No 1241 of Living Life Series 1
Which religion we belong is immaterial. It is how a religion impact on us that matters. The label is not important. It is only the starting point or reference point.
Just like a book, what matters is not the cover. What matters is not the thickness of the book. What matters is whether we can get to the gist - the basic values that will awaken us to what life is about and for.
Being attached to a book more so its beautiful cover is no use if we fail to get at the gist - the message. Being lost in the many pages of the book is what we should avoid.
Go for the gist or message. The message is common to all religions and cultures. This is what the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 wants us to know.
Know the gist and not the cover or the thickness of the book - the many chapters in the book. If we know that, we can know not only our religion better but all religions.
We can learn from other religions to add value to the grasp of our own religion. They give different perspectives.
Don't be attached to religious labels for labels can be deceptive. For instance, Buddhism arises from India. But the truth it touches on is in the world. It is not in India alone. Only when Buddhism spreads its wings beyond India does it awaken many to the truth.
Buddha rediscovered the truth of life. He did not teach a new truth. But because he did it, people call his teachings Buddhism. This is as though his teachings are different from that of other religions and their saints. This is never meant to be.
A rose is a rose. Call it by any name, it is still a rose. But when called by various names, we think there are different flowers. This is a misrepresentation.
Religion is always good and must be diverse in form and presentation to reach out to the many. While religions may appear different, they are about the basic truth - the truth of God in some form and the need to be pure and good.
If this is the case, religions are one and not many, yet there are many religions. That is a fact.
If we criticise any religion, we end up criticising and giving bad impression of our religion. This is common sense but not for some. That is the problem.
Learn from and love all religions. That way we understand oneness of the same inner truth in all religions.
The inner truth is one and same across religions but religions need not be one and the same. Know any one correctly and we should know all and we will naturally want to know all.
Know other religions more and we know our religion better. Religions add value to our grasp of truth. If we cannot see that, then we have yet to know the inner truth behind religions in its totality - in its wholeness. We have allot to learn and a long way to go.
Just like a book, what matters is not the cover. What matters is not the thickness of the book. What matters is whether we can get to the gist - the basic values that will awaken us to what life is about and for.
Being attached to a book more so its beautiful cover is no use if we fail to get at the gist - the message. Being lost in the many pages of the book is what we should avoid.
Go for the gist or message. The message is common to all religions and cultures. This is what the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 wants us to know.
Know the gist and not the cover or the thickness of the book - the many chapters in the book. If we know that, we can know not only our religion better but all religions.
We can learn from other religions to add value to the grasp of our own religion. They give different perspectives.
Don't be attached to religious labels for labels can be deceptive. For instance, Buddhism arises from India. But the truth it touches on is in the world. It is not in India alone. Only when Buddhism spreads its wings beyond India does it awaken many to the truth.
Buddha rediscovered the truth of life. He did not teach a new truth. But because he did it, people call his teachings Buddhism. This is as though his teachings are different from that of other religions and their saints. This is never meant to be.
A rose is a rose. Call it by any name, it is still a rose. But when called by various names, we think there are different flowers. This is a misrepresentation.
Religion is always good and must be diverse in form and presentation to reach out to the many. While religions may appear different, they are about the basic truth - the truth of God in some form and the need to be pure and good.
If this is the case, religions are one and not many, yet there are many religions. That is a fact.
If we criticise any religion, we end up criticising and giving bad impression of our religion. This is common sense but not for some. That is the problem.
Learn from and love all religions. That way we understand oneness of the same inner truth in all religions.
The inner truth is one and same across religions but religions need not be one and the same. Know any one correctly and we should know all and we will naturally want to know all.
Know other religions more and we know our religion better. Religions add value to our grasp of truth. If we cannot see that, then we have yet to know the inner truth behind religions in its totality - in its wholeness. We have allot to learn and a long way to go.
