The better of the lot too have erred and must wake up

Learning Point No 262

In any temple or church, often there are some who understand the doctrine better and are more on the path of God and saints. But often they are in the minority compared to those who are attracted to the temple, many of whom come like insects to a flower. But it is alright for the many who do not know as much to come for they could learn.

 

Unfortunately before they could crawl, they want to walk and they will err and fall, leading to the temple faltering in pursuit of doctrine and they end up veering towards less wholesome ends such as social agenda and even doing good charitable ends not as stepping stone to more doctrinal grasp, understanding and practice but as means instead to get glory and acclaim by society at large. They end up ignoring doctrine and leaving doctrines in the archives.

 

Thus the few who know better and practice better the doctrine may be cheesed off and tend to critisize them and more often than not they end up flabergasted and leave them to do things according to their fancies. This certainly is not good.

 

In Historical version of the 1983 message of Lord Bo Tien ... , Lord Bo Tien said that both the few who know better and the many who do know less are falling short of the expectations of God and saints. Often they could not see eye to eye and end up in blows --- defintely then not practising His doctrine.

The doctrine is wasted on all and they might as well return the doctrine to Heaven. He said thus.

 

"He then chose the 1st and 15th day of the month to perform the burning of His Doctrine in front of 49 temples. He then directed all followers, whether they are right or wrong, to take three joss sticks and pray to Heaven to ask for forgiveness."

Instead of squabbling and being antagonistic to those who know less, those who know more must be compassionate and be nice and try to convince and win over the many more who know or practise little or less. They may find that what they say may fall on deaf ears but they must adopt the correct doctrinal approach and convince those who know little or less and who often are in the majority and who decide and make the temple or church embark on the wrong way and directions.

 

The lord saint in 1983 said of the need for his temple to set example for other temples to follow and has the following advice for those who know better that they should neither be adversarial nor leave alone those who know less. Instead they should lead and advise them to understand the doctrine.

  

He said that His teaching was not made to complicate His followers. He repeated that a human being should not judge or criticise another human being but to lead or advise him or her to understand the Temple's Doctrine. He said that we must show a good example to other people. 

All temples and churches should set worthwhile examples by making sure that the few who know better not leave or find fault with the prevailing many who know less and who are managing the place. The better of the lot too have erred and there is need for those who know more to wake up and make good.

Be it for those who know more or know less of doctrine, what is important said Lord Bo Tien is the heart. In the 1983 message, He emphasized that the followers must keep their hearts pure at all times.

Why is this most important in life and spiritual pursuit ? Let us try to understand.

If the heart is pure, even for those who know less or little of doctrine, all will turn out well in time to come. They will learn and will wake up earlier and make good.

This applies too to those who know more of the doctrine. Even though knowing more but not practising and not being pure at heart, they may end up not doing right and far from God and saints.

We must be like Sam Chong who is pure at heart and nothing can stop him from spiritual success, not even lack of wisdom and knowledge of doctrine. In 1983 message after touching on need for the heart to be pure to begin with, Lord Bo Tien said that for a temple to succed in mission to save souls, all must be like Sam Chong who with only a pure heart and sincerity was able to succeed.

The following sentence from 1983 message is worth reflecting on. "He then illustrated that Sam Chong (with pure heart and sincerity) went all the way to the West to obtain Buddha's Dharma for enlightenment of people (and succeeded in his mission)."  

 

Social agenda overriding doctrine focus will cause mission to falter

Learning Point No 261

The following sentences are taken from Historical version of Bo Tien Chor Choo's 1978 Anniversary Message...

 

In another illustration, He (Lord Bo Tien) likened His task as a plant where its stems were attacked or infested by pests. Constant nurturing and watering of the diseased plant would bring forth new shoots and new life to the plant. In the same way, if the stems of the plant were completely destroyed by the pests, but the roots still remained intact, a new plant would emerge, if there was constantly sufficient rainwater to nurture the roots.

   

The plant refers to the Mission to spread the Doctrine - Four Pillar Doctrine that all religions in the four cardinal directions are the pillars of the universal temple of God with the sky or Heaven as the roof.

