In praise of simplicity

No 676 of Living Life Series 1

The simplicity of life led by Ji Gong (济公) during his days of man is worth looking into. He wandered the streets and was no less blessed than one with wealth and stayed in palatial home. 

The same applies to Gotama Buddha as a man centuries ago. Who could deny that he was more blessed than when he was a prince. 

When Jesus started his ministry, he too led a roaming life but a blessed one at that for as he was a blessing to many, he was well received and blessed by the many. Though crucified as though a nobody, worse still a criminal, he has become a shining torch for men - a savior of lives through his simple insight of God-centered life. All we need is to follow him in life of simplicity and love. 

But for modern men to live the way they did would be not possible. We would face being vagrants and at best gypsies. That is a reality - a challenge but must be wisely translated and applied in context to modern life of 2014 and beyond. 

Even monks of the Buddhist order have to be housed in temples and centers. They are homeless but yet have homes. They are housed by men. They are blessings to men and men in turn supported them and house them. The alms giving and the alms seeking are just no more than mere symbolic of the practices during the times of Buddha as man. 

In a way, monks may have left home but they still need to be housed and to have home. This is no contradiction at all. 

If we care to analyse further, we must take cognizance of what is letting go or renunciation. It is not the letting go of life but the letting of complicated life of wanting and clinging. 

We still need to meet basic needs and this too is based on wants. But the difference is that we need to be as simple and as basic in wants and not go for the sky and be buried by wants until we are immobilized by wants. 

We need to be simple in needs but this does not mean we cannot be well endowed in goodness potential in life. We can accumulate resources like store of good positive merits (through doing good) and wealth but we do not flaunt our resources and throw caution and prudence to the wind. 

We can have more but we make do with less. We lead as simple a life. This in modern terms mean that we do not stretch ourselves out but have more to spare be it in time, health or resources. 

We do not greedily go for life but we are content with and basking in the simplicity of life as it unfurls. This does not mean there will be no gains, material or otherwise. 

On the contrary, there will be gains when we lead life in simplicity as we will have less problems and able to move on and make headway both spiritually and otherwise. We succeed both ways - in spirit and in ways of the world. 

We engage life in such way we are peaceful. Whatever gains we have will contribute to peace of spirit - inner peace. We leave the world of wants but we do not disengage. On the contrary, we still engage the world  but for more peace. 

To do this, we still need to have wants to get the right conditions and life that promote more peace. This will need us to lead life of simplicity but not life of avoidance and emptiness - just a life of simple wants - simple taste and joy of less entanglement and worldly trappings. 

We avoid living on future income if we can but not many can make it. Then we have to flow with the crowd but know when to stop and go in the other direction to have more peace. This will require effort and mindfulness - presence of mind to stay focus on inner peace. 

The catch word is to have simplicity when going for life and to have more of the moments of peace in life even in the worst possible situations in life. This is what the icons and sages of past want us to have. 

Be simple and do not go for glorification of oneself thinking that this will make us feel good. Glorification need is a trap and imprisons us to more unease in life. Life becomes more complex and no longer simple. 

Glorification may present as glorification of the sages and pits religion against religion. Religions too must be simple and drop barriers so that men can be simple and not divided. Then there will be more of the peace. 

We must have the liking and affinity for simplicity. It is often the simple joys of life that cheer us on but sometimes we forget to cherish them as blessings. Do bless ourselves with simplicity and we will be more blessed. 

Learn from life and how simplicity is the key to a more blessed life. The learning from life is stressed by sages and also by Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). Life is the living gospel. 

Life is really simple but we insist in making it complicated. Who said this? Confucius said so. 

Less stuff, less work, less expense = more money, more time, more joy. This is simplicity. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. 

It is the art of balancing life 

And it is Tao or Way of balancing the yin and yang. 

Tao

It is in all religions but need not be referred to as Tao. We do not need to be Taoists to know and realize this. Isn't this simple to understand? 

