A tough, brawny samurai once approached a Zen master who was deep in meditation. Impatient and discourteous, the samurai demanded in his husky voice so accustomed to forceful yelling,
“Tell me the nature of heaven and hell.”
The Zen master opened his eyes, looked the samurai in the face, and replied with a certain scorn,
“Why should I answer to a shabby, disgusting, despondent slob like you? A worm like you, do you think I should tell you anything? I can’t stand you. Get out of my sight. I have no time for silly questions.”
The samurai could not bear these insults. Consumed by rage, he drew his sword and raised it to sever the master’s head at once. Looking straight into the samurai’s eyes, the Zen master tenderly declared,
“That’s hell.”
The samurai froze. He immediately understood that anger had him in its grip. His mind had just created his own hell — one filled with resentment, hatred, self- defense, and fury. He realized that he was so deep in his torment that he was ready to kill somebody. The samurai’s eyes filled with tears. Setting his sword aside, he put his palms together and obsequiously bowed in gratitude for this insight. The Zen master gently acknowledged with a delicate smile,
“And that’s heaven.”
From Don’t believe everything by Joseph Nguyen
Hey, check it out – negative vibes can really mess things up for us and those around us. Think of it like a cool Zen story – if we get sucked into feeling down, it can lead to trouble. First step: pay attention to what’s going on in your head. Amp up the good vibes – love, kindness, empathy, forgiveness – and try to shake off the bad ones. That’s the key to finding genuine happiness and freedom. Yeah, it might take some effort, but awesome moments are just around the corner.
