No 1415 of Living Life Series 1
Thus the basic teachings of all religions do remind us of what he has told us. In a way though he is silent, he speaks through divine silence. He seems to speak to us in his divine silence through any religion.
At times, even our experiences of life remind us what he teaches. He seems also to speak to us through life not only our own life but through others as well.
His teachings hold true in any religion and in life outside religion. That is why he refers to teachings as the Universal or Inner Truth.
He starts no religion. He favors none. There is no need to.
We learn to be comfortable and at home in any religion. He is with us anywhere even when we take part in services of any house of God and saints. In that sense, he is omnipresent.
But we should appreciate the doctrine he stands for. We should not be personal with him and idolize him. He says he is the Doctrine and the Doctrine is him.
Just like God and all saints, he is everything that is life - the alpha and the omega (to quote from the Bible). Why is this so?
Well, he is the Doctrine or Truth. Truth is in the very nature or essence of life. Truth is everywhere where there is life. Truth is paramount and can move mountains. Truth is omnipotent not just omnipresent.
Why? Truth is most effective and cannot be challenged or denied. Bo Tien 武 天 too is omnipotent as he stands for Truth. He is the Truth. Truth is God. There is therefore God in him and he in God.
Bo Tien 武 天 is the Truth we find in all religions and in life. Truth is omnipotent and omnipresent.
You can say that he is omnipotent and omnipresent but he prefers us not to see him that way as we may end up hero worshipping and idolising him. We may then plain forget about truth and doctrine God and saints stand for. This is not what he wants at all.
What is Truth? Truth is about being pure and free from ill-will so that we can be at peace. Of course this takes time and is uphill task.
But a little progress every day is good enough though we are still far from upper source and far from ultimate purity and peace. A wee bit more of purity and peace as we move on in life is good enough for now.
Bo Tien 武 天 says that we need to go against the current to upper source for spring water and not flow downstream and gather more mud, shit, urine and debris.
But there certainly are a number even if a temple is set up bearing his name who would rather flow with the current downstream rather than going upstream.
To them they will see not the Truth in his image but the person or saint Bo Tien 武 天 is who would likely be one of the many in the temple. Reason is they go for the personality in saints and they want more of that.
Such a temple would be exemplary of the run-of-the-mill Chinese temple and not the exception that would set it apart and that would make it stand out for others to follow and mirror. There would still good in a temple being like that - just mirroring what other temples are doing.
But considering what Bo Tien 武 天 said, it should be better than what this. Otherwise the Inner Truth doctrine he teaches cannot go places but stay put in the backyard.
The stress ideally should be to show that the universal inner truth is omnipresent and omnipotent - present in all life and religions and more importantly effective everywhere and anywhere and not just for a temple bearing his name.
His mission is to not to build a temple or two but for spreading the doctrine of the Inner Truth - that there is the same basic teachings in all religions and in all houses of God and saints.
In such a temple, there would naturally be great deal of cautious and discreet conservatism and desire for just the status quo. But did Bo Tien 武 天 descended in 1969 just to have more of such status quo temple and even with a charity arm added. Such a temple is still worthy and praiseworthy - but alas yet same as many other temples?
Then such a temple is exemplary of any other temples. How far can it go to be the exception and be exemplary for others to follow? There is the knowledge that such a temple can be better than status quo but not for time being and for the people running it. Such people are comfortable keeping the status quo and this would seem best for them. They function at their own comfort zone and avoid unnecessary limelight and attention.
The consensus or mood would be to be in tune with the rest and not set itself from the rest - no need to stand out more than necessary but just blend harmoniously and peacefully with the traditional traditional temple landscape. This can still good and applaudable but can be better than that.
The writer's view is that there is the need to project the Inner Truth doctrine as omnipresent and omnipotent. Any new temple bearing the name of Bo Tien 武 天 should be springboard for this but a number in such a temple would just want to have a temple and nothing more.
This would be what they want. This would be more than what they could hope for. The mission to such people is to build a temple and maintain it. This is still good and to be applauded.
Many will go for that and will at best only pay lip service to the Mission of the Inner Truth. There is still caution and wisdom in such approach. The doctrine mission just have to be on backburner.
No wonder Bo Tien 武 天 says the mission is by Heaven and not by men. Men can wait but Heaven cannot. Heaven cannot just depend on men to do better and beyond the comfort zones of men.
Divinity need to project the Inner Truth, the Doctrine common to and basic to all religions and show that it is omnipresent and omnipotent.
The Mission of the Inner Truth must prevail over the comfort zones of many men. Men must go for the truth and not the saint or prophet and not for more saints if this is at the expense of the truth or doctrine.
There is need to show the omnipresence and omnipotence of the same truth in faiths and in life. Any new temple set up, more so a temple of Bo Tien 武 天 should serve only as the means to this end.
Go for the Word (the truth) and not for comfort zones of men. Men will always be men. They go for their own agenda with the pretext of serving divine agenda. God and saints have their vision far above and beyond that of mortal men.
There is tendency of men creating problems even in religion. They either do nothing more than being self-centred in their own comfort zone of a temple or end up with conflicts if they go beyond. The problems of men are many and plentiful. This Bo Tien 武 天 share with us.
Thus men are not needed for the Mission of Heaven. Men just decide how they can benefit and what temples they should have. Heaven will not dictate and compel. Divinity is ever tolerant and empathic.
This is evident when we see that temples are at times run and managed by people who are not religiously driven but driven by their need to be in control of the world. If they cannot do so in the world outside religion, at least to them it is still good to be in control and to possess a temple.
Like what Bo Tien 武 天 said that insects and ants will come to a flower for nectar. Blame not the flower for ants and insects coming to it.
Blame not God and saints if a temple is taken over by opportunistic men obviously not rooted in spirituality but in questionable non-spiritual and far from wholesome agenda.
They only want others to hear and abide by them and not hear and abide by the Word of God and saints. They are like wolves in sheeps clothing.
They suppress and ignore the free play of the Word. But they do not realise that the Word is omnipresent and omnipotent.
Many who read the holy texts have failed to have helicopter view if they relate only to the divine God and saints when they refer to omnipresence and omnipotence.
They will end up thinking that what they need is to please God and saints. They will think that men can only be saved by grace and not by being good and living in the Word. They will end up idolising God.
But in a number of temples, before the individuals can get close enough to idolise God and saints, they have first to face and cross the barrier of men at the helm. They have to please the men at the helm. They have to worship men before they get any chance to worship God and saints.
If the men at the helm don't like you, you are ostracised or even excommunicated if they don't like you and the very sight of you is revulsive and makes them puke
The catch seems to be that if you want God, you must first want the men there and be in tune to their every whims and fancies - their every dictate.
The irony is that God is everywhere where there is life and not just in temples or up in the mountains. Where there is life there is the truth in life - the Inner Truth which is there everywhere and effective everywhere.
God is the Word and the Word is God. The Word is omnipresent and omnipotent. What is omnipresent and omnipotent needs insight before we can know for sure.
By now if you still don't know the answer, please don't be upset but try to be at peace even if perplexed. But this is somewhat a tall order. Never mind and move on in life in peace and not with your spirit in pieces...
Console yourself and move on. Time is precious. Don't waste time on conflicts and squabbles. Live and let live. This too is one way though not the best way to have the peace and keep the peace.
