No 1401 of Living Life Series 1`
Whatever will be will be. This is the case with religion. We cannot insist that a religion must observe certain practices. If we do so, that religion will lose its shine and will not be in keeping with the times.
It is said that it is unbecoming to dance, jump, hug and sing in a place of worship. But then many will no longer be attracted. The only way is to have dance, songs, hugging and clapping - perhaps even kissing in time to come. This will raise frowns on the conservatives.
Religion must be like a flower so that ants and insects will come to it for nectar. This was said by Bo Tien 武 天 decades ago.
But many just don't know why he said so. But out of respect, they just leave it at that. They dared not even repeat this to others.
Are people of religion like insects and ants? On the contrary, the conservatives are not. They don't want ants and insects anywhere in or near the holy place which is referred to as the flower.
But those out there who don't care about religion and who just want the material and indulgent life will be attracted to religion if religion can provide a better place for material and indulgent life.
By all means, go ahead, let down your hair, sing, clap hands, hug and dance to heart's content in a holy place. This will not make God or saint less God and less saint.
This will not desecrate the place but will inject life that is vibrant and noisy which some say is not appropriate. But it is far better to have this in a religious place than to let the many orbit away from religion and end up in bad company.
The conservative will argue that there must be peace and quiet in a holy place. Silence is golden. Peace is about silence and calm serenity.
But why for goodness sake castigate those who are not ready for this. They want noise and clatter of drums and what have we.
At least, those who come to the house of God like insects and ants coming to a flower for nectar have the chance to be near to God though far from quiet and peace.
They are of course not insects and ants. They are humans and God and saints want them to be in religion - not out of religion. God and saints want the far to be near. Bo Tien 武 天 did say the far is near.
There will still be some good even if they turn a house of God into a disco of sorts. Religion is not for the goody lot alone.
The so-called self proclaimed goody lot are in minority. Religion must reach out and appeal to the majority who would otherwise not care to take a second look at religion.
What is important is the end not the means. Judge not the means as the end and say that this or that is not what religion should be. What religion should be can be contentious.
Thus if you see Chinese monks and nuns singing and dancing while rapping on "namo amitabha" and saying "one, two, three" and clap and turn around and around with the followers echoing in chorus and joining in, you should not be surprised but be awed and amazed, You should not say they have erred. God and saints don't mind and why should you.
Yes, they have in a way broken some of the rules of monks and nuns. But please for God-sake, know what is their intention.
The intention is noble but the means may raise eyebrows. Bo Tien's 武 天 reference to the need to go upstream against the current instead of flowing downstream with the current is worth further reflection. The saintly Bo Tien 武 天 would not have said it frivolously.
Monks and nuns should flow downstream with the current but how many are indeed brave enough to say that this may not help more in society.
To attract and bring in the lot who would otherwise be lost, let there be outpouring of joy, exuberances, dancing and prancing. What is the difference between lion dancing and prancing in a temple on holy days and young people doing the same in a temple?
When I raised the issue with a conservative colleague of a temple I used to go to, he said we should remain silent and keep the peace. Don't encourage. Don't discourage as well. Do nothing. But if less and less come to a temple, then a temple will become a relic of the past in time to come.
Obviously there must be a judicious mix or balance of the two and with shades in between. This the orient refers to as yin yang balance which was surfaced by Bo Tien 武 天. This manifests in a religion having many sects, each sect many schools. Perhaps this enables counterbalance and moderating effect on one another.
But mind you and this is for real, the greatest and all important moderating influence comes from the government of the land more so if it is secular.
Bo Tien 武 天 echoes what saints of all religions remind followers. They all say that all must obey and comply with the authority that be in the land, This provides a buffer to offset any excesses and to promote more yin yang balance of religions, sects, schools and temples.
It is said that it is unbecoming to dance, jump, hug and sing in a place of worship. But then many will no longer be attracted. The only way is to have dance, songs, hugging and clapping - perhaps even kissing in time to come. This will raise frowns on the conservatives.
Religion must be like a flower so that ants and insects will come to it for nectar. This was said by Bo Tien 武 天 decades ago.
But many just don't know why he said so. But out of respect, they just leave it at that. They dared not even repeat this to others.
Are people of religion like insects and ants? On the contrary, the conservatives are not. They don't want ants and insects anywhere in or near the holy place which is referred to as the flower.
But those out there who don't care about religion and who just want the material and indulgent life will be attracted to religion if religion can provide a better place for material and indulgent life.
By all means, go ahead, let down your hair, sing, clap hands, hug and dance to heart's content in a holy place. This will not make God or saint less God and less saint.
This will not desecrate the place but will inject life that is vibrant and noisy which some say is not appropriate. But it is far better to have this in a religious place than to let the many orbit away from religion and end up in bad company.
The conservative will argue that there must be peace and quiet in a holy place. Silence is golden. Peace is about silence and calm serenity.
But why for goodness sake castigate those who are not ready for this. They want noise and clatter of drums and what have we.
At least, those who come to the house of God like insects and ants coming to a flower for nectar have the chance to be near to God though far from quiet and peace.
They are of course not insects and ants. They are humans and God and saints want them to be in religion - not out of religion. God and saints want the far to be near. Bo Tien 武 天 did say the far is near.
There will still be some good even if they turn a house of God into a disco of sorts. Religion is not for the goody lot alone.
The so-called self proclaimed goody lot are in minority. Religion must reach out and appeal to the majority who would otherwise not care to take a second look at religion.
What is important is the end not the means. Judge not the means as the end and say that this or that is not what religion should be. What religion should be can be contentious.
Thus if you see Chinese monks and nuns singing and dancing while rapping on "namo amitabha" and saying "one, two, three" and clap and turn around and around with the followers echoing in chorus and joining in, you should not be surprised but be awed and amazed, You should not say they have erred. God and saints don't mind and why should you.
Yes, they have in a way broken some of the rules of monks and nuns. But please for God-sake, know what is their intention.
The intention is noble but the means may raise eyebrows. Bo Tien's 武 天 reference to the need to go upstream against the current instead of flowing downstream with the current is worth further reflection. The saintly Bo Tien 武 天 would not have said it frivolously.
Monks and nuns should flow downstream with the current but how many are indeed brave enough to say that this may not help more in society.
To attract and bring in the lot who would otherwise be lost, let there be outpouring of joy, exuberances, dancing and prancing. What is the difference between lion dancing and prancing in a temple on holy days and young people doing the same in a temple?
When I raised the issue with a conservative colleague of a temple I used to go to, he said we should remain silent and keep the peace. Don't encourage. Don't discourage as well. Do nothing. But if less and less come to a temple, then a temple will become a relic of the past in time to come.
Obviously there must be a judicious mix or balance of the two and with shades in between. This the orient refers to as yin yang balance which was surfaced by Bo Tien 武 天. This manifests in a religion having many sects, each sect many schools. Perhaps this enables counterbalance and moderating effect on one another.
But mind you and this is for real, the greatest and all important moderating influence comes from the government of the land more so if it is secular.
Bo Tien 武 天 echoes what saints of all religions remind followers. They all say that all must obey and comply with the authority that be in the land, This provides a buffer to offset any excesses and to promote more yin yang balance of religions, sects, schools and temples.
