Recently in my morning studies, I came across this “old Japanese” story:
One day, a samurai asked a Zen master to explain the concepts of heaven and hell.
But the monk just said scornfully, “You’re nothing but a lout! I cannot waste my time with you.”
His honor insulted, the samurai flew into a rage, drew his sword, and hissed “I could kill you for that!”
“That,” the monk said calmly, “is hell.”
Realizing the truth of the monk’s words, and being ashamed of how quickly his emotions had seized control of him, the samurai calmed down, sheathed his sword, then bowed to the monk with respect and gratitude.
“And that,” the monk responded, “is heaven.”
The author goes on to point out that the famous words of Socrates, “know thyself”, refers to developing an awareness of our own emotions, immediately as they occur, and not allowing them to dictate our decisions, behavior, and actions.
As I have often stated both here and elsewhere:
“It is wise to both know thyself, and know thine enemy; for they are often one and the same.”
Regular readers of this blog are aware that I believe heaven and hell to be earthly estates, conditions brought about by our own thoughts, behavior, and actions; that we truly do create our own reality, good or bad.
Consider the words of Jesus:
“And when he was demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20 – 21)
In his profound book The Kingdom of God is Within You, Tolstoy suggests that the “Kingdom of God” is not a future event or a physical place, but a state of mind that exists within those who embody the true teachings of Jesus—and that by cultivating inner spiritual transformation and rejecting all forms of violence, individuals can manifest the Kingdom of God on earth.
Anyway, the above story resonated with me, and I felt compelled to share it here.
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