No 1468 of Living Life Series 1
Bo Tien 武 天 also says that the thrust of his message that there is oneness of the basic or inner truth for need to be good and at peace being so different from the conventional thinking in popular religions may give rise to misunderstanding and this will be expected.
But Bo Tien 武 天 wants those who believe in him not to be perturbed. They must understand that men are men.
Religions have over the many centuries evolve with many new ways and interpretations such that the basic teachings of any religion have been buried over by many layers.
In fact to the discerning few, they must dig away at the layers like archaeologists to reach to the initial teachings of that religion.
Bo Tien 武 天 says that we must not follow the crowd and flow along with them but learn from them, their strengths and their weaknesses.
Rather instead of flowing downstream, we must go upstream against the current to reach clear spring water at the upstream.
In another illustration, he says that in the wilderness where there is no water, we must dig away deeper and remove the layers of soil and rock to reach underground subterranean water. this is how people of ancient times get water by digging deep and having wells to supply water.
The ones who are rooted in subterranean water of inner or core truth of all religions are at peace and survive in all seasons and conditions of life. This is in the 1979 message of Bo Tien 武 天.
In more modern society, there is water in rivers and seas but such water is not drinkable and usable for family needs. The access to spring water is very limited compared to sea water and polluted water. We have to purify and desalinate water to have water suitable to quench our thirst.
In spirituality, there will be many popular religious practices but we must distill what we know and go for the pure teaching or doctrine that will quench our spiritual thirst.
Drinking polluted water or seawater direct will not do so but create more problems and more thirst.
We must go for the purity of life, the need to be pure and at peace, the need to go beyond the ego that creates more ego and wants, the ego that creates conflicts and worsen our own and others' egos.
We do not wait for the afterlife to do this. We must have the pure land or heaven here and now and not wait for heaven in next life. We can have heaven on Earth. This is the focus of any religion.
But Bo Tien 武 天 says that the issue is that insects and ants are attracted to the pure and beautiful water. They want nectar out of the flower.
Religions as institutions often attract those with ego and those who are carried away by being able to meet ego and worldly needs in religion that they fail to have enough in the world outside religion.
As what Chan practitioners always wants to share with the world, we must have the pure land or heaven on Earth. The thoughts of Master Sheng yen of Dharma Drum Mountain Taiwan echoes and amplifies the the thoughts of Bo Tien 武 天 on religion.
