No 792 of Living Life Series 1
Isn't it the reality that every religion is somehow different from another? This is good according to the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). Humanity is not one but many. This reality means that for the world to have only one religion to meet the spiritual needs of all will be unrealistic. The good lord says that there must be not one but more than one.
In fact, there will be many religions and sects in the four cardinal directions. This constitutes the basis of the Four Pillar Doctrine with religions forming the four pillars in the four cardinal directions of the House of God and Saints. The world is the House of God and religions the pillars of the House. Heaven or Divinity is the roof. All are in this universal temple or House of God and Saints.
Not only there must be many religions to cater to the many types of people, the good lord also says that every religion will have its own ways of holding on to the people it is meant for. Thus there are dogmas. Why must there be dogmas? The reason is that a religion arose in special circumstances and the special needs of people that location and times must be met.
 |
| The temple in the name of the good lord that depicts the Universal Temple - The House of God and Saints |
This means that religion must be taken in the context of the times and the people it is with. The teachings must not be taken out of context.
Often, a religion arose in trying times and had its following in suppressed, and victimized communities. It rallied them together and gave hope and solace.
But when a religion spreads its wings, it gains the superior edge when it can have the patronage of great rulers and their empires. The superior or upper class takes control from the ground people or common folks in projecting the religion and of course the outcome would be very different in ways more than one.
The teachings originally meant thousands of years ago to champion the down trodden and persecuted then take on the side of the better off and top echelons to further enhance their dominance over the commoners in society. Well this may not be true but how else could there be a better vehicle to propagate a religion across the globe.
That may be why religion may end up having different emphasis or color from that during the time of the founder sage. The teachings may be the same but the context of the times may be different. Then the outcomes of application of the teachings will obviously be different.
There is risk of applying without considerations to the context. The teachings of a religion were meant for the times and the people during the ancient times of the founding sage. There is always the risk of distortion and applying out of context of the times we have today.
There is risk of applying without considerations to the context. The teachings of a religion were meant for the times and the people during the ancient times of the founding sage. There is always the risk of distortion and applying out of context of the times we have today.
Over and above the above considerations, humanity always have better ideas and new perspectives on the same teachings. Thus the good lord reminds that if we want to have clear water we must go against the flow and go to the upper source of a river.
Religion may be the same religion but it will still evolve with the people and the times. It is the same religion but yet it is different in some way and has to be different to be relevant to the times and the changing needs.
But the basics should be the same. Often people fail to grasp the basics when they are lost in the forest of leaves. They fail to taste clear water when they are in the downstream of a river.
They must distill the presented religion to have the clear pure water of religion, if not they have to go to the upper source. In this day and age, even the upper source may not have clear water and we need to distill the water.
If the day comes when men cannot do so on their own because they are lost in downstream polluted water, they have to wait for the second coming of the old sage of a religion in the form of a new sage.
There are so many angles or perspectives of a religion we have have to be mindful of. They arise all because men are passionate with their religion and most are far from being fully wise and savvy with the teachings of the founder sage in relation to the context of the times of the sage and in context with the here and now- centuries after the passing on of the sage.
Of course, there will be fanciful accounts written into the scriptures which are more like fairy tales or myths but the devout will swear to their authenticity. Be these be truths, fiction or myth, what is important is that there are indeed messages or pointers behind the tales.
Even if these tales are more myths than reality, they are perhaps the best ways to demonstrate and put forward the pertinent messages they are dedicated and designed for.
If religion has no myths and fanciful tales, then that religion may not be able to catch the imaginations of men. Then there will be no religions that we know today.
In a way, the myth-like stories prove that religions are made by men and for men. Religion must be able to sweep men off their feet by bringing awe. Religion must simply be awesome but far from being dry and awful.
One interesting point of interest is that God and saints seemed to have spoken allot in the past and in scriptures but since then for centuries they are silent and appear dumb. The more they remain that silent, the more loud they are to us. Silence does speak volumes somehow.
Even the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) spoke to us for about a decade from his first descent in 1969 through the late P. Philip but after that he did not. Though silent somewhat for few decades, the good lord is loud in his silence.
The Living Life Series is testimony to this, isn't it? The sound of silence can be deafening. Through his silence, the good lord seems to be speaking aloud everywhere in the world we are in.
This illustrates the solidness of sages and saints like the good lord. They are no empty vessels and are far from making the most noise. They speak aloud to us through solid silence that is not empty and noisy. God's silence is real but yet a myth - not dead silence. God is loud and lively through his divine silence. We too need to be mindful of the loudness of the silence of God and saints in any religion.
But the basics should be the same. Often people fail to grasp the basics when they are lost in the forest of leaves. They fail to taste clear water when they are in the downstream of a river.
They must distill the presented religion to have the clear pure water of religion, if not they have to go to the upper source. In this day and age, even the upper source may not have clear water and we need to distill the water.
If the day comes when men cannot do so on their own because they are lost in downstream polluted water, they have to wait for the second coming of the old sage of a religion in the form of a new sage.
There are so many angles or perspectives of a religion we have have to be mindful of. They arise all because men are passionate with their religion and most are far from being fully wise and savvy with the teachings of the founder sage in relation to the context of the times of the sage and in context with the here and now- centuries after the passing on of the sage.
Of course, there will be fanciful accounts written into the scriptures which are more like fairy tales or myths but the devout will swear to their authenticity. Be these be truths, fiction or myth, what is important is that there are indeed messages or pointers behind the tales.
Even if these tales are more myths than reality, they are perhaps the best ways to demonstrate and put forward the pertinent messages they are dedicated and designed for.
If religion has no myths and fanciful tales, then that religion may not be able to catch the imaginations of men. Then there will be no religions that we know today.
In a way, the myth-like stories prove that religions are made by men and for men. Religion must be able to sweep men off their feet by bringing awe. Religion must simply be awesome but far from being dry and awful.
One interesting point of interest is that God and saints seemed to have spoken allot in the past and in scriptures but since then for centuries they are silent and appear dumb. The more they remain that silent, the more loud they are to us. Silence does speak volumes somehow.
Even the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) spoke to us for about a decade from his first descent in 1969 through the late P. Philip but after that he did not. Though silent somewhat for few decades, the good lord is loud in his silence.
The Living Life Series is testimony to this, isn't it? The sound of silence can be deafening. Through his silence, the good lord seems to be speaking aloud everywhere in the world we are in.
This illustrates the solidness of sages and saints like the good lord. They are no empty vessels and are far from making the most noise. They speak aloud to us through solid silence that is not empty and noisy. God's silence is real but yet a myth - not dead silence. God is loud and lively through his divine silence. We too need to be mindful of the loudness of the silence of God and saints in any religion.
 |
