The changing fortunes of a religion

No 807 of Living Life Series 1

The word religion will in time no longer be what it used to be. It will however remain as the teachings of a founder sage. 

But as the teachings are evolving over the centuries, they will cover increasingly many more new aspects of spirituality and more importantly be infiltrated by the culture of the people who profess and  preach the religion as well as the cultural values of those who come into contact with the religion and embrace it.

Like it or not, with globalization, people will change religion like changing clothes. Even for those who do not change their religion, people will jump ship from one temple or church to another without changing religion or sect. The trend of great religious mobility will be ever more obvious. The teachings in a specific religion that are stressed or in focus may be very different from that of the past. 

History will in time reveal that the teachings of a religion which were decidedly different from another religion in the past may well end up the same as that of that other religion but in name it is still the same old religion. There is no change in religion but only the change in the substance of focus. What was decried as wrong focus previously become dead right somehow due to need to change to attract the crowds and to stay relevant.

What was once regarded as of marginal importance becomes the center of focus. This is more so in 2014 and beyond when the focus is decided by the people. It is determined by the fancy of the people and not by the dictates of a more learned leader or ruler at helm of a house of God. 

The change in a religion will be from control by the top to control by the people. The focus will be on freedom, love and tolerance rather than persecution, ridicule and fear. It is not that the old style is wrong but in fact, it may be more factually and fundamentally right though somewhat heavy handed by the top

A religion or sect which used to be negative and heavy in ridicule will end up permissive, liberal and accommodating, otherwise it will loose its shine. People who in the past will not be in the fold will then end up in the fold and in the mainstream of that religion. But this may lead to decadence but who really cares nowadays when the majority calls the tune, more so where western values rule the waves. 

Thus it is the same religion or sect but the focus is different. In the past, there will be change of religion from one to another but in time, there will increasingly be change of religious substance and focus but not the religion. Any religion must keep up with the times otherwise many will drift away from the goodness of religion to be lost in the wilderness of modernity. 

But the oldies or pioneers will lament that people have strayed and backtracked. It may be better for a religion to change and to be less religious in a way so as to bring in the people, like insects and ants to a flower. Ants and insects may come to the flower for nectar alone and nothing else but at least they come to the flower. 

The good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says that we should not blame the flower for insects coming to it. At least, the people are still coming but the substance they come for may be more worldly than spiritual. But please point no finger at God or a heavenly saint for the seeming divergence or even decadence when men decide and not God and saints. 

There is still hope for so long as more of men do come. Even if for that divine value of the love of life, many end up going to a temple more for love of worldly life instead. 

What they and for that matter any man must really go for is the conservative more holistic love namely divine love that is beyond the flesh and the senses and more out of the purity of the spirit. How many can go for that alone? 

But having said that, it may not really matter at all. Better for people to be in a temple than out, even if they come with not so fundamental or noble motivation. This is far better than for them not to be at all in a house of God and saints and to be lost and have little chance for spirituality. 

The change in focus of a religion comes as no surprise. We too must not be surprised if there are indeed objections by some well meaning folks and pioneers but objections may be futile. This is simply because people are human and humanity will just flow with the downstream. 

Only a scarce few who are wise will go upstream against the current to go for clear water at the source. This too did Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) say. 

But we still need to attract people to the river and it is easier to attract them to the downstream even if the water there is polluted. Better for them to have water than not at all. 

The fortunes of a religion depend on its ability to change to meet new expectations and to attract people. Sometimes, what is dead right may not attract people and what is not so may do so. There is need to change to bring in the numbers and this depends on focus of a religion in society.

The changing focus of a religion or house of God is to be expected. Even at a temple of the good lord, in initial years, there was the fear of doing wrong (the not so good) and being persecuted. There was fear of retribution. 

But as the years pass by, there is openness and more come pouring in greater numbers, doing what they fancy and there is no fear of any sorts. So long as people who come do some good, they will be alright or rather seem alright. 

However, a gentle reminder is that liberalism, openness and democracy are good values but too much of any good things can be bad.  Didn't humanity over the centuries said so?

This liability is more likely to occur with the carried away western style of democracy, and when this happens in religion, you know what will happen. God and saints may have to listen to men instead. 

God and saints may well go along with the antics of men just to get more to be in the houses of God so that they stand a chance to make good spiritually one fine day. Is this the wisdom of God and saints? God knows even if we or some of us don't.

