Testimony on how it all came to be

Mission History No 1


Testimony slightly abridged

Elder Ling Diung Kwong 
at age 76 in 2012

"I am a pensioner and a retired Police Officer. I joined the Singapore Police Force in 1959 as a constable and was promoted to the rank of Inspector in 1963. I retired from the Police Force on 31 August 1981."

Inspector Ling Diung Kwong
as he was then known
in his prime of life.
Photo taken in 1980

"In the beginning of 1970 I was working at the Queenstown Police Station when my curiosity was drawn to a unique temple by a junior officer who told me that at this temple, the saint in his descent did not perform activities like those in other temples. This saint would preach his teachings and doctrine which is more akin to Buddhism. He then brought me to the temple and I learnt that this saint identified himself as Bo Tien. This was the first time he was authorized by Heaven to come to this planet to set up his temple mission, as a model for others to follow. The essence of his teachings is to change people’s mindset on superstitious beliefs. He emphasized the essence with this sentence 'we do thing for others to follow and we do not follow others'. In other words, the founder members are the first generation pioneers to undertake the task, to understand and compile his teachings and doctrines for the salvation of mankind which may take many generations to carry out."

Image depicting the pose of
the lord saint
at his first descent

"The temple should be built without the image of a dragon or be Chinese in character. The interior should be simple and serene so that a devotee with heavy mind should find immediate relief as he steps into the temple. Praying should be conducted in simple manner. As for individual, he should pray single-handedly direct to the saint or deity he is comfortable in, without the assistance of a third person. A human should not take another as master. It is to avoid any complications in the future, whereby one would blame the saint or deity for causing the problems." 

"As a heavenly spirit, he could not communicate with human and he chose the body of late P. Philip, a Catholic by birth to act as a medium. He descended alone and he had the authority to acquire the services of any elements on this planet to assist him in the Mission. His descent would be for 12 years and he would return to heaven. After that he would impart his teachings and understanding to us through our mind as though they are our own ideas. To differentiate between our own ideas and that of his, is in the implementation. If they are that from him, the implementation would be smooth. There would be obstacles if they are our own." 

"From the day I stepped into the temple which was situated at the foot Jalan Kali Batu, almost every day I must pay a visit there or else I would feel uncomfortable the whole night. On March 1970, the temple was gutted by fire to the ground. Devotees who were mainly National Servicemen Policemen managed to rent a haunted room in a dilapidated atap hut at 407A Woodlands Road 11 3/4 ms." 

"On the night of inauguration, there was some commotion amongst participants who appeared to be in trance pushing at one another. I was standing in the courtyard in front of the temple when I felt my body trembling. I went into the shrine and came out to the courtyard again, my body continued to tremble. As I am a free-thinker, I thought then that some evil spirits might be going possessed me. I thought I could avoid the situation if I were to leave the place. I told the medium the late P. Philip. I was about to go home but he told me to wait as he could not find the late Chee S. H., who was Lord Bo Tien’s interpreter during his descent. I drove my car together with my wife, late P. Philip and wife... we went around places he was known to visit to look for him in vain. When we then went over to the burnt out site of the old temple, we found late Chee S. H. in the company some devotees there." 

"At this point, Lord Bo Tien descended. All the devotees present crowded around the medium when he (Lord Bo Tien) called for 'Ah Tau' – in Hokkien, Head (Elder) in English. Nobody knew who Lord Bo Tien was referring to. They started pointing fingers at one another for Lord Bo Tien to acknowledge. He did not reciprocate. I was the last. He requested me to go nearer to him. He asked me whether I knew what was happening. I replied negatively as I was not involved. He then explained that he was testing the quality of the devotees there, how confident they were in undertaking his missionary works. He identified me as most suitable and asked me to take on the responsibility to lead them along." 

"I accepted the responsibility with great reluctance as I had not even believed in him. I could only do my best. Lord Bo Tien advised me not to worry for he would be there to guide me and a day would come that I would believe in him. From then on, Bo Tien would address me as 'Ah Tau' at every of His descent. Even now some members in the temple still address me by this name....but...." 

"In the middle of January 1970, the application to register the organisation was approved by the Registrar of Societies. I became the founding President of the organisation. I stood down my position in 1973 due to differences in opinion and interests among the founding members. On the night of the AGM, I declined my nomination. Another person G. Wong was elected to take the position. Soon after the election was over, Lord Bo Tien descended. He asked the assembly to be cleared and spoke to me alone. He scolded me for declining the position saying that this position was designated by him for me and I could not abandon it without his permission. He ordered me to take back the position instantly. I told him that spiritually it might be possible; humanly it was impossible as there were unhappiness expressed by members against my leadership and I would abide by it the follow year."

This invaluable book
edited by Bro. Peter Kong
and published 6th Sept 2000
contains the anniversary messages
by Lord Bo Tien

PS: In 1981 Mission Day Observance, Elder Ling asked the lord saint on his tiredness and sleepiness. The lord saint told him that he should have no concern and that heaven will guide him along in his cultivation (meditation) so as to have peace and happiness but what is important is that he does not falter in the mission. The lord saint did say in other years that the issues of men are many and plentiful. Thus there is risk of the mission faltering and the poignant instruction in 1981 for elder Ling not to falter in mission reminds us of the foresight of the lord saint. In the final part of the 1981 anniversary message, Lord Bo Tien "asked elder Ling to write out the history of the mission." This would of course be of great learning value for future generations.....

NAMO BO TIEN POSAT

12 inch tall teak wood image of Lord Bo Tien

Elder Ling standing, at the centre right
and in light colored clothes at a later year
anniversary descent of Lord Bo Tien

Close devotees congregated at the later-year better furbished shrine hall at Woodlands

Painting of the Shrine Hall of Lord Bo Tien at old Woodlands premises. This was a new building donated by a follower when the shrine was placed under an open awning in front of the historic atap-hut shrine. The run-down but cosy hut shrine hall gave way to the first modest aged home home dormitory at the instruction of the lord saint who said that his shrine can even be in the open under the sky. Elder Ling said that this was perhaps the first of many aged homes to be run by a temple in Singapore and happened coincidentally just before the then PM suggested that this be the norm. The temple home received help from the government and accorded full legal assistance in short time. Some 12 years later, the lord saint again said that it was not at all important how his mission was housed. His temple can be in the open. His temple, he said, is the world and the sky is the roof of the temple. All under Heaven are in his temple. Religions are the pillars...