No 712 of Living Life Series 1
Must men be so simplistic to think that life is a fairy tale even when life as man is not? Many think they know all about God and the life after death when they do not even know life before death, when they do not know enough of the world and the universe we are in and when what they know of God and after life is so simple and often too good to be true.
Is God and life after death so simple compared to the life and world we have before death? Men must truly search their hearts and reflect. Men must know and understand life here and now.
Men must know why they are what they are and why they are different from one another. Even if they know somewhat, there is yet more for them to know and men must change their outlook in life as life unfurls.
In the process, they must find peace of the moment without which life will be onerous. But at times, many do find peace in the confidence they have that Heaven and God will provide. That is like it or not both the answer and the problem. The answer begs more questions and raises more issues and problems.
Religions are at times like that. They hold on to views that are beautiful and fairy-tale like. These do serve their purpose.
But when views differ from religion to religion and from person to person, there is need for men to reconcile as to why this is so. Men must not look too far if they want to find peace.
Know life here and now and be at peace with the ups and downs - the yin and yang. If this habit of peace can be improved with God and saints as backdrop and to fall back to, then we are much better off than living in dreams and the fairy tale and over simplistic stories of life after death.
Know life now and be at peace. That way we are better off and need not hold on to the dream of better life hereafter. Take care of the present. Learn from the past and be prepared for the future. Be rooted in reality and live in the real world - not day dream. A bit of dreaming is good but too much is another matter.
While religion at times touches on fairy-tale like stories of life after death, and often dogmas of God, saints and heaven are necessary, it may be difficult to direct men to such focus. Men must not live as though their purpose is solely to live for the life hereafter.
Thus houses of God nowadays have out of necessity to make men connect to the here and now rather than to the life hereafter. This is achieved through lively social rather than pure spiritual fellowship. There must be joy and celebration of life of the moment through songs and stirring music as well as pomp and gaiety that connect men to the present.
Most importantly, the crowd must view the charismatic leader at the pulpit as the stand-in for the sage or heavenly saint even though the leader is just the servant - a servant leader not a stand-in for the sage or saint. But the weakness of men may still bring ill repute and problems as well.
Thus the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says that man is man and saint is saint. Do not see the saint in man and the man in saint or else there will be misgivings aplenty. Men must learn from life and not go for the stories of the sages and heavenly saints. Life is the living gospel - the Word. He who knows the Word, knows the lord saint. He who claims to know the lord saint is far and knows not the saint if he knows not and lives not in the Word.
The lord saint reveals to us precious little of himself. He would rather that we know the Word - the basic inner truth behind all religions.
He is not even here to start a new religion or sect. He descended in 1969 and after less than 13 years and leaving us the Word, he faded away into history.
He is present through the Word found in all religions. If we know our individual respective religion well, that is what he hoped for. Then he is with us even if we do not worship him. There is no need to.
Some say he is for the pioneers but really, he is for all who knows the inner truth and see the oneness of religions. This matters more to him than anything else. The pioneers are supposed to assist him in seeing to the realization of the oneness of religions among men.
Is God and life after death so simple compared to the life and world we have before death? Men must truly search their hearts and reflect. Men must know and understand life here and now.
Men must know why they are what they are and why they are different from one another. Even if they know somewhat, there is yet more for them to know and men must change their outlook in life as life unfurls.
In the process, they must find peace of the moment without which life will be onerous. But at times, many do find peace in the confidence they have that Heaven and God will provide. That is like it or not both the answer and the problem. The answer begs more questions and raises more issues and problems.
Religions are at times like that. They hold on to views that are beautiful and fairy-tale like. These do serve their purpose.
But when views differ from religion to religion and from person to person, there is need for men to reconcile as to why this is so. Men must not look too far if they want to find peace.
Know life here and now and be at peace with the ups and downs - the yin and yang. If this habit of peace can be improved with God and saints as backdrop and to fall back to, then we are much better off than living in dreams and the fairy tale and over simplistic stories of life after death.
Know life now and be at peace. That way we are better off and need not hold on to the dream of better life hereafter. Take care of the present. Learn from the past and be prepared for the future. Be rooted in reality and live in the real world - not day dream. A bit of dreaming is good but too much is another matter.
While religion at times touches on fairy-tale like stories of life after death, and often dogmas of God, saints and heaven are necessary, it may be difficult to direct men to such focus. Men must not live as though their purpose is solely to live for the life hereafter.
Thus houses of God nowadays have out of necessity to make men connect to the here and now rather than to the life hereafter. This is achieved through lively social rather than pure spiritual fellowship. There must be joy and celebration of life of the moment through songs and stirring music as well as pomp and gaiety that connect men to the present.
Most importantly, the crowd must view the charismatic leader at the pulpit as the stand-in for the sage or heavenly saint even though the leader is just the servant - a servant leader not a stand-in for the sage or saint. But the weakness of men may still bring ill repute and problems as well.
Thus the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says that man is man and saint is saint. Do not see the saint in man and the man in saint or else there will be misgivings aplenty. Men must learn from life and not go for the stories of the sages and heavenly saints. Life is the living gospel - the Word. He who knows the Word, knows the lord saint. He who claims to know the lord saint is far and knows not the saint if he knows not and lives not in the Word.
The lord saint reveals to us precious little of himself. He would rather that we know the Word - the basic inner truth behind all religions.
He is not even here to start a new religion or sect. He descended in 1969 and after less than 13 years and leaving us the Word, he faded away into history.
He is present through the Word found in all religions. If we know our individual respective religion well, that is what he hoped for. Then he is with us even if we do not worship him. There is no need to.
Some say he is for the pioneers but really, he is for all who knows the inner truth and see the oneness of religions. This matters more to him than anything else. The pioneers are supposed to assist him in seeing to the realization of the oneness of religions among men.
