moment and be wiser by the moment. 

To learn from the moment, man must be at peace with the moment, and only then can he be more aware and grasp what is going on and what must be the rational way to handle the moment or to be more specific, the issue of the moment. 

Grasp the meaning of the moment. Lavish and treasure it while it is there. Do not fight and struggle from moment to moment nor day dream and waste away the moment. This they say is how to live.

This is the way to meditate on life and to awaken the Buddha nature in us that God and saints talk about.

Let us breathe life into the moment, not snuff out life in the moment nor be breathless over the moment from wanting too much out of the moment.

The moment past is moment gone and dead. We are reborn to a new moment That is life and it goes on and on. If that be so, so be it. Why must men dread death? Men should dread not death but the endlessness of rebirths. 

Cessation of longing brings end to rebirths and this opens up  more than what life we know can offer. Life offers death. We go for no longing if we don't want death again and again. We go for no rebirths. 

All we need to do is to be more in touch with the moment and have more peace of the moment. We need to be at peace with the moment to have more peace. Many and numerous moments of peace bring us to enlightenment. 

Be in touch with the moment. True religion teaches us to be in touch with the moment to have peace and not wait for the afterlife to have peace. 

Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that the problems of men are many and plentiful. This is all because men fail to be more in touch with the moment and know the moment. This is insight and the practice of knowing the moment has to do with insight meditation. 

Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 reminds us that before men can have full insight of life, men need the guidance and assistance of saints and sages of religions to walk through life from moment to moment. 

They not only need the blessings of saints but they also need fellow men and be blessings to one another. Most importantly, they must cultivate themselves by knowing the moment and be blessings to themselves. 

Tibetan inspired esoteric spiritual insight

No 892 of Living Life Series 1

Let us have a touch of Tibetan Buddhism in the context of world religions. This will have to be an esoteric discussion meant for the select few who can go into depth. 

Vajradhara with crossed arms pose depicts the essence of the historical Buddha’s realization of enlightenment. The poser - why the same cross arms pose with Mou Chi Sun the right hand executor of Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨? Well, certainly that is an interesting question that may not have an answer. 

Vajradhara represents the pure essence that enables fruitful actions to yield enlightenment. It is the implementation of the doctrine that brings about enlightenment. It is the living in doctrine. 

That Gautama Buddha is the historical Buddha is not in doubt but the essence of enlightenment has been there since infinite time. It is based on doctrine not just doctrine that is talked about but doctrine that is practiced and practice that brings out the refreshing essence of enlightenment. 

It is through historical Gautama that we know the very presence of enlightenment. Gautama Buddha brings out the awareness to humanity. Vajradhara is the embodiment of enlightenment essence that predates Gautama. 

The essence of enlightenment or Vajradhara is there in time. It is the Divine essence some refer to as God or primordial Buddha. Some even consider it as a force or energy that manifests and makes known itself to us through prophets. But some do split hairs and differentiate God from Buddha.

In a way, Gautama Buddha is manifestation of enlightenment but enlightenment essence or principle precedes Gautama Buddha. A prophet manifests divinity but is not the original or primordial divine essence in the same way the light of a bulb manifests electric energy. Like there can be different forms and colors of bulbs, there will be different divine portrayals as well. 

We can put it simply as this. A man manifests but is no God. Man manifests divinity but yet is not divinity. Whether we refer divinity to Buddha, God or divine essence is immaterial as this is the way it always will be. There will be more than one name or term. It is just like we have religions which though different are one in essence with regards to divinity. 

This is the inner truth message of Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 that all faiths are one in the same basic doctrine of doing good, avoiding evil and purifying the mind. But some will not see this and that is why his mission is set out in 1969 to convince them. 

Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 has a way of putting truth simply and in perspective but truth though simple can be so that easily misunderstood or misconceived. It is profound to many as men tend to be complex and to complicate matters. What is perhaps simple is made to be complicated and some like this. 

