Knowing Truth or Knowing God?

No 238 of Living Life Series 1

In life, often we go for the brand and follow the crowd and trend setters in many aspects and areas of life. It is true that branding plays an initial role just like flowers and honey attract insects. 

But step back and ponder. Be mindful and have overview. Do not go for the brand but know why it is worth having   Do not embrace a spiritual direction  just because we idolise a saint or merely want to follow the crowd but more important is to digest the teachings that saint tells us and decide if they are true and whether they can add value to our lives here and now. 

Good to admire and worship but do not hero worship, cling and have crutch mentality. Let the teachings lead us and let us see in a heavenly saint the teachings of truth and the oneness of truth behind the spectrum of brands and sects of religions. 

Lord Bo Tien did stress on this. He told us pretty little about who he is except that he is messenger of God the Jade Emperor. He is "a heavenly spirit" who has never been known before by the human world.  He is not here to start a new sect or  religion. He is not here to proclaim and exhibit His divine magnificence and exhort subservience.

There is no need to know more of him other than the doctrine and oneness of truth behind all the sects and religions. He who knows the teachings of truth knows him best. He who does not and sees not the truth does not and sees not the saint even if the saint or his image is before him.

The near may be far and the far may be near. This often is true and was mentioned to us by Lord Bo Tien even way back in 1975 at Sitiawan. The teachings of truth behind religions are the manifestations of God and His saints or prophets. Lord Jesus also alluded in some way to this  though many may not agree. He said. 'I am the way, the truth and the light'.

It is therefore not surprising that the corollary is true. The truth is the way, the saint (God) and the light. The one who knows and practice the truth in his life knows and is with God and saints. But not all who worship and adore a prophet or saint of God know the truth and are with God and saints.  Though they are supposed to be near, yet they may be far. 

All depends on wisdom and seeing things as they are and not as we think they should be. Let the third eye or mind's eye prevail and not be swayed by the tugging of heart strings. Let not emotion rules but let wisdom prevail. This way we will see the oneness of men and religions and not let the guff of religious divides dissect men apart.

The teachings are in the image of a heavenly saint like Lord Bo Tien and the image embodies the teachings. Hold dear to the teachings and make them come to life in your life. This will bring forth the saint and God in you and through you to others. Let God and his saints live in us. Then they will be real not only to you but to others around you.

Like what Lord Bo Tien said. We may think we know God but we may be off the mark if we do not know truth which tells us the doctrines of God.

Is it therefore not wrong to say that one should know truth and need not know God? Taken superficially this may seem to be the case but if taken in depth, he who knows and sees truth knows and sees God. He who does not know and see truth, does not know and see God. 

But we surely and certainly know God and saints of all religions and sects when we know the truth. When we know the truth, we know that all is one and one is all. All religions and sects of any religion are one though they are distinct and separate entities. This is perhaps the design of God and not just the making of men. All depends on how we view the issue.

Otherwise one may think thus. What is the point in following any sect or religion. We might as well be non partisan, not belong to or align with any sect or religion. We might as well be independent of all religions and sects. After all, there will always the weaknesses or flaws of men portrayed as the views of the prophets and saints be they expressed or written. Men in their fondness and adulation of their saints tend to over glorify their own saints and belittle the greatness of other saints. This is not healthy and is not the fault of God and saints but the follies of men.

Flowers are not at fault if insects and ants are attracted to them. Likewise, blame not God and saints if men wanting in repute and calibre are attracted to be leaders of men of faiths and are the very reasons or basis for conflicts, crusades and terrorism arising from their being head over heels over zealous adoration of their prophets and saints to the point of sheer adulation. Love can be blind and this is true too in some who love their saints.

Men tend to see the man in God and saints and not realise that God and saints are not men and are above men.  Thus we are beset with crusades and wars in the name of God. History past and recent bears evidence of this transgression of man by men and of God by man.

Let us pray that God forgives us for our transgression and we too must forgive transgression by our human brothers. Then there will be no conflicts, no wars and no terrorism in the name of God and due to the erring ways of men. Men err because of not seeing things as they are, that is, not grasping the truth of matters or the true nature of being and becoming. Men must be level headed and be at peace with life and with society.

We need to know Truth and in process we will know God and saints. We cannot claim to know God if we do not know truth  especially the commonality of truth behind all religions and sects, what is referred to as inner truth doctrine elucidated by Lord Bo Tien.

This realisation must be pervasive so that we can be at peace and ease with life and with the kaleidoscope of society. Knowing truth or knowing God will then be no issue but a breeze. There is no need for doubt or adulation but just being at peace and ease with truth that makes us know ourselves and others better, not to mention God and saints as well. Don't you agree?  You may not and still have doubt.

But do not after reading this posting be bias with those who err or have doubts.  Doubt or query can be healthy as like what Lord Bo Tien did say that it is good for those to misunderstand and disagree for in time they will come round to know things better and be more aligned with truth and God. 

Who is Lord Bo Tien?  Many may still ask despite what have been said. Perhaps the image below may help but do remember, he is not here to fan up adoration and adulation or to start a new sect or religion. That will be adulteration of the very purpose of the Mission of Heaven for which he is but a messenger. Perhaps, he is a forerunner of the second coming of the buddha or messiah? There is no need to say more or to repeat what have been often said.

A picture speaks better than a thousand words and more if you can see the truth in the picture and let the truth come to life. But if you do not, then, even if the saint or prophet is before you in person, you may not recognise him, let alone see the value and the scope of the saint's or prophet's presence and what he represents.

