Zen approach to Heaven and Hell...
Dont fade away.....
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Posts: 33
Zen approach to Heaven and Hell...
A big, burly samurai comes to a Zen master and says,"Tell me the nature of heaven and hell."
The Zen master looks him in the face and says,"Why should I tell a scruffy, disgusting, miserable slob like you? A worm like you, do you think I should tell you anything?"
Consumed by rage, the samurai draws his sword and
raises it to cut off the master's head. The Zen master says, "That's hell."
Instantly, the samurai understands that he has just created his own hell- black and hot, filled with hatred, self-protection, anger, and resentment. He sees that he was so deep in hell that he was ready to kill someone. Tears fill his eyes as he puts his palms together to bow in gratitude for this insight.
The Zen Master says, "That's heaven."
The view of the warrior-bodhisattva is not "Hell is bad and heaven is good" or "Get rid of hell and just seek heaven" Instead, we encourage ourselves to develop an open heart and an open mind to heaven, to hell, to everything. Only with equanimity can we see that everything that comes into our circle has come to teach us what we need to know.
-Dharma stories
The Zen master looks him in the face and says,"Why should I tell a scruffy, disgusting, miserable slob like you? A worm like you, do you think I should tell you anything?"
Consumed by rage, the samurai draws his sword and
raises it to cut off the master's head. The Zen master says, "That's hell."
Instantly, the samurai understands that he has just created his own hell- black and hot, filled with hatred, self-protection, anger, and resentment. He sees that he was so deep in hell that he was ready to kill someone. Tears fill his eyes as he puts his palms together to bow in gratitude for this insight.
The Zen Master says, "That's heaven."
The view of the warrior-bodhisattva is not "Hell is bad and heaven is good" or "Get rid of hell and just seek heaven" Instead, we encourage ourselves to develop an open heart and an open mind to heaven, to hell, to everything. Only with equanimity can we see that everything that comes into our circle has come to teach us what we need to know.
-Dharma stories
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Body: South Florida Heart: Yosemite National Park
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Originally Posted by zazengirl
Consumed by rage, the samurai draws his sword and raises it to cut off the master's head. The Zen master says, "That's hell."
Wonderful story, zazengirl. Keep 'em coming!
Dont fade away.....
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Posts: 33
no problem, its on a site that I honor www.dharmapunx.com
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