No 832 of Living Life Series 1
When temples first set out, they were on track to achieve the salvation of souls through encouraging the spiritual life that leads to purification of the spirit from the bombardment of the needs of the senses and the mundane world.
But with time, there is the need to win the hearts of the many who are attracted to the temples but find them dry and unpalatable.
So instead, some bright sparks in some temples decide on being popular and the only way to be popular is to pander to the senses and to the egos of men. They promote the ego and the senses in the very temples which are supposed to promote the opposite. Temples are meant to be different from the rest of the world.
There is the cry for more fun and worldliness mind you in temples. Let all party and be happy in the houses of God and let there be charity but charity that inflates the egos of men that they have done good. This sadly becomes the purpose of the temples instead. Temples become gateways to worldliness and more ego.
What they end up worshiping in temples is their ego and not God and saints. What they need to worship is not even God and saints but the doctrine or Word that God and saints stand for.
But this may never have a chance as men are weak at heart and follow their egos. Thus temples end up derailed from the mission to promote the values that God and saints stand for, which is the saving of souls beyond just having shelter and three meals a day and must put them on road of the call for purification of spirit.
But the call of the ego takes over in the temples and people do good welfare work not because of loving kindness for life but because of their selfish craving to inflate their ego and win the awards and recognition of men more than that of God and saints. They idolize men in high positions in society out there beyond the temples. The temple fades into background and history. Welfare mission and social agenda take center stage and becomes the front
Instead of the mission to make men to be saintly like God and saints, there is the mission to promote the opposite - to be more like devils of men driven by the egos and the darkness of ignorance. Instead of going from light to light, they go from light to darkness because they are motivated by the darkness of the senses and of the ego. Thus some temples may not make it or did they in some way?
The good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says that the near may be far and the far may be near. Those far from spirituality and the Word may be attracted to temples to further their worldliness and not for the Word. They are in temples and therefore near to God and saints but they end up far. That may be the truth of many if not some temples.
But mind you, judge not or we be judged. Do not judge a book by the cover. What must prevail is the need to bring people in and to run the temples. Can the doctrine or Word alone make it for a temple? Surely not and so what to do?
Well, think through and decide what we need out of a temple. God and saints have to look after all not just the goody two shoes - the holy ones but those full of holes and of little spiritual substance. The far from doctrine may be near and dear to God. The worldly more than anyone else need to be in the house of God where they stand a better chance to make good than if they are out there in the open.
So the next time, before you have misgivings about a temple and the people running it, be mindful not to run them down for the religion they practice though far from religious is actually what the temple should have if that temple is to bring in the crowd. We may refer to this as popular religion.
True religion is a separate matter not for the masses but for a few who see through popular religion and go for more spirituality. Such few do not need any temple and usually have to stay away from temples.
Any temple of the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) might tend to be like any other temples. But then, any such temple is meant to shine out by being different and an example for other temples to follow. It might already have in early years by walking the talk and rolling out charitable works.
But any temple of the good lord must go beyond good works to enabling good Word. For a temple of the good lord to be exemplary for other temples to follow, it must enable the Word to make it at the temple.
By living in the Word common to and behind all religions, people in a temple of the good lord will bring to life the Word. They will ever be that calm, peaceful, pleasant, open and accommodating - not partisan, bigoted and antagonistic to those of differing views and ways.
Ask Elder Ling but be prepared to have a earful from him. You will know him better that way and appreciate where he is coming. He is not a man of popular religion but a man on path to true spirituality. He has retired from popular religion long before 2015. He is heavy with age as at 2015 and we will expect him to be heavy with wisdom as well.
He will often see what others don't see but is this a problem? To some, it may be but let it be. After all, he has the job to get it right for the mission of the good lord. The good lord has entrusted him to do so.
But how far can he go? He does not claim to be perfect and aware that he may fall short of expectations of others who don't know him and don't give him the chance to explain and convince.
His track record precedes him in as far as the mission of the good lord is concerned. There is concrete proof of that...
But these pioneers below too have chipped in though he provided the strength, confidence and leadership.
Subsequent generations will benefit and they will further manage the temple based on the template set by the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). They will of course have to do it their own way based on the template.
This scenario often replays itself in other temples and houses of God and saints.
It must be reminded that the template in any temple is the doctrine or Word of the saint of a temple. Popular ways of people will always take over the running of a temple so as to bring in the crowd but for a temple to make it in the Word, it must take reference to the Word of the saint of that temple.
Yin yang balance is key. Let the the yin get rid of the yang or the yang get rid of the yin. Let there be checks and balance. This should not be a pain in the neck but what should be if the Word can make it in a temple - any temple or house of God and not just any temple of Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨).
Can the Word alone make it for a temple? The answer is "No". There is need to have both the Word and the Worldly ways of men. Then, if there is yin yang balance with live and let live, then in this respect, the Word can still make it for a temple. Remember that yin and yang cannot stay apart.