Carry no cross. Kill the Buddha fixation

No 806 of Living Life Series 1

Do not carry the burden of the cross of life or expect others carry it for you. Do not think that a saint can carry the burden of the cross of life for you. Do understand that even the Buddha cannot carry the burden of the cross of life for us. 

Saints though can guide us with doctrine of life and lessen our load so that big issues be less issue even if these cannot be no issue. This is as what the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) said.  We still have to face life but not carry the cross of life due to our attitude to life, namely lack of understanding of life.

Do not have the fixation on the Buddha out there if you want to free the Buddha nature in you. Any clinging or wanting is a burden and a cross we should not carry. Live life without carrying the burden of the cross and as Zen masters say figuratively kill the Buddha fixation - "Kill the Buddha"

Do not even let the Buddha fixation be your burden of the cross of life if you want to go beyond mere mundane religion to greater spirituality. 

Carry no cross and kill your fixation on the Buddha or any saint if you want to let go and have more of the peace of the moment and more moments of peace to come. 

Some even go from fixation on a sage or saint to fixation on the man at the pulpit. This results in cult. Mind you, some people can go wild when they idolize a saint let alone a man in flesh whom they somehow see as the saint in flesh. 

Carry neither the burden of the cross of life nor idolize any saint or man. It is the understanding of the nature of life and how not to be burdened by life and what we believe that counts. But this takes time to cultivate and there is no hurry at that. It cannot be hurried.

It is neither carrying the cross of worldly life nor running away from life but it is to live life free from these two extremes so as to be free and be at peace. This then is doctrine.

As for doctrine, we need to have caution as well. We must not carry the raft of the doctrine of life but use it to cross the lake of life. Let not the doctrine be the burden and be the cross we need to carry. Rather, let us live in the doctrine so as to be free and easy to be at peace. Then we carry no cross on our back. 

The burden of the cross can arise from attachment, clinging, idolization, fixation (or what have you) in a saint or sage or even in the doctrine delivered by the saint. Let go of the cross and kill the fixation in whatever shape and form.

Even at the temple of Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨), the good lord wants us not to be fixated on him and idolize him but to see in his image the doctrine of life common to all religions and not see in the image the lord saint and be fixated on him. The doctrine is indeed the image and the image is the doctrine. This the good lord did say in 1975.

The two two feet step on and balance the yin and yang of life. His scepter is the instrument of the mission to show the common basic teaching of all sages and saints through all religions. 

The mission is for men not to be burdened by life - not to carry the cross of life. There is the need to be rested and seated in life like depicted by his image so that all can be at peace. Peace there will be if there is mastery over yin and yang. That is the way not to carry the cross of life - the ills of life (the imperfections). 

At end of life, that is, at death, we do not even carry our body along. We do have to let go, isn't this the case for all that is impermanent, transient and imperfect? If we cannot let go, we will suffer from the complex of carrying the cross on our back. Even devotion to Buddha can be the cross. 

There is the story of Ji Gong (济公) and his followers. One day in the wilderness and in harsh winter, Ji Gong (济公) was with five followers in a temple shed. They were shivering and there was no wood for starting a fire to keep them warm. Ji Gong (济公) took down the wooden Buddha image and used it as firewood to light a fire to keep them warm - much to the protests of his five followers. 

Ji Gong (济公) did not even let his devotion to the Buddha end up as the cross of life he had to carry. He carries no cross. But many of us carry a cross - one too many and that is the problem. Even religion can end up becoming another cross we should not have. 

Just look around and see the problems galore in temples and churches which men refer to as the houses of God. These houses of God should not degenerate into houses of games of men and into houses of shame instead. The problem is they do. This is all because some or rather many men always look for trouble and end up carrying the cross somehow. 

Ji Gong (济公)

Religion in context of culture and not the reverse

No 805 of Living Life Series 1

In adopting a spiritual practice, there must not be change of culture but rather the absorption of additional religious practices into the culture and integrating it into the culture of the community the person comes from. It is not for a person of one society or race to behave as though he is of another culture or race in the name of religion.

For instance, Europeans are very much still Europeans even if they adopt practices of a religion, be it Christianity or Buddhism. But even if they follow Buddhist principles, they are no less Europeans and the teachings of Buddha merely make them better in whatever they are. The teachings do not make them somewhat Chinese, Indians or Thais. 

