What more from a temple dedicated to a saint?

Learning Point No 396

When in a temple there is no spiritual zest for doctrine and its practice, the temple is set for decline even if there is change of management. This applies also to a mission related temple of the lord saint, Lord Bo Tien. 

With no attraction to doctrine but only to nectar of social gains and blessings, the good generated though still there would not be as impactful as when doctrine drives the mission of that temple. 

Those left to run the temple or to take over the running of the temple go only for social agenda which is good but not good enough as they are not spiritually driven. 

Oldies and pioneers in such a temple can talk till kingdom come about the need for spirituality. Oldies are too old and can talk only. They cannot act substantially  They are in a way useless and ineffective as well. 

The newbies are left to run the show and have a free hand. To add to the problem, there is no new blood added to the running of that temple. This will only spell doom to spiritual focus and sideline temple to lackluster existence - just another run of mill desolate social center, probably more secular than religious and at most nominally so. 

In a mission-related temple if this does happen, it will be a let down to the saint of that temple. Perhaps, it is not a let down for the saint might not mind. But, mind you, that temple, or rather those running and monopolizing that temple no longer deserves the great saint of that temple. 

Hopefully a mission-related temple of Lord Bo Tien will not devolve to such low level. If  such happens, the men running the show may still have done some good but are way not good enough. 

They may even be deemed useless or rather not useful to further the ends of the mission - the doctrine mission to save souls which is beyond just alleviating worldly and physical wants. 

Squables will follow and litigation may come about in such a temple due to dichotomy. Any court case will be the curtain call for such a temple. If members cannot talk peace, let alone cultivate spiritual peace through Tao, how far can that temple go?

It is no use harping on social success in having aged home and ration distribution to the needy. It is no use having year upon year of celebrations for the anniversary of the temple saint over many decades, perhaps four to seven decades. Are the celebrations to glorify the saint or to glorify men ?

The issue is whether the members have done justice to the temple saint and his wider mission to save souls. The temple cannot just meet the physical needs of some men through a small aged home, day care center and / or a food distribution center. 

A temple saint needs to go beyond such social agenda. For such agenda, any organisation of men can do. We do not need a heavenly saint to do so. If a temple can only do these and no more than this, then it is no longer a temple of a saint but a temple of some men with good intentions. 

Any temple should serve for the mission of a heavenly saint and not for the mission or social agenda of men, be they a few or many. A temple is not there to feed the egoes of men let alone worship men as proxy of God and saints. 

Amen to men - that is so and so be it. 

Recalling all that the lord saint said

Learning Point No 395

    

By His Word are we close to the lord. What have the lord saint Lord Bo Tien said to us? Plenty, of course and lest we forget, let us pen down what we know.

As with the 1969 first descent message, he reiterates that he favors no sect or religion and will never start one. There is the great need to revitalise and reinvigorate the basic God knowledge present in all religions. 

Religions had invariably evolved over the centuries, reinvented themselves and become archaeological facades. There is the need for men to dig out and rediscover the original basics known by pioneers and common to all religions. This is the inner truth or four pillar doctrine. 

In the Four Pillar Doctrine, the universe is the House or Temple of God. Heaven is the roof of this house or temple. Religions in the four cardinal directions acting as pillars for the House of God. All under Heaven are in this Universal Temple of God and his saints.

Those who have the heart to worship God and the saints, the saints do take heart. Those who call out to God and the saints, God and the saints will heed the call. Those who seek will find. Such is the vow of God and all saints to heed the calls and cries of those in need. 

Likewise we too can be blessing to one another. We can help one another and heed the call and cries of those who need our help. 

Saints can help us. Better too for us to remember that we can be of help to one another. We can be blessings to one another. 

Do not be perturbed if amid the crowd at the temple. Do not chastisize them. There will ever be those who disagree or have doubts for they do so as they do not understand the doctrine or where you are coming from with regards to the doctrine. 

This needs not necessarily be bad but can be good for once they clear their doubts and understand, they will return to the fold and be closer to the universal mission to save souls. 

The far may be near and the near far. All are far and yet near to the saint. Let there be no division as doubts and disagreements can be good though bad. They cause men to be far from one another though they may be before the same saint and acting with unison in color and prayers. Men may be far and yet near to one another. 

There is always the pairing of seeming opposites. The saint said that there is yin and yang, the passive and active aspects, the polarities of life which some refer to as worldly contingencies. 

Sunrise cannot exist without sunset. If men must work by day they must rest by night. 

If there is fire, then there must be water. Sunlight and rain can complement each other. Fire and water can be at odds but they can work to the advantage of men. 

Religions are like fire and water. Like religions, men of differing inclinations are like fire and water but they must co-exist and complement. 

