No 704 of Living Life Series 1
In the richness of oriental philosophy, the ultimate is to be enlightened so that we can be like the Buddha but not all can even understand why there is the need and few can reach enlightenment at any one time and even fewer will ever realize that it takes many lifetimes in Heaven, on earth or any where else.
Enlightenment is not about going to Heaven but about not having to be reborn again and again be it in Heaven or otherwise. The basic principle is simple but the practice that leads to it is not as simple.
Many are simply still not motivated even if they understand the principle behind it. They just want to carry on in the life of worldliness and leave things to the next life.
They leave to God and saints. They are happy to leave to God and saints to bless them and to be in Heaven in the afterlife by just believing in them and riding on their vast merits to have sojourn in heaven in afterlife to begin the spiritual cultivation.
The few who know would wise up and do so now in this life. They would rather be with God and saints in this life and learn to be like them instead of waiting till afterlife to be with God and saints to learn to practice the way to have inner peace by cultivating the way of God and saints. Many would rather procrastinate and leave till the afterlife.
Instead of having heaven here and now, by being one with God through cultivating inner peace amid the yin and yang, they just surrender themselves to God and saints and hope that by the grace of God and saints, they could cultivate inner peace in Heaven in the afterlife.
They live by grace and by grace and merits of God and saints, they have the promise of being in heaven in afterlife to learn. This is the next best which is to wait till afterlife and not do so now in this life to cultivate the way to enlightenment.
The few who know better go for the here and now. They cultivate inner peace here and now not just by believing and having faith but by being like God and saints and be one with them.
As Confucius (孔夫子) puts it, "Heaven is to be one with God." But why wait to be in Heaven in afterlife to be one with God? Why not do so in this life and to be with God. Heaven is to be one with God.
Enlightenment is not about going to Heaven but about not having to be reborn again and again be it in Heaven or otherwise. The basic principle is simple but the practice that leads to it is not as simple.
Many are simply still not motivated even if they understand the principle behind it. They just want to carry on in the life of worldliness and leave things to the next life.
They leave to God and saints. They are happy to leave to God and saints to bless them and to be in Heaven in the afterlife by just believing in them and riding on their vast merits to have sojourn in heaven in afterlife to begin the spiritual cultivation.
The few who know would wise up and do so now in this life. They would rather be with God and saints in this life and learn to be like them instead of waiting till afterlife to be with God and saints to learn to practice the way to have inner peace by cultivating the way of God and saints. Many would rather procrastinate and leave till the afterlife.
Instead of having heaven here and now, by being one with God through cultivating inner peace amid the yin and yang, they just surrender themselves to God and saints and hope that by the grace of God and saints, they could cultivate inner peace in Heaven in the afterlife.
They live by grace and by grace and merits of God and saints, they have the promise of being in heaven in afterlife to learn. This is the next best which is to wait till afterlife and not do so now in this life to cultivate the way to enlightenment.
The few who know better go for the here and now. They cultivate inner peace here and now not just by believing and having faith but by being like God and saints and be one with them.
As Confucius (孔夫子) puts it, "Heaven is to be one with God." But why wait to be in Heaven in afterlife to be one with God? Why not do so in this life and to be with God. Heaven is to be one with God.
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| Confucius (孔夫子) |
We can have inner peace of Heaven in this life by cultivating it here and now not by mere faith but by cultivating the Way or Tao. This involves balancing the yin and yang and not being affected by them in this very life as depicted by the feet of Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) balancing the elements in his seated image.
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| Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) |
Having considered the points thus far, should we go for the best thing or still go for the next best thing. Well, the choice is yours. For many, it is still the next best thing - the seemingly easy way out. They think thus that heaven and enlightenment can wait till next life. Life here and now cannot wait.
But no matter what view we hold, the next best thing will always be here to stay as an option - and perhaps a more important one at that. After all, half a loaf or even bread crumbs will be better than none.
Even any Bodhisattva or heavenly saint will tell you this is so, otherwise how are we to reach out to the many to improve their lot - spiritually....
The saints strive to create more heavenly oases in heaven for as many beings to go to in the afterlife to begin the serious cultivation of inner peace. They relentlessly do so through the various religions and through various sects and spiritual schools.
But even then, why not now and why wait till then? Many are not prepared and the next best thing will have to be the main option. It is alright to approach at two fronts.
Go for both the next best thing as well as cultivate enlightenment here and now. This is not wrong but well, we may say pragmatic and the best of both worlds so to speak.
To take this even further, there will surely be many who learn from more than one religion and revere the saints of many religions. What is wrong with that?
This has become the trend and the trend will blur the lines of religions. After all, religions are man made and the delineation of religions too are man made.
In time, more will become followers of all religions instead of a specific religion. This will of course upset the fundamentalists in any religion but can they stop the wave of change that will sweep the world and change the global religious landscape?
This too may be the next best thing to having distinct religions but may not be necessarily wholesome due to lack of guidance and holistic peer influence.
The second coming of God through a prophet coming down to us as man will be better served by the next best thing that sweeps the world. He will have an easier time to unify men under Heaven to have the peace that is what God and saints stand for and that they want all to have.
This is the end and should the end justify the means? The means must never end up as the end. Breaking up families, persecution and terror cannot for example bring divine peace.
But no matter what view we hold, the next best thing will always be here to stay as an option - and perhaps a more important one at that. After all, half a loaf or even bread crumbs will be better than none.
Even any Bodhisattva or heavenly saint will tell you this is so, otherwise how are we to reach out to the many to improve their lot - spiritually....
The saints strive to create more heavenly oases in heaven for as many beings to go to in the afterlife to begin the serious cultivation of inner peace. They relentlessly do so through the various religions and through various sects and spiritual schools.
But even then, why not now and why wait till then? Many are not prepared and the next best thing will have to be the main option. It is alright to approach at two fronts.
Go for both the next best thing as well as cultivate enlightenment here and now. This is not wrong but well, we may say pragmatic and the best of both worlds so to speak.
To take this even further, there will surely be many who learn from more than one religion and revere the saints of many religions. What is wrong with that?
This has become the trend and the trend will blur the lines of religions. After all, religions are man made and the delineation of religions too are man made.
In time, more will become followers of all religions instead of a specific religion. This will of course upset the fundamentalists in any religion but can they stop the wave of change that will sweep the world and change the global religious landscape?
This too may be the next best thing to having distinct religions but may not be necessarily wholesome due to lack of guidance and holistic peer influence.
The second coming of God through a prophet coming down to us as man will be better served by the next best thing that sweeps the world. He will have an easier time to unify men under Heaven to have the peace that is what God and saints stand for and that they want all to have.
This is the end and should the end justify the means? The means must never end up as the end. Breaking up families, persecution and terror cannot for example bring divine peace.
