Where is the good and where is the bad? Is there really a heaven and a hell?
With a delicate metaphor, this story will make you think about it. To try to understand if there really is a sacred place, and what we have to do to get there.
In a distant kingdom of the East, there were two friends who had the curiosity and the desire to know about Good and Evil. One day they approached the sage Lang’s cabin to ask him some questions. Once inside they asked:
– Old man tell us: what is the difference between heaven and hell?…
The sage replied:
-I see hell as a mountain of freshly cooked rice, still smoke comes out. Around there are many very hungry men and women. The sticks they use to eat are longer than their arms. That’s why when they pick up the rice they can’t make it reach their mouths. Anxiety and frustration are increasing, but nobody does anything to remedy it.
The friends listened to the sage attentively. He continued:
-At the same time, I see another mountain of freshly cooked rice. There, too, there is still smoke coming out. Around there are many cheerful people who are smiling with satisfaction. His sticks are also longer than his arms. Still, they manage to eat.
Surprised friends asked:
– Can you still eat? And how do they do it? Is there magic in paradise?
The sage replied:
– No, there is no magic. They have only decided to feed each other.
The sage gives us, in this story, a powerful lesson.
The difference between good and bad is not the circumstances, but what we make of them. And of course, the love that we are willing to give -and receive- also makes a difference.
We can have everything and be unhappy, or have nothing and feel great. Because, furthermore, the measure of all things is not to be alone. Instead, always walk side by side with our surroundings and all the people we love.