Life is simple and there is peace in simplicity if we know how. We need not go to religions to have the peace and happiness through simplicity. It is to be found in life and not the monopoly of any religion of men. That is why Ji Gong (济公) is of no religion but a saint of many men and religions. 

Ji Gong (济公)

Die to self, not to life and we will have peace

No 675 of Living Life Series 1.

There is need to go for the root of the problems of life and they have to do with self and the need to satisfy the self more and more and at all cost. This sets in place a vicious circle. The more we have, the more is the need. The rainbow ever recedes to a new horizon and we will forever be in want. More seems to be less and that is the issue. 

So what is the problem. Of course, we must not center life on self and we must have less of wants and know when enough is enough. But some may think, we must not want at all and  in addition to die to self, they die to life. Then there is denial and we try not to live when we are still alive. 

Isn't this paradoxical? How can there be satisfaction that gives peace? We need to live life of satisfaction and peace and this pivots on having enough in life to provide the level of comforts which allow for pursuit of the higher calling which is spiritual calling not out of this world but of this world as well. 

We must die to self so that we are not victims of the self and the loser in life all because of self. We must want to live but not live to suffer from wants due to self. 

We must die to self but live to life - a life beyond and yet with the world of flesh and blood. Give this some thought and you will appreciate why the good lord Lord Bo Tien speaks of the inner peace of spirit that comes from being at peace with the ups and downs of life without denying the ups and downs. 

We need certain level of worldly necessities and this level may differ from one person to the next and in different stations or phases of an individual's life. 

We cannot afford to die to life. We must live to life but die to self. We cannot want to die to life. We must still find joy in life in terms of having peace with the ups and downs such that the downs will not put us down and the ups will not throw us off our feet and balance. 

This art of living life is called Tao or Way. This is how we can die to self, live to life and we will be at peace. This is reflected in the image of the good lord Lord Bo Tien with feet atop and in dynamic balance of the ups and downs of life. We should be atop and not be overthrown by the ups and downs - the yin (passivity) and the yang (activity) of life.

武天菩萨
Lord Bo Tien

On extending Godliness to the more Godless

No 674 of Living Life Series 1

We should never play God with the Godless. Even God will have problems with them. How much can we go with men who in the name of God reek of evil and wickedness. They even think they are doing good in name of God.

Better keep the distance and not associate with the fools. Associate with the wise. Honor those who are worthy of honor. This will bring blessings.  These were from the words of the Buddha in the Mangala Sutra (Blessings Scroll)

Seek the shelter of God and saints and not try to go it alone. A candle flame sheltered by a saint will grow and glow brighter and stronger. Many candle flames together would even be better in lighting and shining up the path of life. These did the good lord Lord Bo Tien  武天菩萨 say.

武天菩萨
Lord Bo Tien

Why not go for more heavenly saints instead of one? Why stick religiously and rigidly to one when we can learn from more than one religion? 

More hands make light work. More religions make it easier and more effective to reach out to more and bring more facets of insight on life and divinity. This too is part of the God Knowledge Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 dwelt on in 1969. 

Never go for men who are too big for their shoes. They can only play second fiddle but they still want to take over and not allow better men to run the show. They can only do administration and social work but still want to run a temple. They turn any temple into a community center and the shrine into a museum of the past. 

They celebrate a temple anniversary but end up celebrating their achievements in society and not the milestones of spirituality. They go for the patronage of men rather than of God and saints. 

They bend towards Godlessness than Godliness and throw spiritual values to the wind. They go for affinity with the Jones-es than affinity with God and heavenly saints. Why be with them and end up with the more Godless? 

We as men of God should not be with the more Godless if they want to have more Godlessness. In short, avoid trying to be Godly with those who are more Godless than us. 

Never end up Godless with God

No 673 of Living Life Series 1

The world is moving away from blind belief in God and the trend of men at pulpit at churches telling others to 'do this and that' in the name of God. The same applies too to religions where priests or monks tell people to do this and that and not to question why. 

