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, April 13, 2014

Awkward with God

No 525 of Living Life Series 1

One thing about approach of man to God is that men think they have to please God. If God is God, why is there the need for men to please him? If there is need for men to inflate the ego of God, then this is just an example of men misrepresenting God.

God like the Buddhas are complete in themselves but if they need men to treat them like kings, then they are not complete unless men and beings are subservient to them and fear them, like the members of a pack of animals where the pack members live in awe and fear of the alpha leader.

The belief in God in the way that make men treat him more than a king and emperor has its roots in ancient times when nations were ruled by absolute monarchy and there is no democracy.

The ancient Chinese has the saying, "As on Earth, so also in Heaven." Men were subjects and they just had to worship the emperor or king or face the gallows. This way of relating to the emperor was the way men had to relate to God.

As on earth, so also in Heaven.
Heaven and Earth mirror each other
This is not true as it may well mean
Heaven is not better than Earth

If men were able to please God and king, then they had the right to live. The king like God controlled the right to be alive and to gain his favor is the enforced and the much coerced goal for men to go for. There was absolutely no leeway and no bargain whatsoever.

God was made to appear tyrannical. Just one displeasure is more than enough for a man to be damned to eternal hell. In Chinese culture, there were fearfully many Hells, as many as 18 levels.

In modern times, where absolute monarchy and its extension, the colonial authority of empires no longer exist, there is no need to fear or to obey every word and wish of the authority, be the authority God or ruler of the land.

Instead, the ruler tries to win over the ruled and the concept is to let men know that they can party and rejoice with the ruler. In religion, this for a long time did not take root and people were told to fear God and the pastor or priest will admonish those who veered from God-fearing stance.

Soon the temples and churches became deserted. But as saying goes, "As on Earth, so also in Heaven.", people were soon told that God is love and God is fun. He is friend and buddy.

With this, the church became a place of fun, of partying and of pompous celebration every week. There is joy and songs in the air. Pop style loud music, shouting and screaming fill the churches and temples.

Pastors are like pop stars and charismatic masters of ceremony. They are like idols of pop culture. People pray aloud. There is no fear but joy. People throng the houses of God like they will at a disco, pub or night club. This is good and God is fun. This brings back the crowd.

God will never dictate how men should relate to him. In all religions, he is said to want men to believe in the Word or doctrine for the Word is God. Live in the Word and then God lives in us.

Thus if we care to fathom the changing ways of men over the centuries, it is men who think God is like men and we must relate to God in way we relate to the ruler of the land.

From God fearing, to having fun with God, all these are due to men and not prescribed behavior by God for men to adopt and abide by.

In fact it is belittling God if men treat God in way they treat the ancient king or the modern ruler of the land. It is tantamount to blasphemy of God.

But even then in modern approach, God is not petty and what men consider as blasphemy to God, God will not consider as such for God is tolerant and benevolent. This is also with all heavenly saints and Buddhas.

Men over the centuries in the name of religion and God and saints, somehow have an awkward relationship with God, perhaps not with God directly as such but with the concept of God.

Man is awkward with God. The problem lies in men for not understanding why God wants us to know the Word and why he says that the Word is God.

The ancient sages of China said that Tao or Way is the Word. In any aspect of life and for that matter, for all matters, there must be peace through balance of polar opposites - the yin and yang. Perhaps, men must find the balance between awe of God and disbelief of God.

Ask Lao Tse. He left the palace of the emperor in old age to have more peace through Tao but he was still with the land of the emperor. There was no doubt of that.

Lao Tse leaving the frontier
in his old age to pursue more Tao

Lord Bo Tien with his feet
balancing the yin and yang
the alpha and the omega
This depicts Tao

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.