Why a temple in name of the lord saint may not make it in the mission?

Bo Tien Temple Outreach No 14

Lord Bo Tien expected that any temple in His name will not be able to live up to the mission to save souls, for which He was chosen to be a messenger by God.

He knew that Chinese cultural temple has problems and this was the very basis He chose to descend in such a set-up.

The goal is twofold.

Firstly, there is need to show there is God and doctrine even in such a place.

Secondly, there is need to let men learn why such a temple may not make it for the Mission of Heaven. That itself will be an eye opener to those who want to learn and contribute to the mission.

The mission to save souls is beyond any temple and is by Heaven, not by men and not dependent on the fancies of men. It is not tied down to any temple or church of men.



 

Churches are good at bringing men to God

Bo Tien Temple Outreach No 13

The churches are doing better job in bringing people to God than many others including any temple named after Lord Bo Tien. That is one obvious reason why the lord saint Lord Bo Tien in 1975 said that the far may be near and the near may be far.

 

What churches do may not be accepted by others but at least they attend to men like shepherds of life. They are able to bring some sense of Godliness to many men who would otherwise stray.

 

This is already wholesome and desirable, but is only the preliminary in the mission to save souls that the lord saint says is the will of God.

 

We must be mindful that salvation is more than worship and good works, more than calling God's name. It is about how to be more like God so as to be God worthy.

 

Yin yang balance is the way to do so. Different approaches with names of their own have been made known to men but they are basically the same and have to do with yin yang balance. A rose by any name is just as sweet.


 

Temple in the city

Bo Tien Temple Outreach No 12

There will be a temple in the city. Lord Bo Tien did say this in one of His anniversary messages in the first 13 year cycle of the mission when He spoke through His  medium, the late P. Philip. This was in 1978. Historical version of Bo Tien Chor Choo's 1978 Anniversary Message...

Many have long forgotten this but this was rediscovered when the original scripts of the messages in Chong Sim's first draft book was read.

Somehow the mention of temple in the city was omitted in the  1978 message but became part of the 1980 message in the year 2000 publication of LORD BO TIEN'S GUIDANCE by Bo Tien Temple Singapore.

 

Why must there be that temple in the city? We don't really know. But the first proper temple at 407A Woodlands Road Singapore was under the Lord Bo Tien phase and later as Goddess Kuanyin phase, it  focused on welfare and charity and shifted to Jurong, where the focus somehow is still at welfare and charity.

 

The next phase is slated to be the doctrine or Buddha phase and the temple in the city is likely to be in tune with doctrine. Will it come to be? Time will tell.

Whether it will be an additional temple, a relocation or a mere extension for convenience of those in the city one will never know. Lord Bo Tien knows.

What He said in His message is appended below. Do read it and try to understand more. You may be able to know better with regards to the temple in the city/town.

Soon after LORD BO TIEN said this, there was a gush of wind and this was immediately followed by thunder storm and heavy downpour. He remarked, "This wind represents you and the rain water* is for all of you to quench your thirst." (* 'Rain water' refers to divine truth / doctrine which must carried along with men, the 'wind'. The 'wind' is dry without rain water. 'Thirst' refers to thirst for doctrine / the ultimate blessing)

He commented that a sea could not be a sea if there was no wind to set the boat sailing. It needed wind, boat and water to get the motion going. Following the comment, He disclosed that a time would come when there would be another BO TIEN TEMPLE set up in city area for the convenience of those living in the city.   

 
If men is the 'wind', then what are represented by 'boat', 'water' (sea) and 'motion'? 'Boat' perhaps represents an institution like temple, and 'sea' represents divinity or saint. 'Motion' refers to mission. Thus there may be more than one 'boat' or temple with one in the city or town in time to come.

We need sea, boat, and wind for motion. Likewise, we need divinity, temples and men for mission. Only men with doctrine (the wind with rainwater) should propel the sailing boat ( the temple) in the sea to get the motion going - the mission going
 

Do note that the lord saint did not refer to the three phases of mission (Lord Bo Tien phase, Goddess Kuanyin phase and Buddha phase) in any of  His anniversary messages but His representatives in normal days other than the mission or anniversary days did, not only once but on many occasions.

 

That is the basis for the inference that the temple in the city/town will be related to the Buddha or Doctrine phase. Anyway the mission is doctrine mission and welfare/charity is but one of initial expressions of doctrine.

 

Welfare is not the end but only a means or step to ultimate salvation of souls for the destitute and the needy in society. All, the needy included, must find spiritual meaning and purpose to life, not only the current but in the life beyond.

Doctrine will enable the end or objective of saving the soul if practised and perfected. Thus, not only a temple in the city but all temples of the lord saint must be doctrine orientated. This applies too to all churches, temples and places of spiritual congregation of all religions and sects.

 

The irony and the reality of men in a temple, church or mission

Bo Tien Temple Outreach No 11

The way the mission of a saint, temple or church unfurls will often be not ideal and will make men understand that heaven and not man has to drive the mission.

 

Man is imperfect and prone to weaknesses and distractions, may undermine the primary objectives of mission but such men who may even be crime prone are the very ones the mission seeks out to help. Such is the irony and the reality.

 

This is not surprising and is consistent with the hard and soft attributes of life and nature - the yin and yang. So we should expect and in a way we should on the contrary be resigned to accept not-so-good men at the helm of any temple, church or mission.

 

Many a medium or leader are like that. They may be viewed as disgrace of sorts but are there by the grace of God and saints. Heaven Lord Bo Tien said can even choose a criminal to be leader if Heaven wants to train and change him.

 

In reality, even a criminal has two sides, the good and not-so-good - the yin and yang. We cannot deny that there is the black and the white in every being - the yin and the yang.

 

Even those in Hell have good sides as well. God will not damn them. They have the potential to be good and do better. They can be saved.