What is important in any temple is the doctrine and the patron saint's guidance, not a concrete building or who can manage that building. It is imperative that men do not waste time over human wants and issues as doctrine is of foremost importance.
All that arise will fade away. Knowing this, we must treasure what we have and go for that which will not be subject to arising and fading. The mind at peace come what may is the blessing that comes from doctrine cultivation. The gift of truth that leads to peace is the greatest of all blessings, far superceding all that are mundane.
Woe will befall men who go for the mundane and fight for the worldly self gains even in the house of God. They should know better but yet don't seem to know. When it rains, it is as though Heaven is shedding tears for them. They are so privileged to be with God and saints but yet so ungodly. When will they wake up, learn and put things right?
If even concrete so sturdy and robust does not last for eternity, how then can we hold on to what we are in flesh and blood? We must pass on. Even Gautama must pass on. We too will do so as well. But are we at peace that transcends death? Surely we too want to be like the Buddha.
If Omitofo has his way, all who call out to his name will not do so in vain. So do so now. Practise and cultivate the mind to have peace and be on the Way.
If at all, those in a temple want to waste time over the mundane and want to seize control of the temple, advise them but if not heeded, leave them alone and be on your way to peace of the saints.
The chance of men to be born and live in same lifetime is small. Men may not meet again in the afterlife. Knowing this, men must treasure one another, more so in the temple of the lord saint, like Lord Bo Tien. Love for one another should rightly be the rational consequence but men can be strange and odd.
They can come to blows and in the same breath talk of loving kindness and charity through aged home and distribution of food rations in community. That is simply ironical and pathetic.
They can perhaps even have the cheek to denounce and expel the founder. They can even see the saint in the eye and yet do that which the saint do not want them to do. Like what saints like Jesus said, "They see not the dust in their own eyes but readily see the dust in others' eyes."
They can come to blows and in the same breath talk of loving kindness and charity through aged home and distribution of food rations in community. That is simply ironical and pathetic.
They can perhaps even have the cheek to denounce and expel the founder. They can even see the saint in the eye and yet do that which the saint do not want them to do. Like what saints like Jesus said, "They see not the dust in their own eyes but readily see the dust in others' eyes."
That is why there is the mission of the lord saint and the mission starts at home ground of the temple of the lord. This is the stark reality which needs to be addressed. Mission starts with ground zero.
The near may be far and the far near. This did Lord Bo Tien say. All are near and far or neither near nor far.
Those who are keen to run any temple are those who can commit time and physical energy as well as financial support. But they do by and large lack interest in serious doctrine and are content with some semblance of understanding.
To them, mission of a temple is simply to help the needy and to work with the mainstream in this aspect. This may end up that the mission is to help needy and is a digit of the mainstream thrust to help society.
They would do better with more devotion and uphold the patron saint as the prime driving force for mission. Somehow the recognition by the leaders of the land can end up as the prime driver for then there would be social acclaim for a few in the management of that temple.
Without them there are no hands and no legs, that is, no runners for the temple.
Lord Bo Tien did forsee this as the consequence in any temple. The main mission is not just to alleviate the physical worldly needs but to go much beyond.
There is the long haul need to enlighten men so that they will have peace of spirit through avoiding denial of life and overindulgence and through being atop and not affected by worldly contingencies or polarities of life - the yin and yang.
Few could understand this, let alone be motivated. Thus there is need to appoint a few elders right from the start to oversee but these few elders will be lone rangers.
If unable to oversee, the spiritual mission will falter because there will be many of those who will usurp and replace the mission with the mission of men. They may even detach the community services as a separate entity or society from the temple.
This will be the common outcome or development in any Tom and Dick temple or church of any religion. It is just both believable and unbelievable that they happen in any temple or church.
In a negative way, we may say that they are the wonders of some men in any institution and for the matter, even in a temple or church.
An institution must be overseen by men with capabilities but such men are few and may not be popular. Those who support them may be sizable but they may not want to join the fray to support them if there be the need.
Thus many temples and churches though popular cannot really go far spiritually and cannot uphold the fervor and purity of purpose of the founder and pioneers of the religion.
A mission related temple of Lord Bo Tien is an exception but yet not an exception, though each is supposed to be a model for other temples and churches to follow.
They should not end up like any other temples that have been around. They should be models for other temples and not model after other temples.
The near may be far and the far near. This did Lord Bo Tien say. All are near and far or neither near nor far.
Those who are keen to run any temple are those who can commit time and physical energy as well as financial support. But they do by and large lack interest in serious doctrine and are content with some semblance of understanding.
To them, mission of a temple is simply to help the needy and to work with the mainstream in this aspect. This may end up that the mission is to help needy and is a digit of the mainstream thrust to help society.
They would do better with more devotion and uphold the patron saint as the prime driving force for mission. Somehow the recognition by the leaders of the land can end up as the prime driver for then there would be social acclaim for a few in the management of that temple.
Without them there are no hands and no legs, that is, no runners for the temple.
Lord Bo Tien did forsee this as the consequence in any temple. The main mission is not just to alleviate the physical worldly needs but to go much beyond.
There is the long haul need to enlighten men so that they will have peace of spirit through avoiding denial of life and overindulgence and through being atop and not affected by worldly contingencies or polarities of life - the yin and yang.
Few could understand this, let alone be motivated. Thus there is need to appoint a few elders right from the start to oversee but these few elders will be lone rangers.
If unable to oversee, the spiritual mission will falter because there will be many of those who will usurp and replace the mission with the mission of men. They may even detach the community services as a separate entity or society from the temple.
This will be the common outcome or development in any Tom and Dick temple or church of any religion. It is just both believable and unbelievable that they happen in any temple or church.
In a negative way, we may say that they are the wonders of some men in any institution and for the matter, even in a temple or church.
An institution must be overseen by men with capabilities but such men are few and may not be popular. Those who support them may be sizable but they may not want to join the fray to support them if there be the need.
Thus many temples and churches though popular cannot really go far spiritually and cannot uphold the fervor and purity of purpose of the founder and pioneers of the religion.
A mission related temple of Lord Bo Tien is an exception but yet not an exception, though each is supposed to be a model for other temples and churches to follow.
They should not end up like any other temples that have been around. They should be models for other temples and not model after other temples.
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