Asians do not end up less Asians if they practice a religion not originating from the country of their race. Instead for Chinese, you may find that Chinese become more Chinese and their religious practices simply continue to exude more of Chinese culture and thinking. Buddhism seems to be an extension of Confucianism and Taoism. The Buddha they refer to may not even be Siddhartha, but a Chinese version instead. 

The Dalai Lama is correct when he says,

Please be a better whatever we are, never mind if the saint or sage we adore is not of our culture or race. It would be uprooting from our culture if we adopt the culture of the race the saint or sage comes from or if we adopt the culture of the very people who introduce us the saint or sage. 

We are not changing race and we are not even discarding our background religious beliefs but merely improving, adding on and in some way changing the beliefs we already have. We cannot behave like we are no longer of the same culture of our ancestors but we can evolve and add on to that culture. 

So every time we think of religion, we must not muddle it with culture. We cannot be uprooting ourselves from our race or culture in the name of religion.

The Dalai Lama is no less a Tibetan just because he is a Buddhist. He is very much Tibetan and his admirers the world over know that and eschew him for being Tibetan. In fact, many view him as a Tibetan religious leader rather than see him as a Buddhist in the sense of being a follower of the historical Buddha. 

In fact, in Tibet of greater China, the dominant reference is to various enlightened saints and deities in Tibetan culture instead of Siddhartha - the historical Buddha.
  
Religion must be in context of culture and not culture in context of religion. If this is indeed the case, then in China, people may worship Lao Tse and Confucius or even Jesus even if they declare themselves of one religion, be it Buddhism or what religion there may be. 

We would not usually find outside China except the foreign Chinese, people of any specific religion other than Taoism or Confucianism worshiping Lao Tse or Confucius, do we? But this is common place in China and in any country where there are ethnic Chinese. 

It is because they are Chinese and it is in their culture to do so unless they pretend somewhat to be no longer Chinese. That would be sad indeed.

In reality, the Chinese people who profess for example to be Buddhists are practicing enlarged versions of culture of China but by terminology and for sake of convenience and identity, they may be Buddhists or Taoists etc.

We must strive to have the enlightened approach to life and not be myopic. Religion if misconstrued can lead to serious myopia and misrepresentation of  life that need to be corrected. 

Well, the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) is never wrong in saying we must learn and believe in all heavenly saints and all religions. He descended in 1969 to say this. This is the focus and the very basis of all his messages. 

Let us be better at whatever we are. We can always learn from the teachings of all heavenly saints. This does not mean we must  act like a Chinese if the saint is Chinese or act like an Indian if the saint is Indian. 

An interesting point is how do we label someone who respect and learn from more than one heavenly saints and the saints are of more than one religion? Well, he is just Chinese if he is Chinese but to some if his focus is on Buddha, he is Buddhist and if Jesus, he is Christian. 

But this can be misleading to those not in the know of cultural context. It is the cultural context that counts. 

As for spirituality, it is the teachings or principles that are important and not who said it as the very saint who propounded the teachings did not and do not own the teachings though we owe him gratitude for bringing to the world the teachings in his perspective. 

Mutterings from old China.

No 804 of Living Life Series 1

An ancient Chinese from Old China who is now born in a heavenly abode decided to visit Earth to learn how men have been faring compared to old times. 

He notices that there is more emphasis on meritocracy than respect for the elders in society so much so that the young with brains call the tune and the elders are sometimes denigrated as unwise and lacking in correctness. 

The irony he noted is that with the lack of pervasive Confucian style respect for elders, the young ignore the call of the ancestors for more children. With that the population ages and there are more oldies and ever before. 

It may seem good that the leadership of society passes on to the young at every level. Even in the family, the elders would have to listen and serve the young. They even feared being told off by the young for the young seems to know how to argue their way out. 

If they could not toe the line of the young and capable, they will be left aside or if the young have the resources, they will with some luck be able to be in a nursing home. That it seems is the latest version of some semblance of respect for elders. 

The call instead is not of respecting elders as embodied in the universal precepts mentioned by Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) but instead there is the unspoken call to respect the young in the name of meritocracy. The call is for the young and capable to lead at every opportunity and corner of society. 

With that the man from heaven shakes his head. What have become of humanity? Why have men decided to forgo seniority based society in favor of meritocracy? 

In old China, he muses that during the reign of emperors there was seniority based Confucian entrenched respect for elders, never mind if the parents and elders are not as smart or no longer smart and capable due to ageing. 

