Believing in one does not mean we don't believe in all

No 1089 of Living Life Series 1

The awesome and heart winning part of a heavenly saint like Lord Jesus is that the saint goes to all length to help men who want help even to extent of personal pain and death. 

Of course before this help can materialize, men must believe that he could help. But, this does not mean believe to extent that they do not give regards to and belief in fellow men, members of family, friends and all other helpful beings here or elsewhere. 

To go to the extent of not believing in all others except the saint in question is not logical and may pit them against the rest of the world. 

The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that we can get blessings from a heavenly saint. We can also get blessings from others in the world. Having help from a heavenly saint does not mean we cannot get help from others, be they saints or no saints. 

It also does not mean inaction and leaving everything to the saint. It does not mean we cannot help ourselves and be blessing to self. 

But if in context of ancient times, believing in others might confuse men, then a saint might advise that men believed in no one else but him. 

But in most times and context with civilization and the maturity of thinking of the masses, this may not apply. 

The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 advises that in whatever religion we are in, there is the same inner teaching and knowing all saints and religions, as well as believing in all saints add depth to our understanding of our own saint and the truth he stands for. 

Believing in one does not mean we don't believe in all unless we are in uncivilized days of human sacrifice and the other barbaric practices. 

Knowing other religions makes us better in our own religion.

No 1088 of Living Life Series 1

Do not be critical of others. Learn from their weaknesses and know that they too have strong points. 

The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 wants us to see our own through seeing the strengths and weaknesses of others, not for purpose of putting down others or putting them on a pedestal only to bring out the monsters in ourselves and in others. 

There is the yin and yang in ourselves and in others. What matters is how we move on and improve. It is often easier to see the dust in others eyes than in our own but by doing so, we hope to not make the same mistakes. 

Definitely, our objective is not to lord over others but to learn from others even if we cannot help others to be better than what they are. 

Thus even in religion, we think a world of our own religion and may tend to put down others' religions. This will only show out our shallowness in our own religion. 

Instead we should appreciate all other religions. They often give insight on the teachings in our own religion. Know the teachings of all religions to better know our own. Then we will be better in our own religion and have more confidence, faith and inner peace. 

Then we will be better at being what we are. This is how to be better in our own religion by knowing other religions. Know our own religion by knowing others' religions. Other religions teach us to be better in our own religion. 

We will be at home and comfortable with any religion. This is what the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 hopes all of humanity will be like that. 

Reference worth reading for provoking more insight. 

Should Christians Study Other Religions? - Blogos.org 

www.blogos.org/theologyapologetics/other-religions.php

May 21, 2013 - How studying the basics of other faiths can strengthen our ownbeliefs. ... atheists with the gospel without making them want to run away screaming.... An evangelist approach that focuses on answering, "Do you know for sure if ...Second, studying other religions helps us better understand our own religion.

We see not truth even with eyes open

No 1087 of Living Life Series 1

Know and embrace your culture and you will know God and saints better. Know and embrace God and saints and certainly you will know your culture ever the more. Culture and religion are one yet not one. 

The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that image of a saint is best presented by the doctrine. The image is the doctrine. The doctrine is the image though doctrine and saint are distinct but yet one and same. 

Doctrine too is in culture and culture is doctrine. There is the same inner truth or doctrine in life, be it in culture, religion, saint, God or image of a saint. 

Embrace one to know the other. If you know truth in life, you realize it is in everything in life. Truth is life and life is truth. 

Even if one is black and another yellow, brown or white, everything else below the surface is similar and same. If you know one, you will know the rest but yet they are different and distinct. 

If you know yourself, at least your true nature which is the nature of life, that is, the universe in you, you will know the essence of the universe around you and in you.

Things and people may differ but yet the same in basis. Let us remember to embrace one to know the other. 

Embrace a religion, and if you truly know it, you will know all religions. You will learn more about your religion ironically through other religions. 

You will know more of yourself through knowing others because the true nature of life is same in one and in all. We see the mirror of self in others as well as why others are different yet same in many ways

Only when you are starting out and immature will you think that you are not the same as others. Indeed you are different but with mindfulness and maturing in wisdom and insight, you will realize you are same as all others as far as the true nature of life is concerned. 

Life is truth and truth is indeed life. Truth is there everywhere and staring us in the face or rather we stare at truth all the time, but often we do not see even with eyes open. 

