In 2005, I sat in Fair Trade Cafe after hours and heard Fr. Daniel Richards tell this story:
A big. burly samurai comes to his Zen master and says, “Sensei, it is good to finally see you again. I am hoping that you can settle a dispute between my men and I. Please enlighten us. Tell us the nature of heaven and hell.”
The Zen master looks him in the face and says, “Why should I tell a vile, disgusting, miserable slob like you? You call yourself a Samurai, but you are nothing. You must embarrass your family. Why 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, “This is hell.”
The samurai drops his sword and falls to his knees. Instantly, understanding that he has just created his own hell – dark, burning with rage, filled with hatred, self-protection, anger, pride and resentment strong enough to take another’s life. Tears fill his eyes as he puts his palms together to bow in gratitude for this insight.
The Zen master says, “And this is heaven.”
It stuck with me. I have shared the story at least a hundred times. I even included it in my latest book. Other than Fr. Richards, I have never heard another person tell the story. What is odd, though, is how the story continues to follow me through text in random, unexpected moments and places. Perhaps that is not what is oddest. A numerologist friend shared that, numerically speaking, I am repeating a karmic lesson regarding love. He had no idea how much that word had been a focus of my teachings over the past few years, all consuming at times. Now, I pick up a book called “Love For No Reason” by Marci Shimoff and as I am reading the introduction, I am thinking to myself, no, I do not believe peace is attainable full time. It comes in fleeting glimpses to provide us hope and an alternative to the atrocities of war. I do, however, believe in the energy of love. Yes, that is why I am here, to love, to wake up hearts, to remind, to help others re-member love. I turned the page and the Heaven and Hell story appear. Tap, tap on the conscience, are you awake? Are you listening? Are you living this? Sometimes. Clearly, though, I need to do it all the time.
Okay. Here we go. Together we will learn. Time is short. The lessons will be quick and we have to instantly put them into practice. The good news is, as with all things we commit to, we will be sent teachers with the obvious and subtle lessons, little tests, then bigger one, giving us opportunities to learn and grow. The world needs this, now more than ever, and we are being called to lead the charge.