Tibetan religious approach has a magical touch with a way of putting this nicely in concepts that seem double sided and yet insightful. The concept of historical Buddha in Gautama and primordial Buddha essence in Vajradhara is a good example. 

It brings distinctiveness of enlightenment from the man who manifests enlightenment. It even makes an individual out of enlightenment and brings enlightenment to life - a reality. That is why it is appealing to many across the globe. It adds that mystical touch while adding to insight.

Tibetan way is diplomatic and kind to those who chose to see and be awed by the complexity in life and in spiritual matters. In a way, it goes along with them to win them and then save them in the end - to purify their soul energies to be exact. 

But alas what is tasteful and palatable depends on the individual. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Perhaps that is the reason why we need religions not just one but many and in any religion, we need many sects and in any sects, many schools. 

Man can manifest divine nature and be in tune with Divinity. But divine essence is there even before man. So in one sense he is divinity and yet in another sense he is not. This way of insight is part of religious thoughts of not just Tibetan culture but also of other religious cultures. 

Thus it is often said. The son of God and God is one yet separate. This too has often been referred to by some religious schools. 

Let us quote from the Baha'i text on the roles of the prophets of faiths and understand that they are one and same, and yet separate and different. This does mirror the way of the Tibetan religious thinking. 

Each religion teaches that a mediator is necessary between man and the Creator — one who receives the full light of the divine splendor and radiates it over the human world, as the earth’s atmosphere receives and diffuses the warmth of the sun’s rays. This mediator between God and humanity has different designations though he always brings the same spiritual command. In one era he is called Abraham, at another time Moses, again he is called Buddha, another time Jesus, and yet another time Mohammad. – Abdu'l- Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 32. 

This duality of thinking about prophet and divinity or man and God also reflects the early Buddhist thinking on identity and non-identity. A thing is yet is not, either is and is not and neither is nor is not. Prophet manifests divinity or enlightenment. He is divinity yet divinity is not him. He merely manifest divinity which at highest level is enlightenment. In a way, he both is and is not divinity. Then it is true that he neither is nor is not. 

Unlike Baha'i way of expressing which can raise concerns in some people, Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 did not say the prophets are one and same person and in fact he remains silent on this. However, he did say that the teachings share the common basic inner truth. In that sense they are one - albeit in basic doctrine (the inner truth)

Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨

Religions are one in diversity. They exist as different entities but speak the same intrinsic basic doctrine of goodness and purity. This commonality is what the good lord wants the world to see and the diversity too is an asset to help reach out to all so as to save more souls. 

More must come to know of the same divine inner truth of the need to avoid evil, do good and purify the mind. The best logical way is to have an array of religions, sects and schools. 

Thank God and saints that we have many religions and not just one. One would be simply too inadequate. As it is, what we have may not be enough. Worse still, what we have may be diverted in focus on issues other than the common inner truth. The mission of the good lord is to bring out the focus on inner truth behind and common to religions, sects and schools. 

Well man can manifest divinity but divinity is not just that man or that other men. In a way, man and divinity are separate but if man can manifest divinity, divinity and man are one. If we choose to go further, we should neither be concerned with whether divinity and man are one or separate. 

Is Vajradhara and Gautama two in one or one in two? It depends on the culture and mindset you are in. But all the same, this is yet another esoteric aspect of Tibetan culture meant for the select few. 

The majority can contend with the Tibetan style of devotional richness which may appear awesome or wee bit awful depending on how you look at it. Beauty is always in the eyes of the beholder, just like the Tibetan religious art below with many liking it but some don't. That is the reality we should accept.  

Now coming back to Mou Chi Sun the right hand executor of Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨, who is he? Is he related to Vajradhara? Perhaps he is. He is like Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 never been born before but a divine spirit from infinity of time past. 

That being so, it is plausible that they are manifestations of the primordial pure energy in the infinity of time past - which Tibetans refer fondly to as Vajradhara Buddha. Rather, it may be more apt to say that the latter is a manifestation of the pure energy. 

