Fear Nothing except The CREATOR is the first principle of a person who prays to the CREATOR.((First Principle is to Fear Nothing except The CREATOR. Transcript Date: 1998-11-20 Time: 23:10:44 to 23:20:13)) In the Spiritual Guidelines, Fear Nothing comes immediately after pray to the CREATOR. In the early days, we asked the question why fear that is viewed as a negative emotion is the defining principle that BAITIANGONG is built upon as this is contrary to the existing general views that we should be loving GOD rather than fearing GOD. Love and fear are two basic motivating forces that could drive a person to commit great acts of sacrifice or the most heinous of acts.
Preconception
Growing up in the 21st century, we are influenced by the preconception that GOD is all-loving and all-forgiving and desires all people to go to heaven, while GOD’s adversary, the devil corrupts people using temptation and deception to doom them to hell. Earth is therefore perceived as a battleground where the forces of good battles with the forces of evil for the souls of people. Xian Sheng has radically changed that preconception by teaching us that GOD is love, hate and more than that, in creating both heaven and hell.((Love the CREATOR and more love will be returned for you. Transcript Date: Not Available)) Hell is not the domain of the devil, but a spiritual dimension created for those who failed their examination in life. People are endowed with an intelligent mind and gifted with free will to choose between good consciousness and evil consciousness. However, Xian Sheng also reminded us that if we listen to the saints, the saints will lead us, but if we listen to the devil, the devil will lead us.((Listen to saint or devil, doing wrong or bad deeds. Transcript Date: Not Available, Transcript Date: 1983-10-23. Time: NA, Transcript Date: 1987-08-01 Time: NA))
GOD created the devil to tempt people as part of their examination as to whether they will use their intelligent mind to choose good over evil. GOD created heaven as reward for those who listen to the saints and Hell is created as punishment for those who chose to listen to the devil.
The Prayer to pray to The CREATOR
We have been using the Prayer to pray to the CREATOR (Prayer)((The Prayer to Pray to The CREATOR. Transcript Date: 1998-08-23 Time: 16:47:13 to 16:49:23)) since Xian Sheng received it on 4th October 1976. Xian Sheng reminded us that the Prayer can be interpreted in many ways as the Prayer contains all of GOD’s creation and it is important to note that Fear Nothing except the CREATOR exists in the Prayer too. Thus, we are continuously reminded to fear the CREATOR as we recite the Prayer to pray to the CREATOR. In Chinese, the Prayer is read from top to bottom and from right to left in nine columns. The first column – GOD the CREATOR of heaven and hell, tells us that GOD created heaven and hell for the souls that completed their examination in life. The second column – The universe, and third column – The elements; All and more than that – tells us that GOD created the universe and the Five Elements. The fourth and fifth column – In GOD’s time; All and more than that must be good; All and more than that are GOD’s creation – everything is created good for us so that we can undergo our examination in life without worrying about our survival. The sixth and seventh columns – If we love GOD and the Holy Spirit, We know GOD and the Holy Spirit will love us – tells us that if we love GOD and we fear nothing except the CREATOR by not doing evil, we will go to heaven. The last two columns which are also a repetition of the sixth and seventh columns, tells us that if we do not love GOD by committing evil intentionally or out of fear, we will go to hell to suffer for our sins. In life, if we do not love and respect others, others will also not love and respect us? Similarly, if we do not love and accept the CREATOR and the Holy Spirit; the CREATOR and Holy Spirit will not love and accept us too. How is it possible for those who would not love nor accept the CREATOR, to be accepted into the positive planes of heaven? This is why Xian Sheng reminds us to love the CREATOR, and Do Good until we Fear Nothing except the CREATOR.
Examination in life
“We live to go through an examination in life and we die to live”((Examination in Life. Transcript Date: 1981-10-03, Transcript Date: 1994-11-06 Time: 18:27:29 to 18:27:53)) is the key phrase that tells us why we need to Fear Nothing except the CREATOR. To fear the CREATOR is to fear violating the Spiritual Guidelines, because violating the guidelines would means that we would fail our examination in life and our soul will suffer in hell upon death. The human body is created with an average expiry period not exceeding 90 years old, which is relatively short when compared to the eternal soul that goes on living after the body dies on Earth. Therefore suffering on Earth is extremely brief when compared to suffering in hell.