Ironically, at the same time. in the good old days, he muses there too was meritocracy in the form of the many provincial and imperial examinations to hand pick the meritocratic and brainy in society. 

Even then such a gadget may end up picking the old and not just the young. Isn't that revealing? 

The man from old China shakes his head in disbelief. Has modern society overplayed the key of meritocracy and not have it in the right context of a society where respect for the old still hold sway?

Respect for elders is the cornerstone of society eschewed by the generations on Earth as in Heaven. In old days, trainers of new officials in Heaven and on Earth are portrayed as wise old men and ladies. 

Even the Buddha in life as man centuries ago would tend to the sick and elderly though he was already the Buddha. He would respect them much more than they would respect him. 

If only humanity can just take a leaf from the Buddha, today's meritocracy would not risk being effected in the wrong context but in the context of an ever Confucian style society where respect for elders and parents must still hold sway. 

Then elders who had been leaders of society when young would still hold the limelight and be beacons for the young to emulate and not for the young to forget and put aside. Any religion would go along this elder-based and seniority-based culture. 

But with young taking the helm and eager to take control, they may throw this to the wind and even say that God is a jealous God and that all must respect and worship God alone. 

The other elders, even if they are pure ones and saints, matter not. The pseudo prophets in this few young upstarts insist that the presence of these saints is irking the good feeling of God. They rob God of the attention that he wants. 

This is of course far from the truth and the man from Old China knows that. God is not like that but men may be. Won't that be wronging God and be blasphemy of sorts?  He is after all, the Pure August Jade Emperor - 玉皇上帝

Well incidentally who can this old man in this narrative be? Why is he muttering all his views stated above. Could he be Confucius 孔夫子 ? 

The problems of men are many and plentiful. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says. What the old man from old China mutters is consistent with what the good lord says. 

The old man may not be Confucius but may be any wise man of old. He could be Merlin as well. Nonetheless his views can well be mutterings from old China.

A timely reminder. What is our calling in life?

No 803 of Living Life Series 1

For many, there must be the two callings of life. 

We have the worldly calling. What do we want to do in life? This is the lower calling. What is our goal as man? 

Then there is the higher calling which is the spiritual calling. 

For some, there is only the spiritual calling right from the start. These are those who start out as religious people - born into monk-hood of sorts. 

Then, there are those too involved with the world or simply too neglected by the world that what matters is the worldly life and heaven is just not their cups of tea. They either have too little unable to have two square meals a day or simply just want too much out of this world despite having many times more than two square meals.

For many of the young, the spiritual calling, if at all there is one for them, is to make good their worldly calling.  How successful they can be when they grow up? 

Will they make it to their aspirations and if they don't, will they find some meaningful worldly fulfillment as adults. 

But worldly calling will satisfy not for long and when the wake-up call comes years later perhaps in old age or when troubles come knocking, the need for spiritual or higher calling heightens and people scurry to find meaning in life through the higher calling of spiritual. This they say is the call of God through the saints of God. 

Hope this higher calling comes early and for the good few the two calling is one - the spiritual calling. So do give some thought on life. What is our calling in life?

When death comes a calling, make sure we have made it in life and don't let death be the last bugle call. Do answer to our calling in life. 

Some only wake up when they are in the next world and regret that they did not seriously address the calling in life. 

That is why we have many heavenly saints like Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) and many religions and not just one religion, sect or temple to help us to wake up earlier and make it to the calling of life.

Dua Di Ya Pek 大二爷伯 the duo deity guards of Hell would rather spend more time on Earth with men to assist men in their calling in life than to meet them down there in the after life. This shows their love for men and hopefully men would make it in life while very much alive to life.

Dua Di Ya Pek 大二爷伯 
The duo deity guards of Hell
leave no stone untouched
to assist men in their problems
so better men they be
and fit for Heaven above
more so in the after life.
All deities are equal in goodness 
but to their following 
an equal to them there is not

Hope the stack of dollar notes below is not our calling in life but of course somehow any calling in life inevitably requires worldly resources so long as we of of this world and in the flesh. That is why the duo deities grant monetary windfalls where are necessary. 

Even spiritual calling requires monetary support. Just look around at the mega churches and temples. They would not be what they are without substantive financial support. But prudence must hold sway where swathes of cash are involved. Let not money be the end but only one of the means. Then there is hope that the higher calling will not end up as not so high after all. 

