No 866 of Living Life Series 1
He is the Buddha - the fully enlightened one and what is his basic message? He says that there are three causes or roots of the problems of life. One is ill-will or hatred. When there is ill-will, our thoughts and actions are never good. With ill-will, we cannot love life, not only the lives of others but our own. We even become dissatisfied with our lot.
Another root is greed or clinging. When we want more and more, there is pain due to this wanting and we live for more wants instead of wanting to live and having what we need just enough to allow us to live. There is the difference between wanting to live and living for wants.
The third root is the main cause of problems in life. It is ignorance or false views. There is a range of false views There are however two extremes of false views.
Some believe there is no life after death. Many think that animals have no life after death and they think they too will not have life after death. This will lead them to live a wanting life - going for indulgence and recklessness.
The other is the view that there is only eternal heaven or hell of life after death as opposed to cyclical rebirths. Cyclical rebirths are painful as we start over and over again. So the belief in eternal life after death is more welcome and more than good. It is an ideal.
But let us admit it. Beings in present life cannot be faultless and there will always be some not good actions or deeds. Eternal life after death based upon mere short life of 100 years for man is odd. How to justify eternal damnation or reward just on the short life span of man? Man is not just all good or all bad. Man has both till he is saint.
Then to say that a saint could save us by grace or by his merits come into the picture. This is possible but not for eternity of heaven but only a sojourn in heaven to allow us to be rehabilitated only to be born again to practice what we learn.
The problems and issues of men are many and plentiful. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 commented. While men can help themselves and one another, many still need the help of God and saints otherwise they will be mired down by the problems and issues. God and saints can only do that much but men must do the rest eventually. How do we do so?
Well, we need to be mindful of the three roots of problems in life and work towards freeing the mind from the three roots - to liberate the mind from the three roots. Then we will be enlightened and will just need enough to sustain life of flesh and not go for more wants. We go for what is necessary and not go for wanting of wants. We live more in peace and one day we will be like the Buddha. Meanwhile we achieve less wants and more peace.
Our thoughts on life problems on Wesak Day should not only be for Wesak but for all days. These thoughts are not only for believers of Buddha but for all of humanity and all beings regardless of religion and culture. The Buddha did not have any intention to start any religion.
Men create religions - not the Buddha and the saints. The Buddha is only interested in changing the thinking of the people towards life and if his understanding of life can change people and be part of culture of nations that is good enough.
That too is exactly why the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 in 1969 descended in Singapore to reawaken men to the oneness of truth behind cultures which many have come to regard as religions. Cultures can better imbibe the views and perspective of sages throughout the ages and across the world.
It is far better to use the term culture than the term religion. Cultures have no dogmas and can accommodate best practices of other cultures without need to renounce one's cultural background.
Cultures are less likely to add to the woes and problems of men. We do not renounce one culture for another culture. We merely integrate the best practices of another culture into the existing main culture. Let us reflect on this on Wesak Day.
Wesak Day is a day for the young and old to reflect that life of flesh is a stepping stone for many lives to come. Most will have many more lives to come so long as they are not yet Buddha - not yet saint.
Human life is a means to an end. We must do well enough in life of flesh to provide the means to shape the lives to come. We must do good, purify the mind so as to be saints one day if not in present life at least in a future life. This is the teachings of all saints.
We must have the worldly means but not let the means end up as the end. The end is to cultivate some peace of spirit in life here and now and for that we must take care of the worldly calling but let not the worldly calling be the higher calling.
The higher calling is peace of the moment and eventually with many many more such moments we have peace of the saints - to be a Buddha of sorts. We achieve this through the Middle Way and the Eight-fold Path - through balancing polarities and worldly contingencies.
This is the cultivation of inner peace the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 refers to. All religions and cultures advocate the need to arrive at inner peace. The starting points and approaches may seem to differ but the end point is same. Perhaps some may wish to learn from all sages on the approaches to inner peace and decide what are best for them. No need to be dogmatic and draw boundaries. This was what Gautama did and he became the Buddha.
If Gautama had been dogmatic and stayed put with the dogmas of his day, he would not be the Buddha we know in 2015 and in the future beyond 2015. He would never ever stop us from believing the teachings of all sages and saints. This too is echoed by Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨.
There is need to keep an open mind, to explore, to innovate, to incorporate and to improve on existing ways so as to arrive at the most appropriate for us and for the circumstances we are in. It is not that the tried ways are not correct. In fact, they are correct but just that the times and circumstances have changed and some must go for customized solutions.
It is appropriate that we reflect on life, its problems and its solutions on an occasion like Wesak. The Buddha provided the best template for solutions to life's issues. We can apply the Buddha's teachings in any culture but may need to customize them to our needs and circumstances.
The teachings are never meant to change our culture or social identity but to enhance our life within existing culture and social milieu. All regardless of cultures can practice the values explained by the Buddha. They must be selective and decide what to accept and how to practice. They must do things in context.
For the Buddha, there is no emphasis on worship but on Doctrine. The Doctrine is Divine. Divinity is the Doctrine. No wonder the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that like any saint, he too is the Word and the Word is him.
We can be of any culture or belief systems. All the same we can benefit from the values or teachings of not only the Buddha but also the teachings of all sages and saints. All advocate that we avoid evil, do good and purify the mind. This the Buddha says is the universal teaching of all saints. Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 refers to this as the inner truth behind all spiritual cultures.
