Archive for the ‘I-Kuan Tao’ Category

一貫道

Monday, January 26th, 2015

作為其中一個帶有強烈的本土文化色彩之台灣新興異教團體,一貫道或稱一聖道,乃是由張光璧,字奎生,號天然,又稱弓長一手所創立的近代民間異教團體。

天道或先天道/真理天道,這個被視為是一個五教兼容的新興異教團體,其所持的教義主用儒、道與佛之理論,亦包涉基督及回教。

急劇的社會變遷所帶來的不確定性,加上變遷產生大量的流動人口,以及傳統社會網絡的瓦解,增加台灣人民對宗教信仰的需求,使這個異教團體得以趁勢以神學觀念和神秘主義操作技法為誘導手段,吸引了大量的信眾,並給予他們心靈上的安慰,但這種做法卻無形中使人們永遠與終極真理或眾所皆知的道理背道而馳。

一貫道認為,這是一個混亂無序的時代,人們必須在“三期末劫”來臨之際,只有通過求道得救,方可返回“理天”永超輪迴,故這個教派特別重視別稱“點道禮”的求道儀式。然而,這種救贖形式也許會造成其信徒所持有通往“理天”的通行證偶然出現失效的狀況,因為這一切都與“點傳師”能否在求道儀式過程中準確無誤地記錄下其信徒進行儀式的所在地與日期有關。因此,一旦“點傳師”在記錄過程中,寫錯字或記錄下錯誤的日期,則該信徒所持有通往“理天”的通行證就會失效。再者讓我感到納悶的是,為何一貫道的全知全能之存在僅依賴書寫形式記錄下一個莊嚴的入教儀式呢?又為何會一反常態地因微不足道的書寫錯誤而嚴拒其信徒返回“理天”呢?

因此,他們是否真的能確定他們所信奉的明明上帝“先天之道/真理天道”或無極老母“無生老母”之存在性呢?以及憑藉他們有限的認知與能力又怎能從凌駕於他們之上的存在處接受並獲得其認可呢?

此外,根據一貫道教義,“無生老母”降一貫道於人間,普渡眾生。同時,通過“超拔”儀式,協助信眾引渡其已故親人或祖先返回“理天”永超輪迴,使之得以從中受惠。令人覺得諷刺的是,這些本來應該逍遙自在的亡者們,卻在陡然間,在不徵求其“個人”意願的情況下,被強行引渡到“理天”。這是一種何其荒謬的“超拔”儀式。但無論如何,這種巧妙利用信眾重視已故親人和祖先的心態之伎倆,確實能讓其信眾心甘情願地持續為一貫道做出貢獻。至於,其所進行的“超拔”儀式是否有效,是否真的能把信眾的已故親人和祖先引渡到“理天”,卻仍是一個未知數。
更為神奇的是,他們大言不慚地對外宣稱已成功為100個在過去犯下不孝之罪的信徒,洗滌前愆,甚至救贖了其已故父母的靈魂。姑且不管是99人或101人,讓人感到大惑不解的是,他們又有何證據能證明他們已成功把這群信眾從罪惡的枷鎖中解放出來呢?又能怎麼能證明其已成功使信眾的已故父母脫離苦海了呢?再者,信眾又怎麼可能為已投入輪迴的亡靈祈福祝願呢?如果你想進一步瞭解死後的世界,你可通過點擊以下的紀錄片連結

深入瞭解瀕死經驗

我們不妨對一貫道所持的宗教儀式剖析一番,你會豁然發現,他們竟然把人們視為民俗趣談且出現於中國神話或民間傳說中的神魔精怪與魑魅魍魎刻成用以作為與他們未曾見過或純粹只是畫家想像中的神性存在之溝通橋樑或祈願道具。然而,這些在狂信徒眼中,地位猶如超級巨星或偉人聖賢般存在的祈願雕像。在外人的眼中看來,只不過是徒具其形的雕像而已。事實上,根本沒有任何證據或證人能證明這些帶著飄渺神話色彩的雕像,真的能和那位至高無上的存在取得溝通。