The long and short of the story of man and saint

No 802 of Living Life Series 1'

Everyone who cares to be in the house of God of a lord saint has a place in the heart of that saint so long as there is some goodness in him and the aspiration to be better never mind if for the present, he is out for the nectar of worldly personal agenda. 

That is the only way God through the heavenly saints can reach out to the multitudes. The heavenly saints do not wait for beings to be good before reaching out to them. They reach out to all even when they are far from ready and prime for the Word - the Doctrine.

These are the very people who are running the houses of God and saints and though they are not prime for the job, they have done a pretty good job at being religious though there is much to be desired. At least they bring in the crowd but how this can benefit the crowd is a different matter. 

But so long as an individual is in the house of God and he stands to gain somewhat from divine association. Though far from being spiritual, he is in the house of God and in that sense he is near to spirituality. It is obviously better that he is in the house of God than out there in the wilderness. 

Any temple of a lord saint like Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) is really no different. It has to reach out to the many and to do so, it cannot reach out to the holy and goody ones but to the more numerous less than holy and not as good ones. They will flood and run the temple and mind you, they may paddle to the whims and fancies of the masses and not the holier than thou scarce minority. 

But who deserve more attention? Of course, it is the majority and not the holier than thou scarce few. Need more be said. The affinity will be for those who are more far off the mark but who deserve priority attention from the heavenly saint. 

The holier than thou kind may be near but if arrogant and carried away by pride may end up far though nearer than the less than holy. Then they too need more attention. 

This is the long and short of the story of man and saint in the house of God. 

Meeting both the lower and higher callings in life

No 801 of Living Life Series 1

Enough is never enough in the worldly life of men. The more we have, the more we need to have and we suffer from not having more or from trying to have what we already have. Material needs and the needs of the flesh seem to be self perpetuating, and this may even catch on in a house of God. 

The house of God then becomes the perpetrator of ungodly needs in the name of God and the saints of God. Then those in the house of God though near may be far as aptly put by none other than the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨).

A house of God where many do know
better what need to be done

But in spiritual life, what is really required is simplicity of life. We still need worldly requirements and this varies from person to person and varies with the life station a person is in. We are still in the flesh and of the world. 

Surely we need to meet the requirements of being of the world and of the flesh, but we must optimize this so that we are able to find time and resources for cultivating the peace of the spirit and not go for more of the worldly life where enough is never enough - so it seems.  

If we find that we don't seem to arrive in life though we achieved what we wanted and that the horizon seems to recede away, we do have a problem with ourselves. Why is this so and why is enough never enough? 

We need to re-examine life and our outlook in life so that our enough is really enough and life will ever be pleasant even if by material standards we don't compare to the Jones next door. 

We must know how to be content and to contend with what we really need so that we have more time and resources to spare for the higher real calling in life - the call for the being to be one in peace and harmony with God and saints. 

Then we can arrive at point where enough is more than what is enough and we can do with less. That would be the ideal and it is up to us to will to have this now and not wait till tomorrow for there will always be more tomorrows. 

But for those who have not settled with the worldly needs, they should not forgo worldly needs and neglect the worldly life. That would be running away from responsibilities and from life. How can such a person be ready for the higher calling when he cannot meet the mundane calling - the lower calling? 

The nature of life and the ways of men

No 800 of Living Life Series 1

If indeed life is suffering why go for more of suffering? We should go for less and suffer less. 

But men of the world are attached to the ways of the world. They would rather suffer for whatever worldly gains they can lay hold on, knowing full well, these would not last and would lead men to go for more and in the long run loose them all. 

But to live without worldly ends is to deny life and to live away from society and perhaps to be empty and to suffer more. 

The premise that men need not forgo worldly life and must go for less so that they will suffer less may be the middle ground of sorts. But it may still not be the ideal. 

Why can't we suffer not at all right now and be happy and at peace truly and ever more. That is to ask everyone to be a saint overnight but this is not the case. We cannot just wish to be a saint overnight not even if we surrender our souls to a saint.

No saint would want to be deceptive and give us false hope in just believing and be saved. We have to work our way and arrive at it under guidance but not be given sainthood or salvation just by belief. 

So while we cannot wish away suffering in worldly life, we have the practical choice to want to suffer less - a bit less at a time till one day we arrive. 