We are carried away by our dreams and never seem to wake up to reality and truth. Even if we do wake up from time to time, we tend to sleep away and go into our dreams till some life events jolt us up. But when life must go on, we go into the world of dreams again. 

This is all because we do not go into living in truth and have the inner peace come what may. Some refer to this as enlightenment and some as holy spirit. 

Life is about pairs and polarities, about flux and change. We are sucked into this vortex and the only way is not to perpetuate and add to this yin and yang by having the peace come what may. 

In the process, we need others help. We need God and saints but in the long run, we must walk and live life and not let others live life for us. This will never be sustainable. 

Do not say that you believe in a saint and all will be taken care off. You think you do not need to do anything else. That is daydreaming. 

But we want that to happen, don't we? We want everything if possible for nothing. We do not want to lift a finger, save to believe in God and saint. Faith is all we need and nothing else. 

Then we are in perpetual dreams and never wake up. We will never have true peace - inner peace of God and saints which even they the divine often need to constantly perfect on.

Disasters and life events are wake-up calls. But to many, they just cling on to their dreams even in disasters and life events. Isn't this pathetic? But this is what they could do.

God and saints help them for they know not what they do. But at least they have faith and faith however blind will go the mile in the end. But why waste time and go round in circles and be lost in dreams?  

Well, there is the flip side. Isn't celebrations of Chinese New Year and Christmas about dreams? People do celebrate dreams. In daily life, we do dream at night during sleep but is there the need to dream on during the day when not sleeping? 

Perhaps, we want to be awake with eyes shut though open. We do, don't we? Well, if so, we have to face the music. It is our choice but some would have second thoughts...

Adopt the three steps and one bow approach

No 1086 of Living Life Series 1

With every three steps, we take one bow to the Buddha. Is this what the Buddha expects? Well for sure, in life we must take three steps for every step the Buddha, God or any saint helps us. 

We cannot bow to the Buddha and not take any step on our own. The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that God and heavenly saints will know and come to our aid when we seek them out in earnest with our hearts for their help and blessings in times of need. 

But as said, we must have the heart. But he said that we must remember to bless ourselves and be of help to one another. 

Among the crowd that we belong to, surely there will be those with some skills of one sort or another which can be of blessing to others. 

But whatever the case may be, the individual must be of blessing to himself. The person must be of help to himself in whatever way he can. Otherwise, he will develop the crutch mentality. 

Some in their passion for their religion end up advocating what will effectively further the crutch mentality. Leave everything to God and saints and do nothing. 

Just pray and praise God and lord. They add that if we bring others to join in to pray and praise God, that will be even better. 

God and saints will give us what we want as though we do not have to lift a finger. Whatever becomes of the saying that God helps those who help themselves? 

How can God do everything for us so long as we pray, praise and give glory to God? Instead, we may end up being a disgrace to God and his grace. We will do justice to the grace of God that way. 

We need to be worthy of the grace of God. At least for every blessing we get due to the grace of God and saints often not because we deserve it, we must bless ourselves by helping ourselves three or more times.

That way we will be worthy of God and saints. We will not be paralyzed by faith and have sloth and torpor. We will not be a disgrace to God and saints. 

Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing

No 1085 of Living Life Series 1

The irony in life is that people want to help others in need but end up helping themselves much more than helping others. 

Then, of course, the question arises as to whether the so-called Samaritans are helping themselves instead. Then they are no Samaritans. 

Instead of attending to the misfortune of others, relieving them of misfortunes, they end up making fortunes out of others misfortune. 

No doubt, the helpers too need money to live. They have living costs to contend with but their services if genuine are invaluable - beyond price. But at no time should they make fortune out of others misfortune. 

Doctors, pastors, priests and social workers run the risk of being carried away by greed. They may end up making fortunes out of others' misfortunes. They enrich themselves and cause loss of fortunes in those they are supposed to provide service or help. 

Sometimes, there may not even be any effective help at all. They play on the minds of the gullible. But of course, most doctors, pastors, priests and social workers are never like that. Admittedly they too need money for reasonable and fair subsistence - based on credibility. 

Ultimately there must be conformity with yin yang considerations - what is reasonable versus what is not. This calls for balancing act through essentially basic common sense present in all religions and cultures. But when Chinese culture calls this Tao, it sounds profound. 

They the doctors, pastors, priests and social workers are in positions of strength and others need their services. They should be committed to their worthy causes. They should be worthy of their calling. Those who make fortunes out of others misfortunes in the name of God, saints, religion or helping professions end up helping themselves instead of helping those who need their help. That is awful and far from awesome.