Like what is often said, a saint  in man is often not regarded as saint in his home ground and sometimes, it may take a miracle or more to do so. 'Why?' you may ask. The problem lies in that many are too blinded by ignorance and attachments of mundane life. They see not the truth or reality. They see what is apparent and not beyond. This may apply not just to men but to saints and prophets of God as well.

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Habits and their impact on life

No 237 of Living Life Series 1

Many do not realise the importance of good habits. Habits play a very critical role in whether we can make it in life vis-a-vis for any activity or goal in life.

If we over eat, we put on weight. If we do not  eat or eat too little, we not only lose weight but may also have health problems as well.

If we do not sleep we have problems and if we oversleep, this does not help as well.

If you are spendthrift, you will deplete your wealth and be poorer somewhat but if you are thrifty, you will save for rainy days even though not rich.

If we do not pull up our socks and are tardy in the way we think and go about life, we engage in sloth and torpor. These are bad habits which we should be mindful to avoid.

Mindfulness or awareness of moment to moment of our life is a good habit that will bear fruits both spiritual and otherwise. It fosters good observation capability, analytical mind, helicopter and fresh perspectives and culture of innovation. Recklessness brings on the opposite. But to be mindful all the time and not being able to contend the awareness of issues can bring on very emotional  restlessness and helter skelter at times. This is the case if we are not able to develop the sense of inner peace comes what may, be it good and bad.

To be optimum, everything that has to do with our life has to do with proportion and balance. To get it right, we must neither deny nor over indulge but strike the correct proportion or balance so that we get equilibrium and optimal smoothness or peace in life.  This has to do with worldly or social life even though it applies to spiritual life.

If we leave society and go to the wilderness to lead the spiritual life, we may end up further from spirituality. Asceticism robs away our health both mental and bodily health. When that happens, we will not be able to be strong in spirit. If life itself is at stake and threatened, how can there be fulfilment of any sorts let alone spiritual.

If we are in the thick and thin of society and become part of its fabric, we are lost in the whirlpool of  mundane life and suffer as a result. The rich will go for more and more and suffer because they want more. They are entrapped in the mire of desires and have no insight let alone foresight.

They think that they are in the 'nirvana' or 'shangrila' of mundane life. This is more so when they live in debts and hire purchases or if they live on wine, women and song to the exclusion of everything else. The latter scenario will land many in sorry state such as woes of extramarital problems, venereal diseases like HIV, debts, liver disease, and heart problems.

Time and time again this has been proven true and is depicted by the image of Lord Bo Tien with both feet atop and balancing the elements or the yin and yang.

He has stressed to us that that this salient principle if applied to spiritual brings spiritual progress and if applied to mundane life, it will reap ample and optimal mundane blessings.

Thus He advises us to be spiritual and yet be with the family life. We do not run away from but be in the thick and thin of life. We do not renounce life but enable life by cultivating balance and sense of proportion and reality so as to have peace of spirit and of body as well as peace of life as an individual and as a society.

Success and progress in all aspects of life be it spiritual or otherwise lie in effort and discipline to cultivate good habits. Good habits beget good results. Bad habits beget bad consequences. The one who cultivates good habits succeeds in life and if these are based on spiritual norms, the advancement is both in spiritual and mundane world as well.

This is the simplicity of truth in life which we must know and be mindful of in every moment of life. Many seek the truth of ancient wisdom, yet the profound truth is so simple but at times difficult to perceive. The late Senior Bro P. Philip wants us to have insight of this. His exact words are as follows.

"Only the wise seek the fulfilment of ancient wisdom. Yet the profound truth is so simple but difficult to perceive."

If anyone seeks the service of astrologers or image consultants, one of the things they will touch on will be how to have good habits. They can often pinpoint with accuracy the habits you have, both good and bad and how you should change for the better. But for them to predict the future or what  is the direction in your life is  another matter. By advising you to change your habits for the better, they can change your life for the better and you can thus better secure your future.

We do not need to wait for a new year to make new year 'do' list or resolutions. We must wake up now and make the change for better habits such as early to bed early to rise makes one strong healthy and wise, a stitch in time saves nine, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, little drops of water makes a mighty ocean, time and tide waits for no man, wait not for tomorrow what you can do today, make hay whilst the sun shines and more hands make light work.

These are things we can do now. They may seem little things but yet they do make big strides in our life if we can succeed in doing. This way we have less tears and fears but more years and cheers. We have more peace and less sneeze. We will be more at peace. Life will be more of a breeze. It is better to have this than sleaze and dis-ease.

Habits, dear friends, are part of our individual personality. Habits maketh the man or woman. By going for better habits, we can change for the better and have better individual personality. This way, we will end up more like-able and more pleasant to others.  Let us all resolve to have more good habits.

Habits must change with the times and with changing station in life. Habits that work well when we are young may not work well when we are sick or old.  We either make or break in old age or in sickness depending on whether we have the right or wrong habits. By having good habits for old age or ailments, we will be at peace with our age or sickness and not be in conflict with life.

It is a good habit to stick to routines at whatever age we may be in. Routines are therapeutic and keep the mind from being wayward and divergent. The mind does not wander about and does not end up lost and restless. It is easier to keep the peace of spirit that way even for priests and monks.

Good habits make life more peaceful and pleasant. Good habits land us with heaven on earth in this very life. We do not need to wait for death to come to have chance to be in heaven in the afterlife.

