Zen Master Hakuin on the location of Heaven and Hell

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Check out the famous painting of Zen Master Hakuin at

http://www.dabase.net/hakuin.htm

 

Posted by Zen Storyteller on July 01, 19100 at 06:07:32:

The Gates of Heaven

 

There once was a general who asked the Zen Master Hakuin...

 

General: Are there really such things as heaven and hell?

 

Zen Master: What do you do for a living?

 

General: I'm a general.

 

Zen Master: Ha, ha, ha! What idiot asked you to be his general?

You look more like a butcher me.

 

General: What?!!!

 

The angry General then draws his sword, ready to strike the Zen

Master...

 

General: I'll cut you to pieces !

 

Zen Master: (pointing at the General's sword) Here lie the Gates of

Hell !

 

The General then regains his composure and puts down his sword

apologetically...

 

General: Excuse me... Please forgive my insolence.

 

Zen Master: Here lie the Gates of Heaven.

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Moral of the Story: Heaven and Hell aren't places that suddenly

appear after

death. They exist here and now. Good and Evil involve just a single

instant of thought, and the Gates of Heaven and Hell are ready to

open for you at any time.

 

Sourced from Pre-modern Zen Literature

 

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