There is more to learn from Posat Ji Gong. Why did he not go along the norms? Departing from the norms, he was able to succeed. He believes in simplicity and sincerity. What is important is what goes through the heart and not the gut.
One of the 18 Lohans or Arahats in a previous life, he was reincarnated to become Ji Gong. He showed that traditions and practices of institutionalised and popular religions can stifle spiritual openness, simplicity and sincerity. He left the moastery to be with life and succeeded to be a posat or saint.
The means often end up as ends and adherents of the various sects and faiths often are lost amongst the leaves of the forest of spiritual knowledge and see not the trunks, let alone the forest as a whole.
What is the goal of life? Why need to have to be with God and the Pure Ones? Will mere belief and worship save us? Belief is good so also is worship. But more than that meet the eye. More is needed if we are to have to overcome and come to grips with the issues upon issues of life, of the unsatisfactoriness of life, of the daunting changes that we have to live with.
How can we have peace and serenity in just belief and allegiance to a sect or religion? Many churches and temples try to sell that. They peddle religion as though selling a commercial product. Just believe or pay for God's favour. That won't do and makes matters worse.
To Ji Gong Posat, we must be at peace right from the start. Let there be simplicity in the first place. Go for peace here and now. If we can have the here and now, then we can have tomorrow.
The past is history. The present is a present and the future (however well prepared we may be) will always be somewhat a mystery. Don't place too much hope on the future though we must prepare for the future especially for any eventualties. But losing your peace over the future is unwise for the possibilites are many.
The past is history. The present is a present and the future (however well prepared we may be) will always be somewhat a mystery. Don't place too much hope on the future though we must prepare for the future especially for any eventualties. But losing your peace over the future is unwise for the possibilites are many.
What matters too is to live life and not run away from life. What matters is not to run after more in life but to be contented and yet to improve ourselves but remain ever peaceful and simple while doing so.
He stresses the yin and yang in life. There must be balance like exemplified by the "puae" or confirmation blocks, one up and one down and not both up or both down.
There is no need to be in a monastery or in the forest to have divine spiritual peace. Instead we must be with society and the world around us, like what Ji Gong did in his life as human when he left the monastery having been rejected for not toeing the norms of monastic life.
For those in family way, peace can come if husband and wife can complement each other and have good relationship. Then there will be peace and often it is the simplicity of life with give and take that matters.
Let there be no calculativeness or manipulation, be it housework or bringing in family income. The stronger spouse must shoulder more so that the weaker will not be stressed out and there will be peace in family. This will ensure a better marital or family environment.
Guatama Buddha stressed in the Sutra of Blessings that one of the 38 blessings is to live in a suitable environment. Only in such balanced yin and yang milieu will there be peace of mind and spirit that promotes wellness and the ultimate is enlightenment or union with God and the Pure Ones.
The family way is not at odds with spirituality as the same principle that work for spiritual also work for family life. Both spiritual and family life must be synchronised like yin and yang.
Lord Bo Tien reiterated that spiritual principles work for mundane life eg family life as well as the overall mundane life are fertile grounds for spiritual cultivation. We embrace life not renounce life. What we renounce is not life or family but unrest, disquiet and mental agony. We cultivate inner peace and mindfulness so as to rid ourselves off delusions, ill will and clinging (greed)
The family way is not at odds with spirituality as the same principle that work for spiritual also work for family life. Both spiritual and family life must be synchronised like yin and yang.
Lord Bo Tien reiterated that spiritual principles work for mundane life eg family life as well as the overall mundane life are fertile grounds for spiritual cultivation. We embrace life not renounce life. What we renounce is not life or family but unrest, disquiet and mental agony. We cultivate inner peace and mindfulness so as to rid ourselves off delusions, ill will and clinging (greed)
As regards to the mundane, often we forget that wealth or money is only a means to the end and not the end in itself. We cannot serve money and serve God but we cannot do without money. Money concerns especially too much of it eg spending on future earnings may complicate matters and give us no peace. We need to be simple in approach and to have balance --- yin yang balance that Ji Gong and the ancient sages talked about.
The following quotes from the Bible will be eye opener.
The following quotes from the Bible will be eye opener.
Matthew 19:23-24 “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
We cannot worship money and at same time worship God. But we cannot also live without money in this world and be an ascetic. Such denial of money world will not do even for the devout and religiously inclined. But living the excessive princely life, going for money at all cost is an indulgence or excess that that will give us no peace and make us far from the kingdom of God and saints. We must be atop and balance the yin and yang of life, like the feet of the seated image of Lord Bo Tien or like symbolised by the Ba gua.
Lord Gautama Buddha had all the wealth he wanted as Prince Siddharta but had no peace of heart. He followed the tradition of the holy men by giving up not just wealth but even food. He went hungry and was too sick. He realised that worldly subsistence is necessary. If not excessive but optimum it would facilitate enlightenment.
If we go for wealth at all cost, we would be blind to God and if we have no wealth and are in depths of ultra poverty, we too would not see the need for God. Thus the judicious balance approach is best. We cannot serve wealth and God simultaneously but we cannot deny life and the need for the trappings of life so long as we are humans.
There is need to go for simplicity and to live a normal life. To sum up, we need to be at peace and to be mindful of life, not be sucked by the issues of life. Money is only a means and only one of the means to the end but not the end in itself. The end is to save our souls to be enlightened and be with God and the pure ones.
But to do so, for now, we need to go for simple and normal life. We should not worship money or the norms and trappings of life and yet be with life. That will facilitate peace and ease in life , the very peace that God and Pure Ones want us to have and which they have. Ji Gong is one who aptly shows the way.
With regards to divine blessings and serious spirituality, lest we forget, God and saints do bless us but whether we benefit and how we benefit depends on us. We must make the effort to want to be better in being at peace. We must be spiritually in tune. We need to be at peace, to be simple and humble as well as upright and sincere.
Then we can be in synchrony and harmony with the blessings, peace and goodwill of God and saints.
You can say that disposition of men or the beings must merge with the peace and serenity of God and saints. The disposition must be placed on axis of peace and mindfulness (moment-to-moment awareness or insight).
We must have that bit of God and saints in us to be able to merge with the peace and divinity of God and saints. Then there will be better harnessing of divine blessings. You can say that this again is based on simplicity of yin and yang rapport of beings (men) and Divinity.
All saints like Ji Gong will say thus. Simplicity is the way to go. Go for peace and normalcy in life and be in tune with the peace and vibrations of God and saints.
We can do so by cultivating mindfulness and peace, not at special times like in a church but all the time. It can be enriching and awe inspiring, surrounding ourselves in peace. We will be more energetic and life will be refreshing and serene.
One way is to calm the mind by chanting in sing song manner a spiritual incantation like Namo Amitabha (Omitofo) or Namo Ji Gong Posat or even Namo Bo Tien Posat. We need not even do this aloud. The experience can be alleviating, relaxing, calming and enhancing. We will be with God and saints here and now and not wait till the afterlife.
It is as simple as that but many expect complexity and are defeated by the perceived complexity. Go for simplicity and be peacful and mindful. Ji Gong hopes all will realise this. We do not need to achieve a masters degree or Phd before we can practice spirituality and be enlightened.
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