Worship all life if we love life.

No 1079 of Living Life Series 1

Worship in cultural sense refers to high respect. In Asian culture, there is the utmost respect not only for God and heavenly saints but also for the ruler, parents, elders, colleagues, neighbors and even the servants. This too is captured in the discourse by Buddha to Sigala. 

Obviously, this is more civil and refine than just respect or worship of God and none other. God would have expected all to accord high respect to one another and not just to him alone. He is a loving God and not given to jealousy, greed and ill will. He will not hoard respect for himself alone. 

Men shall respect all lives and even their subordinates. Thus in Chinese culture, there is respect for lost souls during the Seventh Month Festival, the worship and respect of the guards of Hell, respect for departed ones and the earth bound Earth God. 

Ji Gong Buddha altar often on the floor
He prefers to be at the level of men
and be treated like one

The Earth God
His altar often on floor 
at the feet of men
but ever the grand old man
of the village of men
He prefers the ground shelter 
than the temple by men.
With mother earth 
the grand old dame
the pair holds sway over men

大二爷伯 
Dua Di Ya Pek 
- the Hell guards
of one of the courts of Hell
They would rather 
you not be in any Hell
and will meet your Earthly needs.
More popular are they
than the gods and saints above
They are the beloved of almighty God

We must help one another. We must respect or if you like worship one another. This is logical and common sense. This is Tao 道. But this is unthinkable in monotheistic thinking. Worship begets love and love for all beings will bring peace to all. This is not contrary to God belief.

Worship and love go hand in hand. Worship all life if we love life. During traditional Chinese marriage ceremony, the bride and groom bow to each other. They show their love by worshiping one another.

Man and woman
must worship each other
on their great day
they say
They epitomize
the union of yin and yang

Love is the beginning, the middle and the end of all that is in life. Love is the basis of all levels of spirituality. This is present in all religions but many in their adulation for their God and saint turn a blind eye to this. 

The good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨reminds us on loving kindness behind spirituality in all religions. With loving kindness, there will be more peace especially inner peace of the self. 

The good lord says that the far may be near and the near far. Those who think that men shall not worship anyone else except God may end up far from God than those who believe in love for all life and worships all life.

Lord Bo Tien
a heavenly saint
yet not one in any religion
He favors none
but is for all
yet belong to none
Far though near to 
any religion of the day 
they say.
Far is near
and near far
or is this the case\
or not so?