Many of us think we can make it in life or at least think that we do. But whatever we make in the world of flesh and blood though substantial and solid will come to naught because life itself is insubstantial and not satisfactory. This led many sages to say that life is everything and yet it is nothing.
Life is wholesome to those who know how to go about life and view it. But yet in what is wholesome and in the very things we can have or reached in life, we realise it is empty and nothing.
Whatever substantiality we have is voided once we void our life at death. From ashes we arise and to ashes we return. From nothing we become whole and to nothing we go. It does seem that void and whole is one and same, at least in outlook if not in reality.
We are still looking at the circle which is complete and yet also represent emptiness or zero. Whether we see life as wholesome or whether we want to see wholeness in life or emptiness depends on us.
Whether we want to experience the joy of worldly life only to feel cheated by it at the end too is up to us. Make it or break it in life is a matter of the mind. We are what we are and we will be what we think we are.
We may have all worldly trappings of sorts. But if we yearn for more and feel we have not made it in life, we make a failure of ourselves in life.
If we have few worldly trappings but if we feel whole and contented, we have made it in life. Make or break is up to us. Life is like that. The circle is complete but it can also depict zero. That is life.
To illustrate this concept further, let us relate the concept to a leader, temple and religion.
We can for instance find completeness in a temple or church elder. He appears wholesome but yet in the same person, others will find him void and empty in virtues.
Whether there is beauty in his personality and leadership depends on the beholder. As they say, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Whether a person is worthy or not depends on the beholder. Whether that person make or break as a leader is up to the beholder.
Life is wholesome to those who know how to go about life and view it. But yet in what is wholesome and in the very things we can have or reached in life, we realise it is empty and nothing.
Whatever substantiality we have is voided once we void our life at death. From ashes we arise and to ashes we return. From nothing we become whole and to nothing we go. It does seem that void and whole is one and same, at least in outlook if not in reality.
We are still looking at the circle which is complete and yet also represent emptiness or zero. Whether we see life as wholesome or whether we want to see wholeness in life or emptiness depends on us.
Whether we want to experience the joy of worldly life only to feel cheated by it at the end too is up to us. Make it or break it in life is a matter of the mind. We are what we are and we will be what we think we are.
We may have all worldly trappings of sorts. But if we yearn for more and feel we have not made it in life, we make a failure of ourselves in life.
If we have few worldly trappings but if we feel whole and contented, we have made it in life. Make or break is up to us. Life is like that. The circle is complete but it can also depict zero. That is life.
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| Taiji is a circle |
To illustrate this concept further, let us relate the concept to a leader, temple and religion.
We can for instance find completeness in a temple or church elder. He appears wholesome but yet in the same person, others will find him void and empty in virtues.
Whether there is beauty in his personality and leadership depends on the beholder. As they say, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Whether a person is worthy or not depends on the beholder. Whether that person make or break as a leader is up to the beholder.
Whether a religion or temple can make it as a temple or religion depends on how men view the religion or temple. Whether the temple or religion can make or break depends on the beholder. To many, the temple or religion can make it but to many others too, the temple or religion cannot make it.
Make or break depends on the beholder. No one can see for the beholder. No one can live life for the beholder, more so with regards to religion. Religion like personal life is at core basically a very private matter between the beholder and Heaven above.
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| Many nations but yet one world like the yin and yang in the Taiji |
The views of men are as diverse as the world we are in have polar opposites like yin and yang. It takes all kinds and it takes opposites to make this world whole but yet the world is not. It takes male and female to make a couple but that coupling will not last even a minute fraction of an aeon but yet that there is a couple, there is no doubt.
Make or break is up to us the beholders. What one beholder sees or grasps is not identical to another, even if they have the same view, religion or are in the same temple or church. Make or break is up to us.
We can learn from one another - why we think and act differently and why we must be at peace with our differences. Within others do look at their plus and not so plus points and by so doing, Lord Bo Tien did say that we can that way be able to learn and improve ourselves.
The differences will allow us to so much better appreciate and understand our own perspective of life. The differences need not be there to challenge our current views or beliefs. This applies to men as individuals and as members of the different religious fraternities.
We need to know that it is God that enables differences. This is so that there will be as many religions and sects for men so that God can reach out to more men and not less men.
Just like there is no one religion or sect, we too must realise and accept that there must be more than one leader in any temple or society.
But to be correct, it is often true that all the leaders must act as one under one elder but yet be as different as they can be. Yin and yang cannot be same but obviously different but they can move as one whole. Thus did the good lord Lord Bo Tien reiterate.
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| The yin and yang are many but are one in the Taiji of the Ba gua |
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| The Ba gua |
TAIJI
(THE GREAT ULTIMATE)
Yin and yang equal to nothing
but problems aplenty
to those who are not saint-like
but problems aplenty
to those who are not saint-like
"The problems of men are many
and ever always plentiful."
Lord Bo Tien did say, didn't he?
But to those who are saint-like
and ever able to ride the elements
of yin and yang as depicted by
feet of Lord Bo Tien in his image,
the circle is whole and not nothing.
All depends on how good
are the men in Tao or Way
Not who they worship or idolise
but on Tao that brings peace
With Tao and with shelter
of God and heavenly saints above,
issues big or small will be no issues
Big issues become small issues
even if these cannot be no issue.
This Lord Bo Tien did say
Make or break in life
depends on way in life.
Heed the way of Tao
found in all religions
in one form or other
if we want to make it in life.
Call it Tao or Word
does not matter at all.
A rose by any name
is just as sweet
Omitofo
This Lord Bo Tien did say
Make or break in life
depends on way in life.
Heed the way of Tao
found in all religions
in one form or other
if we want to make it in life.
Call it Tao or Word
does not matter at all.
A rose by any name
is just as sweet
Omitofo
Why is Taiji or Great Ultimate so named?
It is indeed the greatest way of life
the best cultivation or pursuit we can have.
It is the graphic presentation of Tao
Do read other article on The Great Ultimate