The good that men do may end up hurting others because of the not so noble intentions of men but like fire and water, these must be coordinated so as to complement and work out for the good of the many. 

All good deeds whatever the underlying intentions, even if not so noble will in some way bring benefit for those in need as well as the doers. Men do good for various reasons, some to have a good name and social benefit. You may say they have ulterior objectives and not sincere. They want acclaim in society. 

There will always be those who come to a temple for their own agenda. Blame not the flower for insects coming to it. If such people one day do wake up to realise their folly, they would be near to the saint even though far. 

Ideally, doing good must be based on the very good understanding of the nature of life, why men can neither run away from the ups and downs of life nor over indulged in them. 

Men must be atop and ride the yin and yang and be at peace come what may. This is depicted in the seated image of the lord saint with feet balancing the yin and yang. the right hand holding on to the Mission or Word - the Scepter and the left hand bidding us to be steady and have faith to carry on. 

Storms do not last forever and calm seas will return. Have faith and seek the shelter of the saint. 

Be like a candle flame. Nurture your life like nurturing a candle flame. If sheltered from the wind, the flame will not flicker but grow and glow in strength. Likewise let God and saints shelter your life and you will grow and glow.

The same principles that go well with spiritual life will ensure ample success and headway in worldly or mundane life. 

The lord saint cannot be with men physically and lead them by the hand. Men may end up idolising the lord and not applying the Word depicted by his image. Thus once the doctrine has been conveyed, the doctrine will be the saint. Those far from the saint or temple may thus be near if they are close to the Word. 

Do not hero worship man in the temple or church of a saint. Know who is man and who is saint. Above all, know what the saint represents. Know the Word and you will know God and saints and be on path of peace and salvation. 

Men have been distanced from God and saints by their folly - by yin and yang. Men must balance the yin and yang to cultivate the peace. Men must learn to be pure and be at peace so as to be with God and saints. This can be realised through any religion and even by those without any religion. 

To bridge the big gap between God and men so as to have way to peace, men must go to the source of a stream if men want pure water. This analogy was given by Lord Bo Tien. men must go to the very source or original basic teachings of religions.  

He also said that we must not be disheartened but ever persist to toil the ground and sweat it out. Our reward would be the pure underground water to nourish our thirst. 

If men can surmount mountains, stormy seas and scotching drought of life, men could reach the gate of the divine city and gain access to the divine pearl of peace by riding and mastery of the yin and yang dragons of life. 

The two prong approach for salvation

Learning Point No 394

It is disheartening that many will not be able to attain enlightenment in one lifetime unless they have cultivated the Tao or Way over countless lifetimes. 

Also we are assuming that there are no mistakes and backtracking along the way. That would put us back by many lifetimes of progress. 

It is easy to say that what we need is to have made the little moment-to-moment progress in being that more peaceful come what may, that is, despite the countless ups and downs in life - the yin (passive) and yang (active). 

Many will end up in despair and just deny life and not live life. This is as bad as or worse than being swept around by the ups and downs of life. 

Also knowing the doctrine is not the same as practising. Many know and talk as though they have arrived. They may in reality be far from the Way than those who know a little and practise that little they know. 

Those who know little or have little often are better than those who know the world of religion but are far behind in cultivation of peace. 

It is because of the plight of the many be they on the right or wrong approach in life that saints like Jesus and Amitabha give hope by saying that we have pure heart and just believe in the saints. 

Belief in saints and the doors of Heaven will open to embrace and welcome the many. This appears to be contradiction but it is not as it may promote helplessness and sloth and torpor - giving up and clinging to God and saints.

Just remember that saints could by their limitless mind energy create realms in Heaven for souls to go to and from there cultivate the Way. The pre-condition is belief and calling on the name of the saint. 

Thus we have heaven for each religion and sect. This is the Bodhisattva / saints' way to save souls. 

But from time to time some in Heaven need to come down for specific purpose for the human life is rich with learning opportunities. Are we such people? There is no way to know but we may infer. But do not daydream. 

Just believe and call on the names of the saints. Omitofo is the catch word of many. Calling out to Amitabha is good and all problems will be no problems or less problematic. 

But we must go beyond just belief and try to cultivate the Way a millimetre at a time. Little progress is better than no progress. 

We must go by both approaches - belief in saint and attempting to cultivate in this lifetime as well. This two prong approach is best for the good of the many. 

We can effect this approach through any religion or saint. The choice is ours. God is a good provider of religions and saints. 

Be resurrected to eternal peace

Learning Point No 393

The cause of birth and death is because of attachment. It is the craving for satisfaction that is often so elusive. 