This was alright many centuries ago when countries were run by absolute monarchy and what the monarchs said was law. 'Do or die' then was the norm. 'As on earth, so also in Heaven' was the norm during the ancient Chinese dynasties. It is obviously due to the shallowness of thinking and the mentality of taking orders from the ruler. 

In modern times, there is democracy and to ask men to do or die is somewhat archaic and not keeping with the times. Thus in 2014, there arose on 28th Sept 2014 in many cities no less than 40 new Godless churches where it is possible to be good and experience the good of men without the name of God and religions! This to many may seem unbelievable.  

Does it necessarily mean that people who do not believe in the concept of God are evil and devoid of good - Godless? Far from it, they may be less Godless and more good and wholesome than many who are God fearing but simply narrow minded and bigoted in the name of God and religions. 

玉皇大帝 God The Jade Emperor

The age-old concept of Chinese with regards to God the Jade Emperor is best. He is just the ruler of the three worlds, the Heaven above men, Earth where men are, and Hell where those less fortunate undergo reform. 

Though no absolute creator, God, like any one of us, is the creator of goodness and of more life. But like us, he is not responsible for all that we know as life in the three worlds or in the universe. Blame not God for the woes and injustice in the world, just like what Bo Tien (武天) says that we blame not the flower for insects coming to it for nectar.

God can only try his best to make good the three worlds or realms under his rule. Like the ruler of a nation on Earth, his reign too is finite and not infinite though long and seemingly eternal. 

He is there or rather here to serve the three realms and we should respect his appointment and the goodness he brings to all - not the person or individual that is him. He will never expect us to be crazy, to idolise or hero-worship him like crazy. 

That would make us be riled by anguish and clinging, and leave us troubled with no peace of spirit. What God and all saints want for us to have is that peace that they have. Mind you, this is not for their own good but for own own good. How can this come about? 

For one, we can be sheltered by them so that we can weather the ups and downs of life and have some semblance of peace. "Small issues will be no issue and big issues be small issues." This is what Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) said.

Alternatively and in addition, we can also cultivate the peace in us by religiously and zealously guarding and wanting the peace in us come what may - the ups and downs around in the world and the ups and downs in us. We can religiously guard the peace in us even without belonging to any religion. After all, admittedly religion is an institution of men for the like-minded. 

There is Tao in life and in all religions. This Tao or Way in old China is the balancing and being atop the yin (passivity) and yang (activity). Buddhists refer to this as The Middle Way. 

So what have all this to do with our being crazy over God and saints? On the contrary, we must be more calm and level headed to hear out what God and saints have in store for us. 

It is men and lower beings who are so besotted with those far better than themselves who will be mad and head over heels over them. This is due to envy or craving which in Buddha's thinking is the cause of our suffering - the dissatisfaction with life. 

We should never be besotted with God or end up Godless with God. This applies to the way we relate to all heavenly saints. No wonder, the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) reminds us that the near may be far and the far may be near. 

武天菩萨
Lord Bo Tien

Mind you why is Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) addressed as 'lord'? Well it is us who do so and not his idea. Call him Bo Tien 武天 if you like or as some of us would refer to him as 'boss' as though he is a friend and one of us. 

Never be besotted with God or end up Godless with God. Men who go to extreme end up doing the unthinkable. They wreck suffering in the name of God. They kill, plunder and create fear and terror in the name of God. They are more Godless than Godly compared to those who are good and peace loving but not crazy over God and heavenly saints. 

Men can be Godly without idolising God. They are loving and peaceful. They are loved by all - God, saints and men. Never be besotted with God or end up Godless with God. It is not that God and saints are not there but what matters is to live right in the Godly way - the Word or Tao. 

No second thoughts on medium-ship 童乩 ...

No 672 of Living Life Series 1

Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) is a wonder to behold. He had done the unthinkable. He made use of medium-ship (trancing) in a Beo Keng (Chinese temple) to make himself known to the world and what he made known is not who he is but why he is here since 1969 - more importantly why he is not in favor of any particular religion or sect or starting any new one. He is for all religions. 