Suffering is the root of all fear. People may not fear death if death is without suffering and not an unknown to them. People fear the death of loved one, fear being alone, fear losing their jobs or fear being poor, because the root of these fear is the mental and physical suffering that follows.((Fear injustice of law or losing jobs. Transcript Date: 1992-12-20 Time: 17:47:35 to 17:48:40, Transcript Date: 1993-08-06, Transcript Date: 1994-04-03 Time: 17:36:15 to 17:37:01, Transcript Date: 1994-11-06 Time: 18:27:56 to 18:29:26, Transcript Date: 1995-11-25 Time: 08:31:25 to 08:33:44, Transcript Date: 1996-02-16 Time: 22:57:44 to 22:59:10, Transcript Date: 1996-02-16 Time: 22:59:13 to 23:02:18, Transcript Date: 1998-08-23 Time: 16:49:11 to 16:55:30, Transcript Date: 1998-11-20 Time: 23:10:44 to 23:20:13)) When faced with the thought of suffering, people will find a quick and easy way out. However, if people realise that the actions that they contemplate as a solution – is the examination itself – and making a wrong decision will cause them immeasurably long periods of suffering in hell, they would undeniably consider accepting the short suffering on Earth. The instruments of sufferings on Earth are also part of the creations of GOD as an examination in life. The solutions that we take to alleviate our sufferings will cause sufferings to the recipient of our actions.
Therefore if everyone practice fear nothing, we would be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.
Fear is an integral part of life
As we move through the various stages of human life, we will be faced with fears associated with the trials and tribulations at those stages.((Fear of taboo, ageing or death. Transcript Date: Not Available, Transcript Date: 1995-03-05, Transcript Date: 1997-01-26)) As a student, we may fear being bullied in school, failing school examinations, not having a boyfriend or girlfriend, not being accepted by our peers and etc. When we start life as a young adult, we may fear not getting a job, not getting a husband or a wife, losing our jobs and etc. As an adult and parents, we may fear not having children, our children’s safety, contracting terminal illnesses, losing our business, losing our jobs, losing our spouse and etc. And as we approach the final stages of our life, we may fear being alone, unloved and ultimately death.
Fear is apparently not the real problem as fear is merely an unpleasant emotion triggered by the brain in response to someone or something that we perceived is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat. How we choose to react to fear is the problem. Do we lie, cheat, steal, bribe, corrupt or kill to stop the source of our fears?((Cheat or lie. Transcript Date: 1988-05-22, Transcript Date: 1999-09-19 Time: 17:45:22 to 17:50:45, Transcript Date: Not Available)) Do we resort to supernatural ways like turning to mediums, spiritualist, the occult or worship deities and adopt the taboos and superstitious beliefs?((Fear of taboo, ageing or death. Transcript Date: Not Available, Transcript Date: 1995-03-05, Transcript Date: 1997-01-26))
Fear of Death
The fear of death of oneself or the death of loved ones can compel a person to forgo their good senses and the sense of responsibilities and loyalty to their family, friends and country.((Fear of taboo, ageing or death. Transcript Date: Not Available, Transcript Date: 1995-03-05, Transcript Date: 1997-01-26)) Movies and television capitalise on this powerful emotion to show that we are vulnerable when faced with the fear of death. Time and again, we can expect the actor or actress to abandon their religious faith, their principles, their core values, their conscience and decency in a desperate effort to avert death. Let us assume a scenario where a couple is rob at gun point and then told to pray to the robber for their lives. It would seem acceptable to kneel down and beg for your life, as life is the most valuable thing in life. For a BAITIANGONG follower, this would be the second worst thing you can do for your soul. Xian Sheng said that if you ever kneel down, even for a second, all your many years of praying to the CREATOR would be nullified.((Fear of robbers or threats. Transcript Date: 1981-06-21, Transcript Date: 1984-08-25)) The opportunity to go to heaven will no longer be available to you.
Xian Sheng mentioned an incident at Kota Tinggi where two Australian trainee pilots were robbed at gunpoint and subsequently ordered to kneel down before the robber.((Fear of robbers or threats. Transcript Date: 1981-06-21, Transcript Date: 1984-08-25)) One of the trainees refused to kneel and was shot to death in the head. Xian Sheng praised the trainee for he did not compromise on kneeling down to a man and that he would have the opportunity to go to heaven.
In a separate robbery that happened on the same day in Kuantan, a Chinese businessman and his wife were robbed by a man wielding a parang (machete). Both the husband and wife felt down on their knees to plea for their lives. Regardless, the robber slashed the husband to death. Xian Sheng said that the husband will not have the opportunity to go to heaven.