Good habits are included in the Mangala Sutra of the Theravada Buddhists. The first verse goes like this. "Associate with the wise in men. Do not associate with the unwise in men. Honour those who are worthy of honour. These are the highest blessings."  In Pali, it is "Asevana cher balanang. Panditanang cher sevana.  Puja cher ya balanang. Atang mangala mutamang." 

A good habit will prove to be a boon to life.  Any bad habit is a bane to life.

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For the writer, it is a good habit to ponder on the image of Lord Bo Tien for the image is the doctrine and the doctrine is in the image. Being absorbed in contemplation of the image and what it depicts is in itself a heavenly experience as well. He who knows the doctrine knows and sees the lord and is close to the lord even though far. This did Lord Bo Tien remind us. Thus the far may be near and the near may be far.

By having good habits, we can be near to heavenly saints even if we are physically distant and far from them.  We can be nearer to the saints or prophets than many of their adherents even though we may not be part of their temples or churches or anywhere near their shrines. The far may be near and the near may be far. Good habits can make the difference.

Good habits are about sticking to optimum rhythms. Lord Bo Tien did remind us that when the sun shines, most  men must go to work and when the sun sets, men must rest. Those who do not abide by this will have some problems of adjustment as our body follows this diurnal biorhythm. We must eat at the right time and sleep at the right time. We will be better off that way both in mind and body, and both spiritually as well as in the mundane world. By optimising life via good biorhythms, anyone will be better poised for work, study, social or family life, and for that matter, any blessing and preposition in life. Don't you agree?

Cheers for good habits. We will make it in life that way. What is of foremost importance is that we will make it spiritually and the very principles that emplace us on spiritual path apply well too to our mundane world. Thus there is no need to leave life but we can better embrace life holistically and make it in life that way here and now and not wait for tomorrow or the afterlife. This did saints like Lord Bo Tien want us to have and all of us deserve to have. Surely, readers will have no issue with agreeing to this. God bless.

Sometimes, it is not easy to improve on our repertoire of good habits and to be mindful of what habits we have which are not so good. As the Christian Bible aptly tells us through Lord Jesus that it is not easy to see the dust in one's own eyes than to see the dust in others' eyes. 

Lord Bo Tien too has said that we should learn from life from our own life and from the lives of others. Learn from the good habits of others  so that we can do likewise. Learn too from their bad habits so that we do not commit the same follies.

But "judge not, lest ye be judged" as the Christian Bible did stress. We must be thankful that God enable us to learn from the gospel of life not just our own lives but the lives of others. We will grow the wisdom of God in us. We will be wiser and stronger in spirit. May we be fortified with good habits and be stronger in spirit always and ever more. 

Cultivate good habits. Do not go about life as though others owe us a living.  Do not for a moment think we owe others  a living as well. Do not try to please or want to be pleased.

Have the good habit of wanting to be at peace and this must not be from others trying to please us or from our trying to please others. It comes from balancing the elements and contingencies of life, the yin and the yang or what may be referred to as polarities. This is best portrayed by the seated pose of the image of Lord Bo Tien with feet atop and balancing the elements. 

Remember though that we neither get abiding inner peace by pleasing God and heavenly saints like Lord Bo Tien nor by being pleased by God and heavenly saints. This does not mean we should not please God and saints and God and saints cannot try to please us at times. Abiding inner peace comes from good habits that enable us to balance life and be at peace. That way we enable life to its optimum and soon be one with God and saints.

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God's love has no limit

No 236 of  Living Life Series 1 

At times, we may feel glad that God has been very kind to us many times over. What He has done for us are many times what we can do for him? It is such a good feeling to know that He accommodates us and accepts our every whim and fancy.  We do make mistakes or not-so-wise decisions and yet He and His saints will still be with us. We are certainly very blessed many times over.

Lord Bo Tien has like any heavenly saint advised us to look at our own lives and the lives of otters and learn form the lessons of life. The writer having lived 61 years realised that many of his associates lead blessed lives despite the follies they made in life. In the past, the writer would quietly question the wisdom of God and why are the so called bad rewarded and why those who have done good seem to be worse off. Now, the writer like many others are wiser and are ever thankful that we have a compassionate and tolerant God.  God never closes the doors on us and He will not fail us even if we fail Him time and time again.

Never blame the flower if ants and insects are attracted to the flower.  The flower will not deny ants and insects from having nectar. Such is the benevolence of God. This parable of the flower did Lord Bo Tien elucidate to us.

Then in another sermon, the good lord reminded us that men can be like insects and parasites that infect a tree and hamper its well being. True men can take for granted the grace and benevolence of God and take advantage of His goodwill and hamper His good intention. 

But we should not judge our fellow men but learn from their strengths and weaknesses.  Why must we begrudge our fellow men and condemn them when God and saints seem not to even lift a finger? 

But another advice from Lord Bo Tien is appropriate and timely. Do not expect God to be like man and man to be like God. To men, a murderer must be hanged or incarcerated to life term in prison. To God and his saints like Buddha, the murderer is worthy of divine attention and many a murderer in religious text were known to be enlightened.

One shining example is Angulimala who having killed 999 lives to collect 999  right thumbs  (to make a garland of a 1000 thumbs) was enlightened by none other than Buddha Gautama. He become a saint and God did not send him to hell. Men would want him to be executed 999 times.

The criminal on the cross beside Jesus on the day of cruxification was praised for his faith and assured of place with God.

Doesn't this ring a bell that God pains for those who have erred. God pays heed to them and they may be more near and dear to Him than the goody two shoes who scorn those who have erred. No wonder Lord Bo Tien said that the far may be near and the near may be far when he delivered his message in 1975 at Sitiawan Malaysia.

