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, February 25, 2013

Ji Gong continues to touch more lives

No 389 of Living Life Series 1

The legends of Ji Gong are varied and many.

For centuries, Ji Gong is widely known among the civilians in Hangzhou. Ji Gong is depicted as wearing the tethered cap and dons a torn cassock and holds a broken fan. He did not look like the typical monk.

Ji Gong became a monk at Linyin Temple at the age of 18. He was never a conformist and never abided by dogmas, regulations and standard principles. He liked drinking and eating meat.

Legend has it that after he was asked to leave Linyin Temple, he turned to the Jingci Temple as an amanuensis monk.

On one occasion, fire destroyed the main hall of Jingci Temple. The abbot turned to him for gathering wood for restoring that hall. But instead, he slept for three days from wine drinking. He miraculously exclaimed:"the wood is here, take it from the well." The wood really flew out from the well of temple until there was enough for reconstruction of the hall. To this day, there is a Shenmu Well in Jingci Temple.

One day, Ji Gong predicted there would be a catastrophe from earthquake that would result in a hill taking form in the front of Linyin Temple. For the sake of saving the villagers ,he evacuated the villagers and saved them from disaster. The detail story is as follows.

During his lifetime as man, Ji Gong predicted there would be a peak flying from afar at the village in front of Linyin Temple. He advised the villagers to evacuate. But no one believed in him. They thought he was playing tricks. This made monk Ji Gong worried. He then conceived a way to lure the villagers away in quick time. He rushed into a wedding ceremony and took the bride away. This infuriated the villagers and all ran after him. Suddenly a storm with earthquake resulted in earth movement that resulted in a peak in the front of Lingyin Temple. The villagers then realized that Ji Gong had saved them. This peak came to be known as 'Fei Lai Feng' - the Peak Flown From Afar.

One variant of the story had it that one little girl was staggering behind and trailing behind the villagers running after Ji Gong and a boulder was hurtling towards her. Ji Gong directed his magical palm at the boulder and prevented it from hurting the girl. It is said that an imprint of the hand can be found at the base of the boulder that formed the peak.

Undoubtedly, there are many more stories and folklores from Hangzhou. In the past 2000 years or more, the stories were passed down from one generation to another. The narratives were closely connected with ordinary people's daily lives.

What is more striking is that Ji Gong in the last 2000 odd years and more continues to be with people not just at Hangchow but through his manifestations and through his human intermediaries in many countries such as South East Asia, Taiwan, Japan, India and Australia.

He continues to speak through intermediaries and touch peoples' lives. No issue is too trifle for him to attend to. Seek him out and he will be there for you. There is no barter or conditions. He only wants to help and he never sets preconditions that you must be his disciple or believe in a sect, religion or be member of a temple.

You can be of any race, of any belief, religion or of any culture. So long as you have an issue for him to attend to, he will be there for you. All he wants is for you to suffer less, to have a better life and to be good. Whether you can be spiritual or not is not his immediate concern. How he can make a difference in your life is all that matters. He never proselytize or politicize - no expectations of any conditions.

All he wants is to make the difference to your life. The numerous good works of Ji Gong are more than legend. He is accepted in the pantheon of Taoism and Buddhism. He is both a buddha and a deity but he never said that you must be a Buddhist or Taoist to come to him and to seek his help and guidance.

He has the heart to help and that is what counts and that is why many are attracted to him and yet remain as members of their respective culture and religion. You never need to renounce your religion or sect to benefit from his compassion. His compassion knows no boundaries.

You can even be a criminal or wrong doer but if you need help, he will be there for you. Of course, he will try to help you to make good in life.

That is Ji Gong and many have asked him for wins in lottery, for a good job, for health issues and for social problems. There was never any strings attached. You don't have to believe in him or be a Buddhist or Taoist for you to be eligible to seek his compassion.

But invariably after he touched your life, you would and will be a different person - a better person and an asset to others regardless of religion, sect or affiliation. The stories of Ji Gong are unfolding every day and continue to do so. The numerous good works of Ji Gong are more than legends.

Ji Gong will continue to touch more lives. He lives on with man and in man. He is a living saint - a living Buddha. Thus he is Ji Gong Huo Fo.

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.