Fear nothing means not to even fear death as everyone will eventually die from old age or other reasons. Furthermore, in the above real life examples, there is no guarantee that succumbing to the robber’s demands guarantee that they will not be killed. If we are unable to conquer the fear of death, and to only fear the CREATOR, we are better off not praying to the CREATOR as we will fail the examination in life and not be able to live eternally in heaven.((Fear of taboo, ageing or death. Transcript Date: Not Available, Transcript Date: 1995-03-05, Transcript Date: 1997-01-26))
Fear of being deprived
Praying to the CREATOR is the first Spiritual Guideline and the most important guideline and it cannot be adequately stressed that going to heaven hinges on the fact that we must pray to the CREATOR and owner of heaven, in order for our soul to enter heaven to live eternally in bliss. The fear of being deprived of inheritance, spouse, children, livelihood, girlfriend or boyfriend and even imprisonment can compel a BAITIANGONG person to abandon the first Spiritual Guideline.
On the 2nd of October 1982, the police came with dogs and trucks under the pretext of dispersing an illegal assembly at a privately reclaimed squatter land at Salak South, Kuala Lumpur that the committee of the 6th Anniversary celebration was forced to select as the Chinese Assembly Hall cancelled our booking at the eleventh hour. The details are available in the 7th and 11th Anniversary books. On the 2nd of April 1984, four senior BAITIANGONG follower admitted guilty to belonging to an unlawful society and was sentenced to 5 months jail or a fine RM1, 000 each. Two of them were working as teachers and were threatened with suspension of their jobs if they do not renounce the BAITIANGONG movement.((Fear injustice of law or losing jobs. Transcript Date: 1992-12-20 Time: 17:47:35 to 17:48:40, Transcript Date: 1993-08-06, Transcript Date: 1994-04-03 Time: 17:36:15 to 17:37:01, Transcript Date: 1994-11-06 Time: 18:27:56 to 18:29:26, Transcript Date: 1995-11-25 Time: 08:31:25 to 08:33:44, Transcript Date: 1996-02-16 Time: 22:57:44 to 22:59:10, Transcript Date: 1996-02-16 Time: 22:59:13 to 23:02:18, Transcript Date: 1998-08-23 Time: 16:49:11 to 16:55:30, Transcript Date: 1998-11-20 Time: 23:10:44 to 23:20:13)) Their lawyer even advised them to say that they were accosted and threatened with assault if they do not re-join the BAITIANGONG movement.
The fear of being deprived of their jobs was the main reason that compelled the four senior BAITIANGONG followers to renounce BAITIANGONG and to tell lies in court about being accosted and threatened with assault.7 They failed to practice Fear Nothing except the CREATOR, but instead stop praying to the CREATOR and even lied in court, as they fear the injustice of the law and fear the consequences from the authority, i.e. fear losing their jobs, over the fear of the CREATOR.
If a person is called to court as a defendant, a witness or to testify against a felon, and they lie in court, as they fear being punished with fine, imprisonment or reprisal by the felon, they would commit the sin of lying.((Cheat or lie. Transcript Date: 1988-05-22, Transcript Date: 1999-09-19 Time: 17:45:22 to 17:50:45, Transcript Date: Not Available)) Xian Sheng said that only the courageous can go to heaven. BAITIANGONG followers have to be courageous to speak out against injustices, untruths, and unfairness as cowardice would contribute to more problems and sufferings in the world and they would have failed to practice the 3rd Spiritual Guideline – Speak Good.
In another real life case, a BAITIANGONG female follower living in Australia was confronted by her husband to proselytise from BAITIANGONG to his religion or face divorce and subsequently losing her children as well. The fear of being deprived of her livelihood, husband and children all at once compelled her to renounce 15 years of BAITIANGONG and she informed Xian Sheng that she adopted her husband’s religion.((Renouncing BAITIANGONG. Transcript Date: 1993-01-03 Time: 17:47:07 to 17:57:09))
Xian Sheng also asked those whose parents are not BAITIANGONG followers what they would do if they were faced with the option of being disinherited if they do not follow their parent’s religion. The likely scenario for this would be parents who are respectable members of society and they would want their sons to follow their ancestral culture of conducting marriages, ceremonies for events and the funeral ceremonies in the event of their death.
