The eventful post 2004 era

Mission History and News No 14

The Mission of Lord Bo Tien is to globalise the Four Pillar Doctrine. The following is the report card for the mission :

1) Elder Ling was replaced as Chairman at Singapore connection at AGM in 2004

2) There was the burning of the shrine image in immediate post 2004 period instead of preserving it for keepsake at the museum at the top of the temple

3) There was the separation of welfare wing from temple as entity of its own in 2010 /2011  

4) 22nd March 2012: Elder Ling's membership revoked at Singapore connection and on 23rd, the next day, a notice of the removal was put up at two notice boards. 

5) 24th March 2012: Elder Ling's trusteeship termination process instituted at Singapore connection

6) Doctrinal mission as emphasized by lord saint in 1978 message is still lacklustre and lags far behind other good deeds like gift of rations and food at festivals, full moon and new moon days. Followers are more concerned with local personal and social agenda. The foray by inner truth netizen is still not enough for doctrinal mission. Lord Bo Tien is like the flower and many come to him for the nectar of blessings instead of learning, practising and sharing the flower of doctrine with the world.

7) The persistent absence of effective spiritual council of elders to drive doctrinal mission is the main cause for item (6). This will be a setback but should not hold back the doctrinal mission as only a handful of good men needed to do so. This was reiterated by the lord saint Lord Bo Tien. Living Life Series is an example that even one or two can effect the doctrinal mission but more would be even better.

This discussion article The eventful post 2004 era touches in detail on some of the above as the others have been covered elsewhere. The discussion is based on the messages of Lord Bo Tien in particular the 1978 message, the historical version. Historical version of Bo Tien Chor Choo's 1978 Anniversary Message...  as in the book LORD BO TIEN'S GUIDANCE published by Bo Tien Temple at Singapore.

Elder Ling Diung Kwong 

Elder Ling Diung Kwong is a founder pioneer who was the prime person who effected the administrative and legal setting up of the temple and mission of Lord Bo Tien since before the 1970s. He had done so much for the Mission and the mission related temples. But early in 2012 the said elder and pioneer extraordinary had been ironically removed from the membership of one of the mission related temples that he was instrumental in setting up.   

This happened on the 22nd March 2012 and two days later on 24th at the annual general meeting of the mission-related temple in Singapore, the said mission-related temple management lost no time in taking steps to remove him from trusteeship. They could not accept his unpolished ways that even the lord saint in the early years of the mission did comment on when the lord saint described him as the unpolished diamond. There were of course the usual run of mill triggering events that seemed trivial but became big issues and bones of of contention. All boils down to the ego-driven nature of men and  lack of doctrine-centricity. Even followers of any saint will be not be spared from such folly. 

Elder Ling is undoubtedly an elder and he has his strengths and shortcomings but should still be accorded blanket respect as per the sixth of seven universal precepts the lord saint Lord Bo Tien put in place for those in the mission and this includes all mission-related temples.  But in the meritocratic mundane world, only finite few would respect elders and there will be no shortage of those who will lose no time to move them out of their way. (For precepts, go to Messages before 1974)
 

He was not returned to chairmanship at the 2004 annual general meeting as for the first time in many years, there was another candidate vying for the post. This was expected as change had to be and was long time in the offing and it was even regarded as refreshing change by many including inner truth netizen.  

Before 2004 and in the preceding many previous years before the successful culmination, completion and flowering of the concrete premises, there was no others willing to be named for nomination and he was undoubtedly and repeatedly the sole nominee and even then the members present had to consult the lord saint through usual divination blocks for divine assent before he could be coerced to take on the nomination and the job.

Like it or not, in those days and years, no one other than Elder Ling could hold the fort and handle the odds. No one other than the elder could go against the current and get things done. Of course, he is no lone ranger but headed a team but with him at the helm, every hurdle was surmountable.

But not all will agree for men may differ in perspectives of history and precepts.  Some may think that history and precepts can be put aside or worst still rewritten. The latter is the very reason why there will always be new sects in any religion and new schools and temples in any sect. God gives leeway and freewill but men must bear the consequences. It is a matter of perception, preferences, discretion or what have you. 