They must be like God and saints who help others with no strings attached. There is no bargaining whatsoever. When there is bargaining, then their credibility is in doubt. Men in greed may make use of God and saints in vain. 

Be worthy of the calling and not make use of God and saints in vain. That is unthinkable but the unthinkable do happen. The unscrupulous ones make mockery of religion and helping professions. They are like wolves in sheep's clothing. 

Human nature is such that it is easier to be bad than good. There is the ever strong urge to have goodness for self, much more than for others. This is one of the many problems of men. The problems of men are many and plentiful. We can learn from the weakness of men and be better somehow over time. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 did say. 

Why many end up in purgatory than in heaven?

No 1084 of Living Life Series 1

Don't mistake purgatory as heaven. It is the place for those with some good but who are not good enough to be, upon passing on from this life. 

They are those who believe, have faith and think that so long as they have faith, the heavenly saint they believe in will save them by grace. All their transgressions will be taken over by the saint. 

He suffered so that they may not suffer. He takes over the consequences of our wrongs or transgressions. This is too good to believe but whatever it is, the gullible will think that they can continue to transgress and do harm to others and their saint the savior will take over. 

Many in Chinese culture are doing exactly that. All they need is to believe, offer food and sacrifices and ask for favors. They know they need to do good but few are those who want to know the way to be divinely good beyond believe. 

They see not the doctrine in the image of the heavenly saint. Even the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 echoes that the doctrine is in his image and his image is doctrine. 

All they know is that the heavenly saint will grant favors and blessings if they pray to him. Indeed, the saint will do that as far as he can. There is no setting of condition before a saint will do that. 

But zealous followers will insist, that others must believe and display allegiance before the saint will grant blessings. Men may do so but saints don't. Thus many think God and saints only want men to believe in them and the rest will be assured. All we need to do is believe and everything in life here and here after will be assured. 

This is odd but God and saints just go along. They still bless such people. This is due to their compassion and magnanimity. They will still go to heaven but reality for many, it is purgatory they end up in. They go there to learn and practice what they fail to learn and practice. Thus many end up in purgatory than in heaven.

They are happy to be there and think it is heaven not purgatory. Many in purgatory after practicing what they fail to practice as men will end up in heaven. But mind you, heaven is not the end-all. You may say it is only the beginning. Sainthood is the end-all.

Religions are meant to add value to one another

No 1083 of Living Life Series 1

In the past, some men of religion in their zeal for their religion would never accept the teachings in other religions and insist their religion is right. They will only believe in what are in their religion and insist that the similar beliefs in other religions are different. 

But the reality is that there is commonality of basic belief in all religions but the presentations of religions are different to fit the people in the various lands and they refer to these as religions. This is the inner truth behind all religions. Religions are different but yet same. 

So in one religion, prayer is just prayer and quiet time is just quiet time. This is very different from concentration, mindfulness of life, breathing in and out and contemplation on love, peace and joy. 

But men of later era adopt a more logical and open approach. You can say they adopt a different stance. In fact, if the teachings of other religions explain more, elaborate more, add value, depth and width to the teachings of their religion, then it is embraced as the teachings of their religion though in the past, this would not be the case. 

The reason is that many men of religion have understood that religion is not about feel and loyalty, but about being logical, about having common sense and about seeing things as they are. 

That way every person in any religion can be better at what he is, simply by understanding more of his religion through understanding and learning from the otherwise considered different teachings of other religions. 

Meditation techniques such as contemplation, mindfulness and concentration have become integral to many religions. They make people better in the religion they are in. 

Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 in mission to show the oneness of religions says that people must understand the commonality of the basic doctrine in all religions. By doing so, they can be better at what they are. 

In fact, there is no need for jumping the band wagon and starting afresh and thinking that what they believe in their previous religion are all wrong but in reality the teachings of all religions add value and dimensions to the teachings within a specific religion. 

Meditative techniques enrich the practice of prayer and quiet time. Rejoicing in others blessings and capabilities add dimension to what is boundless and border-less love of Divinity. Love that is for select few is not of God. It is not divine enough. 

Well, in that sense, religions should not divide men but bring men together. Then why use the term religion. Religion is man-made. 

The founders of religions never refer to what they taught as religion. Men do so but not God and saints. Men want religions but religions are just means to the end but not the end in themselves. 