 

All reach out to men in their own ways and with their own rules and teachings to bring men to God. Though the conventional teachings may appear different, the basic or inner truth is still the same - to save souls and bring them to God in ways more than one.  

 

In the 1978 message, it is stated thus. LORD BO TIEN said that His Image, His Doctrine of Four Pillars and His shrine would spread far and wide.

 

The mission machinery be it a mission related temple or the mission movement may be so very overwhelmed or bogged down by human problems due to pursuit of social or personal agenda and the lack of interest, grasp and conviction of doctrine. If these grow and dominate, they will cause the plant (temple / mission movement) to be diseased.

 

The pests that cause the disease are the social or personal agenda and the absence of doctrine focus. 

 

Then there must be conscientious attempt to rid off the pests and nurture the  diseased plant (temple or movement) to bring forth healthy shoots - people who are reborn to doctrine understanding and mission.

 

The latter can be the same people reborn to doctrine or new people who are doctrine inclined. 

 

However in worse scenario despite attempts to do so, the temple or movement is beyond hope, it (the stems) will be destroyed.

 

But so long as the pioneers and significant others had done their part for pushing the doctrine mission, the roots will still be intact and a new plant of a temple or mission movement will emerge.

 

Social agenda overriding doctrine focus will cause doctrine mission of the lord saint to falter.


 

 

 

 

Will newer people be better at the mission job?

Learning Point No 260





In 1978 message Lord Bo Tien illustrated His task as a contractor who was entrusted with a building project. No matter rain or shine, the contractor had to employ workers to complete the building. If the workers failed to cooperate with him or boycotted him, he had to keep on employing new workers to do the job until the whole building project was completed. Historical version of Bo Tien Chor Choo's 1978 Anniversary Message...

 

Thus in a mission related temple of the lord saint, if there is change of management with change in style, this may indicate that the new management with new workers will be the one to complete the mission but the mission is not just charity in worldly sense, the mission is to spread the doctrine of the Four Pillars far and wide and if they can do so then they are the ones to do the job of the mission but if not then they too will have to give way to another group of workers.  

 

Will newer people be better at the job? One cannot be sure if the existing lot is still at the job, has indeed already done a good job and can do better (if not the best) with time.

We must reflect on what the lord saint said with regards to the mission and why it has to do with doctrine and not just charity.

Lord Bo Tien did say at the end of 1978 message that the Aged Home was a good charitable deed, which they had accomplished and it was in line with His wish to have it built. Now that the Aged Home had been established, it was time to put forward His Doctrine. He said, "Good deeds are in many forms." At the present place (Woodlands Singapore), it was known that every effort put in had brought forth fruits for all to see and yet many are ignorant of His Doctrine.
Historical version of Bo Tien Chor Choo's 1978 Anniversary Message...

 

Did the lord saint decree that his image be burnt if there is no doctrine mission?

Learning Point No 259
Reference Historical version of Bo Tien Chor Choo's 1978 Anniversary Message...

 

 

Book Lord Bo Tien's Guidance
published by Bo Tien Temple
Singapore in year 2000

On page 25 of the book Lord Bo Tien's Guidance published by Bo Tien Temple Singapore in year 2000, the lord saint Lord Bo Tien remarked in His 1978 anniversary message that His image was at the Temple altar throughout 365 days and yet His presence was not being felt at all. 'My Doctrine', He said, 'is my image and my image is my doctrine.' He urged them to look closer at His Doctrine and they would understand Him better. He affirmed that God Almighty personally sanctioned the setting up of the Temple and His Doctrine. Should this generation fail to fulfill His Mission, His image would be lifted up to heaven*. The next generation of people or perhaps many generations to come would fulfill it. The cycle of this task would go on until a day when it would succeed. (Extract from The 1978 message of Lord Bo Tien set the direction for the mission.)

 

DISCUSSION:

Did the lord saint decree that his image be burnt (lifted to heaven) if there is no doctrine mission?

Lord Bo Tien is set on His mission to spread His doctrine of Four Pillars around the world. The doctrine is all and is even His image. If the generation in a temple with his name is lukewarm for doctrine and takes no interest, his image might as well be burnt* and this could well have happened literally, if not at least figuratively.

