No 1479 of Living Life Series 1
The problems of man are many and plentiful. The cause lies in the "I thoughts." Religion comes in handy to help man to be free from problems.
But the irony is that men bring the "I thoughts" to religion and will create problems for religion. If such men manage religion, men creates problems for men and create problems within a religion and between religions. They bring woes to religion. This is contrary to the teachings of God and saints.
The great sages of ancient past came to the world to enlighten men so that men know why they as men have problems and no peace. The prophets and sages meant to do this and not end up as founders of religions - not to create religions in the strict sense of the word religion.
Religions are by men and can cause divides and schisms, all because of the "I thoughts." Isn't this ironical? No wonder, it is said that the devil will take over and displace God, prophets and the saints.
Well, the truth is that the devil is in men due to their "I thoughts." Isn't this pathetic? Blame not the Evil One when man is his own devil.
The "I thoughts" have to do with the ego and the need to have more advantage out of life even at the expense of others.
The same "I thoughts" create problems in family work and society.
How can life and the world be trouble free? But we can do our part by having less "I thoughts" and have less problems. We can have inner peace even if there is no peace around us due to the myriad "I thoughts" of men.
If we encourage and grow the "I thoughts" from cradle to grave, it is forgone conclusion that we will do so for the departed ones by wailing, whining and asking the departed ones not to leave. This will go some way to make the departed unwilling to leave.
The consequences is that the departed ones will have more "I thoughts" and will end up as wandering spirits or worse still go to hell where people with high degree of "I thoughts" which promote wrongdoings go to. So have no excuse to have "I thoughts." This will be better for the spiritual aura of the living and the departed.
The "I thoughts" include living in and holding on to the past and present and refusing to let go. It also includes holding onto the dream of heaven in the afterlife with the thinking that nothing need to be done but mere belief in the notion that heaven is God given. We must of course learn from the past but not live in the past. The way to go is to create new and better life for all.
Focus on the blessings we already have. What we have is more important than what we don't have as yet. If we value what we have, we are blessings to ourselves and to others around us. This will sow the seeds of more blessings to come.
Waste not our time and health. Time is the greatest blessing but health is even more important than this greatest blessing. Without health, the blessings we have will no longer be blessings.
Go not for the wants of life. Go for the peace and calm which make us less wanting for this and that. Inner peace goes with less wants and more contentment. We have less of "I thoughts."
We are what we think. If we find life wanting, we have no inner peace and we are blind to whatever blessings we have. The greatest blessing is free and is of course "time." Without time we cannot have the rest like a job and what we can have in life - even inner peace.
Time is not something we can buy, so also is health. Rest is needed and rest is half the day and half of life. Rest promotes health - physical and mental.
Worldly blessings are only means to the end and not the end in themselves. Mistake not the means as the ends if we want a meaningful life.
We should not judge others on our own standards or ways. This will not bring peace and a meaningful life. Why? The culprit, the "I thoughts" will be behind this judgemental approach which may cause problems. It will be a matter of time, if not now but later. There is no fixed template for everyone. What works for one person may not work for another.
Parents tend to dictate template of life on children and when children become adults, they tend to dictate their template of life on elderly parents; all because of "I thoughts." The "I thoughts" cause unhappiness and all parties involved just find no meaning and peace in life. They turn to religion but they bring their "I thoughts" into the fold of religion and create divides and unhappiness in religion. Yes, the "I thoughts" bring hell to the living even before they are in hell.
The one with "I thoughts" expect the sky out of others but the sky will drop on him instead. He will not be a blessing to himself let alone for others. But he is the one who needs help and guidance by Heaven. He as what Bo Tien 武天 says is far from God but yet near to God as such a man God wants to change him for the better.
The way is to give up the "I thoughts." There is no other way. This is the truth that God and saints of any religion want him to realise. This is the way to make sense out of life. He will learn in due time.
The revealing aspect of life of men is that men can put up a show of helping others when there are close ones who need their help more. They neglect close ones and even chastise them for their own problems.
This is more evident during the Chinese seventh month festival of the Hungry Ghosts when Chinese openly burn offerings and bid high at festival auctions to raise funds for the following year's festival.
At other times, they give love offerings to church and temples without any preset conditions. But when come to close ones they are reluctant to give more to close ones and to make matters worse, they play God to chastise them for not making it in life.
Men tend to play God and chastise others who are close ones in family, church cell groups and in society. They contribute to more problems more so to the very ones close to them who need help. They help others but are cold towards those close to them. This is in the nature of Man and has to do with the endless or bottomless need to satisfy the ego which sages of ancient China refer to as "I thoughts."
