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)."