God's compassion and love know no limit and has no limit. The ways of God and saints may never ever be the ways of men. Man is man and God is God. This too did heavenly saints like Lord Bo Tien reminded us.

Men would want to send those that have wronged society to hell not only in the next life but in the present life as well. But God and saints like Buddha Gautama, Amitabha, Tsitigarbha would even go down to Hell to hasten those in Hell to learn the truth and be good so that they can be enlightened even whilst in Hell and be saints with God.

Doesn't all these open our eyes to the fact that we do have a wonderful, gracious, benevolent and loving God and that God is helped by the host of saints through a host of religions and sects. If one religion or sect is not enough, many more may be able to reach out and make good. 

The truth is that there is one God but there need not be one way or religion but many ways and faiths. There need not be one prophet or saint but many to extend extend and effect divine reach and love.

Doctors would tell us that if one antibiotic, cannot treat a bacterial infection, certainly there must be other antibiotics that can be prescribed that may work. Doctors never give up on their patients.

God and saints will never give up on men even those who erred and defied them. The close to fifty years of Bo Tien mission to date too would not be short of such examples. There is no need to give examples for that would not be in keeping with the way of God. God is not as petty as men can be.

The truth, dear friend, is that the truth of God's way is simple but many see truth of God as profound and difficult to perceive. The late Senior Brother P. Philip did refer to this when he said that many do seek the truth of ancient wisdom, yet the profound truth is so simple but difficult to perceive.

This article is motivated by Ji Kong Posat** who too exemplifies the compassion, magnanimity and love of God. Even if you have done wrong and have many bad habits, he will not forsake you if you seek his help though he may advise you perhaps bluntly at times on your pitfalls in life. The writer bears personal testimony with respect to this.

Lord Bo Tien did say that those with heart to pray to the saints, the saints do know and those who seek their help, the saints do come to them. There is no other precondition except that we must seek their help and pray to them. Ji Kong Posat is one saint who came to the aid of the writer many times in his life.

A word of caution is in place here. Readers should  not be ruffled or perturbed. We should not take liberty with the love of God and His saints. We cannot expect Him to bend and bow to our every whim and fancy. The time tested and accepted age old saying that God helps those who help themselves must still hold sway. Do not expect Heaven to do our bidding. But certainly all who worship God and saints would know that they should not step over the threshold of prudence. We must know the limits and stay within rational O.B.(out-of-bound) markers.

If everything can be granted, then there is no learning and no living our own lives.  But we do need the love of God. Many however capable and endowed still must have God to grace their lives so as to be whole. This will go some way to let them have that sense of fulfilment and add that divine touch in life. That will make life sparkle like diamonds in the sun.

Lord Bo Tien would however like to remind that there is element of ill fate for in life of ups and downs what we refer to as yin and yang in Chinese culture, calm seas may be followed by storms. We do need to manage but heaven can assist and facilitate. He said that with divine hand, big issues can end up as small issues even if they cannot be no issue and small issues will be no issue. But then we need to put in the effort to help ourselves but with divine grace, this would be made easier. 

Do remember that whatever may be the case, storms do not last and our lives will return to calm seas again, but if we pray in all earnestness, we will ride through the storms of life and have less of the bad taste of life. Death is the ultimate storm in human life and if we have learnt our life lessons well, and able to handle its storms, death is just another storm that will lead to better days perhaps in the after life for those who have cultivated divine love and are at peace come what may. Then, they will have less of sobs and pains. Instead, they will have more of love and gains from God and saints.

However, do not at any time entrust issues to luck, for luck is luck's own star and what can mere stars achieve? This is the saying by one philosopher. We must try to be in control and be in the driving seat of life and issues but pray to God and saints to grace our lives and open doors for us. We need to decide on the option to take for God cannot live life for us.

The good father would let us live our own lives and make our own life decisions but he would give his blessings, love and helping hand at the opportune times.  Cheers. May we cherish the love of God and saints always and ever more. 

 

**Footnotes on Ji Kong Posat

JI KONG did not abide by any sect, faith, rules, tenets or written texts. He was therefore asked to leave a traditional ancient orthodox Chinese temple. Though disowned, he already had good heart, good grasp of truth of life. He was steadfast in Inner Truth behind and beyond religions and sects. He understood the truth in life and devoted his wandering life on effecting the practice of truth. Life was his gospel and teacher. He was able to be enlightened and eventually recognised by various Taoist and Buddhist sects as part of their respective pantheons. Though he appeared 'far' spiritually to the clergy of holy monks and priests then and had to leave a temple and its order, he was NO eye sore. He proved himself to be exemplary, near and dear to gods, buddhas and men. He embodied and personified every bit of the Inner Truth Lord Bo Tien speaks about. He continues to do so. Know him and you will know how to be near to Divine Heaven even if what you ascribed to are not accepted by ways of majority.




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The way to go but second coming is a foregone conclusion

No 235 of Living Life Series 1 

What is the purpose of this and that? Why must it be this and not that way? Did this go wrong? Should it be that way? Why us and not them? Where do we go to? Have we arrived ? What will we be? Why must there be new interpretation and rewriting of the religious texts? Won't that be an aberration of the original? Why the many versions? These and many more are at times daunting questions and often, there will be no easy answers.

The truth is that life can be complex with twists and turns? You may think that you know your loved ones but for some inexplicable reason, your loved ones at times surprise you and appear distant and a stranger or worse still your foe out of the blue or for some trivial matter?