The problems of man are many and plentiful. The cause lies in the "I thoughts." Religion comes in handy to help man to be free from problems.
But the irony is that men bring the "I thoughts" to religion and will create problems for religion. If such men manage religion, men creates problems for men and create problems within a religion and between religions. They bring woes to religion. This is contrary to the teachings of God and saints.
The great sages of ancient past came to the world to enlighten men so that men know why they as men have problems and no peace. The prophets and sages meant to do this and not end up as founders of religions - not to create religions in the strict sense of the word religion.
Religions are by men and can cause divides and schisms, all because of the "I thoughts." Isn't this ironical? No wonder, it is said that the devil will take over and displace God, prophets and the saints.
Well, the truth is that the devil is in men due to their "I thoughts." Isn't this pathetic? Blame not the Evil One when man is his own devil.
The "I thoughts" have to do with the ego and the need to have more advantage out of life even at the expense of others.
The same "I thoughts" create problems in family work and society.
How can life and the world be trouble free? But we can do our part by having less "I thoughts" and have less problems. We can have inner peace even if there is no peace around us due to the myriad "I thoughts" of men.
If we encourage and grow the "I thoughts" from cradle to grave, it is forgone conclusion that we will do so for the departed ones by wailing, whining and asking the departed ones not to leave. This will go some way to make the departed unwilling to leave.
The consequences is that the departed ones will have more "I thoughts" and will end up as wandering spirits or worse still go to hell where people with high degree of "I thoughts" which promote wrongdoings go to. So have no excuse to have "I thoughts." This will be better for the spiritual aura of the living and the departed.
The "I thoughts" include living in and holding on to the past and present and refusing to let go. It also includes holding onto the dream of heaven in the afterlife with the thinking that nothing need to be done but mere belief in the notion that heaven is God given. We must of course learn from the past but not live in the past. The way to go is to create new and better life for all.
Focus on the blessings we already have. What we have is more important than what we don't have as yet. If we value what we have, we are blessings to ourselves and to others around us. This will sow the seeds of more blessings to come.
Waste not our time and health. Time is the greatest blessing but health is even more important than this greatest blessing. Without health, the blessings we have will no longer be blessings.
Go not for the wants of life. Go for the peace and calm which make us less wanting for this and that. Inner peace goes with less wants and more contentment. We have less of "I thoughts."
We are what we think. If we find life wanting, we have no inner peace and we are blind to whatever blessings we have. The greatest blessing is free and is of course "time." Without time we cannot have the rest like a job and what we can have in life - even inner peace.
Time is not something we can buy, so also is health. Rest is needed and rest is half the day and half of life. Rest promotes health - physical and mental.
Worldly blessings are only means to the end and not the end in themselves. Mistake not the means as the ends if we want a meaningful life.
We should not judge others on our own standards or ways. This will not bring peace and a meaningful life. Why? The culprit, the "I thoughts" will be behind this judgemental approach which may cause problems. It will be a matter of time, if not now but later. There is no fixed template for everyone. What works for one person may not work for another.
Parents tend to dictate template of life on children and when children become adults, they tend to dictate their template of life on elderly parents; all because of "I thoughts." The "I thoughts" cause unhappiness and all parties involved just find no meaning and peace in life. They turn to religion but they bring their "I thoughts" into the fold of religion and create divides and unhappiness in religion. Yes, the "I thoughts" bring hell to the living even before they are in hell.
The one with "I thoughts" expect the sky out of others but the sky will drop on him instead. He will not be a blessing to himself let alone for others. But he is the one who needs help and guidance by Heaven. He as what Bo Tien 武天 says is far from God but yet near to God as such a man God wants to change him for the better.
The revealing aspect of life of men is that men can put up a show of helping others when there are close ones who need their help more. They neglect close ones and even chastise them for their own problems.
This is more evident during the Chinese seventh month festival of the Hungry Ghosts when Chinese openly burn offerings and bid high at festival auctions to raise funds for the following year's festival.
At other times, they give love offerings to church and temples without any preset conditions. But when come to close ones they are reluctant to give more to close ones and to make matters worse, they play God to chastise them for not making it in life.
Men tend to play God and chastise others who are close ones in family, church cell groups and in society. They contribute to more problems more so to the very ones close to them who need help. They help others but are cold towards those close to them. This is in the nature of Man and has to do with the endless or bottomless need to satisfy the ego which sages of ancient China refer to as "I thoughts."
