There was once a samurai
who travelled to the distant home of an old monk.
.
On arriving, he burst through the door and bellowed,
.
"Monk, tell me!
What is the difference between Heaven and Hell?"
.
.
The monk sat still on the tatami-matted floor.
.
Then he turned and looked up at the warrior.
.
"You call yourself a samurai warrior," he smirked.
.
"Why, look at you.
You're nothing but a mere sliver of a man!"
.
.
"Whaaat!!" cried the samurai,
as he reached for his sword.
.
.
.
"Oho!" said the monk.
.
"I see you reach for your sword...
.I doubt you could cut off the head of a fly with that."
.
.
The samurai was so infuriated
that he could not hold himself back.
.
He pulled his sword from its sheath,
.lifting it to strike off the head of the old monk.
.
.
At this, the monk looked up and said,
.
"That, my son, is the gate to Hell."
.
.
Realising that the monk had risked his life
to teach this lesson, the samurai slowly lowered his
sword to put it back into the sheath.
.
He bowed low to the monk in thanks for this teaching.
.
.
"My friend," responded the monk,
"My friend," responded the monk,
.
"That is the gate to Heaven."
.
.
~ Love & Holograms from Yoga Gypsy ~