The issues of life as man are plentiful and often trivial. This is a reality for man to reconcile but why must this be so? The question begs further questions and we end up diverging and may even get lost in our humanness  or rather human weakness. Life will always be a question mark and this is the very nature of mortal life. Uncertainty and change lurk at every corner and from minute to minute. No one can be sure and can guarantee.  

It is easy and tempting to say let's give up and go for the wilderness and go easy with life. This only opens up another area and dimension of human life. The wilderness is no bed of roses and the same issues of man will still be there in other ways. Men will always have problems and the issues of men are plentiful indeed whether you are rich or poor, whether you have family, friends or none, whether you have job or none and the list goes on ad-infinitum. This was commented on by Lord Bo Tien though not in exactly in these words, phrases and context.

Yet man can have what other beings and animals cannot have. Man will be envied by these other beings. Man has brain and can make use of resources, innovate, make do and create wonders. Man can send objects into the sky and space. Man can do that much more than other beings like animals and spirits. Men are like gods to them. Beings would immortalise men just like men would immortalise the gods above.

Because of the abilities man, the being, is endowed with, many men are carried away and go more and more for material gains. You can say there is no end to wants.This is ambition and ambition can be good to have but must not be over done.  For many, the more the better, be it money, houses or for that matter anything that matters. Man tends to be carried away, over involved or over divergent till they are lost in their wants.

Go for the sky by all means but know when to pull back and return to earth, otherwise you will be lost or fall badly. Live we must and life we must have. Value life. Know our priorities and have out-of-bound markers for everything we do. Set down-to-earth goals and go step by step. Be convergent on such goals and then diverge for a while and re-converge at new point again. Be progressive and yet pragmatic.

Look not at the garden of your neighbour and be green with envy and jealousy. Learn from others, their strengths and weaknesses and learn too from your own life. This simple reality and truth did Lord Bo Tien reminded us. Life then becomes a gospel -- the living gospel to be exact. This truth of life is so simple and provides  simple fixes for all issues of life. Yet, we often see not the simplicity of truth. We often do the darnest things  by moaning and groaning over problems and issues. We end up creating more problems rather than solving problems.  Small wonder, the late Senior Brother Philip Png reminded us that truth is so simple and yet appear profound and difficult to perceive.

Religions are doing  a good job in addressing how man should live. But the founding spirit and enthusiasm of the founders are often diluted, derailed or even hijacked to focus on downstream agenda of later day leaders and their adherents. This is one reason for more sects to proliferate. That is also why men or rather modern men may not find life as peaceful as some of our ancestors who had less and yet had appeared to be more at peace with life. You may say they had no issue to be somewhat closer to God and to be at peace than present day men. 

Modern men tend to take the initiative and innovate. This is laudable. But in the process, they are likely to over do and stick not to the pure original fundamentals, spirit and fervour of the pioneers. As a result, they distort and the sad part is that distortions become the prima facie jist of the doctrine. That is in a way sad but still serves useful purpose to bring on some light to those modern men otherwise lost in the web of worldliness and far removed from light of God.  On the other extreme, die-hard fundamentalist fanaticism to the extent that modern day realities are ignored too is a mistake but yet fundamentalist drive in moderation serves as brake to slow down erosion of the original pioneering spirit and fervour. In either cases, man ends up taking the mantle of God-head and decides for God. Then it would be not impossible for cult to flavour religion with men taking the lead over men and not God and heavenly saints.

Thus modern men take over mantle of leadership and the cloak of the prophet and speak out in the name of God and saints. Initially, they stressed allegiance and give credit to God and saints. As they shepherd their flocks, they soon have a following. The credit and allegiance to God and saints inspired by them, later go through them. In time there is risk of these leaders who are often charismatic and  over-powering being identified as one with God and saints. Their own thoughts and personal principles become added on to the founder's fundamentals to expand the fundamentals. Soon, these become equally important as the fundamentals of the  founder prophets and in time somehow take precedence as they are somehow more accomodative and acceptable. They are ever supportive and will never put you down but say you have arrived even before you even embarked on the spiritual journey. They say belief alone is the only way and embracing and cultivating beautiful attitudes are just subsequent options and may even be optional. They put the cart before the horse or worse still cart without the horse. When these do happen, can the cart move?

All these are natural and often unavoidable and are in a way to be expected. Changes come in bits and pieces, often lauded as necessary to keep with the times and in that sense are of no concern and may be desirable but over time, they do affect the original fervour and spirit of the founding pioneers. They change the orientation and recognisability. They alter the original message and change the focus to man rather than to God. They meet more the needs and wishes of men rather than of God and saints. They may even make God appear to have man-like attitudes rather than God-like and above the ways of men. The ways of men become portrayed as the ways of God. They make men out of God and saints. The leader or priest calls the shots and speaks out for God and not God speaks out for Himself. They usurp the attention of the flock from God to themselves all in the name of God and saints.

If these continues, obviously a second coming of a prophet in any religion is the only way out but that second coming will be not easy. How is the prophet going to be accepted and how can he reconcile the diversions and proliferations of style even for one particular sect and religion, let alone the many sects and religions we have in the modern world? Obviously, the solution lies in having not one forerunner but many

Thus Lord Bo Tien in 1974 dwelt on these issues and why there is need to revive the founding spirit and fervour of the pioneers and reapply these to modern day society. He said that this is the Mission God sets out to do and He is the messenger of God or if you may say one of the many messengers, for surely there will be more. This  way to revive the founding spirit and pioneers' fervour is necessary but has to be done judiciously and in balanced way to (a) avoid distortion or loss of originality and (b) at same time the inapt and stubborn adherence to every letter of the original text and that in many scenarios will likely fail to deliver the purpose for which it was set.