He is all about doctrine that was already known in the past but buried away like relics by archaeological layers of added thoughts and practices such that men today know only the religious practices and behavior but not the good grasp of the inner truth behind and across religions.

In the first place, it is already unthinkable that the good lord even thought of harnessing medium-ship (trancing) to achieve the reawakening or rather the resurfacing of the basic inner truth behind all religions when religions generally regard it as wee bit sort of fake and farce. 

As one sociology academic did put it, "Medium-ship (trancing) is after all theatrics and theatrics is medium-ship (trancing)." 

Even at a temple in the name of the good lord, medium-ship (trancing) is treated with doubts, skepticism and men are dubious about it. Most would rather show they have no faith in trancing though they were  in fact passionate with it and might have benefited from it in the past. 

But surely without medium-ship (trancing), we will never know of Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) and without it, there will be no revelation of the teachings and the push for the mission to save souls through any religion we have in this world. Yet men at ground zero and even pioneers who benefited from medium-ship (trancing) do still feel somewhat reluctant as such to acknowledge whatever gains and blessings medium-ship (trancing) has brought to them. 

The good lord says that we must "see man as man and heavenly saint as heavenly saint". "See not the saint in man and the man in saint." 

This is so obvious and clear but men due to pride of ego want to have nothing to do with mediums partly because of the many tales of bad experience with it. But is their judgement better than the good lord who had no qualms using medium-ship (trancing) to insert the mission and the doctrine to the world on behalf of Heaven? 

Let men reflect and make amends if they have erred and perhaps misconceived. Men of the lord must not be ashamed of the history of the divine mission but must regard what happened, medium-ship (trancing) and all, as simply awesome and eye opener.

Without medium-ship (trancing), there will be no mission, no divine messages from the lord and no resultant Living Life Series in the world wide web.  

So men of the lord should not be embarrassed and aghast of the medium-ship (trancing) past of the mission. We should not write off medium-ship (trancing) just like that.

The good lord did say that there will be medium-ship (trancing) in the first cycle of thirteen years but he never said that it is wrong to have medium-ship (trancing). What he wanted us to know know is that he had given us the messages and the universal doctrine for us to work on and activate the mission world wide like the ocean to many a shore. There is then no further need for him to speak through medium-ship (trance). 

Mind you, he never said medium-ship (trancing) is in bad taste. In fact, he made use of medium-ship (trancing) as vehicle for inserting his mission to the world. 

Some men of the lord somehow like to double talk and in the end, they end up ridiculing themselves as well. What jokers these men can be. God forgive them for they know not what they do. 

Men must know better and not be ashamed of their roots. How odd can it for them to denounce their roots as of the devil when even the good lord utilized it in good measure for the benefit and welfare of the many.

The late Philip Png in trance of the good lord Lord Bo Tien with Elder Ling Diung Kwong in attendance standing and in white. Without medium-ship (trancing), there will be no doctrine and no mission. So is there the need to say that it is in bad taste? Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) has shown that many are not in the know. They are men after all. He adds thus with regards to medium-ship. "Man is man and saint is saint. See not the saint in man and not the man in saint." Thus said the good lord.

Those were the days. Nowadays one wonders 
where are the pioneers on Mission Day.
The ravages of time have taken its toll. 
Of a truth this does not need to be told.
A new generation is in place
and need our support.

Undeniable facts of Life

No 671 of Living Life Series 1

Often, we do not have to go to a temple to learn more of how to have inner peace and to connect with God and saints to have more of this divine peace. In fact, the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) exhorts us to learn from life and life is the living gospel. 

We must learn to have more divine or inner peace by leveraging on the experiences of men in life as well as from to the teachings of saints of other religions beyond the religion we are in. We must appreciate the teachings in context and how they have benefited men.

A friend sent the following via handphone and he received it from his friend. The author or source is unknown but the message tells us more of life and the practical ways to be at peace. 

