A Sage was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said. 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.' The Lord led the Sage to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the Sage looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the Sage's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.The Sage shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.'
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The Sage said, 'I don't understand.'
'It is simple,' said the Lord.
'It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.'
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.The Sage shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.'
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The Sage said, 'I don't understand.'
'It is simple,' said the Lord.
'It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.'
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4 comments:
reminds me that i've been greedy
Lovely.
I remember something i wrote in one of your posts & i find it relevant.
"And its your faith that makes you understand that the stories you have read about Heaven & Hell are not just stories. The heart finds its own heaven in the blessings of life, the hug of a friend, the prayer of a mother, & that the hell in life comes with the tragedies of life... the heart break, the trauma... the accidents."
I strongly believe that this applies to this world also. You can make your life hell of a crazy ride or heaven on earth by valuing what you have & learning to be thankful for it.
MashAllah, i just love the way you express in your writings! maza aa giya parh kay once again (Y)
A very enlightening story indeed! A very simple way to explain the ciphers of Heaven and Hell! Eternal Contentment vs. Eternal Misery!
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