There is a close parallel of the concept of pure energy manifesting as Vajradhara and the Taoist concept of evolution of life. In Tao concept, pure energy from primordial energy manifested as the Three Pure Ones - from one arose two and then three each with his own supra universe and later God Almighty the Jade Emperor was sent down to create and administer the conventional universe we know with the various levels of heaven, earth and hell.

All these are a bit far fetched to many but not so to a handful few who have esoteric insight. Well, well, are we expected to believe all these? 

  

Snapshots on Spirituality

No 891 of Living Life Series 1

White marble image
of Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨
evokes thoughts of purity.
Purity is what we need.
Devoted we must be
but surely and certainly
spirituality is beyond devotion.
It is about purity,
and how to be wise -
how to be right.
Be good.
Do no wrong.
Purify the mind.
Cling not to senses
even the mind sense
for mind objects.
Even ecstasy
of concentration meditation
is a mind object.

To be enlightened is to be pure
and to be pure is to be one and
 at peace with the world and nature.
Do not be slave to wants.
Be master of the world:-
do not deny, fear and run away from it
 nor let it enslaves us and make us addicts.
Yes be its master and bask in its beauty

Hua Shan is one of the five
sacred mountains of China.

It evokes thoughts of purity

and spirituality like the Himalayas

Laozi 老子 in old China knew all these,
and he retired from imperial library
to ride his buffalo into the world
to be more with the wider world
than just the world of men
and the world of wants
that often become the end
rather than the means to the end.

Well, Ji Gong 济公 too is one with the wider world 
 He exemplifies the true spirit of spirituality
He is after all Ji Gong  - Lord Ji 济公
with no preference nor objection to any religion
He looks after all and is for all 
regardless of faith and inclination.
We too should be like him
if we uphold true spirituality
which is exactly the basis 
for the mission of Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨
to show oneness in diversity of faiths-
the beauty that connects all.
All are one and same regardless of faith
Let not diversity divide men
but unite and awe men 
with the beauty of diversity
just like the world of nature

No want of enlightenment if indeed it is the goal

No 890 of Living Life Series 1

We do not want to be just good. We must not just believe. We need to be enlightened. 

We may like to be in Heaven. We should not wait for afterlife. We should want to be in Heaven here and now. 

By the way, heaven is just for those who believe and who has done good. Enlightenment is for those who know being good and having faith and devotion will not be enough. 

We need to be pure and free from wants. Even the want to be enlightened is a want based on clinging and attachment. This will drive us away from enlightenment. 

To be enlightened is to be pure
and to be pure is to be one and
 at peace with the world and nature.
Do not be slave to wants.
Be master of the world -
neither run away from it
 nor let it enslaves us.

Enlightenment is purity with free from wants. We treasure the free and light easy feeling of not being tied down to wants. 

To be free from wants does not mean we do not live. It does not mean we deny our physical existence and neglect our bodily needs. 

We need to be in flesh and in the world. We need to meet worldly calling before we can have higher calling. 

It does not mean we sit cross legged round the clock. It means we must be mindful and insightful round the clock though we must have some committed or quiet time. 

We need some form of worldly calling that best suites us to meet the higher calling. We must be pragmatic in setting the worldly calling. We must not waste too much time on the lower calling. We must have no problem in making the worldly calling and use it as springboard to make it in the higher calling. 

We must have sufficient time, space, leeway and resources to make the higher calling. We must not end up taking almost all what we have just to make it for the lower calling leaving little or none for the higher calling. 

White marble image exudes purity

We must waste no time and enter into purity cultivation, if possible even while going for the worldly calling. We cannot adopt the attitude that enlightenment can wait for while today is a certainty, tomorrow is not. 

We seek the peace of the here and now such purity cultivation yields and crave not for the enlightenment in the horizon. That craving would weigh us down and make it even more remote. 