Religions are meant to add value to one another. God and saints recognize need for religions but as with all that are man-made, there will be issues and problems. The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that the issues of men are many and plentiful

In religion, many feel but do not see

No 1082 of Living Life Series 1 

The problem with religion is that there is the vocal few who insist that they are right and others wrong and lost. They are the self-righteous who think that if they are right surely others are not right. 

They are so driven and passionate about this that they deem it the wish of God to save others or at least to prevent others from misleading people. That is due to the egos of men. They are self righteous to point of conceit. They are self-centered rather than people centered. 

The reality is that all are right and yet not right. All need to learn from one another. It is like the blind men and the elephant story. 

Every of the blind men is right in his own way but yet wrong. They have the good feel of the part of the elephant but never see the elephant in totality. 

They have the feel and experience but they do not see. Most men are like that. 

That is why the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that men are problematic. The issues and problems of men are many and plentiful. Even in helping fellow men who are in need, men create lateral and downstream problems in the process. 

They often capitalize on their acts of compassion for other agenda. This would be counter to their intention to help. It is more like they want to further their own aims rather than help others. 

They capitalize on the problems of fellow men. Small wonder the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 adds that we learn from one another and from life to be better at being who we are. 

In religion, many feel but do not see. Many feel and not only don't see, they don't even think. Then they tell others that they are right and others wrong. They don't even have logic - common sense which sages of old refer to as Tao 道. 

Without Tao 道, how can there be effectiveness. Tao 道 is behind ultimate effectiveness Te 德.  

In religion, many go by feel and not by logic. How can they see what is right to believe in? 

Why man wants others to glorify God?

No 1081 of Living Life Series 1

Man is strange. Man goes to God to have more of worldliness - to further their own needs and ego. But ironically, spirituality is the antithesis of worldly needs or some will regard as the subduing of worldly desires but not the denial of such. 

When man says he wants God, what man actually wants is himself. But man will not admit this. That is man. Man wants to glorify God but is there the need more for glorification be it for God or for man himself. Man will not admit he wants glorification but puts this as need for glorifying God. There is some confusion there with regards to God and man.

God is not man and man is not God. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 would like us to know regardless of our religion, culture or creed. 

God needs no glorification. Man needs glory but knows society will not go for this. So man goes all out for others to glorify God and when others glorify God, they feel sense of great satisfaction for being identified with the God that others glorify. Some even speaks as though they stand in for God and can speak for God.

Man finds satisfaction from glorification but not God. When others glorify God, somehow man finds great satisfaction as though he is the one who is glorified. 

God does not go round displaying his glory. Man does but is not open about this. He hides behind the label of God. 

He projects God's name instead as though God needs to be glorified when man himself wants to be glorified. Man wants others to know he is the one who knows better and others must look up to him. 

Man goes as far as indicating in some way that he represents Heaven. That is man who is out for glory but disguises this as the need of men to glorify God. Man feels glorified when others glorify God in their religion. 

The Inner Truth that men fail to see in religions

No 1080 of Living Life Series 1

Spirituality in any form is to bring peace to men and to bring people together. It is never meant to divide and elevate any group to be the chosen ones above all others  - to lord and oversee others. 

The diversity of religions and for that matter, the proliferation of sects and denominations are meant to facilitate divinity to reach out to the many for the benefit of the many and out of compassion for the many. 

This is to meet their various immediate needs and inclinations, hoping that one day all may progress further into the higher levels where there are not just devotion and faith but more insight of the common truth that is simple but yet eludes men who are entwined in the web of worldly indulgence of some forms or other. 

There are many religions and sects but there is the same inner truth behind. This is the God Knowledge that in 1969, the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 descended to awaken men to this inner truth. 

This Inner Truth is buried like archaeological relics over the centuries by the additions of religious practices and beliefs. There is the need for the archaeological dig. 

We need to dig away the layers to find this inner truth. But the good lord is compassionate to show all this inner truth. There is no need to dig. He has presented it to all in whatever religion or faith they may be in, so that all can be better at their respective religion. 

This is the common truth of the need for goodness. True goodness brings inner peace comes what may. 

There is too much of indulgence for many and for some there is the denial even of life, both of which disable men and gives no peace. 

Belief in God and saints is good but indulgence is not good as men driven by passion may ferment ill-will for others who do not share their views. 

Non-belief is not good as well and few are steady on their own and are unable to have the peace on their own. 

There must be neither indulgence nor denial. There must be peace through balance in life. This the sages of old refer to as logic or Tao 道 - common sense. This is the inner truth.