This approach has to be the way to better bring insight and foresight of life to men. This is the way to go and the rest is up to you to make it. Dare to live life in God the pioneers' way and yet move on and be there with life and for life. This is the way to go but still the second coming is a foregone conclusion.

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2011 feature article: Go for the peace within and make it a way of life

No 234 of Living Life Series 1

There is much hype about happiness and success. Often they are peddled to us in our early years as "must have" not just "good to have".

But how do we measure the two attributes. It is easy to be simple and do straight talking. Just do tell someone that happiness is to have a roof over the head, or to have three meals a day, to have a job, to have a diploma or degree, to be married and to have children. The list can be endless. These are societal norms or expectations.

Many fail to realise that health and problem-less life are perhaps equally important or even more important. Some would even vow that to be alive is all that matters, not even health.

Then, there is the perspective of the processes to have these so-called "must have". The processes often yield pain and can be stressful, not a joy to many. The end results even in the best of outcome often end up just as milestones for many to go for further horizons in life. The rainbow recedes further as we go towards it. But luckily some are happy just to move on and to make progress even if the rewards beg further need for more further rewards downstream in life or if you may say in the horizons of time.

Most would just close their eyes and be blissfully ignorant. They do have vision of life but would not want to believe that there is the element of ill fate in life, for no one wants to be helpless. They chose to be over-optimistic, to be over the hill or rather over the moon and to be jubilant with each milestone arrived at.

Nothing wrong with that as it would seem. Good to be optimistic but the approach to life needs to be better understood and to be emplaced on the correct modus operandi.

Firstly, we must reckon that our lives must have milestones so long as we are of flesh and blood. Then we must realise that we must keep moving and have more milestones. Going for milestones is part of life and a routine we can ill afford not to have.

But we must not be carried over by desire to arrive at milestones even if it be a simple event like a meal. Desire or attachment in right proportion and in the right context can be desirable. But if over the limit to extent of being an obsession and a compulsion causes hurt and drains our zest for life, brings on the hell in life and often we end up not getting what we want or are less productive in getting what we want.

We may end up getting one, two or some and not all we set out for, or in the worst scenario, none and be dejected and feel rejected by life. We may even blame God and say "Why not me? " To the many who could do so and get what they want, it is tiresome and onerous. Why must life be that way? To taste future success here and now instead of waiting for the future, many go for hire purchases beyond affordability. The rest of the story as they say is history or common kowledge and need not be spelt out.

Let us be more circumvent and reflect on nature of life. We are in this life of flesh and blood, and we are humans and we are of the modern society with all the attributes such as consumerism, materialism etc. Do we and can we ever leave and run away from such? The answer is both 'Yes" and "No" or either or neither.

The Inner Truth way is to be both with God and yet at same time to be with society. How do we do this when many may think that societal pressures may edge us away from God?

Just take the analogy of the muddy pool and the lotus flower. The societal life or worldly life is like the muddy pool but from this pool the lotus plant flourishes and blooms above the mud to produce the pure and beautiful lotus flower.

We need to be with life and yet find God within life of flesh and blood, of ups and downs, of yin and yang, of birth and death, of health and ill health, of gain and loss, of joy and sorrow, of success and failure, of gain and loss, of jubilation and tribulation, of youth and age etc.

All these are part of the muddy pool of life. But we should not try to leave the muddy pool of life but continue to be with society and yet be like the serene and peaceful lotus blooming in the muddy pool and untainted by the mud of societal way of life. We must have the serenity, peacefulness and purity of the lotus way. We must have the inner peace from realisation of the very nature of the vicissitudes or polarities of life - the yin and yang.

This is depicted by the seated image of Lord Bo Tien with feet atop and balancing the elements. Do not be carried away, be enslaved and overwhelmed by worldly gains, for the gains today may be the losses of tomorrow. Even if you are not concerned with their transiency, if you are overjoyed and exhilarated, you deplete emotional energy and will be drained, exhausted and will end up burnt out as well.

It is better to be calm so as to be peaceful and to maintain the peace - the inner peace come what may, good or bad. You will be wiser by doing so and be more rested in all ways so that you have more life and energy to move on to have more of the peace that is usually beyond normal human life and yet possible with life in the world of yin and yang. You will be peaceful. You will then be unaffected - neither affected by the unpleasant life events nor "burst the kettle" when good earthly things do come your way.

Go for the peace within and make it a way of life. One sure way is to have a systematic routine by having a slew of activities. We do need to be occupied in some activity or other but at a pace that is comfortable and refreshing for the mind and body. This is to prevent an idle mind and minimise sloth and torpor, that is, tardiness and sloppiness of mind and body. We do not want to end up washed out, exhausted, drained and burnt-out by over-packed schedule and multitasking in our daily life. The standard or balance varies from individual to individual and on the circumstances for the same individual.

The idle mind breeds contempt. It would be difficult to maintain and keep up the peace within when we are idle and open to wild thoughts and ideas which some regard as, at worst, temptations but others would otherwise regard as mere vexations. But in any case, they do not allow for peace and quiet in our mind.

Be occupied in some healthy pursuits and routines. You may find them boring after a while but it is better to be a bit bored than to be vexed and troubled by disturbing and troublesome thoughts that throw us from the highs of jubilation to the depths of hell -- all within the mind.

Have a peaceful mind and make this a habit and a way of life. Life would be more pleasant that way, even if you do not have things your way for now and even if you are not better endowed than many others.

