No 1209 of Living Life Series 1
If life is about how to be happy here and now even if transient and not lasting, then it is having to be able to get what we want here and now.
Religion just have to back us up in this aspect. It is not about telling us to be uprooted and to renounce day to day life. Even a monk has to have day to day life and engage in day to day wants.
That is why the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that renunciation is not about denying life but engaging in daily life the correct way - the balanced way like depicted by his image with feet atop and balancing the elements or polarities - running away and being carried way by life indulgence.
Both alas such extremes indeed create only more suffering and unsatisfactoriness. We will just be far from peace.
In fact religion itself can be an indulgence if we go for the history and academics of it and end up lost in the leaves of the forest and not seeing the forest as a whole and as the basic.
We only need the basics and this basics will be common to all religions. This will give us peace. But some just don't get it and at best, they just go for a little devotion and run away in every sense from religiosity even avoiding devotion.
Even for devotion, they just go along with what majority do. If the trend is to change religion and be with the trend and crowd, then let this be.
Thus we need to be just right. For many who are with the world and not in temples like monks and nuns, do stay on with the world but be on top of the world and be at peace.
Do good, avoid the not so good, but don't get carried away when we do good and end up basking in the praises and acclaims of men. Then they are wanting to get recognition and not wanting to do good.
Don't feel guilty and down if we realize we have done not right but move on and feel good that we have learnt to be better.
But most importantly is to be at peace by having pureness in thinking and in spirit. That is why all saints teach us to do good, avoid the not good and be pure in mind. Then we will be at peace come what may.
Isn't that indeed simple? But like it or not, it takes effort, resilience and perseverance. Indeed the discerning will realise that this is the way to have the best of life. We cannot ask for peace but we need to cultivate peace. It is not a question of ask and we shall be given
This conscious need and moment-to-moment cultivation of inner peace is the way which enables us to be like God and saints one fine day even if not now. But the reward of that little bit of inner peace and a wee bit more with each day and year is good enough.
We can achieve this in any religion or even if without religion. This is the teaching of the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 for us to be better in whatever religion we are in or even if none.
We can achieve without worshipping anyone the good lord included. This is not that this is not good. It is good but may result in crutch mentality and overdependence.
There again balance is required if we are to have peace and less of emotional roller coaster which is not what we should have in religion. It is the loud and noisy worship in religion that both attract and yet put many off.
God is quiet in relating to men and more effective that way. Need man be noisy and dramatic? A quiet and peaceful time with God and saints should be preferred. But some just want to let go and feel better. That is still good as well. Those who go for more peace in life may stay clear of noise.
Religion just have to back us up in this aspect. It is not about telling us to be uprooted and to renounce day to day life. Even a monk has to have day to day life and engage in day to day wants.
That is why the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 says that renunciation is not about denying life but engaging in daily life the correct way - the balanced way like depicted by his image with feet atop and balancing the elements or polarities - running away and being carried way by life indulgence.
Both alas such extremes indeed create only more suffering and unsatisfactoriness. We will just be far from peace.
In fact religion itself can be an indulgence if we go for the history and academics of it and end up lost in the leaves of the forest and not seeing the forest as a whole and as the basic.
We only need the basics and this basics will be common to all religions. This will give us peace. But some just don't get it and at best, they just go for a little devotion and run away in every sense from religiosity even avoiding devotion.
Even for devotion, they just go along with what majority do. If the trend is to change religion and be with the trend and crowd, then let this be.
Thus we need to be just right. For many who are with the world and not in temples like monks and nuns, do stay on with the world but be on top of the world and be at peace.
Do good, avoid the not so good, but don't get carried away when we do good and end up basking in the praises and acclaims of men. Then they are wanting to get recognition and not wanting to do good.
Don't feel guilty and down if we realize we have done not right but move on and feel good that we have learnt to be better.
But most importantly is to be at peace by having pureness in thinking and in spirit. That is why all saints teach us to do good, avoid the not good and be pure in mind. Then we will be at peace come what may.
Isn't that indeed simple? But like it or not, it takes effort, resilience and perseverance. Indeed the discerning will realise that this is the way to have the best of life. We cannot ask for peace but we need to cultivate peace. It is not a question of ask and we shall be given
This conscious need and moment-to-moment cultivation of inner peace is the way which enables us to be like God and saints one fine day even if not now. But the reward of that little bit of inner peace and a wee bit more with each day and year is good enough.
We can achieve this in any religion or even if without religion. This is the teaching of the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 for us to be better in whatever religion we are in or even if none.
We can achieve without worshipping anyone the good lord included. This is not that this is not good. It is good but may result in crutch mentality and overdependence.
There again balance is required if we are to have peace and less of emotional roller coaster which is not what we should have in religion. It is the loud and noisy worship in religion that both attract and yet put many off.
God is quiet in relating to men and more effective that way. Need man be noisy and dramatic? A quiet and peaceful time with God and saints should be preferred. But some just want to let go and feel better. That is still good as well. Those who go for more peace in life may stay clear of noise.