與此同時,這個異教團體也存在着不廣為人知的一面,那就是他們假借“扶鸞借竅”的把戲,向信眾展現“神蹟”。一般上,扶鸞必須三才俱備,即扶鸞者為天才、抄寫者為地才,報字者為人才,缺一不可。因此,他們總是會在“扶鸞降神”的過程中利用童女們,使用鸞筆把其欲傳達給信眾的信息以一個個艱澀難明的字體寫於沙盤上。

事實上,縱觀一貫道的發展歷史軌跡而言,他們的傳教手段與各大宗教所宣揚的追求和平,倡導博愛仁慈的倫理觀相悖,他們的所作所為不但沒有起到救世扶危的作用, 反而使其組織內部產生分裂,甚至與其他宗教團體發生衝突及摩擦。同時,其所倡導的素食觀也不符合自然飲食之道,因為他們嚴禁信眾食肉。而他們這種流於表面的持戒茹素之舉,又是否真的能做到如耶穌基督所揭示的箴言般淨化人們的靈魂呢?

馬可福音第7章18至23節言道:
18 耶穌對他們說:「你們也是這樣不明白麼?豈不曉得凡從外面進入的,不能污穢人,19 因為不是入他的心,乃是入他的肚腹,又落到茅廁裏(這是說,各樣的食物都是潔淨的)」;20 又說:「從人裏面出來的,那纔能污穢人;21 因為從裏面,就是從人心裏,發出惡念、苟合、22 偷盜、凶殺、姦淫、貪婪、邪惡、詭詐、淫蕩、嫉妒、謗讟、驕傲、狂妄。23 這一切的惡都是從裏面出來,且能污穢人。」”

我佩服那些孜孜不倦尋找與探索靈性之路的人,但我不禁懷疑他們所擁有的宗教信仰是否能引領他們走向正確的信仰之路呢?又是否真的能讓其在有生之年當中,尋找到終極真理呢?

也許你早已對此產生懷疑,甚至感到忐忑不安,又或者你早就對你的信仰模式與宗教理念當中日復一日不斷重複的頌歌贊曲、祈願禱告、道德倫理、戒律節要、典禮儀式、宗教教義與教導、奉獻行為、入教儀式等繁文縟節感到厭倦,甚至會就其是否真的是您所欲尋找之終極真理而產生質疑。造成你在尋找終極真理的路上,搖擺不定、徬徨失措甚至孤注一擲的原因在於你受到自以為高人一等的思維所束縛,導致你總是抱持狹隘的地方主義及宗教觀念,進而致使你對無處不在的上帝視而不見。在此,我倍感榮幸地向你介紹一位其對世人的愛不但早已跨越台灣地貌,甚至乎遍佈全球的至高無上之存在。祂不但不會使信仰祂的子民消亡,更會賜予其永恆的生命。

從天而降的耶穌基督,肩負着拯救與上帝漸行漸遠且陷入迷途的人類,使其得以脫離罪惡的枷鎖,回到上帝的身邊。如今,人們可通過神之化身耶穌基督所執行的救贖計劃,憑着其所賜予的自性、聖經箴言和誓約基督三寶、脫離罪惡,戰勝罪惡,重獲新生。

重生後的信徒,其身心已擁有基督的靈。只有常保一顆虔誠、感恩與純粹之心的信徒,才能經常沐浴在聖靈的永恆之光當中。與此同時,信徒可憑耶穌基督說賜予其的福音而產生的真正之聖靈,協助其克服人性弱點,並戰勝由亞當與夏娃在伊甸園因偷嘗禁果而產生的原罪。同時,耶穌基督也會把信徒從曾一度令其迷失及墮落於其中的罪惡深淵給釋放出來。

耶穌基督會永遠記得你,因為祂已把你的名字銘刻在羔羊生命冊上,且你的名字決不會被抹去或刪除。同時,仁慈的耶穌基督也會使用其無上的偉力賜予你永恆的生命。此外,身為上帝之子的耶穌基督也是唯一能在你的生命當中引領你邁向終極真理及尋找到通往天堂之路的引導者。

身為光明君主且神聖不可侵犯的耶穌基督,不但受萬民敬仰並承認其為救世主,更是當之無愧的萬主之主,萬王之王,因為祂統管萬有,萬有是藉祂造的。因此,凡有膝蓋的都要跪拜祂,稱祂為主,侍奉耶穌基督乃是理所當然的事。

身為上帝應許的彌賽亞,耶穌基督,而非彌勒菩薩,將會二度降世實現其在人間創造一個永遠幸福的國度之誓約。

最後,我要求你開放你的內心接納耶穌基督,並讓其進入你的生命當中。同時,只要你全心全意地把你的身心皆奉獻給耶穌基督,承認其為你的生命之主宰者與救世主,並祈求耶穌基督顯靈指引你踏上尋找終極真理的道路,則祂必定回應你的禱告。願主庇佑你!

