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!.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Impact of globalization on religious orientation

No 398 of Living Life Series 1

The globalization that engulfs the world has broken down religious barriers and taboos. This has both good and not so good effects or consequences.

The good part is that religions and sects have imbibed the best practices of one another. One such practice is the practice of compassion for fellow beings not just fellow men. This has resulted in proliferation of charitable organisations.

Another practice is that of meditation and mindfulness. Religions and sects which otherwise have no conventional meditation are now adopting meditation approach in their communication with divinity.

The not-so-good part is that there is need to compare and compete rather than to complement to meet the differing needs of various sector of society and the world at large. There are even plagiarism of saints and prophets to be included as the predecessor saints and prophets of new saints. After doing so, they proclaim the new saints as sent by God to be the more relevant saints than those of the past.

Lord Bo Tien is no such saint. He did not and never will say that he is the most relevant saint to replace the saints and prophets we know in the various religions and sects. He is not here to start any new religion or sect but to make each and everyone a better Christian, Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu, Muslim or whatever the existing or preferred religion or sect they may be professing.

He does not even let us know of his life history but merely let us know that he is a messenger of God to let all know the true common essence or truth behind all religions and sects. All are same and yet different. All have to be different to bring more to God. Religions and sects are not meant to divide and to cause men to go at one another's throats but they unfortunately do, not just infrequently but once too often and this is not the wish of God.

God and religions

That is why the followers of Lord Bo Tien are not and never will be 'Botienists' but can be follower of any religion, sect or saint. The writer himself is a Buddhist, yet a Taoist and a close associate and believer of Ji Gong.

Ji Gong

This does not make him far from Lord Bo Tien or his ideals summarized as the inner truth that there is Heaven and God as the roof sheltering all men and beings with religions and sects as the pillars. Men can stand closer or lean on any one or more pillars or even if none. Of course if you are at one pillar of this big mansion, you will see things very differently from others who are at other parts of this mansion or universe. Yet all are in the same mansion or universe.

Lord Bo Tien

Lord Bo Tien's image does not reveal to us how he looked like. He said that just because the image shows him in armour of a Chinese General, this does not mean he is a general or marshal. But the image personifies the doctrine of inner truth. The scepter is the mission to show that truth of God is one behind the different religions and sects. The uniform with bright colors show the beauty of diversity of beings in all dimensions, the diversity of races and cultures in the world. All are different but put together they are as awe inspiring and grand as the armour. The seated pose with feet balancing and atop the elements represent the need to balance the life contingencies or dualities of life, the yin and yang - the soft and hard aspects of life, both the good and bad. Buddhists refer them as life contingencies like gain loss, honor dishonor, happiness sorrow, and what have you.

Incidentally, the writer is a disciple of Ji Gong and that does not make him less of the believer of Lord Bo Tien. Lord Bo Tien said that those who know and are close to the doctrine knows and are close to him. The seemingly far may be near and the seemingly near may be far. Just because, the writer is a disciple of Ji Gong, this does not alienate him from Lord Bo Tien.

Ji Gong the living saint

This too does not stop the writer from taking on other religious affiliation or choose to have mix of beliefs at individual personal discretion. Spirituality is between the person and God through any saint or group of saints. It is not between the person and other men in religious institutions.

Ji Gong the living saint is not of any religion though acclaimed in Buddhist and Taoist pantheons. Anyone of any sect, religious background or even if none can get his blessings.

Globalization indeed has effect on religious orientation.

Omitofo

Ji Gong

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.