Undeniable facts of Life 

author unknown

1. Don't educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be Happy. So when they grow up, they will know the value of things not the price. 

2. "Eat your food as your medicine. Otherwise you've to eat medicine as food" 

3. The one who loves you will never leave you because even if there are 100 reasons to give up, he will find 1 reason to hold on. 

4. There is a lot of difference between human being and being human. A few understand this. 

5. You're loved when you were born. You'll be loved when you die. In between, you've to manage...! 

6. Best doctors in the world : 

        i) Sunlight 

        ii) Rest 

        iii) Exercise 

        iv) Diet 

        v) Self Confidence 

        vi) Friends who care for you 

Speak for oneself and not for God and saint

No 670 of Living Life Series 1

It is an oddity that a man must bring in more of others as faithful worshipers of a saint before he can hope to cultivate the way of that saint. It is even more strange that he is told that he can only be saved not by cultivating the doctrine of the saint but all he needs is to believe in the saint. 

But eventually, that man has to know and practice what that saint stand for. Surely, such confusion come from men and not from that saint. This state of affairs may come about because of men and not because of saint. A saint will be peaceful and open but men may not be as good as the saint.

When men take over the reigns of the mission of a saint, men in their seemingly innocent-like passion may well do that which the saint in his lifetime as man never did. It is more likely that the living saint in life as man was humble and meek so as not to ruffle the powers of the land and incur wrath. But his followers are unlike him and at times far from peaceful in their faith. 

The rules of God and saint are simple. Seek them for blessings while one tries to know and cultivate the teachings God and saint represent. Practice and live in the teachings so that one would be blessing not only to oneself but to God and men. That is a wiser way of motivating others by being exemplary in living and by being peaceful and an inspiration to others. 

Capture the hearts of men by living in the Word so that the Word will reach out to others. This is the better way of reaching out than telling all to comply and believe or die to life (Heaven) and be lost. 

The latter approach if taken to extreme might mean that forcing others to worship a saint at knife point is right and proper. This state of affairs should not come about if men do not take over from God and saint to decide what God and saint want to do for men. 

Act for oneself and not act for God and saint. That would be good for the peace of life for oneself. Do not disturb the often fragile peace in men by using the good name of God and saint in vain. Do try to keep whatever peace there is, if we cannot promote more peace.

Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) wants men to know that it is not necessary to believe in him but it is necessary to know the Word or Doctrine he stands for. The doctrine is him and he is the doctrine. Live in the doctrine that is found in all religions or faiths. 

Lord Bo Tien
武天菩萨

There is no need to declare to the world that one saint is better than another. In fact, we should respect all saints and their teachings which are derived from the universal Inner Truth. 

The Inner Truth is the truth of God and the need for cultivating inner peace so as to have the God in us.

To cultivate inner peace, we need to act for ourselves but seek shelter of saints through any religion or even if none. Act for oneself and not for God and saints. If men act for God and saints instead of for themselves, there will be less or no peace among men. There will be less or no peace or harmony in a temple of a saint.

Act for oneself and not for God and saints. If we can take care of ourselves, that is more than enough. Do not for any moment think we can act for God and saints. Then the devil rather than the God in us will rear its ugly head, be it in a temple or in a religion or in the society at large. 

If everyone acts for God and saints, then we will be having many versions of what God and saints want us to do. Won't that be perplexing. Better that a man act for himself and don't try to act for God and saints. 

That way it is less likely for the devil to rear its ugly head in a temple, in a religion or in the society at large. It is not that the devil is at work but rather it is man who bedevil himself by acting for God and saints when man is still far from the mark. 

Act for oneself and not for God and saints. The good lord Lord Bo Tien stresses that Mission of Heaven (through any religion) is the Mission of God and saints. It is not the mission of men. Men are only beneficiaries of the mission. 

The mission is to save souls through teaching men to live in the Word. There is the need to have inner peace by cultivating it. This is referred to as Tao in old China. Tao is realized by being atop and balancing the ups and downs, the oddities in life. It is as simple as that but not so simple to many.

