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The Living Life Series is dedicated to Lord (武天) Bo Tien. 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 affliliation 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. 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.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Ultimate welfare is beyond charity

Learning Point No 160






To achieve the enlightenment, a person must have bodily and worldly welfare before he can be fit to cultivate the spirit and mind through purification.

The welfare can come from himself or from others if he cannot take care or fend for himself. This is charity. A person must love himself and be helpful to himself. Charity begins at home and with the individual. One obviously must have bread for himself before he can give to others. Keeping all for himself when there is surplus is just too much and may destroy his well being.

In old days people need not try harder to help themselves and can beg for food but in the present time of 2012, this is not possible or adequate.

So for those destitutes, charity in form of aged or nursing home  must be available.  But co-payment and some self-help by individual is necessary so that person can help himself in some way and at same time be helped by others.

But ultimately that person must be saved from clutches of the ups and downs of life and from births and deaths. He must be saved and ultimately there must be saving of the soul which is beyond the body and material needs.

There is need for cultivation of the heart or mind. Over indulging the body or the mind will lead to neglect of the other. The care or cultivation of mind and body must be balanced and this too is part of the balance of yin and yang in life that the Tao sages of old refer to.

Charity is merely the first step or starter and not the end-all. Indulgence or over pampering cause ill health as well and dulls the spirit. We must go beyond charity to meet not only bodily needs but also ensure wholesome well being of both body and spirit.

Ultimate welfare is beyond charity and sages of old did say that it is the saving of the soul.

But for many who cannot have three meals a day, charity is the real need and saving of the soul is not in the agenda.

All of us are imperfect and fall short of the glory of God. If not for his benevolence, we would not make it even as human beings but will end up reaping the ill effects of our imperfection.

God gives even when we don't as yet deserve and without this, we will not make it to be on the path and to start the path of saving of our souls. Charity by God is a blessing which many men do not as yet deserve. But ultimate well being or welfare is beyond charity.

It is the same when parents as family gods of sorts raise young children and if they do not give to the children, these children will not have places in the sun. You can say that without parental charity, there is not much leeway for them to grow into adulthood. But how they will fare in adult is beyond the parents. No wonder, the Buddha did say that parents are the first gods or saints and the home is the first temple.

Ultimate welfare depends on the individual and is beyond charity by men (e.g. parents) or by God and saints. Amen (This is so and so be it.)





 
 
 

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