Didn't the good lord emphasize on yin and yang in his later messages in the initial first decade of mission? The yang will attract the yin and the yin will attract yang.
So men should wake up their idea and not think they can have their way in any temple or house of God and saints. Getting rid of one kind will only attract more of that and other kinds.
There will obviously and definitely be that more headaches and issues than accommodating those of other persuasions. All parties and factions the yin and the yang must work as one. This is the will of Heaven. Wake up and know this. Then there will be peace and progress with success all the way - 步步高升.
But with time, there is the need to win the hearts of the many who are attracted to the temples but find them dry and unpalatable.
So instead, some bright sparks in some temples decide on being popular and the only way to be popular is to pander to the senses and to the egos of men. They promote the ego and the senses in the very temples which are supposed to promote the opposite. Temples are meant to be different from the rest of the world.
There is the cry for more fun and worldliness mind you in temples. Let all party and be happy in the houses of God and let there be charity but charity that inflates the egos of men that they have done good. This sadly becomes the purpose of the temples instead. Temples become gateways to worldliness and more ego.
What they end up worshiping in temples is their ego and not God and saints. What they need to worship is not even God and saints but the doctrine or Word that God and saints stand for.
But this may never have a chance as men are weak at heart and follow their egos. Thus temples end up derailed from the mission to promote the values that God and saints stand for, which is the saving of souls beyond just having shelter and three meals a day and must put them on road of the call for purification of spirit.
But the call of the ego takes over in the temples and people do good welfare work not because of loving kindness for life but because of their selfish craving to inflate their ego and win the awards and recognition of men more than that of God and saints. They idolize men in high positions in society out there beyond the temples. The temple fades into background and history. Welfare mission and social agenda take center stage and becomes the front
Instead of the mission to make men to be saintly like God and saints, there is the mission to promote the opposite - to be more like devils of men driven by the egos and the darkness of ignorance. Instead of going from light to light, they go from light to darkness because they are motivated by the darkness of the senses and of the ego. Thus some temples may not make it or did they in some way?
But mind you, judge not or we be judged. Do not judge a book by the cover. What must prevail is the need to bring people in and to run the temples. Can the doctrine or Word alone make it for a temple? Surely not and so what to do?
Well, think through and decide what we need out of a temple. God and saints have to look after all not just the goody two shoes - the holy ones but those full of holes and of little spiritual substance. The far from doctrine may be near and dear to God. The worldly more than anyone else need to be in the house of God where they stand a better chance to make good than if they are out there in the open.
So the next time, before you have misgivings about a temple and the people running it, be mindful not to run them down for the religion they practice though far from religious is actually what the temple should have if that temple is to bring in the crowd. We may refer to this as popular religion.
True religion is a separate matter not for the masses but for a few who see through popular religion and go for more spirituality. Such few do not need any temple and usually have to stay away from temples.
Any temple of the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) might tend to be like any other temples. But then, any such temple is meant to shine out by being different and an example for other temples to follow. It might already have in early years by walking the talk and rolling out charitable works.
But any temple of the good lord must go beyond good works to enabling good Word. For a temple of the good lord to be exemplary for other temples to follow, it must enable the Word to make it at the temple.
By living in the Word common to and behind all religions, people in a temple of the good lord will bring to life the Word. They will ever be that calm, peaceful, pleasant, open and accommodating - not partisan, bigoted and antagonistic to those of differing views and ways.
Ask Elder Ling but be prepared to have a earful from him. You will know him better that way and appreciate where he is coming. He is not a man of popular religion but a man on path to true spirituality. He has retired from popular religion long before 2015. He is heavy with age as at 2015 and we will expect him to be heavy with wisdom as well.
He will often see what others don't see but is this a problem? To some, it may be but let it be. After all, he has the job to get it right for the mission of the good lord. The good lord has entrusted him to do so.
But how far can he go? He does not claim to be perfect and aware that he may fall short of expectations of others who don't know him and don't give him the chance to explain and convince.
His track record precedes him in as far as the mission of the good lord is concerned. There is concrete proof of that...
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This scenario often replays itself in other temples and houses of God and saints.
It must be reminded that the template in any temple is the doctrine or Word of the saint of a temple. Popular ways of people will always take over the running of a temple so as to bring in the crowd but for a temple to make it in the Word, it must take reference to the Word of the saint of that temple.
Yin yang balance is key. Let the the yin get rid of the yang or the yang get rid of the yin. Let there be checks and balance. This should not be a pain in the neck but what should be if the Word can make it in a temple - any temple or house of God and not just any temple of Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨).
Can the Word alone make it for a temple? The answer is "No". There is need to have both the Word and the Worldly ways of men. Then, if there is yin yang balance with live and let live, then in this respect, the Word can still make it for a temple. Remember that yin and yang cannot stay apart.
So men should wake up their idea and not think they can have their way in any temple or house of God and saints. Getting rid of one kind will only attract more of that and other kinds.
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| 步步高升 |
