LIVING LIFE SERIES 1

A BO TIEN (武天) MISSION INITIATIVE LAUNCHED ON 28TH SEPT 2010 BY INNER TRUTH NETIZEN 2. THE MISSION IS TO SHOW THE WAY TO HOPE, INNER PEACE AND ULTIMATELY SALVATION FOR ALL BEINGS. THE PURPOSE IS TO SAVE SOULS. IT IS WAY BEYOND NORMAL GOOD WORK LIKE CHARITY AND WELFARE ACTIVITIES. NO ONE SHALL BE SAVED BY GOOD WORKS ALONE BUT BY MORE THAN GOOD WORK. THERE IS NEED TO BE IMBUED WITH THE BASIC DOCTRINE COMMON TO AND BEHIND ALL RELIGIONS AND SECTS. LIVE IN DOCTRINE. DOCTRINE IN LIFE IS PARAMOUNT.

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The Living Life Series is dedicated to Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). The doctrine is in His image. The image is the doctrine. He who sees, understands and effects the doctrine sees and knows Him. He who does not see, know and effect the doctrine sees not and knows not the saint even if the saint or His image is beside him. The far may be near and the near may be far. Let the doctrine and the saint be part of our life. The lord saint in your life can be any heavenly saint of any religion, sect or school. The doctrine of truth is behind all and this is the Inner Truth that leads all (regardless of their religious affiliation or even if none) to inner peace and heaven on earth here and now and not just in the after life. The ideal worship and devotion is to know and effect the doctrine of God and the saints. The best gospel is the gospel of life. We learn from our life and the lives of others. The true temple is the world we live in. The sky is the roof of the temple and religions and sects are the pillars of the temple. All under Heaven are in the temple. Needless to say that all the saints we know are in this temple. Ji Gong Posat too is no exception. The whole wide world and web is the temple and must be regarded as a sacred place --- a temple for living and learning. It is more important that everyone that counts plays a role in this universal temple if due focus is to be given to the Mission of Heaven. Men must not be distracted by the agenda of men and end up serving the mission of man. That would be a far cry from the Mission of Heaven. We worship God and saints, not man however good that man may be. There should be no hero worshiping or idolizing of man whether he is a charismatic pastor, priest, monk, medium or lay leader. We don't even idol worship the image of any saint but reflect on what the image stands for. - the doctrine in the image. Omitofo 阿弥陀佛!.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Living life well and setting out for next phase

No 295 of Living Life Series 1

Old premise of Bo Tien Temple
at Woodlands Singapore
where Lord Bo Tien
delivered his messages

The emissary of Lord Bo Tien in 1976 said thus. "The Lord Saint is of view that a temple or spiritual organisation is like mother earth (soil). As the soil or temple is worked on with hoe and spade, the faithful members would toil and perspire. But as they continue to persevere to dig deeper and more extensively, water (of truth) would eventually be reached. By then, they would be tired and thirsty. Their reward would be the water (of truth) to quench their (spiritual) thirst."

The advice applies equally well to personal life as well. As the soil of life is worked on with hoe and spade, the person would toil and perspire. But as he continues to persevere to dig deeper and more extensively, water would eventually be reached. The reward would be the water of life to quench his thirst.

This is how we should live our life. We must relish the chance to cultivate our life every day in all aspects, be it worldly, family or social life.

Enjoy the process even if this means toil and sweat. We will be healthily and productively occupied rather than idling away. But we must be at peace and be always comfortable with what we are doing. Otherwise we cannot last and carry on. That is the way to live life well and at the same time setting out for the next phase - perhaps sort of killing two birds with one stone.

The fruits of our efforts may not be obvious but the process itself must be nourishing and invigorating. How can this be done?

We need to keep our mind and body engaged but not to extent that we do not last the mile. We need to moderate and do what we can do for the long stretch, and not huff and puff and give up after a short stint.

We must enjoy the process and to do so, we must be at peace with our efforts and have the balance between doing nothing and overdoing. To do nothing, means, the goals will stay as dreams. To do something, that is, to put efforts, we must have the resources, the health and above all, we must be able to relish in the process. Otherwise, the sweat and toil will be painful and we will not be at peace.