Learn more from life than from the written word

No 669 of Living Life Series 1

It is without doubt that individuals who did well in setting up a temple may have personality issues which make them not popular to many once the temple is set up. But without such personalities there will be no temple. 

If they continue to be active and to steer the crowd, there will be among those in the crowd, some who will find fault with them though the majority are the silent and appreciative ones. 

Once a temple building rises to the sky, people will come and when people do come, they do not remain silent but will want to speak out. Whilst pioneer leaders have done well and should not be forgotten, it does not necessarily mean they are to continue in leadership. 

Rather, they should give way to another generation but the new generation must take direction from the pioneer leaders. If they do not and decide to be different, even casting the pioneers away, they may appear to usurp and take over the temple once it flowers . 

Then they may be like ants and insects coming to the flower for nectar. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says is unavoidable and we should not blame the flower for insects coming to it. 

The few new generation at the helm might think rather differently. They would have different viewpoint. They think they are like new contractors and have choice to do things differently even if what they do riles the pioneers. This state of affairs is unavoidable and to be expected. 

Men must learn to give way to the next generation and not expect the next generation to toe the line they have taken. But in their attempt to do differently, the new may undo what was done and may not be able to do what the pioneers want to be done for the long term. 

Well, that is why the good lord Lord Bo Tien says the far may be near and the near far. Ultimately men are both far and near because men are men and not saints. Learn from the gospel of life of men, more so in a temple and this is more important than how a temple fares. 

It is people who make up a temple and people must learn from the strengths and weaknesses of those with them and around them. If they can learn and see the light, if they can benefit from the gospel of life, this is it. They have arrived and they will learn how to be at peace with life and with the changes as well as the ups and downs in life.

There is doctrine in life. Life is the living gospel. A temple is the people not the building. A temple must have doctrine. Doctrine is not in the written word but is in life. The true doctrine is not written but is in life. Men being men and not saints must learn from life. 

Trying to learn from the written word is lame when there is more to be learnt from life around. But trying to learn from life without guidance from the written word can be blind. 

Such men go through life without seeing because they have not been taught to see and to know and learn from what they see. In short, they know not what they see. When there is blind adherence to the written word, men may see not what they know. 

To begin with, they don't really know. They grasp NOT what they read and just take what they read as gospel truth. 

Ji Gong (济公) attained sainthood 
from learning more from life
than from the written word.
Many who stick to the texts
are stuck with the texts.
They see not what they know.
They don't really know 
as they grasp NOT what they read.

Truth in Universal Prayer and Universal Friend

No 668 of Living Life Series 1

 To all heavenly saints I greatly adore

 I believe in your existence

 And thy glory is in the thought of men.

I seek for thy protection and guidance

So as to live better for the time to come.

There is truth behind the universal prayer and it is best that we believe in all heavenly saints and their teachings which are purpose directed to the context of the times and the people they are meant for. That they may seem different is not the issue but that they are based on truth of Divinity and need for more peace in men matters. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) refers to as the Inner Truth in The God Knowledge sermon in 1969. 

Ji Gong (济公) is one who upholds truth beyond religions. He rather follows his heart and stresses that what matters is what goes through the heart and NOT what one does or what goes through the gut. He has the gut to say this openly and forthrightly but mind you it is not that he does not believe in religions but rather he believes in truth across and beyond religions. 

He is accepted by many religions and proclaimed a saint by at least three. He is the personification of the truth behind the universal prayer - the embodiment of the Inner Truth. 

He is after all Ji Gong (济公). He is a friend to all and many regard him as one. He rather be a friend than a saint to you and to me. 

There is truth behind the Universal Prayer. There too is Ji Gong (济公) behind the Universal Prayer. Ji Gong (济公) is welcome in all religions and he welcome all religions - in fact people of all religions and also those of no religion. 

Like God and Buddhas, he looks after all even those who do not believe in him so long as there is the opportunity and affinity of sorts with him. He cannot reach out to all but he does what he could and can. 