Notwithstanding the outcome in 2004 and his subsequently being berated for his unpolished ways, Elder Ling never ever gave up and continued to take hands on ground interests in mission related activities but many (or at least some) find him irritating and his ways and views did not go down well with them, more so when in the last two years 2011 to 2012, he wanted to publish the history of the mission with contents that were viewed personal and thus objectionable.

This history of mission which the lord saint wanted him to write has however not even materialised since the draft in late 2010 or early 2011 was made available for the finite relevant few for comments. (Do note that mention by the lord saint  of the need for Ling to write the mission history can found in line 5 of last para on page 30 of book LORD BO TIEN'S GUIDANCE published by Bo Tien Temple Singapore in year 2000 in context of the 1981 message of Lord Bo Tien)

Elder Ling shoulders on and has not wavered as the mission head for the mission of Lord Bo Tien. The lord had appointed and anointed him and despite his being heavy with age  (he is 76 plus in 2012), he is not one who will waiver in the mission to introduce the doctrine of the Four Pillars to the world. For more of the latter, go to Historical version of Bo Tien Chor Choo's 1978 Anniversary Message...  and the list of review articles and posts mentioned therein.

Please do remember that the lord saint did remind time and again that the issues of men are many and plentiful and that no one is complete and wholesome. The far may be near and the near may be far. In fact, ultimately all are both near and far to God and saints. This is the truth and the very nature of life and society at large.

A Bo Tien mission-related temple is no exception and is perhaps why the lord saint chose a man of the likes of the retired senior police officer (Elder Ling) to police matters at worldly level for the mission since its divine inception decades ago before the 1970s. But please remember to go for saint and not for man and that the saint is the doctrine and the doctrine is the saint as what any saint would like us to know. Lord Bo Tien is no exception.

Any temple or church can carry on the correct path of God if it is doctrine driven and focused.  But it must not be driven by man and the social agenda of man. Man is man and saint is saint. If men are not doctrine driven, there will be no presence of the saint or for that matter any saint in that temple. The image of that temple saint might as well be burnt to signify that the men there are not conforming and taking interest in doctrine. 

The  immediate post 2004 period after elder Ling  left the ground scene did indeed  see the burning of the main shrine lord saint's image - the very last one that was blessed by the lord saint through his intermediary the late P. Philip in the closing years at the old Woodlands premises. A better looking one was put in its place to replace the old one which had a crack in wooden base but the lord saint did say any wooden image would crack over time. That the burning of image did happen was perhaps a probable ominous sign of sorts but there was a better replacement and this was the prevailing consensus then.

Despite the not-so-appropriate change on hindsight, we should  however still thank God for the better replacement or what seemed to be the case then. Inner truth netizen at that point in time even came out in full support of the change and this was for a good reason that change would beckon harmony and many good years ahead. Could there be a better option ?  Were there perhaps two good options?  But what had been done was done and let's move on.

Elder Ling  in younger days

There  is indeed much to be learnt from the issues of men. Life is the living gospel. This is what the lord saint wants all to learn and come out ever the more wiser in truth and in doctrine of life. You can learn from life through whatever temple, church, religion or sect you may be in or even if none. Who is more right, we should never mind but what we learn from life and the ways of men should take centre stage in life as life is the living gospel. 

Sometimes, to borrow from the teachings of Gautama Buddha, truth in life is and yet is not. It is therefore both is and is not and also neither is nor is not. The post 2004 era is eventful and yet not. It is both eventful and not. It is perhaps neither as well. Left is right and right is left. It depends on where one stands and faces. It is always not a question of who is right and wrong but how one could be more right and whole. One will never be right enough till one is a saint.

So don't be so sure that you are right and always respect the elders even if you do not see eye to eye with them. We should rejoice in the many years of good work of Elder Ling. Without the elders, there would be no organisation, temple or church and the present day people at the helm would not be where they are.

Omitofo.