With the right mental positioning, we will enjoy the efforts even if there is toil and sweat. We will do within comfort zones and resources, and generate more resources in our pursuit of the goals.

This is how we can have peace in the process even before we reach the joy and peace of the goals. We must be both goal and process orientated. That is not exactly killing two birds with one stone but making the best of life. Live life meaningfully now and at same time reaching out to the next phase when we will have achieved the goal of the first phase.

To succeed, it is better that we be not alone. We need to have fellowship and be like a collection of candles rather than solitary candles. This is the advice of Lord Bo Tien in His 1975 message. To better ensure the candle flame of our life does not flicker but can grow and glow in luminance, we need the shelter of the heavenly saints to give us strength, be comfortable with and be at peace with the process of life. That is the way to go to last the mile. Then, we can transit from the current to the next phase. We would have live life well and set out to the next phase.

The principles elaborated are part of the inner peace way to life as embodied in the image of Lord Bo Tien with feet astride and balancing the two polarities of giving up and overdoing, of doing nothing and trying to do everything. The peaceful approach steers clear of the two extremes and generates more peace and understanding of life as we live life itself. Lord Bo Tien has stressed that the doctrine is in the image and the image is the doctrine.

Lord Bo Tien the Messenger of God Almighty
The doctrine is in the image and the image is the doctrine.
The doctrine too is our life and our life is the doctrine
Life is the living gospel

This same modus operandi brings to the individual fulfilment in the process or path in life as well as the meeting the ends of life, both spiritual and worldly.

When applied to spiritual organisation the same outcomes apply as for the individual. The doctrine that spells out success in a temple and success and fulfilment in an individual's life are the same. This is the perspective of the inner truth behind life that all religions try to bring to us in their respective approaches.

This has to do with living life well and setting out for the next phase. Give this some thought time and time again and you will know better each time.

The truth in life is often simple but at times may be too profound for us to fathom when we are caught up with the yin and yang tangles and complexities of life. No wonder the late Bro Philip who was no saint in his lifetime but yet saintly enough to tell us thus:

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

We must be like the lotus serene and majestic amidst the swirl and mud of the pond of life. That way be are boon to self and to others in mud of life so that they too can be lotuses themselves so as to live well and set out for next change or phase with ease and peace.

Do live life well here and now. This is not only best for now but will also set us out for next phase. Do however remember not to end up with nothing (running away) or try to have everything. That is simple advice isn't it ? - but insightful as well. Such is the way of saints. Ji Gong the Living Buddha is adept in the giving of simple but often insightful advice

Ji Gong the Living Buddha

We need to live life well and to do so, we need the shelter of the heavenly saints so that the candle flame of our life will grow and glow.

Let us pray to all heavenly saints

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

The concrete 3rd temple premise of Bo Tien Temple is a marvel to behold

Lest you forget

Do not make the mistake of idolizing any man who tells you about the Word. He is in the same boat as you even if religion refers to him as a religious leader. Mere mention of a religious leader is as good as encouraging idolising of that man. Why must there be hierarchy in religion? Hierarchy is conventional but may end up as liability rather than a necessity or asset. There should be no caste or hierarchy system in religion. No one is to be considered above another in religion. A religious leader or follower is a servant to serve you and not a leader to be idolised. Do not put him on the pedestal and make a monster out of him.

MAY ALL BE WELL AND HAPPY

May all be well and happy. May they have peace. May our departed friends and kins be well, happy and have divine peace. The main writer wishes the best for all for those near and far. Our kins may be far when they had passed on to better lives but they are near though far. He remembers and wishes his parents Mr Siow Soo Koh and Mdm Tay Hung Siang, his uncles and aunties like Mr Tay Koon Huay, his cousins like Mr Tay Chong Sim and his friends like Mr Philip Png well and have abundance of life. May they be rich in spirit for without such ancestors, there will be no posterity - no us and no you and me. They have blessed us and we must blessed them in return forever and ever.