Renouncing BAITIANGONG
In BAITIANGONG, we take praying to the CREATOR very seriously. Xian Sheng said that we can fool around with anything in life, even with Xian Sheng, but we can never fool around with GOD. We must never curse GOD, accused GOD of being unfair, blame GOD for our life’s grievances and most importantly, renounce praying to the CREATOR after we have accepted and understand why we need to pray to the CREATOR.((Don’t say the CREATOR is unfair. Transcript Date: 1993-07-11 )) If we renounce BAITIANGONG, we would have committed an unforgivable sin.((Renouncing BAITIANGONG. Transcript Date: 1993-01-03 Time: 17:47:07 to 17:57:09)) An unforgivable sin is not pardonable by Xian Sheng and that would be the number one worst thing you can do for your soul. The second worst thing, which is kneeling down to pray to GOD’s creation means that we forfeited our chance to go to heaven in the present life, but we would still have another chance in future reincarnations. However, the repercussion of renouncing GOD is beyond the scope of our understanding as Xian Sheng only mentioned that that would be the worst sin we can possibly commit. Xian Sheng related to us incidences where some BAITIANGONG followers are so stupid that they renounce BAITIANGONG because of the fear of losing their girlfriends or boyfriends or wife or husband.((Fear of losing girlfriend/wife or boyfriend/husband. Transcript Date: 1992-12-20 Time: 17:47:04 to 17:47:12, Transcript Date: 1996-02-16 Time: 22:55:09 to 22:58:07)) We must practice Fear Nothing except The CREATOR so that we would never ever consider renouncing BAITIANGONG in the face of any fear as the suffering on Earth is nothing compared to the eternal suffering we would endure upon bodily death.
Other forms of Fear
Fear can come in many forms besides the fear of death and fear of being deprived. Phobia is defined as an extreme or irrational fear or aversion to something. The fear of height, fear of insects, fear of ghost, fear of public speaking and so forth are also fear that could cause a person to forgo their common senses causing embarrassment at best and suffering at worst. However, fear is considered a desirable trait too as fear can prevent us from doing foolish death wish acts like driving our car like a professional stunt man, self-preservation when our fight-or-flight response kicks in that prevents us from being harmed and a good learning experience so that we would not walk or drive while using our hand phone. Fear is not the problem. How we choose to react to fear is the problem.
Why do we fear the CREATOR?
The most important of all examination in life is the first Spiritual Guideline – pray to the CREATOR and we must kneel down to pray to the CREATOR. Praying to the CREATOR with your mind, body and soul is the only way for a person to go to heaven. If a person were to kneel down to pray to any of GOD’s creation, including to living or deceased persons, for any reason whatsoever, that would mean that this person does not pray with his or her mind. Praying without using the mind is akin to blind faith. GOD gave human an intelligent mind to realise the existence of the CREATOR, and to pray to the CREATOR, but if people blindly pray to GOD’s creations, then they do not deserve to go to heaven.
Xian Sheng had stressed countless times that you must pray to the CREATOR until you Fear Nothing except The CREATOR. The whole point of living is to undergo the examination in life and if you failed the first examination, by kneeling down to pray to GOD’s creation, then you have forfeited the opportunity to go to heaven and you will have to wait to be reincarnated to another life to take another examination in life. However, if death were to be the outcome because you practice fear nothing, you would have the opportunity to go to heaven. Religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Confucianism and many ancient religions believe in some form of reincarnation and that people are trapped in an endless cycle of reincarnation without an end in sight. The reality of reincarnating endlessly to undergo life with its problems is a suffering that Gautama Buddha recognised too. Xian Sheng taught us that we could actually escape from the Vicious Cycle of Reincarnation if we pray to the CREATOR with our mind, body and soul to live eternally in heaven. Xian Sheng related to us the story of Job from the Old Testament on how Job was severely punished by the devil, but he overcame all his fears to keep his faith to GOD.((The story of Job. Transcript Date: 1996-02-16 Time: 22:57:44 to 22:59:10))
Hence, to Fear Nothing except The CREATOR means that we must not fear anything, including death itself as heaven is the end of all sufferings.
Summary
We must learn to conquer our fear so that we will not react or coerced into making decisions that are sinful. We must instead fear doing bad or evil deeds, fear cheating, fear stealing from others, fear lying and generally fear doing all the things that will lead our soul away from the path to heaven and straight into hell. We must realise that while the body is real, pain and sufferings are real, the reality is that our soul lives on after death and the soul will suffer far worst, repeating and endless sufferings as part of the punishment in hell for the wrong decisions we made, even out of fear. If we fear the pain from our hands being chopped off on Earth, imagine the pain that your soul will feel if your hands are chopped off repeatedly for an eternity with the excruciating pain magnified many times fold and fresh every single time. We must therefore not remain ignorant, but use the intelligent mind we possess to find and learn the reality of our soul, heaven and hell and to pray to the CREATOR until us Fear Nothing except the CREATOR, in order to escape from the vicious cycle of reincarnation and to live eternally in heaven.