Whatever we want seem to create more wants. There is the craving or attachment which drives one to want more and more and to die and to live again, only to die once more. 

This goes on and on from moment to moment with each moment dying and giving birth to the next. At more helicopter level, there is birth, and birth will result in death as that which is born must die. 

If so, then, if there is no birth, there will be no death. If there is no want, there will be none of the many wants in life. 

But is there life beyond birth and death and beyond wants or craving. If we can live with wants and be restless and in dis-ease, surely we must be able to live without wants. 

If there is no wants, we do not create more wants. We do not die so as to live again. Wants or craving is the problem. Some religion call it the original sin or problem. It is central to the Adam and Eve mythology. 

We will be at peace if we cease to want. Ceasing to want does not mean not living or dying. Instead it is to be at peace and be more alive than mere living in wants. 

We will be at peace while in the sea of life, the wants and the ups and downs. We do not contribute to more wants or craving but we live without wanting or craving in life of wants and craving. 

When we cease wanting, we live more and have more peace or life. Ceasing to want does not mean dying to life but rather having more life. 

Wants or attachment cause suffering with death as the ultimate. Deliverance from wants or attachment free us from suffering and death. We will be resurrected to more life. 

Sages of old in China refer to polarities of life or life contingencies as yin and yang (e.g. gain loss, honor dishonor.). 

Life is construed as wanting incessantly due to imbalance of yin and yang, with one causing more of the other and this goes on continuously. 

They construed that we can stand still in life and be more alive if we can be atop the yin and yang and not go round and round with the yin and yang. We should not create more yin and yang by being atop yin and yang, not contribute more and be carried around by yin and yang. 

We stop wanting and live more. We are resurrected to more life - eternal life of peace free from wants because we are atop yin and yang. 

The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis is perhaps an apt, ingenious and pragmatic albeit simplistic way by sages of Old Testament era of presenting yin and yang concept via personification of yin and yang concept. It is at very least a parallel of yin and yang concept. 

Cessation of wanting or sin means no death. In place, there is resurrection to eternal life as seen with saints like Buddha, Jesus and Lao Sze. 

Yin and yang means more wants or sins and the problem of wants or sin is more deaths through rebirths. Being atop yin and yang means no death but eternal life beyond rebirths. 

Do be resurrected and live more by not wanting, by not perpetuating 'want' which is the sin started by Adam and Eve in Genesis. 

The Adam and Eve saga is good depiction of the concept of yin and yang problem of wants in men and why men must be atop yin and yang through Tao or Way. 

Tao is the way to have more life by neither running from yin and yang nor going for more of yin and yang but just being atop yin and yang and be at peace. 

This is the way to be delivered from wants or sin and have eternal life of peace which saints talk about. This is salvation of the soul.

Do be resurrected to eternal peace and not continue to be so damned in seemingly endless births and deaths. 

This is the way to save souls and deliver them to eternal peace. This can be reached by all through any religion or sect or even if none. It is inherent in the teachings of all saints and not new. 

Lord Bo Tien is merely a messenger of God to rekindle and reinvigorate the understanding of the Way. Call it Tao or what we like. It does not matter at all. 

It does not matter even if we think Lord Bo Tien does not exist. But he who knows the doctrine or way knows and sees him for real. 

The true temple is both out there and within

Learning Point No 392

The true Temple of Lord Bo Tien is not a building but the universe. Heaven is the roof of the temple with religions of God as the four pillars in the four cardinal directions. 

This four pillar doctrine stresses oneness of God and basic truth behind all faiths. The lord is God's messenger to effect outreach of this doctrine. 

The doctrine is the how or way to peace through balance of polarities or contingencies of life. 

Taoists call it the mastery or Tao for yin and yang - the passive / soft and the active / hard aspects of life and nature

Lord Bo Tien like the ocean reaches out to many a land and his outreach is way beyond the existing good work of any temple of man. 

There are two types of universe. There is the universe to which we belong. There is also the universe within each person. 

So if the true temple is out there in the whole universe, it is also in our mind wherein resides the universe within. The universe within is after all the inner expression of the universe.

Heaven is the upper limit of mind. Our mind can reach up to anywhere and the sky is the limit of our imagination and thinking. 

Religions are the pillars which support the apex of our mind, that is, spirituality or God nature inherent in all men. The heavenly spirituality is the roof of our mind. 

The pillars (religions) also act as the markers of our spiritual ground. They demarcate or to put it more clearly, they are the reference points for spirituality - for the growth of our soul within the house or temple of our inner universe - the mind. 

The four pillars in the four cardinal directions mark the temple of the mind. Our mind is also the other true temple. It is manifest of the temple or universe in us.