馬太福音第11章28至30節提到:
28 “凡勞苦擔重擔的人、可以到我這裡來、我就使你們得安息。29我心裡柔和謙卑、你們當負我的軛、學我的樣式。這樣、你們心裡就必得享安息。30 因為我的軛是容易的、我的擔子是輕省的。”

 

 

如何與上帝建立關係

一貫道的的參考資源

I-Kuan-Tao

 

 

 

Religions of the world: a comprehensive encyclopedia of beliefs and practices/ J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, editors; Todd M. Johnson, World Religious Statistics; Donald Wiebe, Introduction-2nd ed., Copyright 2010 by ABC-CLIO, LLC. Reproduced with permission of ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, CA.

一貫道的的參考資源

Monday, January 26th, 2015

godlife.com/zh/faith

 

耶穌電影

 

新約聖經/聖經

Yiguan Dao Resources

Sunday, May 19th, 2013

Four Spiritual Laws

Jesus Film

www.jesusfilm.org/watch/jesus.html/chinese-mandarin.html

New Testament/Bible

New Testament

Audio Bible

www.freemandarinbible.com/

I-Kuan Tao

Sunday, May 12th, 2013

Another movement which is a part of the Taiwanese religious venue is the sect   I-Kuan Tao, Yīguàn Dào, whose modern founder is Kui Sheng or Zhang Guang Bi also known as Zhang Tian Ran and Kung Chang.

This T’ien-tao or Tian Dao/Zhenli Tiandao organization is considered a new religion which is syncretistic in combining the elements of Chinese religion such as Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism as well as having some similarities to Christianity and Islam.

This cult preaches a familiar theme that is common among many new religious movements in carrying an apocalyptical message with strong mystical elements which draws people to be more spiritually sensitive in seeking answers to a better life in respect to the political chaos of fear and panic which has caused the popularity of this sect to grow based on an emotional dependency as achieving security rather than forming a real pursuit for ultimate or pervading truth.

That sense of controlling one’s destiny is directly related to the initiation within the Tian Dao sect as giving them a way to heaven along with the termination of the continuos cycle of rebirth. However this salvation can be haphazardly lost if for some reason the adherent fails to show their passport as their rite of passage which is dependent on the ability of the practitioner to provide an accurate record of the temple name and date when they became officially initiated. Thus this ticket to heaven, if erroneous, can be cancelled by the frivolous error of misspellings or by having the wrong date and yet I am wondering how can an all powerful infinite god be so dependent upon the ability of human record keeping as to to not know the details of such a momentous occasion as well as being so scrupulously capricious over trivial matters as to disavow a sincere worshipper through a mismanaged  possession.

Therefore can they really be for sure that such a being like Ming Ming Shang Ti “Clear Emperor on High” or Wuji Laomu “Ancient Mother of Limitless Heaven” even really exists and is able to receive and sustain them with such limited knowledge and power over their life?

Furthermore what makes this group even more psychologically dependent is by keeping them ritually connected with those to whom they are related such as their deceased relatives or parents who are supposedly benefiting from the worshippers acts of pious service. Ironically the deceased individual themselves could have led a non disciplinarian materialistic lifestyle and yet mysteriously receive the benefiting merit as ushering them into a heaven which may not even be according to their willful consent as evidenced by their earthily lifestyle.  Anyway this approach is a strong and powerful motivator to ensure the continued devotion even though they can never be absolutely sure as whether they have ever done enough to affect themselves or others.

