Going to God for gain

Learning Point No 202

Men do go to God or to a temple or church for personal gain and not primarily out of love for God and saints. They also do not go for the doctrine and the Way. This is not ideal but still alright if done in right context. This is neither exactly right nor wrong

In 1974, Lord Bo Tien said, "Followers and well wishers of a temple or organisation must learn to accept that not all the wishes and aspirations, be it personal or otherwise, be granted or supported when they pray to their saint. There are some who come with troubled and heavy hearts while others may not have this heaviness of heart. However, like those who come to Bo Tien Temple, they come to seek for something from the saint." Lord Bo Tien's 1974 Anniversary Message

Lord Bo Tien reiterated that many do come to a temple for personal wishes and this is to be expected and understandable. But they should know the limits

 

There are those who come to a temple with very unwholesome and non-spiritual motives. Men should not blame the saint for such men coming to that temple.

 

The temple is like a flower.  There are those who come to a temple with unwholesome motives or motives though sociopolitically good are not spiritually based or orientated. They are like insects coming to a flower to derive benefit or nectar. (Lord Bo Tien's 1984 Anniversary Message)

 

Lord Bo Tien reiterated that we should not blame insects for coming to the flower. Ultimately even insects though coming for nectar too can create some good for others and not just for themselves even though the good effects for others may obviously be at times very much unintended. 

Going to God or temple for personal gain is neither an issue nor non-issue, but leaves much to be desired. But such men have right to be with God just like insects to be with the flower.

There are basically two types of gain. Personal gain is one. Gain for others is the the other type of gain. But the best gain is the endless circle of gains. Our gain benefits others and others' gain benefit us as well. Everyone in the circle gains.

This endless cycle of gains is everything, yet not everything about life and gain. The circle has no beginning and no end.

The circle is complete and yet not as well. For everything in mundane will come to naught.

So what must we do. We carry on as we are of this world and not behave as though we are out of this world.

We go for the spiritual completeness beyond the mundane but deny not the mundane life. Go for no gain and no loss or to put it in another way, we need to accept both gain and loss and have the inner peace that is at the centre of the circle of life.