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!.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Rain inspired spiritual reflection

No 627 of Living Life Series 1

One morning, caught in the rain without an umbrella, I was unable to get to my car at the open car park. I had to wait as it was not worthwhile to buy an umbrella and I had to be conscious of my financial limitations.

While waiting for the rain to stop, it daunted on me what the good lord Lord Bo Tien said in the early years after his descent in 1969. He said that life alternates between storms and calm, between rain and sunshine and that rain and sun like fire and water are good but yet can be at times disadvantageous.

It was raining heavily and certainly, the rain was not to my advantage though I realised then that we need rain to fill up the reservoirs so that we have water coming to our homes.

Another reflection came to mind and that is that in bad times of our life that is when there are storms and rainy days, we can either wait out the storms and be at mercy of the bad weather or have the resource of umbrella and transport.

Such resources are like karmic merits. If we have not enough of the merits, we just have to weather and wait out the storms.

But if we have faith in heavenly saints and seek their shelter, we would be sheltered and able to weather out the 'rain' and the 'rain' the bad patches in life will be no problem to life.

But if there is heavy thunderstorm, any shelter would be of little difference when 'umbrellas can be inverted' and 'floods will stall vehicles.' Yes in such scenarios, if we have faith and seek out the saints, the heavenly saints will shelter us so that even big issues can be small issues even if they cannot be no issues. This the good lord did say and he even added that we must remember that there is the element of fate or bad karma.

So I waited for rain to stop and as I did not have deep pocket, I refused to buy an umbrella from the nearby convenient store. One hour passed by and the rain persisted and I decided that enough was enough. I would have to brave the rain. I did and got drenched.

But I was happy that the experience makes me more aware and mindful of what the good lord taught. I thanked Lord Bo Tien for imparting his words of wisdom - the doctrine.

I realised that much more why he said that if we see and know the doctrine we see and know him but if we do not, we will not see and know him even if he or his image is in front of us.

Lord Bo Tien

Initially, I was upset by the rain but after the episode when the sun shone out, I remembered what the good lord taught that there are good and bad about life contingencies. These are the polarities of yin and yang. We must not be at the receiving ends of the ups and downs of life - the yin and yang.

We must not be at the receiving end of life but be atop the yin and yang. It is simply just that and no other way. This is the truth in life that is in all religions.

While having merits is undoubtedly good like having money to iron out the problems of life and give us a smoother ride in life, money and merits are not the end-all but only the means to the end.

Even the additional shelter of heavenly saints is not the end-all as we still have to face fate - what we created - the consequences of our actions past and present due to our craving - the lack of peace or equanimity that only Tao or spiritual cultivation will provide.

We need to be atop the ups and downs (yin and yang) of life and initially we need guidance and shelter but in the long run, we need to be more independent.

The bad rainy weather experience had made me wiser because of what the good lord taught. I came out from the encounter with rainy episode more wise and that more calm and rejoice that the doctrine of the good lord has made my life easier and more peaceful not only in mundane worldly life but in spiritual as well.

Isn't that wonderful and awesome? Even more wonderful is the fact that this duality of application of truth principle was indeed stressed by the good lord.

God and all the heavenly saints have no intention for us to be dependent on them. We will end up worse off and disabled by having the crutch mentality.

We will be like a cripple. Only unscrupulous men at the pulpit who wants to control the minds of men will cripple men with crutch dependence on God and saints. This is one sheer way cult could arise in a church or temple.

What we should do is that we live in The Word or Doctrine and that is the way to know God and saints. There is no need to worship and to idolise them. But it is a good back up and comfort factor that we can depend on them if the occasion arises when we cannot make it on our own.

Tao that yields peace is about all these. May Tao be with us and in us.

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.