Additionally they claim that they can enlist a 100 people to rectify past non-filial acts and save ones parents and yet whether it is 99 or 101 what proof or evidence has there been offered to justify the significance of this magical numerical value for salvific benefits? Additionally how can you even pray for a deceased individual when they have already been re-birthed? Anyway this video that I am including speaks of near death experiences and you might find it helpful in your research about the after life.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ8TEGMj-jc&feature=player_embedded

To move on their religious practices are steeped in Chinese folklore with the  superstitious and cultural beliefs as entertaining legends as they honor  sculptured figurines as some sort of direct representation or manifestation of a reality towards an unseen or invisible being which they can not know nor have they ever seen apart from an artists imagination. They are merely objects and statues of devotion without any kind of tangible witness to their reality as the worship of these so called deities are reduced to merely fictitious characters of fascination in becoming the metaphysical rockstars and athletes as heroes of these religious devotees.

In addition to this there is also the dark side of this sect which practices such occultic arts like automatic writing or spirit writings which has a similar effect to using a Ouija board to convey messages from the spirit world. Thus the team members, who are normally teenage girls, are being guided by demonic entities as mediums as they write, interpret and record such information without the audience even knowing the legitimacy of such cryptic messages.

Practically speaking there are inconsistencies between their ethic or virtue for peace when there is no peace amongst themselves with their numerous sub lineages who are opposed in bringing about any sense of consistency or unity and cooperation between their groups. Also their vegetarian diet does not coincide with Tianran who permitted his followers to eat meat. Which is yet another point in which I question the efficacy of such a practice towards a persons spiritual well being and I think that Jesus said it best with His infamous words.

 

Mark 7: 18-23

18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

 

In closing I respect a persons openness towards spiritual matters and attempting to uphold to concepts of morality but what I question and challenge here are the application of their beliefs towards a reality based in ultimate truth.

In your heart and mind maybe you have wondered about some of these same things and perhaps you have even become wearied with this heavy burden as carrying the load of not really knowing whether your belief pattern and ritualism with its endless cycle of chantings, prayers, moralism, abstention, ceremonies and religious classes, lectures, offerings etc, initiation, etc., etc., is really the right path in life. Maybe you are unsure and desperate to really know the truth as perhaps the doubts of this elitism, with its limited and localized religious worldview, is making you wonder if there is a bigger God. A God, who transcends the Taiwanese landscape as embracing all Nations on earth and therefore I would like to introduce you to the one and only Almighty God who so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.

This person is namely Jesus who came from heaven according to the direction, purpose and will of Father to reconcile unto Himself; those who have lost their way as being separated from God but now can be united through the saving work of Christ as He justifies as well as renews and regenerates by the work of the  Holy Spirit as they truly represent the Three Treasures of the soul.

Finally you can know Jesus personally as He has made Himself accessible first through His incarnation and now by the means of the Holy Spirit which inhabits or indwells the life of the believer and who changes ones nature to be pure, holy and moral. It is through Christ’s’ mediatorial role and according to His great power that He has overcome the weakness of  humanity by destroying the law of sin, which had originally been given opportunity through the forbidden fruit, by redeeming for Himself a people who were once lost and fallen.

Thus in Christ you can have your name indelibly written in His Book of Life which can not be lost or mistaken and is freely given to you. Therefore it is according to His grace and mercy that He has given the gift of eternal life as the Gatekeeper of Heaven in that He is the only way/path, truth and life.

Lastly Jesus is sacred in being revered as the Light of the World. His name is high above every name as the King of kings and the Lord of lords in which every kneel will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

So in conclusion it is Jesus, not Maitreya, who has saved the day and will return to  consummate this age through His millennial reign as bringing heaven to earth in establishing everlasting peace.

Finally my last request is for you to be open and ask Him to reveal himself to you in a knowable way so as to surrender your heart and life to Him as Lord and Savior.  God bless!

 

Matthew 11:28-30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 

 

How to have a relationship with God

How to know God

Other links

Yiguan Dao Resources

 

 

Religions of the world: a comprehensive encyclopedia of beliefs and practices/ J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, editors; Todd M. Johnson, World Religious Statistics; Donald Wiebe, Introduction-2nd ed., Copyright 2010 by ABC-CLIO, LLC. Reproduced with permission of ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, CA.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007