LIVING LIFE SERIES 1

A BO TIEN (武天) MISSION INITIATIVE LAUNCHED ON 28TH SEPT 2010 BY INNER TRUTH NETIZEN 2. THE MISSION IS TO SHOW THE WAY TO HOPE, INNER PEACE AND ULTIMATELY SALVATION FOR ALL BEINGS. THE PURPOSE IS TO SAVE SOULS. IT IS WAY BEYOND NORMAL GOOD WORK LIKE CHARITY AND WELFARE ACTIVITIES. NO ONE SHALL BE SAVED BY GOOD WORKS ALONE BUT BY MORE THAN GOOD WORK. THERE IS NEED TO BE IMBUED WITH THE BASIC DOCTRINE COMMON TO AND BEHIND ALL RELIGIONS AND SECTS. LIVE IN DOCTRINE. DOCTRINE IN LIFE IS PARAMOUNT.

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The Living Life Series is dedicated to Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). The doctrine is in His image. The image is the doctrine. He who sees, understands and effects the doctrine sees and knows Him. He who does not see, know and effect the doctrine sees not and knows not the saint even if the saint or His image is beside him. The far may be near and the near may be far. Let the doctrine and the saint be part of our life. The lord saint in your life can be any heavenly saint of any religion, sect or school. The doctrine of truth is behind all and this is the Inner Truth that leads all (regardless of their religious affiliation or even if none) to inner peace and heaven on earth here and now and not just in the after life. The ideal worship and devotion is to know and effect the doctrine of God and the saints. The best gospel is the gospel of life. We learn from our life and the lives of others. The true temple is the world we live in. The sky is the roof of the temple and religions and sects are the pillars of the temple. All under Heaven are in the temple. Needless to say that all the saints we know are in this temple. Ji Gong Posat too is no exception. The whole wide world and web is the temple and must be regarded as a sacred place --- a temple for living and learning. It is more important that everyone that counts plays a role in this universal temple if due focus is to be given to the Mission of Heaven. Men must not be distracted by the agenda of men and end up serving the mission of man. That would be a far cry from the Mission of Heaven. We worship God and saints, not man however good that man may be. There should be no hero worshiping or idolizing of man whether he is a charismatic pastor, priest, monk, medium or lay leader. We don't even idol worship the image of any saint but reflect on what the image stands for. - the doctrine in the image. Omitofo 阿弥陀佛!.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

"囍" Double Happiness 双喜

No 1078 of Living Life Series 1

Chinese words and phrases often have varied meanings depending on context. Let us take for instance the phrase below which is based on happiness - how to have double of it

双喜临门 [shuāng xǐ lín mén]

Two happy events come one after the other.;

Two happy events come at the same time.;

A double blessing has descended upon the house.;

Good things come in pairs;

have simultaneously two happy events in a family

The word happiness喜looks like a figure of a person with head gear. In marriage, two of the same word 喜 put side by side becomes an auspicious word.

Wikipedia has this to say. Double Happiness is a ligature, "囍" composed of 喜喜 – two copies of the Chinese characters 喜 (xǐ) literally means joy, compressed to assume the square shape of a standard Chinese character (much like a real character may consist of two parts), and is pronounced as a polysyllabic Chinese character, being read as 双喜 (shuāngxǐ).

Obviously there is the happiness for both parties - the bride and bridegroom and their respective families.

In days of old the bride is given away to the bridegroom's family and be part of the family.

This is still true but not really so in any society as the happy couple starts their own and functions as a new nuclear family.

The families they hail from sort of sprout a new family. There is no loss to the bride's family of origin except that the future children of the bride will bear the surname of her husband's family of origin.

The issue of dowry to make good her departure from her parents is no longer as meaningful. She continues to support her parents emotionally, financially and in all aspects.

She supports her parents as much as her husband. In fact, unlike old days, the husband no longer stays with her parents. He is in a way a loss to his parents. Some will not see it that way.

Having a nuclear family of his own should still add pride to his parents. But despite the equality of significance accorded, there is still fall back to the old ways of ancestors at least superficially.

The bride's family still requires the groom's family to foot the bill of the wedding. But in reality it is the groom and NOT his parents who do so even if the parents want to foot the bill. The groom needs to show he can shoulder his own happiness.

The modern groom wants his pride and have his way. Depending on parents may mean no control and a watered down grandness of once in lifetime wedding.

In essence, parents must stand one side and let the couple free hand to make their day on wedding day. This then is double happiness 双喜 - "囍"

"囍" Double happiness 双喜 takes on new dimensions.

Well, it is a bit odd or strange that for a double joy event, some unpleasantness may arise if parents on either side make a stand of their own and throw in their demands on the wedding which is planned and effected not by parents but by the couple. They may have really good intentions but may unintentionally upset plans

This is not in keeping with according more happiness for the young couple. Let the young couple start off with no baggage whatsoever.

All should give them their blessings as much as they can. But the young couple must still provide support to their families they hail from even as they start off their own with their own new home which may be more grand than the homes they come from.

Parents should be happy that their children now will have a better home than theirs. The pursuit of a better home by the new couple must not be at expense of support to parents.

They need to support their parents even after marriage. This is out of respect for elders that is eschewed by all cultures and religions. This respect for elders was mentioned by all religions and stressed by the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨.

If need be, the young couple must rethink and think hard so as not to jeopardize peace and happiness for themselves and their parents. Like it or not, no matter how well planned, like in life, problems will arise. Even in calm seas there may be a dark cloud.

But as the good lord said that even if there be storm, the storm will abate as it won't last forever. Just keep calm and seek divine blessings.

The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that the problems of man are many and plentiful. This is in the nature of life. But the way out is to ensure balancing of needs - the balancing of yin and yang through common sense or logic - Tao 道. Then there will be more double happiness.

Lest you forget

Do not make the mistake of idolizing any man who tells you about the Word. He is in the same boat as you even if religion refers to him as a religious leader. Mere mention of a religious leader is as good as encouraging idolising of that man. Why must there be hierarchy in religion? Hierarchy is conventional but may end up as liability rather than a necessity or asset. There should be no caste or hierarchy system in religion. No one is to be considered above another in religion. A religious leader or follower is a servant to serve you and not a leader to be idolised. Do not put him on the pedestal and make a monster out of him.

MAY ALL BE WELL AND HAPPY

May all be well and happy. May they have peace. May our departed friends and kins be well, happy and have divine peace. The main writer wishes the best for all for those near and far. Our kins may be far when they had passed on to better lives but they are near though far. He remembers and wishes his parents Mr Siow Soo Koh and Mdm Tay Hung Siang, his uncles and aunties like Mr Tay Koon Huay, his cousins like Mr Tay Chong Sim and his friends like Mr Philip Png well and have abundance of life. May they be rich in spirit for without such ancestors, there will be no posterity - no us and no you and me. They have blessed us and we must blessed them in return forever and ever.