He seems to imply that His image be burnt so as to return it to heaven if there is no doctrine mission. Is this the case? Perhaps so and yet not so as there are the limited many still keen on doctrine and the practice and spread of doctrine through good works.

The best good work is not an aged home or welfare activities but the gift of doctrine to others. This too the lord saint said in his 1978 message.

  

On page 26 of the above mentioned book, the lord saint said "Now that the Aged Home had been established, it was the time to put forward His Doctrine. He said, 'Good deeds are in many forms.'  "

On pages 33 and 34 of the book, at the end of the lord saint's 1983 anniversary message, the lord saint said to those present at Singapore.

"The past year messages were to teach and guide us so that we would not go against Heaven. His coming was to spread the Doctrine for Heaven to all beings." 

"He then likened us (followers) to be the pillars of His temple  and if the Doctrine is not used and understood, then it should be returned to Heaven."

This 1983 reference on return of Doctrine to Heaven resonates with what he said in 1978 that his image is the doctrine and the doctrine is his image. The mission is to understand and use the doctrine, spread it to the world. There is need for setting up the doctrine for the world. Should there be failure to do this, "his image would be lifted to heaven*"

In that 1978 message, he stressed that "My doctrine is my image and my image is my doctrine." and thus his image or doctrine must be lifted up to heaven if followers fail to set up the doctrine for the world.    



Elder Ling

In his own independent initiative, inner truth netizen with Elder Ling as mission head (annointed mission head or Ah Tau by Lord Bo Tien) effected setting up of the Doctrine on the w.w.w. to  complement the efforts of the many in the spread of the doctrine to the world of men. Thus is the aim of the Living Life Series.  

 

*PS  Please do be wary and cautious not to draw unfavorable conclusion with regards to a post-2004 incident in a Bo Tien mission related temple. The incident even had the support and enthusiasm of inner truth netizen. That it came to pass was perhaps just purely incidental without any relevant or pertinent connotation of sorts. People do from time to time want to have a more refreshing and motivating new image. This is sometimes for better fengshui for both environmental and social harmony. They will thus burn off the older image but Elder Ling said that an old image retired off from active service could be kept in the attic or museum of a temple.

The act of burning off an image of the lord saint so that there be place for a better looking one is understandable and humanly acceptable by public, though the lord saint said that what is important is the doctrine, never mind if his wooden image has a crack as even his image like the rest of nature is impermanent. Obviously, it will in time crack as it is made of wood.

This reference can be found in the 1980 anniversary message of Lord Bo Tien and is in the last paragraph of page 27 of book LORD BO TIEN'S GUIDANCE published in year 2000 by Bo Tien Temple Singapore. The lord saint said, "As the image is made of wood, it would crack over time. This is unimportant. The important factor is that men would be able to grasp its significance (the doctrine as depicted in the image) and put it into practice."

 

The human shortcoming in a church or temple

Learning Point No 258
Reference Historical version of Bo Tien Chor Choo's 1978 Anniversary Message...

In any temple or church, good deeds like aged home and welfare activities must ideally be driven by the correct motives and not by social or personal agenda. The best good deed is beyond charity but some say the gift of truth or doctrine surpasses all gifts and charity. This all should agree. Lord Bo Tien in 1978 has made his point clear. He said,

"The setting up of the Aged Home had seen people with many ulterior motives: some for self interest; others to gain higher status in the society while there were some not expecting any returns" The 1978 message of Lord Bo Tien sets the direction for the mission...

The human shortcoming if any in a church or temple is due to the inherent weakness of man in wanting to meet personal and social agenda even in a church or temple. This will limit the goodness or magnitude of the good deed. But then, we could not expect idealism and altruism in those who do church or temple work. Saints and prophets do not expect that and they welcome people of diverse motives to come to their temples or churches. This is evidence of God allowing freewill and choice. Man has to choose what he wants to do.

Alas, man may end up undermining the mission of the prophet or saint of his temple or church. We have to live with that but could do more to better the thinking of fellow men by showing love for our fellow men and motivating them for the better. That be so and so be it.

The divine resolve

Learning Point No 257 
Reference Historical version of Bo Tien Chor Choo's 1978 Anniversary Message...

