LIVING LIFE SERIES 1

A BO TIEN (武天) MISSION INITIATIVE LAUNCHED ON 28TH SEPT 2010 BY INNER TRUTH NETIZEN 2. THE MISSION IS TO SHOW THE WAY TO HOPE, INNER PEACE AND ULTIMATELY SALVATION FOR ALL BEINGS. THE PURPOSE IS TO SAVE SOULS. IT IS WAY BEYOND NORMAL GOOD WORK LIKE CHARITY AND WELFARE ACTIVITIES. NO ONE SHALL BE SAVED BY GOOD WORKS ALONE BUT BY MORE THAN GOOD WORK. THERE IS NEED TO BE IMBUED WITH THE BASIC DOCTRINE COMMON TO AND BEHIND ALL RELIGIONS AND SECTS. LIVE IN DOCTRINE. DOCTRINE IN LIFE IS PARAMOUNT.

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The Living Life Series is dedicated to Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). The doctrine is in His image. The image is the doctrine. He who sees, understands and effects the doctrine sees and knows Him. He who does not see, know and effect the doctrine sees not and knows not the saint even if the saint or His image is beside him. The far may be near and the near may be far. Let the doctrine and the saint be part of our life. The lord saint in your life can be any heavenly saint of any religion, sect or school. The doctrine of truth is behind all and this is the Inner Truth that leads all (regardless of their religious affiliation or even if none) to inner peace and heaven on earth here and now and not just in the after life. The ideal worship and devotion is to know and effect the doctrine of God and the saints. The best gospel is the gospel of life. We learn from our life and the lives of others. The true temple is the world we live in. The sky is the roof of the temple and religions and sects are the pillars of the temple. All under Heaven are in the temple. Needless to say that all the saints we know are in this temple. Ji Gong Posat too is no exception. The whole wide world and web is the temple and must be regarded as a sacred place --- a temple for living and learning. It is more important that everyone that counts plays a role in this universal temple if due focus is to be given to the Mission of Heaven. Men must not be distracted by the agenda of men and end up serving the mission of man. That would be a far cry from the Mission of Heaven. We worship God and saints, not man however good that man may be. There should be no hero worshiping or idolizing of man whether he is a charismatic pastor, priest, monk, medium or lay leader. We don't even idol worship the image of any saint but reflect on what the image stands for. - the doctrine in the image. Omitofo 阿弥陀佛!.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Heaven and sainthood are miles apart

No 481 of Living Life Series 1

To be in Heaven is a separate issue from sainthood. What matters is to be a saint. What is necessary for many is to be in Heaven so that it is possible to cultivate sainthood.

Whilst many believe in being assured of Heaven in the afterlife, many do not think further than that. All religions promise Heaven as the spiritual goal. Indeed for the vast majority, this is enough. This would be what we should want.

But if we probe further, many religions do stress that this is not enough. We can be in Heaven mainly by the grace of God and good deeds alone may not be enough.

Amitabha Pure Land school even said that we focus on recital of Omitofo. By doing so repeatedly say for ten times or more, by the power of the vast merits of Amitabha Buddha, we can be blessed by him in two ways.

We will be blessed in this earthly life with issues becoming no issues or less issues even if they cannot be no issue. Also, without doubt in the afterlife, we will be delivered to The Western Paradise which is the Pure Land.

But then sainthood is another matter. Many wait till they are in Pure Land to cultivate sainthood.

The world or universe we are in is ever in flux, ever changing with as many ups as there are downs. These sages of old in China refer to this as cyclical yang and yin. Both are needed for life but one is antagonistic to the other but yet complementary.

The way in life is to cultivate the complementary aspect and this requires one to be atop and balance the yin and yang. The attempt to cultivate is already more meritorious than good deeds for good deeds are often due to need to assuage the self or ego.

Cultivation of Tao, the balancing of yin and yang is beyond ego and also not denying self identity. It is neither ego-centric nor self denial. It is as depicted in the image of Lord Bo Tien with feet atop the elements.

Lord Bo Tien

Tao will produce peace that is beyond the ups and downs - the trials and tribulations in life. Tao is the victory over yin and yang. Tao must begin now and not wait till kingdom come. We do not wait till we are in Heaven or Pure Land to harness the peace from Tao. We do so right now.

Tao puts us on the path of sainthood. Tao allows us to experience the peace of sainthood even long before we arrive at sainthood.

Without sainthood, we will have to be reborn again and again. There is no guarantee that we be in Heaven forever. Nothing not even life in Heaven is forever safe for sainthood.

Sainthood is achievable in any birth in any dimension, be it in Heaven, Hell or Earth. Even if we have yet to arrive, the cultivation of Tao is so divine and merit generating that we are likely to be in Heaven in the afterlife.

But for certain aspects of Tao, it may be necessary to be on Earth or even in rare times to be in Hell to master those aspects. Earth or life as man is the best place for Tao but it is also the place where men may fail in Tao. Most sages have to be born as man before they can be what they are.

Lest you forget

Do not make the mistake of idolizing any man who tells you about the Word. He is in the same boat as you even if religion refers to him as a religious leader. Mere mention of a religious leader is as good as encouraging idolising of that man. Why must there be hierarchy in religion? Hierarchy is conventional but may end up as liability rather than a necessity or asset. There should be no caste or hierarchy system in religion. No one is to be considered above another in religion. A religious leader or follower is a servant to serve you and not a leader to be idolised. Do not put him on the pedestal and make a monster out of him.

MAY ALL BE WELL AND HAPPY

May all be well and happy. May they have peace. May our departed friends and kins be well, happy and have divine peace. The main writer wishes the best for all for those near and far. Our kins may be far when they had passed on to better lives but they are near though far. He remembers and wishes his parents Mr Siow Soo Koh and Mdm Tay Hung Siang, his uncles and aunties like Mr Tay Koon Huay, his cousins like Mr Tay Chong Sim and his friends like Mr Philip Png well and have abundance of life. May they be rich in spirit for without such ancestors, there will be no posterity - no us and no you and me. They have blessed us and we must blessed them in return forever and ever.