Xian Sheng’s Quotation
“You must sincerely and faithfully follow all the Spiritual Guidelines to guide you in life, otherwise you would not be able to resist temptations to sin because man has already deviated from the once pure and holy life. Man has become too Earth-bound and materialistic.”
“You believe me, if you pray, really, with your mind body and soul and if you Fear Nothing except The CREATOR. And if you Think Good, See Good, Hear Good, Speak Good and Do Good. If you pray hard enough your prayer will be answered.”
“Always think of going to heaven and do not think of coming back to Earth, then you would fear committing sins and would want to love GOD more and more.”
“Prepare yourself for these eventualities. For those things that you fear most, you would be tested on them. In fact, your whole life is an Examination and is thus a lifelong preparation to love, respect, revere and fear only GOD.”
“Prepare yourself against all these tests, place your full trust and faith in me and follow all my teachings. There is no guarantee in you going to heaven if you do not pray to GOD with your mind body and soul. Pray to GOD is very simple as you only spend a few minutes a day, but your Examination in Life is very difficult because you will face much type of tests.”
FAQ
1. If renouncing BAITIANGONG is an unforgivable sin, it would be safer to keep my children and non-BAITIANGONG people away as they may decide to change to another religion later.
We must realise that only by praying to the CREATOR, we can leave the vicious cycle of reincarnation and live eternally in heaven. If we do not teach our children to pray to the CREATOR, we would neglect our duty as a responsible parent to teach them to save their soul. Similarly, if we do not preach to other people, we will not be doing them a favour as well. The unforgivable sin of renouncing BAITIANGONG only applies to those who have understood and accepted BAITIANGONG, with the full knowledge that renouncing BAITIANGONG is an unforgivable sin. Therefore, when they renounce BAITIANGONG out of fear of being deprived of their livelihood, job, spouse, children or inheritance, they do so knowing the full consequences of their actions.
New followers and children of BAITIANGONG followers are considered as learners as they have not committed themselves to GOD. In Xian Sheng’s sermons, he told the followers to attend other religions as well to compare with BAITIANGONG. If they find the other religion is better, then to join that religion. Ultimately, GOD will know who accepted BAITIANGONG and who are learners and those who renounce BAITIANGONG out of fear will have committed the unforgivable sin.
2. Isn’t GOD all-loving, all-forgiving?
GOD is all-loving, all-forgiving, all-hatred and all and more than that. Xian Sheng explained that all the words in all the dictionaries in all the worlds could not describe GOD, as everything is the creation of GOD. GOD is all-loving as GOD do not discriminate by appearance, intellect, skin colour, gender, race, religion, social status and etc. and GOD is all-forgiving as anyone who do more good deeds than evil deeds could go to heaven. Even those who have killed people can be forgiven by GOD, if they have repented and changed by doing more good deeds. Please take note that GOD forgiveness is not without boundaries as Xian Sheng mentioned that he can forgive those who raped and killed, but even Xian Sheng is incapable of forgiving those who fool around with GOD, namely those who pray to the CREATOR and later revert to idolism or those who use GOD’s name in vain.((Xian Sheng is forgiving, but not when you fool around with GOD. Tape number: 02A-2000 Transcript Date: 2000-01-28 Time: 22:34:11 to 22:35:34))
However, for those who do evil towards others, they will pay for them in death, in hell. Unlike people who inflict suffering on others for the sake of power, control, greed or even sadistic reasons, the punishment in hell will befit their sins on Earth. If a person’s sins are relatively small, their punishment will be short and they will get to reincarnate earlier.
However, if their sins are very great, so shall their punishment and they will suffer longer in hell and suffering in hell can be an eternity as time in hell is different from time on Earth. The 18th Anniversary book gave the testimony from a follower who during meditation, was taken by Moses to hell to see Aaron, Moses’ brother, who was still suffering in hell because he built the idol of a golden calf for the Israelites to worship. Aaron committed the sin of making a god from gold in 1446 BC, Exodus 32:1-35, which is almost 3,500 years ago. We know that the justice system can be unfair on Earth due to the procedure of obtaining indisputable proof, but a person who committed any sins on Earth cannot escape justice when they pass away.
Hence, GOD is all-loving, all-forgiving, fair, justice, hatred, and any words that you can think of.