Don't be carried away by the Utopian dream

Learning Point No 172

Many do not get what they want in their lives and what they cannot get they turn to religion and religious organisations like churches and temples for understanding of why they  are not happy with life and also why they are not at peace with themselves.

 

That is alright but they must not be carried away and jump from the frying pan of life into the fire of the utopian dream that often religious institutions may moult into.

 

Young  and charistmatic men aspiring to success and be leaders of men to satisfy their egoes may land themselves in churches and temples and become leaders, monks and pastors. They take the easy way out and take on the cloak of spirituality to pander to their non-spiritual mundane needs.

 

These men start off on the right note but often subconsciously veer on to pander to their lust for status, adoration by other men and wealth beyond their dreams.

 

To  be able to do so, they have to pander to the innate weakness of their congregations. They promise paradise and easy way to get to paradise.

 

There is no need to cultivate but just believe and trust. Just part with your money and family and put your trust in Divinity. Of course, the leaders act as proxies for God and saints.

 

Lo and behold, such mortal combination can bring on the worst of the lot. This is all because men go for the Utopian dream and want to be there even before they take the first few steps. 

 

Be they leaders or members of the congregation in a temple or church, they are welcome by God and saints to such religious enclaves for they are the ones who need divine guidance more then the goody-two-shoes. Divine guidance there will be but whether they accept and practise is another matter.

 

Even if they do not, God can only prod them along but with freewill, they need to help themselves. If both the leaders and congregation choose to be on the misleading path, God and saints can only sympathise and hope they will learn from their folly in life. 

 

We should not blame the flower for insects coming to it. This did the lord saint Lord Bo Tien want us to reflect. At least, some good may come about as there will still be spiritual work done. There will still be some fruit and seeds that would be dispersed to be new trees to bear more flowers.