Come! Let’s Open The Gates of Heaven

Japan is a beautiful country with amazing culture and traditions. The people of Japan love their old traditions and cultural values. It is a country of sweet-smelling beautiful flowers, magnificent gardens, artfully crafted old and ancient temples, shrines and monasteries. Looking at the ancient buildings and visiting them from inside carry one into the realm of peace and tranquility. It is a great experience meeting Zen masters in temples or monasteries and learning the words of wisdom and positive thinking. There are many parables with the help of which the great masters of Zen make the people aware of the positive philosophy of life. Let’s share a famous and popular Zen parable that describes  heaven and hell.

Hakuin was a great Zen master and a great scholar. He had spent all his life searching for the Truth. He studied the philosophy of life under the patronage of several great teachers. He traveled from monastery to monastery struggling with his ego and his uncontrollable thoughts. With his persistent efforts and determination he finally achieved peace, tranquility and equanimity. He attained self-awareness. Many people would visit him to learn wisdom and the principles of peaceful and successful life.

One day a Samurai soldier,  Nobushige, came to him and asked in his typical haughty and arrogant Samurai manner: “Master, is there really a paradise and a hell?”

Samurai soldiers, although they do not exist in modern day Japan, played a very important and powerful role in the history of Japan. They were known as the trustworthy and die-hard guards of Japanese Empire. They were known for their bravery, pride, superiority and arrogance. They never tolerated insult or mockery.

Hakuin, a very sober, calm and enlightened master, looked at Nobushige right in his eyes and asked: “Who are you?” “I am a Samurai,” Nobushige answered. “You, a Samurai!” exclaimed Hakuin. “What kind of lord would have you as his guard? You look like a beggar!” This was very insulting for Nobushige. At once his hand went to his sword and he started drawing it. When Hakuin saw him drawing the sword, he said: “So you have a sword. It is probably too dull to even cut off my head.” This was too degrading for a Samurai to tolerate. Nobushige was almost ready to chop off Hakuin’s head with his sword. Hakuin very calmly remarked: “Here, open the gates of Hell.” The Samurai at once realized that the master wanted to teach him the meaning of Hell. He immediately sheathed his sword and bowed down in apology and gratitude in front of the master. Hakuin again looked at him and said in his calm and poised manner: “Here. Open the gates of Heaven.”

In this story, heaven or hell are our states of awareness. We need to be aware of our thoughts and actions. Negative thoughts and emotions will result in negative actions and will make life hell and misery. Arrogance, hatred, jealousy, fear, disgust, rage, loneliness and annoyance are negative emotions that cause serious damage to health. Nobushige, the Samurai, was haughty and arrogant. His level of tolerance was very low. He flew into rage when he felt that Hakuin had insulted him. He was about to kill Hakuin. Such emotional states and attitudes bring stress, anxiety and depression. When we are in a miserable state surrounded by multitudes of problems, we normally complain: “I am living in hell”. In the present story, the moment Nobushige controlled his emotions and became so humble that he bowed down in utter humility and gratitude, and asked forgiveness,  then the clouds of stress, misery and rage vanished and the blossoms of joy and peace bloomed. This sort of attitude of tolerance, humility and forgiveness results in peace and joy. Life turns into heaven or paradise.

It is in our hands to make life happy and peaceful. We only need to be aware of our thoughts and actions. Once we are aware of our thoughts and feelings and learn how to control and channelize our negative emotions in constructive and productive way, we can create an environment of happiness and joy and live a healthy and peaceful life. In his poem “Paradise Lost”, John Milton writes: “A mind not to be changed by place or time. The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n.”

Life upon this planet is not an easy affair. it is a constant struggle against too many odds. Today’s world is a rat race in which humans are trying to win the race of life on several channels. Every passing day is becoming more and more competitive and challenging. We have to achieve several goals in order to make life better and easier. Our relations and dealings with people around us place various conditions and obstacles in our way. Our parents, children, spouse, colleagues, friends, the State and its agencies have so many requirements which we are bound to fulfill. There are no limits to the load of stress that we face every day. The challenges and problems of life make us disturbed, irritated and annoyed. But we need to make ourselves aware of our thoughts, feelings and attitudes and try to learn how to control them and bring ourselves in positive mode. If our inner state is in our control the outside circumstances will start improving gradually and we will enter into a heavenly, peaceful and successful life. Therefore, come, let’s open the gates of heaven.

Mumtaz Shah