If indeed life is suffering disguised as pleasures which are transient and give way to wants, why go for more of pleasures. If indeed, we don't like suffering of life, why go for more, when we can do with less. Live less and have more of life...

Live a simple life but this is just too dull and boring to those so used to worldliness and its trappings, never mind that these are not substantial, are imperfect and not satisfactory in the long run. In short, these are the ultimate suffering disguised as pleasures of the world.

Many will try to lead a simpler life but find life just wee bit dull and boring. Yet they are not willing to go back to more suffering of more worldly life. Some end up looking for excitement in a temple, a house of God and turning it upside down and inside out by sticking to their foolhardy worldly ways. 

But they still do some good to a temple but is this what is their destiny or karma when the problem lies in that they know not enough of the Word. 

They are far and yet near. They are near and yet far. Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says that the far may be near and the near far, didn't he? 

The spiritual path is not as simple as we think. We cannot be saints over night. We cannot do way with suffering or worldly desires over night. 

We have to be with the world but be less attached and suffer less. But we are still worldly and do suffer ever the same. This can be disconcerting.

But we are progressing and that matters. We are still far from sainthood but yet a bit nearer though far off. What matters is that we are making it, coming to terms with life and having more peace and less restlessness by having and living less of the worldly life, by simplifying our life and humbling ourselves through simple life. We have less pride and swallow our pride.

The humble will be exalted in the end. Didn't saints like Jesus say so in many ways, spoken and unspoken? 

Siddhartha descended from royal princely life to a man on the street before he attained sainthood. Jesus was of humble background but has the stature of Son of God - higher than King Herod of Roman Judea in his day as man.

All about God that we should know

No 799 of Living Life Series 1

Never be taken in when a man tells you, he speaks for God and it is because men are wrong that they cannot feel and communicate with God. Even such a man is wrong in saying that he can speak for God. 

God does not need any intermediary when he is in us and in everything we experience in this world. He is in the wrong we do as well as in the right. If we know ourselves, our rights and wrongs, we know God and God knows us. It is as simple as that. God is not wrong but we see God through our wrongs. 

God is in hell, on earth and in heaven. God is omnipresent. 

If God is in hell, there is hope for those in hell. God will not forsake those in Hell but they must want to make good before they can be redeemed. 

There are even those at fringe of Heaven who like the likes of Lucifer know only themselves and not God. God still allows them to be in Heaven and hope that one day they know Him as much as He knows them. 

Even if you think that there is no God, this is no problem for God as he is God. He knows and love you better than you know. It is men who find it a problem that you don't believe in God but not God. Man is the problem and not God. 

God is but we are not and yet to be like God. We end up not doing justice to his good name every time we talk about him. 

Lest we forget, the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) is the messenger of God for the mission to show the oneness of all in God - the oneness of the same truth behind the diversity of religions and sects. 

Well, all are one and one is for all. All are one in God and God is one for all religions and sects. Each one religion or sect is for all religions and sects. Each is able to do what the rest could not. Each complements the work of the rest. 

But men who know not God though God know men will end up causing men of religions to come to blows. That is why God send the good lord as his messenger to show the oneness of religions. 

No one can speak for God and take the law of Heaven into his own hands. However good, wise and well meaning he might be, no one can talk for God and shoot off his mouth. He may appear correct but not correct enough more so if he ends up undoing the good that is already there. 

This does not mean men cannot think. Men have to think and reason. That is what Doctrine (Dao-li 道理)is all about. Can men go far enough in reasoning that is Dao-li 道理? 

Most cannot but a few can. That is the reality. 

There is free will in life to decide what we want to think and what to believe. But at the same time, we cannot live life any how we like. We can only wheel around on certain roads and terrain of thinking and living because we are not good enough as yet. There is as such no free wheeling for the majority. 

One universal area where there is free will but no free wheeling even for the wise is in the area of speaking for God. Anyone can talk about God but to speak for God is a different matter. 

If we try to speak for God, we may end up misleading the sheep and becoming the default stand-in and beacon for God. People may idolize us instead of God. We may end up fouling up the house of God. 

So do have some reservations with regards to this post. Perhaps, you shouldn't have read it in the first place. 

The pleasures of the spirit and the senses

No 798 Of Living Life Series 1

There is pleasure when a sore is scratched,
But to be without sores is more pleasurable still.