Lord Bo Tien said that His image, His Doctrine of Four Pillars and His shrine would spread far and wide. He emphasized, 'I am a CHOR CHOO (which in ordinary sense means Deity entrusted by God Almighty to carry out His present mission) and I represent Heaven.' He urged them to do their part to spread His Doctrine without fear of any obstacles for it was His responsibility to undo them. Extract from The 1978 message of Lord Bo Tien set the direction for the mission...

Doctrine grasp over mere faith and belief

Learning Point No 256

Faith alone  is not good enough. Being awed by a prophet, deity or saint is simply not the ideal.

 

Belief in good works is good but how good can it be if the goal is not spiritually aligned and motivated. In fact doing good is simply not good enough.

 

When we see the image of the lord saint, there must arise in us not only faith and belief in goodness but more importantly the doctrine of truth that the image depicts. Then there will be wisdom and insight that open the way to salvation.

 

The lord saint Lord Bo Tien said that he who knows the doctrine knows the lord saint and he who does not knows not the lord saint.  Lord Bo Tien's 1980 Anniversary Message

 

 

 

 

 

The oil lamp and the image

Learning Point No 255

 

 

 

 

 

Extract from 1978 anniversary message by Lord Bo Tien through his emissary.

 

The emissary then requested for the image of the Lord Saint to be brought down to the table before Him. Pointing His fingers to the oil lamp and the image, He said. "The oil lamp represents you and the image represents the lord."  Lord Bo Tien's 1978 Anniversary Message . *

The image depicts the doctrine. The doctrine of truth is what all need to know of from heavenly saints like Lord Bo Tien and not who they are or their personal history. There is pristine inner truth behind life. This inner peace can only be there if there is balance of the yin and yang contingencies or conditions of sentient life, as represented by the feet of the lord saint balancing and in control of the two figurines.

We should neither deny nor be subject to the throes, the 'push' and 'pull' of worldly contingencies of yin and yang - polar opposites like gain loss, happiness sorrow, honour dishonour, birth death, ups and downs etc.

The inner peace is the inner or ultimate truth behind the thrusts or expressed approaches of all religions.

Religions differ in approaches and styles. They have to employ varied and at times differing ways to secure the attention of as many beings lost and engulfed by the yin yang swirls of the sentient world.

 

The oil lamp represents men in the mission and their role to enlighten all on the inner truth behind life that the image portrays. Men must be the oil to keep the light of the mission alive and vissible. The mission is not to convert but to enable all to be better in having divine peace regardless of their religious and cultural environment.




* (Do also go to Historical version of Bo Tien Chor Choo's 1978 Anniversary Message... and the list of review articles mentioned)
 

From yin yang in society to even more in a temple

Learning Point No 254

         Lord Bo Tien said thus in the last of his almost yearly anniversary messages in the first 13 years cycle of His Mission, 

 

         "Human beings, being humans, have their limitations. They need to cling on to the big tree of divinity represented by the host of heavenly saints to prevent them from being blown away by the worldly contingencies of life -- the yin and the yang. Thus many in any temple will be swept away from the spiritual life but any such strong wind (of yin and yang) would stop one day and people will return." Lord Bo Tien's 1984 Anniversary Message

         
           Men may be attracted to a temple because of the saint at the temple. This will give them solace and hope in the complex world of society and the contingencies of life such as gain loss, praise blame, honour dishonour, health and illhealth, happiness and sorrow. These are the yin and yang contingencies of life.

 

          Ironically, the very temple that offers the big tree for them to cling on so as not be blown away by yin and yang becomes another place for these men to create yin and yang problems in the temple itself. They derail the agenda of the mission and in its place, they emplace the social mission to meet the needs of the time and society. They focus admirably on good works but they forget that good works alone are not enough. Men must go beyond good works. 

          They are thus swept by yin yang wind even within the temple and they deviate from the primary mission but any "such strong wind (of yin and yang) would stop one day and people will return" to the primary divine focus of the mission of the temple and realise the folly of social focus on good works alone. This is only to be expected and any heavenly saint would accomodate such human nature and  short-sightedness. 