If there is the Universal Prayer, then Ji Gong (济公) is the Universal Friend - a universal saint to be more respectful to him but he would rather we regard him as friend rather than saint. He does not want us to be awed by him and to idolise him. 

济公 Ji Gong

He would rather be on the floor, on earth rather than be up there on a table or in heaven. Heaven and bliss follow him where he goes. He brings taste of peace and heaven to all. 

He is like Jesus a friend to even the downtrodden and forgotten. You may say he is a messiah but please note that he only want to be a friend - a saintly one at that. This is the truth. 

济公
Ji Gong

The far may be near to inner peace

No 667 of Living Life Series 1

The worship of God and saints is good but must be substantiated by immense peace of spirit that is infectious and bring inner peace to men and life. 

Spirituality must begin with God and saints before men can reach any substantial inner peace. But spirituality can stagnate and be stymied by blind love and idolising of God and saints. Men shall not idolise God and saints but live in the Word that God and saints stood for. 

The Word is about how to have the peace within before there can be peace without and out there. There must be inner peace regardless of the lack of peace around the man of God and saints. 

He who claims to be man of God and saints but has no peace is a problem to himself and to others. He may obviously and simply be that passionate about idolizing God and saints to extent that he thinks all who do not follow what he is doing is not of God and saints. Though he claims to be near to God and saints, he is far. 

The seemingly far to God and saints may be near, and the near far if he has inner peace and love for all, even for those who are of different faiths and religious inclinations. This did the good lord Lord Bo Tien allude to when he said that far may be near and near far. 

武天菩萨
Lord Bo Tien

Thus in the same vein, if one worships literally every word in the written texts as the truth even though it is written by not one man but by many and there are contradictions, then one is idolising the written word. Though he is seemingly near to the Word, he is far from the truth if he thinks that the written words of men are of God and saints. This again illustrates that the near may be far and the far may be near. 

A man who reads not the written words but lives with purity of heart and not outward display, he is loved by God, saints and men. He draws no distinction with regards to men based on spiritual or religious inclinations and such a man is near to God, saints and men even if he is far from any house of God. 

In reality he is already in the universal house of God with heaven as the roof and religions the pillars. All under heaven are in this house of God. God is his faith and life is his gospel. The heart is the seat of his purity and he is at peace with life and with all.  

He tries to be truly a man of love for all with peace not hampered by divides, borders and passion of idolatory. But is this pragmatic? Not all will think so and if this is the case, then it is better to be in one of the many religions and sects - better to belong and to start at some point then not to belong and be lost. 

Well it is always a matter of opinion. For many of us, it may be better to begin somewhere though far than to be lost. Then in a way, the one who begins somewhere though far is near to inner peace than many would think. 

济公
Ji Gong

Ji Gong was a man who does not believe blindly in the written texts or the dogmas or rules of religions. He said that what matters is what goes through the heart and not what goes through the gut or what one does. He was far from spiritual by the norms of religions and written texts but he was near to God and Heaven. He is now a heavenly saint. 

But how many can be like him. For many, it is better to believe in a religion of men and regulated by men. Then they must know where they stand and be humble to know they may not be as near to God as they think. 

The far and near may both be near and far depending on context. What matters is not to cling on to any spiritual experience for that alone if passionate enough be it for spiritual texts, for worship of God or saint or even for that special peace of spirit is a hindrance to more spirituality as it is a form of attachment which some refer to as clinging and idolatry. 

We must be mindful of anything good but not idolize it. We too must not deny it for that will be regressive spiritually and not progressive in spiritual.

Taking stock of Life and Mission

No 665a of Living Life Series 1

Time certainly waits for no man. Year after year, there is the mission day when we take stock of the Mission of Heaven to save souls led by the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). 

Who is really the good lord whose honorific name literally means the martial of heaven? He would rather we know what is the mission and what is the truth behind and common to all religions than for us to know who he is and be head over heels over him. 