God and saints speak to us through the temple which is our mind. Our mind accommodates all who and that have to do with life - those we know, work with, relate to and so on. 

There are two aspects of the true temple - the universe we are in and the universe within us - our mind. The true temple is both out there and within.

Life is the true gospel. We learn from the lessons of life both in the external and internal expanse of the universe. 

The plus and minus aspects of life shape our life and enable the wise to cultivate spirituality leading to deliverance. 

Life is there in both the external and internal extensions of the universe. Both constitute the temple of life. The temple is where we learn from life. The gospel of life is within the temple. 

Our mind, lest we forget, is the door to the astral and non physical dimensions of the great universe. 

Go for the Word and not the religion

Learning Point No 391

Believing in a saint or religion and professing to be a follower of a saint or religion are simply not good enough. 

What we call ourselves is only good to let men know the religion we are in and what we are likely to do in the name of religion. 

The religion we profess is just a cover. The cover may be attractive but it is the substance or the contents that counts. 

Judge not by the cover and depend not on the beauty and attractiveness of the cover. There is need to go beyond impressions. 

No doubt there may be love or attraction at first sight but what is it that bonds one to spirituality must be beyond the label and cover. There is more to it than meets the eye. 

Go for the substance, the Word or Doctrine. The Word is God. Lord Bo Tien says that those who sees and knows the Word sees and knows the Saint. Those who do not, see not even if he is in the house of the lord. 

Do not be surprise to find men who are like wolves in sheep's clothing in the house of the lord. 

Be that more discerning and learn from the plus and minus points of men in the house of the lord. 

Do not denounce for even wolves have their place in the heart of God. Do be emphatic instead. 

Go for the Word and not the religion, not even the saint in that religion or God that is behind all religions. Religion is of men. The Word is of God. 

Live in the Word and not live for the Word or for God for of what use is your worship of either the Word or God if we live not in the Word. 

God and saints do not need us to idolise them or the Word. God gives and we must receive. God gives us the Word through saints. 

The Word is the gift of God. Our best gift to God and saints is to uplift the Word by living in the Word - the gift of God. 

Go for the Word and not the religion and not the men in religion, not even God and his saints. 

Then there will be no mistake (a) in idolising God, (b) in worshiping men instead of God and (c) in pitting men against men in name of religion when all religions are one in God.

Be a winner and not a loser in life

Learning Point No 390

Innocence is often considered a purity, more so if it is the innocence of youth and childhood, or the innocence of the new believer in a religion. 

Common feature is one of faith in life, the beauty that life presents. Youth is like the flower, ever beautiful and enchanting but once exposed to the vicissitudes and temptations of life which are like insects to the flower, the innocence is lost and the flower withers. 

All the beauty and enchantment will be there no more. In their place, we find ugliness of life when life is no longer as good or as innocent as before. 

When men grow be it in society or in religion, the initial faith and innocence will be replaced by distrust, pride, jealousy and prejudice. That seems to be the case in any society and in any religious organisation. 

It is very much like the budding, blooming of a flower and the subsequent withering.

Hope seems to give way to despair and anguish as society or religious organisation grows and moves on. The pioneer days are always ever wonderful and beautiful. There is no doubt about that.

But like the flower withered by insects coming to it for nectar, blame not the flower. Blame not society or the religion for the failings of life we experience.

Blame not society for the problems that come about because of the scheming and self centered actions of men who came purportedly to lead and help but actually are helping themselves instead. 

Blame not the church or temple for the problems exacted by men with social agenda under the guise of spiritual agenda. Such leaders in men often start off correctly like saints. 

But tainted and won over by erstwhile distractions, they bent and wrecked havoc and damage below the surface often unseen and undetected like cancer till their schemes are exposed eventually. 

Lament not the loss of innocence in life. But try to be mindful and discerning that what is beautiful may well not be under the surface or may not last for long. 

Stay mindful and will to be at peace even if there is mud and unwholesome underpinnings in society. This is the way of the saints. 

Saints never lament on the loss of innocence. They see the true nature of life as it unfurls and wither like the flower. 

They are at peace with life as it blooms and even as it withers, for there is much to learn and gain from life as it unfurls or as it folds, if it has to fold. 

Saints never lament and whine but are at peace. They are not affected by the tide of life, by the seasons and by sunrise and sunset. 

The choice is plain. It is certainly better to be saints and be winners always than be losers and whiners in life. 

Such men never die. They resurrect the life of peace and joy. They live even as they die because they believe in the way of saints. They are winners. They win over life and not lose out to life. 


PS This post like many others is again based on the parable of the flower and the insects which was elucidated by Lord Bo Tien.