Just so, there are pleasures in worldly desires,
But to be without desires is more pleasurable still.

- (Nagarjuna, from Precious Garland)
Salutations to Bhagavan

The pleasures of the flesh and of the world are far from that of the spirit. But the pleasures of the spirit are hard to come by as many are far from cultivated in the ways of the spirit - in spirituality. They need the easy or instant way or something akin to that. Of course, this will be the pleasures in worldly desires which captures immediate attention 

Thus in a temple or a house of God, it is easier to pander to the pleasures of the flesh and the world through exciting the senses of men. But won't it be wonderful for men to experience pleasures of the senses even before they can experience the pleasures of the spirit in the very house of God such as a temple? 

The risk however is that men may mistake the pleasures of the senses as that of the spirit when experienced in a house of God. The reality is that while religion pursues the pleasures of the spirit, such spiritual pursuits are not attractive enough to bring in many to the house of God. 

The ways of the world to pander to the senses work far better and are far more effective and even more wholesome in some ways, though some will object to this. They are like nectar to attract ants and insects to the flower. 

They are the effective ways to attract more of humanity to the house of God otherwise they will be lost to God and saints. Blame not the flower for ants and insects coming to it for nectar. This did the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) say. 

Blame not a temple or house of God for men of the world coming to it for worldly agenda and pleasures. It is only natural but not the wish or idea of God and saints. There is no way for God and saints to keep them out. They are still welcome and more than welcome in a temple or house of God. 

As long as they are in a house of God, they have every chance to make it spiritually one day. The far may be near and the near far. So said the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). If they are out there away from the house of God, there is less chance than if they are in a house of God. This does make sense, doesn't it? 

The pleasures of the senses and the worldly agenda must still be there as nectar in a temple to bring in the crowd so that they though far from God and saints are near and though near may be far. But as long as they are in the house of God, they stand the chance to make good to have the pleasures of the spirit - the spirituality of the saints. 

Well, to be without desires is more pleasurable than the pleasures in worldly desires. But kudos are due to those who provide opportunities for worldly pleasures even in the house of God. How else can men of God bring the multitude to the house of God? 

This too is a house of God
where there must be worldly nectar
to attract those with worldly agenda
for their good and for the good of others.
But some would not agree
not because they do not have wisdom
but that they do not have enough 
or perhaps have too much
as to turn a blind eye to the many out there
and they end up unwise somewhat.
Then they too simply need help 
just to open their eyes to see more.

Cyberspace and entertainment for spirituality

No 797 of Living Life Series 1

Religion in the ancient past was about relationship of individuals with God and heavenly saints. Family togetherness in prayer was the cornerstone of religious togetherness - what is termed as fellowship. 

With the family unit devolving from extended to nuclear and being a loose one at that, there is need for congregational fellowship instead to bring to life the reality of God and saints to humanity. Humanity just need to feel God is real and alive to them even if God is silent and speaks only through scriptures. 

The holier than thou approach is dry and will put people off and to obviate that, there is need for group sharing and togetherness. But mere religiosity even as a group will be not at all appealing. 

Thus, congregational gathering is now more a social assembly for fun, merry making, joyous music and song. Pastors and priests are well aware of the social distraction and agenda and to ensure their sermons have more impact, the members of the congregation bring their sermons in printed form or in videos home beyond the congregational or church services. 

The pastors and priests even put them on websites or blog sites so that the sermons are available at the click of the computer mouse anytime and anywhere. 

Thus there is proliferation of worthwhile and wholesome spiritual materials - the Word of God and saints in the cyberspace. 

But just having the sermon can still be dry and videos with the replay of the whole church service is there in cyberspace. We can relive the vibrancy of the service in privacy of home and at any time. 

Religion has to go into the cyberspace if it is to reach out and hold on to whatever remnant of religiosity that is there in humanity in modern world of numerous social distractions. 

The worrisome thing is that many may go for the entertainment value of the more loud and attractive non religious calling by non-religious society than that provided for religious calling by religion. 

Alas, like it or not, entertainment and togetherness admittedly will never stay the forte of religion but is however still the way to reach out to and uplift the spirit of the people. Who is better at this? Is it the religions of the day or the non religious society at large? 