He who is rich world-wise need not be rich in spirit. The relatively poor world-wise but peaceful perhaps finds it easier to be more rich and restful in spirit but not so for the very rich who clamours for more and is more likely to end up poor, weak, vexed and restless in spirit.

Go for the peace within and make it a way of life. What is termed meditation is actually going for the inner peace at every moment of our life. This is often referred to as mindfulness or awareness meditation. As our human mind for most of us are easily distracted, concentration meditation say by sitting still in any posture or even lying down for some may be needed. Remember though that it is onerous at times to fight a distracting thought but do remember that such "pain in the neck" or mental distraction may be difficult to wish away.

One solution is to tell oneself not to wish the pain to go away and at same time simultaneously proceed on another focus or activity that will lead to inner peace.

This solution can be applied too to our moment-to-moment life when we are troubled by an event or thought and cannot get it out of our life and mind. Do not wish the pain to go away but go on to another activity that will be more pleasant. This is simple distraction but works wonders to bring on peacefulness of spirit in everyone's daily life. 

Meditation too can be achieved through prayer when the devout goes into rapturous time to be in unison with God and experiences that inexplicable and wonderful joy often attributed to the Holy Spirit. This is actually inner peace of sorts but for this to be useful, the inner peace must be moment-by-moment at all times and should be second nature. This should not be only when we sit down for formal meditation or when we are in deep prayer. Meditation or mindfulness of life is for every moment of our life and as said, it should be our second nature.

Go for the peace within and make it a way of life. Cheers and be at peace always. Peace be with you. But as for all things in life, it would be more difficult if we do not have health as we are of flesh and blood. Health is the highest gain. The truth of the matter is that though the 'sages' amongst us can be peaceful even with poor health, for most of us, peace is a wee bit more difficult to have if we are not in good health.

The truth of the matter in life is that often truth is simple but man fails to see the simplicity of truth. The truth is that we need to go for peace and be peaceful in all situations. This neither means giving up and running away nor going for no less than all and competing with the Joneses. Just do be peaceful and try your best and make do with what you can have without undue duress (for that would be far from peaceful) and at the same time, do not deny blessings that can come your way.

Life itself is the best blessing. It is the beginning and end-all of all other blessings. Life is the mother of all blessings. We should value life however frail and unpredictable it may be. Better still we need to add value to life. We should never end up disabling life by giving up everything or at the other extreme going for all.

It is never right to go for none or all. Going for none is sheer denial and not realistic and sustainable so long as we are of flesh and blood. It is self denial, torture and deprecation. Going for all is biting off more than one could chew and one would be upset constitutionally and mentally. Be wise and go for what is sustainable and comfortable that will foster the peace in us. No need for hunger pangs or indigestion of sorts, be it of the stomach or of the spirit.

Do be pliable and accommodate your life with what you can have both the good and not-so-good if you want to be peaceful come what may. Have a helicopter approach. Macro-manage more than micro-manage. Only then will we not be tired out and restless. Only then can we be more likely to have restfulness and peace of spirit and life. Only then will we be able to see the simplicity of the truth in life. Only then will we not be faced with layers upon layers of complexity that dumb fold us into despair and disbelief and make us far removed from peace and comfort of spirit.

The late Senior Brother Philip Png had reminded us of all these aspects through the following statement:-

"Only the wise seek the fulfilment of ancient wisdom. Yet the profound truth is so simple but difficult to perceive."

Om, Sadhu and Amen --- the above would be how we can approach perfect peace in spirit and be one with God and the saints. Peace be with you and all of us in life always --- here and now as well as in the future. Then we can have heaven now in this life and not wait for the afterlife. Cheers and let us toast to life of peace.

Then with blessings ever more, may you have ease in 2011 for thee, both big and small. This is so that you may find it easier to have peace ever more. But fritter not away wealth coming in for thee or peace be not easy for thee if you dwell in sheer luck and think you will always have the winning streak in life. The reality is that calm will be followed by storm, every win will be followed by loss. The reality seems cruel if you are not strong in inner peace.

Do be light hearted at times and see life as fun. Laugh away our bad patches and do not be over the hill for the good ones. Do note the many puns in life of fun, such as the pun on "for thee". This is one casual way to have more of peace as well. You don't have to be a religious or holy man to do this.

This is inner truth netizen signing off for now. Make life fun and not stick out in the crowd like a sore thumb. This is one of the many ways to make others like you and find you fun. That way you bring cheer and ease not just for yourself but for others as well. This makes it easier for all to have peace, don't you agree?

Even when there is no fun, do remember to be soft spoken, polite and caring in the way we speak, more so when we have to speak out against an idea or opinion. Be wary of how we speak and do not be blunt and jump at others. Show concern, empathy even if we hold a different view. Do not try to correct others unless you are sure he believes in you. Be peaceful in speech at all times even when speaking in differance. Be kind and caring in speech, choice of words, tone and delivery to those who do not see us eye to eye. Then you can be somewhat nearer to being apple of the other person's eye. Then there will be more likelihood of peace in both you and the other person. Have pleasant speech and have more of peace.

Buddhists will tell you to be peaceful and correct in eight  equally important aspects -- understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration. This actually makes truth more profound though in just one word, it is about having the peace. Truth after all is simple and yet can be profound. 