Not only that, he is not here to start any new religion or sect but in 1969, he had to descend and he chose a Chinese style traditional temple set-up for good measure. He wanted to show that the same truth of God or Divinity and the same way to divine peace are present even in such a temple and this too is like any house of God. 

武天菩萨
Lord Bo Tien

He was quick to remind that the true temple is the universal temple with the sky or heaven as the roof and religions and sects the pillars in the four cardinal directions. All under heaven are in this temple. Temples are made of people and people who run them are by and large worldly attuned and want worldly glory - riches and wealth on earth than in heaven. They go for nectar like ants and insects to the flower. 

They go for the flesh even if the flesh will perish. They go for fame even if life as man is fleeting. As such men of temples even of a temple in the name of the good lord goes for what they can gain as individuals and as a group. 

Sometimes they peddle their own sub-group agenda though they may do good with welfare and grassroots activities. This the good lord says will somehow still be good and will also reap blessings or merits. He has no objection to men going for nectar of the flower of divinity for their personal gains. 

But his mission is to save souls not just to tend to the worldly needs of the destitute and bring good repute to the men at the helm. It is to save souls. It is not just to make popular a Chinese temple, a Buddhist temple or a Taoist temple. 

Least of all, it is never to make popular his good name. He is not here to impress men with his divine prowess and majesty. There is no need for him to descend in 1969, no need for him to make good his physical temple on Earth and have many more. 

There is need for making all understand the oneness of religions and sects in God and Divinity and the way to inner peace that is achievable through any religion or sect. 

Each religion or sect will have its own rules or dogmas, own style of holding on to people but ultimately men who seek spirituality must be at peace with God and with life - their own lives and the lives of others. 

Thus the starting points may be different but all paths or roads lead to salvation - the saving of souls. But men being men may end up glorifying and pandering to their own agenda than the agenda of saving souls. They may end up idolising men when they are not even encouraged to idolise God and saints. 

The Mission Observance Day falls on the thirteenth Day of the Ninth Lunar Month and it is a day for reflection of how far we have gone with regards to saving souls not only ours but others as well. 

Saving of souls is best done by reawakening the inner truth in men through their respective religions and sects and not through change of religion or sects. 

It is best done through strengthening the bond between men of religions and their respective prophets or saints. The bond is in the Inner Truth common to all religions.

It has to do with purity of spirit, the purity of the heart than of the body. It is helped by devotion to God and saints but this is only the means and not the ends. It is the Way to inner peace come what may that matters. This is what sages of old refer to as balance of yin and yang. It is more specifically synergy of yin and yang - the passive and active. 

It is simply put the working together of seeming polarities and not the elimination or conflicts of opposites. This applies both to the individuals and to society. 

At society level, there is need to see the synergy of religions that seem different like fire and water but yet one in diversity but all are there to offer men the way to inner peace and divinity. 

Fire and water Lord Bo Tien pointed out can be energized in complementary manner to yield synergy of benefits much more than the total sum of benefits that would be expected if each work alone.  

Religions too can be synchronized in like manner to meet the diverse needs of men - by offering buffet of choices. That opens up vast potential to save souls. The mission of the good lord Lord Bo Tien is to facilitate this ideal on Earth among its diverse individuals and religions. 

Lord Bo Tien adds that the mission to save souls is like the great ocean that reaches out far and wide to many a shore. No amount of human mud will affect and sully the great ocean. 

As in the great ocean, there is but one taste the taste of salt, so also with enlightenment, there is but one taste the taste of deliverance. So said Lord Buddha. 

We should love men and love life more so in the name of religion. Religions offer choices and diversity, not to divide men but to save more souls than could be achieved by any one religion or sect. It is because of the love of God and saints that we have many and not just one religion; that in any one religion, we have many and not just one sect. Religions should amplify the love of God and saints but working as one in diversity. 

Thus every year when we approach Mission Observance Day on the thirteenth day of the ninth lunar month, we should reflect and take stock of how far we have arrived in life and in Mission. God bless.