This is a place where
what matters is you and God
regardless of religion
This is as what the good lord
Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) said,
No focus on entertainment
just simple spirituality
between you and God.
For that, one has to be 
alone with God
though fellowship is needed
To share and to learn
and at times, fun too
but not too much
or risk going overboard

The changing facade of religion

No 796 of Living Life Series 1

In whatever religion that we have on Earth, one thing stands out is that the norms that exist on Earth too applies to Heaven. This is not a joke but a truth if you care to observe and pause to analyse life over the centuries. 

In the beginning of any religion, the country of the founding sage was ruled by a ruler and the ruler was often a king or emperor who held sway over the lives of men. There was no democracy and even freewill was limited. It was the will of the king that counted. If one displeased the king, that would be it. He might face the displeasure of the king for eternity or at least for the rest of his life in flesh. 

As the Chinese saying goes, "As on Earth, so also in Heaven." Religion involving God and saints then in ancient times was like a carbon copy of what was on Earth and perhaps, it may be true for all times. 

In ancient times, God was portrayed like the emperor on Earth. Men must abide by his will and must tread life carefully so as not to incur his displeasure. The moment he lifted his finger, a man might be dead meat. This might sound blasphemous in the modern times of 2014 and beyond but it was like for real then in the past.  

Thus we have carried over from those ancient times the notion that God is an angry God. God is a jealous God and men must not be beholden to any divinity other than him, not even his saints and angels. Men must do his bidding, and that's it - no bargaining...

Ironically, men were and may till today (2014) still be told that God is loving but yet they must fear God for fearing God like fearing the Emperor is a virtue to be eschewed. 

Somehow this has been carried over from ancient days and this leaves a bad taste for all times. Such approach is lagging behind the changed reality that we have today. 

In modern era, as for the ruler of the land, there is democracy and it is the will of the people that counts and not the will of the ruler. The ruler is beholden to the people. So what about God? 

If God is like the rulers of Earth, he must if he is loving, be responsive to the people and not the people responsive to him. He must not create fear but love for him as the ruler. More importantly, God must have unconditional love for the people who are his subjects. He must not segregate his people into categories, some more favored and others less favored or not at all. 

He must be fair with regards to the punishment of or rather retribution for those who erred. There should never be eternal or undue duration of damnation but just a limited and appropriately period of sojourn for rehabilitation in purgatory. 

God will not lift a finger to hurt or punish but the laws of heaven will take its course which he can moderate. He will do so when he can and where it is possible and appropriate. 

The harshness of life woes is bad enough. Purgatory is even worse. It is not the making of God but the making of men who have erred

While some form of purgatory abounds, there should be no hell. Why would a loving, democratic and responsive God want to create pain or let hell loose for those have done wrong? 

God will not do wrong to those who have done wrong to others. He must do right for them and right their wrong. Rehabilitation is the way be it on Earth by the human rulers and it too must be the way of God and saints of Heaven above. 

Isn't this truly how we should correct our mental projection of God and Saints? After all, God and saints are the embodiment of love and wisdom.

Thus there will be the unavoidable changing facade of religion as men move over from ancient times of autocratic and dictatorial rulers to modern times of democracy where the rulers are beholden to the people. Could it be that one day, religion will also go the same path or are already progressing on this path?  

Will one day men think that God is beholden to the people and the will of the people will hold sway over God. That would be unbelievable but fear of God and that he is wrathful too are out of place perhaps for the people of the future if religion is to be more meaningful and fulfilling for men. 

Religion will have to change its focus and its facade as the sages of old in China said. Religion must keep up with the times. What is on Earth, so also in Heaven. Didn't the sages of old in China said so? 

From fear and wrath of God, we will in time have more of the unfettered love by men for God devoid of fear. We will have full conviction of the love by God for us without fear of his being autocratic and judgmental with a heavy hand. How can we love at the same time have fear, be it of God or anyone?

God will in time in a way be more soft and kind and appearing beholden to men and the wishes and fancies of men though he does not need to be beholden to men. How else could he bring the masses to flow with him so that he and his saints could one day save their souls?

The good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) in his most meaningful message in 1975 talks about the need for love that is not selfish, that is not one sided and that is beyond fear. He says there is no sin as sin means we hurt and harm God and saints. Men can never harm or hurt God and saints. 

If God and saints are susceptible to hurt, harm and anger instead of love, then they are not perfect and no longer God and saints. They are loving and it is men who are not loving and perfect. Men make God and saints appear to be otherwise and that is sad. God and saints only feel sorry for them but still love and cherish them. Men often know not what they do.