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The era of consumerism has engulfed the world and will be there to stay. It is good for the economy though some will say that easy credit facilitates buying on future or unearned income.
This can be bad as in the long run it can destabilise the world economy and lead to a run on banks. Countries also run into the red, perpetually in debts but big time businesses will thrive initially but lose out in the long run.
What is this due to? There is too much emphasis on spending what we could not afford for now, that is spending on assumed future earnings. We assume we have future gains and want to bask in the glory of future gains for now.
The end result is not good. We end up chasing after the rainbow. We end up on losing ends as we pile up a mountain of debts. Why don't men be prudent and thrifty.
This state of affairs is not bad if men can have insight that there must be yin yang balance not only in spiritual life but also in secular life.
We must not spend more than we can earn for now and over the next few months. Be modest and do not envy what others have that we don't have or yet to have. There is need to come to terms and be at peace.
How much must we have in life? What is excessive and what is not? When do we spend and when do we not?
Well, it boils down to having a healthy state of mind. It is as simple as that. The solution is not onerous but a simple one. We should try to have simple solutions to issues in life and not create more problems by solving problems.
We must want to move on and not run away from life say by not living life. But earning more but be ing miserly and suffering as result of the misery from being miserly is running from life as well.
At the other extreme, we must be ever mindful not to be spendthrift by spending not only every cent we have but the potential of our future earnings not only of ourselves in our present life span but also of our children and grandchildren.
Thus to have peace with no or less of live issues, we must have moderation and avoid the two lifestyles. This is yin yang balance which sages cultivate to achieve enlightenment of the spirit but which if applied to secular life brings peace in life which effectively injects more life.
Lord Bo Tien says that the same principle that brings spiritual success can bring on secular or mundane comforts which constitute the optimal ground for more spiritual progress. The principle is yin yang balance or equilibrium.
Do we need a religion to do this? We do not. Can we practise this in any religion. Yes, we can and without compromising the tenets and dogmas of any religion. That is the beauty of the exhortation by the lord saint, Lord Bo Tien.
The advice by Lord Bo Tien is ever universal. You don't have to know him or pray to him. You only need to know his advice.
By heeding the advice, you know life better, your own life better and you will surely appreciate your own religion. You will be closer to God and saints better through the religion of your choice.
That is the beauty of the advice by Lord Bo Tien. The strange part is that in the end, you will end up knowing him even if you don't intend to do so at all.
Those who know and heed his teachings know and are with Him. Those who do not know are not with Him even if they are in a temple or mission under His name.
But lest others may still somehow think the mission has not made any great headway, it is the truth that those in the mission and any mission-related temple have done well to show case the teachings by the lord saint with regards to the oneness of religions in God and saints.
The advice by Lord Bo Tien is ever universal. You don't have to know him or pray to him. You only need to know his advice.
By heeding the advice, you know life better, your own life better and you will surely appreciate your own religion. You will be closer to God and saints better through the religion of your choice.
That is the beauty of the advice by Lord Bo Tien. The strange part is that in the end, you will end up knowing him even if you don't intend to do so at all.
Those who know and heed his teachings know and are with Him. Those who do not know are not with Him even if they are in a temple or mission under His name.
But lest others may still somehow think the mission has not made any great headway, it is the truth that those in the mission and any mission-related temple have done well to show case the teachings by the lord saint with regards to the oneness of religions in God and saints.