The Buddha never says that we believe only in him. In fact he wants us not to readily believe in him just because he is the Buddha. He would rather we test his teachings or the teachings of all sages and saints as gold is tested by fire in the old days. We are not in the wrong for doing this. In fact, we would be cheered on by the saints and be that more blessed for doing so.
Well, these are pertinent reflections on Wesak. To round off, the need to believe in all sages and saints is emphasized by the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨. Cheers and have a meaningful and joyous Wesak.
May all be well and happy and this includes those who are doubtful of the Buddha or do not at all believe in him. Doubt Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says is good and is the platform for people to learn and be wiser one day. Buddha demands no respect but that way he earns even more of our respect. That makes the Buddha stand out even more - some would even say unequal on earth or in heaven. But let us be level-headed and not be carried away.
This understanding adds to the beauty of Wesak. Happy Wesak for all beings be they Earth bound, Hell bound or of the Heavens up there or down here. Joy to the world. Joy to one and all. Happy Wesak not just once more but over and over again. Peace be. Peace be. That is the ultimate joy.
Our thoughts on life problems on Wesak Day should not only be for Wesak but for all days. These thoughts are not only for believers of Buddha but for all of humanity and all beings regardless of religion and culture. The Buddha did not have any intention to start any religion.
Men create religions - not the Buddha and the saints. The Buddha is only interested in changing the thinking of the people towards life and if his understanding of life can change people and be part of culture of nations that is good enough.
That too is exactly why the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 in 1969 descended in Singapore to reawaken men to the oneness of truth behind cultures which many have come to regard as religions. Cultures can better imbibe the views and perspective of sages throughout the ages and across the world.
It is far better to use the term culture than the term religion. Cultures have no dogmas and can accommodate best practices of other cultures without need to renounce one's cultural background.
Cultures are less likely to add to the woes and problems of men. We do not renounce one culture for another culture. We merely integrate the best practices of another culture into the existing main culture. Let us reflect on this on Wesak Day.
Wesak Day is a day for the young and old to reflect that life of flesh is a stepping stone for many lives to come. Most will have many more lives to come so long as they are not yet Buddha - not yet saint.
Human life is a means to an end. We must do well enough in life of flesh to provide the means to shape the lives to come. We must do good, purify the mind so as to be saints one day if not in present life at least in a future life. This is the teachings of all saints.
We must have the worldly means but not let the means end up as the end. The end is to cultivate some peace of spirit in life here and now and for that we must take care of the worldly calling but let not the worldly calling be the higher calling.
The higher calling is peace of the moment and eventually with many many more such moments we have peace of the saints - to be a Buddha of sorts. We achieve this through the Middle Way and the Eight-fold Path - through balancing polarities and worldly contingencies.
This is the cultivation of inner peace the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 refers to. All religions and cultures advocate the need to arrive at inner peace. The starting points and approaches may seem to differ but the end point is same. Perhaps some may wish to learn from all sages on the approaches to inner peace and decide what are best for them. No need to be dogmatic and draw boundaries. This was what Gautama did and he became the Buddha.
If Gautama had been dogmatic and stayed put with the dogmas of his day, he would not be the Buddha we know in 2015 and in the future beyond 2015. He would never ever stop us from believing the teachings of all sages and saints. This too is echoed by Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨.
There is need to keep an open mind, to explore, to innovate, to incorporate and to improve on existing ways so as to arrive at the most appropriate for us and for the circumstances we are in. It is not that the tried ways are not correct. In fact, they are correct but just that the times and circumstances have changed and some must go for customized solutions.
It is appropriate that we reflect on life, its problems and its solutions on an occasion like Wesak. The Buddha provided the best template for solutions to life's issues. We can apply the Buddha's teachings in any culture but may need to customize them to our needs and circumstances.
The teachings are never meant to change our culture or social identity but to enhance our life within existing culture and social milieu. All regardless of cultures can practice the values explained by the Buddha. They must be selective and decide what to accept and how to practice. They must do things in context.
For the Buddha, there is no emphasis on worship but on Doctrine. The Doctrine is Divine. Divinity is the Doctrine. No wonder the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that like any saint, he too is the Word and the Word is him.
We can be of any culture or belief systems. All the same we can benefit from the values or teachings of not only the Buddha but also the teachings of all sages and saints. All advocate that we avoid evil, do good and purify the mind. This the Buddha says is the universal teaching of all saints. Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 refers to this as the inner truth behind all spiritual cultures.
The Buddha never says that we believe only in him. In fact he wants us not to readily believe in him just because he is the Buddha. He would rather we test his teachings or the teachings of all sages and saints as gold is tested by fire in the old days. We are not in the wrong for doing this. In fact, we would be cheered on by the saints and be that more blessed for doing so.
Well, these are pertinent reflections on Wesak. To round off, the need to believe in all sages and saints is emphasized by the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨. Cheers and have a meaningful and joyous Wesak.
May all be well and happy and this includes those who are doubtful of the Buddha or do not at all believe in him. Doubt Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says is good and is the platform for people to learn and be wiser one day. Buddha demands no respect but that way he earns even more of our respect. That makes the Buddha stand out even more - some would even say unequal on earth or in heaven. But let us be level-headed and not be carried away.
This understanding adds to the beauty of Wesak. Happy Wesak for all beings be they Earth bound, Hell bound or of the Heavens up there or down here. Joy to the world. Joy to one and all. Happy Wesak not just once more but over and over again. Peace be. Peace be. That is the ultimate joy.