For example, Buddha Gautama summarised his teachings as 'Do good, avoid evil, purify the mind. This is the teachings of  all Buddhas'  This is the teachings of all sages.  But when elaborated and disseminated, the often teachings of sages become complex and occupy many volumes of books. Thus in Buddhism, the simple teaching of the Buddha becomes complex and profound under headings such as the Four Noble Truth, Eightfold Path, Four Pure Attributes, Ten Hindrances and Ten Perfections, The Three Evil Roots and The Three Good Roots. Recent decades gurus have lamented that prophets of religions and founders of spiritual groups may actually be misrepresented by modern day adherents. This is a pity and is contrary to the original intention and spiritual fervour. But some would argue that simplicity may not be readily noticeable and sometimes the more profound and complex may do better job.

The late Senior Brother Philip Png reminded us to see the simplicity of truth so as to grasp the clarity of truth of life. Truth is about having the peace in life not just in the after life but here and now. Then there will be heaven on earth here and now and not till the after life. Then you will be in tune with the Holy Spirit of God and saints ('leng' in Chinese Hokkien). Incidentally, late Senior Brother Philip Png's thoughts and guidance were captured in a simple book  at Bo Tien Temple.

Peace is about loving but to be loving does not necessarily mean the person is peaceful. Do give this some thought. The one with inner peace is both loving and serene like the Holy Spirit. He is one with the Holy Spirit.  God is in him through the Holy Spirit and he is with God and His saints. The three is one and the one is three - God, Holy Spirit and Beings (all that are under God - saints and men included).

Cheers and have a Happy New Year and let there be many more happy new years to come. May peace prosper and abound at all times.

This 2011 feature article is motivated by SBV

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Today is another day for a better tomorrow

No 233 of Living Life Series 1






Today is another day for a better tomorrow. The sky in our life has no limit.


Lord Bo Tien is like the ocean to reflect on earth the sky and heaven above. This is to let us see light in life and enable us to brighten our lives.


We will have peace so wide like the sky and so vast like the ocean and they will be here to last.


When be set with life's plight, go for the ocean to wash away miseries and the sky to blow away our plight. God and saints are the sky and ocean in our lives.

So lord saints and Lord Bo Tien, please be our ocean today and for all days.

(a) to reflect the sky and heaven in life,
(b) to wash away the miseries in life and
(c) if not possible due to fate, to at least dilute the miseries with blessings galore.

This will lighten our life and open up the sky in our life.


To all heavenly saints, I greatly adore.
I believe in your existence
and thy glory is in the thought of man.
I seek for thy protection and guidance
so as to live better for the time to come.


Let this be our daily prayer
and our rapture of joy today and for all days.





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God gives us life and we need to value and learn from life

No 232 of Living Life Series 1

God gives us this one life here to be human. This is the greatest gift from God.

We need to treasure life and make life work for us. We need to live life and not dread life. We need to enable life and not disable life. All these mean we need  to not only value life but also add value to life.

We need to know that our life is unique and special to us. No two persons' lives are the same and our individual life will always be the only one of its kind in the universe of beings.

Each of us is a special creation meant for a special purpose. God has a purpose for each one of us. We need to know what God wants out of us and fulfil divine purpose set out for us. The purpose differ from person to person. (There is no standardisation or one size fits all. Yet, there is uniformity in diversity in that we have a common end point or vision.)

Even the bad aspects we have in life are there for a reason and we need to know what learning value they have for us.

Every twist and turn in life are but pages from chapters in our life to allow us to learn from the gospel of life as it unfurls.

Our life is such that we live with others. We must not only learn from our own lives but also from the lives of others, both the good and the bad. We do not need to make the same mistakes but learn from the mistakes of others. We learn from the strength of others and try to cultivate such strengths.

We learn not to be others but to be ourselves. We learn not to envy and end up with misery. We do not need to wonder why we cannot be like John or Jane. All we need to be is to be ourselves, to accept ourselves and make life better or at least make good out of what we can have for now.

We need to know we had to be different and to value this difference that make us what we are, that make us not the same as others.  We need to be 'us' and not 'them'. We can never be them. We need to treasure our own family and our own friends and not envy others for their family and friends.

God gives us life and we need to value and learn from life. We are all sons of God. No two sons can be the same. Each son is unique and special to the father. Every son has to go through trials and tribulations. The father cannot be holding our hands all the time. The good father facilitates and add value. He cannot dictate and live the life for the son.

Lament not the sufferings in life but move on and make good. Add not more woes to the sufferings but turn them into blessings and be a candle of God to shine the way to others.

All religions and sects teach us to cherish life. Lord Bo Tien is neither the first nor will he be the last to remind us to cherish life and to learn from the gospel of life.

If life is all good, there is nothing to learn and improve on. If life is all bad, there is no hope, no heaven and no God. Life is mixture of good and bad or what we refer to as yin and yang. We need to learn and to balance the yin and yang to be at peace come what may.  Every yin will be followed by a yang and then more yin and yang. 

The lessons of life are written in our life and in the image of Lord Bo Tien with both feet balancing the elements of yin and yang. 

He bids us to be steady in doing so with his left hand in salutation  and to hold on to the glory of God (as represented by the sceptre) with the right hand.  Even in the last days of our life or in bad patches, do try to be peaceful when life seems to ebb away. Do pray to the saints in earnest. Big issues will be small issues and small issues will be no issue.

The main issue ultimately is how we can have the peace in us even if all round us be in turmoil.  Even if we cannot have enough of the inner peace, at least the saints will do their part to make things somewhat more tolerable and acceptable. All these did all heavenly saints like Lord Bo Tien remind us from time to time. But we have to eventually cultivate more of the peace and be enlightened like the saints either in this life or in the future. 

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