         Men ran away from yin yang issues to find solace in a temple but when they run that temple they create yin yang issues and they do not even know that they have done so. But when they wake up, they will return to the more divine calling of the temple's lord saint ever more ardently and fervently for by then they would have learnt and understood.

 

Yin Yang balance in life, in society and in a temple

Learning Point No 253






Extract from Lord Bo Tien's 1984 Anniversary Message

The descent of the lord saint that night is similar to the flower. The pure and beautiful flower is the creation of nature. Ants and insects are attracted to the flower and all should not blame the flower for attracting ants and insects. A heavenly saint is like the flower and the least expected amongst men will be attracted to the saint like ants and insects to the flower. This is not the wrong doing of the flower but nature's way of survival and existence. That the least expected should be at the helm or in the following of a temple is not the folly of a heavenly saint and Heaven but Heaven's way to reach out to all more so the more lost in society. But the folly of men should not be regarded as Heaven's folly.

He then pointed out to the Taoist Octagon or Pakua, which showed two fish-like symbols the yin and the yang. Both must exist and if there was only one, then there will be no balance and peace. Man must seek the inner peace through balance of yin and yang. A temple or organisation must find balance in the yin and yang elements of people that constitute the temple. Only then will there be peace and harmony. This adds further significance to the advice given in the preceding paragraph on the flower and the ants. Without ants in men there would be no need for a temple and its mission. A temple or spiritual organisation needs to attract both yin and yang and this is as the case with all nature.

There is always the need for yin yang balance in any situation, in life, in society and in a temple. The balance point varies from individual to individual and from society to society and varies from timie to time for the same one individual, society or temple. This is to be expected and is common sense, nothing abstract, acdademic or philosophical.

1984 message is the last of the anniversary messages of Lord Bo Tien in the first cycle (13 years) of His Mission. That the lord saint Lord Bo Tien concluded the last part of this 1984 anniversary message by addressing the topic of yin and yang is a poignant reminder and a wake-up call of the importance of yin yang equation in life, in society and in a temple. 

 

Any Bo Tien temple will be misunderstood more so with time

Learning Point No 252

In Lord Bo Tien's 1974 Anniversary Message, the lord saint commented thus.  "The precepts and doctrines may not be new and different from that of others. However, a new temple like this temple can have approaches which can appear to be very different and contrasting. This can give rise to concerns and opinions simply because they may not be readily understood and accepted"

A temple of Lord Bo Tien will be easily mistaken misconceived and misunderstood. It is like a Buddhist or Taoist temple and yet it is not like any Buddhist or Taoistic temple. Many in the latter or subsequent generations will find it an enigma and try to make it revert to be like any Chinese cultural Buddhist or Taoist temple. This is due to concerns and will give rise to more concerns and more controversies. This is to be expected as many could not fathom or understand and only a few  can understand as  stated by the lord saint in his last anniversary message in 1984.

In Lord Bo Tien's 1984 Anniversary Message, the emissary said, "Though some have understood the doctrine, many still have not." Though he had descended over the cycle of 13 odd years anniversaries, this has been the case. He had still to descend that night to deliver and to remind all to ponder over the doctrine.

 

Any temple of Lord Bo Tien thus will be easily misperceived, misrepresented and misunderstood by those in the temple and those outside, more so with the passing of time. This should not come as a surprise.

 

 

 

 

 

Go for the source for the original teachings

Learning Point 251





In Lord Bo Tien's 1984 Anniversary Message,
as with regards to divine truth and understanding, He had this to say, "Water from the upper source of a stream is pure and clear. When water reaches the mid stream of its course, the water would have been polluted by many users. If men want pure and clear water, then they have to go to upper source of the stream to get it."

In his inaugural message Messages before 1974  a good half a century ago, Lord Bo Tien said: "From time to time in history, saints arose amongst men to lay down certain rules and regulations to help the masses lead better lives and to incline them towards GOD."

"Over time, these rules become the tenets of an organised religion, but the idealistic spirit and motive, which prevailed during the founding saint's life time, changed gradually after his passing with arising of sects and differing sectarian styles."

We need to go for the upper source of a stream to get pure and clean water. We too need to go for the early teachings of a saint or prophet to get to the original basic teachings.