The Jade Emperor Urn

No 11



The urn of the Jade Emperor is the last place for the offering of jos sticks by devotees, other than at the cave of Tai Seng the Great Sage. It would be a pity if it is phased out but a smoky experience if it is overused.

The Five Archangels

No 10

The five archangels comprising the north, south, east and west with the fifth as the operator angel has graced the altar of the lord saint but with call for simplicity so that more could feel good, they will not be represented as heads on a metal rod but perhaps in more dignified form. Some say they are everywhere where a heavenly saint of God resides and there is no need to add to complexity. Where the image of the saint resides, they will be there even without any symbolic figurine representation. But they are of great sentimental value for those who have taken part in spiritual cleansing ceremonies in the first 12 years of the mission from 1970. Ceremony includes fire walking on red or white hot charoal and arm piercing. These are no longer observed and not all pioneers underwent the cultural practices. The writer has great respect for the roles of the archangels but how can this respect be translated....

Lord Bo Tien took on a Chinese cultural temple set -up to explain that the same inner truth in all religions are also present in a Chinese temple. All religions teach us to be good and to be God worthy. Don't point fingers and don't judge a book by the cover. It is the substance that counts.

But simplicity and discarding of too many layers of passed down cultural practices may do some good but moderation and balance would be wise to maintain that link with the past and the ancestors way of doing things. What is of paramount importance is that those involved and the many others must be comfortable with the practices. The practices must inspire that awe and spiritual fervour, not fear and confusion.

The latest image at Bo Tien Temple Singapore

No 9

The image too was made in China and is the biggest to date to grace a temple of the lord saint. It is between four to five feet high. It replaces the one that had a crack at the base and was burnt to return it to Heaven. The crack at the base was due to wet wood that dried after the image was carved. But temple members felt uneasy and wanted a new one that has no crack at the base. They probably hoped that there will be better rapport and harmony in the temple community if there was no crack. But the lord saint had predicted in one of the latter day anniversary messages that with time a wooden image of the lord saint at the temple would crack and if its presence was not felt despite being there 365 days a year, it will be lifted back to Heaven

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The wooden image from China

No 8

A dozen or so wooden images were made in China and they came with brown lacquered wood. The one below is painted and gold papered in Singapore at a Clementi shop. It takes pride of place in cupboard at home of inner truth netizen.  It is about 6 to 8 inch height and a bigger version about 3 to 4 foot high graced the shrine hall at Bo Tien Temple Singapore at Woodlands. Later the image moved over to Jurong site new premises. It was however burnt and replaced by the latest image (go to No 9)

This image at one time
probably graced the personal altar
of the late medium
who in his life time refused
to have any in his house
till this one came along

The polymarble image

No 7
 
Sometime in 1975, there were a dozen or so polymarble images made and blessed on mission anniversary day on the three stage table directed towards Heaven -- Hokkien "Sun Kai Tok"

One such image went to
Sitiawan  Bo Tien Temple
at Perak, Malaysia

The first image of the lord saint

No 6

Do you know that the first image is not one of the lord saint in the seated pose? The image below is but one of the perhaps 12 or so standing pose images. They are not carved from teak  but paper and wire based. The picture below is one at innerb truth netizen's private collection

Lord Bo Tien desecended in standing pose
with spear in right hand at Tai Seng temple.
The first temple said to be at
Jln Kaki Bukit was razed by fire

The first seated image

No 5

Here is the image of the lord saint for which the pioneers will fondly remember. It is the first seated image

The 10 inch12 inch teak wood image
of the lord saint Lord Bo Tien
one of three that graced the shrine hall
at the humble shrine
atWoodlands 11 and 3/4 ms



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