When people sigh for the toughness of life, when people struggle in daily life and almost lose their hope, when people starve for happiness while reality keeps telling them the contrast, no matter if people are religious or not, there may be the big question about whether life is a heaven or hell?
There are many versions of Heaven or Hell stories. Here I’d like to share two versions and discuss the wisdom they reveal to us.
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Story Version 1:
There was once a samurai who wanted to learn the difference between heaven and hell. He sought until he found a master from whom he thought he could learn. He stood before the Master and asked him what was the difference between heaven and hell. The Master took the samurai’s sword and, turning it to the flat of the blade, struck the samurai on the head. The samurai was surprised at this but chose to ignore it. He thought that the Master had failed to understand his question. He once again asked the Master about the difference between heaven and hell. Again the Master struck the samurai on the head. The samurai staggered back and puzzled over this. He approached with his question for a third time and, before he could utter a word, the Master struck him a third time. The samurai was now so enraged at this behavior that he grabbed his sword from the Master, raised it over his head and was prepared to bring it down on the Master’s head when the Master raised one finger and the samurai paused.
“That is hell,” said the Master.
The samurai was instantly so overcome by the courage of this frail old man – to have risked his life for the sake of a stranger’s question – that he fell to his knees and bowed before the Master.
“That is heaven,” said the Master.
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Story Version 2:
A man spoke with the Lord about Heaven and Hell. “I will show you Hell,” said the Lord. And they went into a room which had a large pot of stew in the middle. The smell was delicious and around the pot sat people who were famished and desperate. All were holding spoons with very long handless which reached to the pot, but because the handles of the spoons were longer than their arms, it was impossible to get the stew into their mouths. Their suffering was terrible.
“Now I will show you Heaven,” said the Lord, and they went into an identical room. There was a similar pot of stew and the people had the same identical spoons, but they were well nourished, talking and happy.
At first the man did not understand.
“It is simple,” said the Lord. “You see, they have learned to feed each other.”
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You do not need believe in either story as they are more like metaphors. But the wisdom enlightened in them deserves our deep reflection.
You could apply these metaphors in your real life:
When you struggle for anything and feel the stress and even pain on: career, success, wealth, fame, health, relationship……
That is hell.
When you live at present, appreciate and enjoy whatever you have, live a meaningful life, help each other and provide valuable things to others ……
That is heaven.
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Now questions to you:
Who should take responsibility for our sufferings?
What could make the difference between heaven and hell?
I hope you have the answers, and you do not need suffer any more.
The difference between heaven and hell is all in our mind.
The good news is we have the great powers to decide where to go, heaven or hell.
What powers do we have? It’s easy to remember our 3C’s.
Consciousness, Compassion and Collaboration. Rethink about these powers in the above stories and cases. What a difference could these powers make in a blink!
I wish you live happily and know how to turn over difficult situations using your great powers. If you do not think you have these powers or currently could not effectively use them, please let me know. I would be more than happy to help you find, claim and use these great powers to live your heavenly life on the earth. Heaven or hell, you decide.
SpringMagicLife's Blog 
Dear Spring,
It was a emphatic explanation given above about the struggle.
Struggle is a process which has wider meaning if one could realize for what purpose the life is!!!? Truly speaking we always blame the people around, destiny and then mull over the issue by saying…good days are ahead…so this hope stimulates the intensity to live with struggle. But alas!!! We are not GOD although our DNA has that stimulant factor to find the divine. Secondly whatever happens ; we should be responsible wholly for our deeds or for the things which occur without any inclination. I have started implementing the said principle when I confronted few incidences which were out of my imagination. So truly speaking we do not have hold on our life but controllable measures are
there to execute in our life provided our struggle has taken a shape of positivity. Albert Einstein’s one statement was read by me in the book last week, where he says that Imagination more important than knowledge. So attaching this concept to the struggle, if one can imagine that struggle is not life or vice versa but it is a virtual pre-defined process of life then people can take in stride this word very differently and then life can have wider meaning. Struggle is a virtual instrument made by the nature for every being in this world one way or other. But then materialistic world has weird parameters of this word because of which we are eclipsed by unnecessary forces ruining our life. Then Struggle becomes monster in true sense. In spirituality, there is no such word existing since the enlightening procedure of our life has supreme connotation in the world of spirituality. But we people do not understand this and when we realize the value then till that moment, the value becomes zero mathematically where it is difficult to identify the meaning of ZERO(it is where no feelings of happiness or sadness remain-very balanced). Life is a struggle with afflugence if we could realize the radiant energy within us which is laying latent but only the human being has that capacity to ensure that struggle should be to activate that energy. I wonder with the life process in today’s world.
Cheers,
Amit
Thanks Amit! In our spiritual world, anything could be valuable, including struggle. Using conscious and positive view, we may appreciate it for torturing us while teaching us and recharging us with energy:). No pain, no gain. When we are still not so strong, and experiencing struggle, don’t get panic, as it’s a natural process for us to gain and grow. The stronger we grow, the less will be our struggle. But it may never become zero as we still need that stimulation to keep growing!
Hi,
I love the first story and the brief writing on the moral of the story through questions.
I have many times come across this hell and heaven and crossed with deep feelings. Over a period of time I stopped bothering much and started learning to keep going. some one learn it easily some learn it hard way thats the only difference. Thanks for sharing the heaven.
Regards
Vijey.NRR
Thanks Vijey for the comment! The learning process is so precious, and the harder, we may grow faster. May you reveal more of your inner power to live more happily!
I liked your article very much……… i see Heaven n Hell as Metaphors in itself…….. they are mere terms assigned by us Humans to classify the Nature of Situation we are in…… we claim to be in Hell when we suffer and we claim to be in Heaven when we are having a good time…….
Just my thought without Hell we can’t recognise Heaven….. Likewise vice-versa……. both Heaven and Hell Co-exist………
I would Love to Discuss more not just this topic…… many more…..
My motto Keep Smiling………. 🙂
Have a Great Day
Arun, thanks! Yes, “hell” situations help us grow and appreciate more of “heaven”.
You are welcome to join our LinkedIn group “Spring Magic Life Society” for more such interesting and meaningful discussions and network with other like-minded people!
Thank you all for your positive responses!
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