Whatever purity and freedom from wants we can have is valuable in reducing the burden of wants. It is invaluable in yielding some peace of sorts for here and now. 

The peace of now is a taste of the ultimate enlightenment but even such peace is illusive and not the end-all. Such peace is only the means to the end. Let not the peace be mistaken as the end. 

Hua Shan - one of the five
sacred mountains of China
evokes thoughts of purity
and spirituality like the Himalayas

Heaven transit for learning to be more than good

No 889 of Living Life Series 1

Death is not the end-all but the continuation of the learning process of life. P. Philip died in service of the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨. He was resurrected in heaven for the good he has done and to learn to do the good he had yet to do. 

P..Philip in service of the lord saint
Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨

Regardless of whatever religious inclination or even if none, we too will be resurrected in spirit into a new life for the good we have done and for the good we have yet to do until we are complete in learning and pure in spirit all round. 

Then that will be the day when we need no rebirths. Certainly we want not endless resurrections. Even one is one too many.

We must attain the completeness of learning and no longer need any further resurrection to learn from life. That will be good but for now we must make do with the life we are resurrected into. 

Then when we arrive, we will no longer need to live nor die as we will be pure and complete. We would be above the normal heaven and in the highest of heaven or some will say beyond the heavens. 

What is meant by all these talk? Well, to be in a heaven in one sense is just a reward for having learnt and make progress and where our reward is to learn more in heaven to be better for more resurrections till we are complete. 

Heaven is the transit for us to make good even better and one day be beyond transits to heaven. For many of us, we do need to make transits to heaven in our cycle of rebirths or resurrections. The fact that we must be resurrected time and again is the admission of this reality. It takes time for us to be complete. 

Even God and saints above are subject to resurrections till they are Buddhas. That they have long and near eternal lives reflect that they are near to being Buddhas when they will be beyond form and formless and beyond meditative ecstasy or jhanas which they are good at. 

There are various levels of learning and attainment. Thus there are many heavens or what some refer as levels of heaven. This is depicted by the pagoda. 

As we progress from good to better, we have transits between heaven and earth and so long as we make real progress, each time we transit back to heaven we are resurrected to higher level or heaven. 

Buddha state is depicted as beyond the highest level of the pagoda. Earth is at the ground where the pagoda is. Earth or to be human is where we are resurrected to try out how much we can put into practice what we have learnt in past lives and in heaven. 

Heaven is the place to learn from the saints. Hell is where we undergo correction for failing to learn and doing the very opposite of what we should do if we have learnt. There is no eternity in heaven, hell or earth till we arrive at purity of spirit - till we are Buddhas of sorts. 

Generally on a positive note, we will learn more in heaven and be even better. That should be what we should have if we cultivate purity and goodness in our daily life. 

The need to be pure and good is laid down by the sages and enshrined by men in religions. This is the essence of the inner truth behind religions of men that the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 set out to resurrect in the minds of men since his descent in 1969 at Singapore. 

武天菩萨
Lord Bo Tien

Complacency and the the pull of worldly pleasures distract men from the goal of cultivation of goodness. Goodness is not good enough but entitles us to be in heaven for transit to learn to about how to be even better - to be pure. 

But we need to return and be resurrected as men to see if we could put what we learn into practice. Alas the pull of worldly pleasures may blind us to the higher calling when we are men again. What are meant to be the means become the ends. That is the problem. We end up lost in worldly pleasures. 

We should neither deny nor indulge in worldly needs. We have to need worldly needs and achieve the worldly calling before we can be better positioned to answer the higher calling of purity cultivation. How to be pure is taught by all sages in different ways and in essence is same in all faiths. Buddha put this as the Eight Fold Path. It is the fourth of the Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths

Do keep the cultivation of purity going and rolling along in life. Do not wait and think we can wait for better times. That would be sloth and torpor that will hinder us to be pure and enlightened.