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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!.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Saved by the Word and not by grace?

No 1117 of Living Life Series 1



Vesak always make us recall the benevolence of the Buddha. His gift of the Word is unconditional. No one has to believe in him. The gift of truth by the Buddha is still for him or her. 
As long as we understand the truth and practice it, we are on the way to salvation - to enlightenment. We will not be condemned even if we do not venerate him. 

No need to worship Buddha to qualify to practice the Word he taught. Anyone of any religion or even if none can practice what he taught. What he taught is universal and not the purview of anyone or any religion. 

There is no denying that what matters is that we know and practice. No one will be saved by grace of God and saints. Perhaps at most if we stretch our imagination, it is through their grace that we have the Word. 

But venerating God and saints alone without living in the Word is of no avail. We may seem to be near to them but we are far from them. We know not the Word, let alone practice it. 

In fact those who know and live in the Word but know not God or saints, may choose to not be crazy over God and saints and distance themselves from God and saints are near though far. 

This is what the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 taught. He even says that we do not need to know him but what matters is the Word he stands for. 

He who knows, sees and live in the Word knows, sees and live in the lord. The good lord even says, "My image is the Word. The Word is my image." 

 What then is the Word or truth? Religions put it differently but it is still the same. 

 Let us just refer to the teachings of the Buddha. All his sermons are just presentations of the truth. Some sermons are just simply too philosophical and not easy to digest for many - the ten perfections, the four noble truth, the turning of the wheel of life, the eight fold path and so on. 

 But the understanding Buddha knows this and he sums up the truth in just a few words. Do good. Avoid evil. Purify the mind. This is the teachings of all saints. 
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