Heaven And Hell – A Zen Buddhist Spiritual Story

Once, the Buddha appeared in the dream of a little boy and took him along to show heaven and hell. They entered a hall with a big dining table with delicious dishes spread all over it. Then suddenly some sad-faced ghosts appeared and jostled with each other to eat their favorite dishes.

They fumbled with the good with very long spoons and could not eat even a morsel. At last, they started fighting among themselves. Then the boy was taken to another hall. This dining hall was similar to the previous one, the only difference being that here some cheerful people were gathered at the table.

The boy was just wondering how they would manage to eat with the long spoons, when he was surprised to see that each of them started feeding the person sitting next to him. They fed each other by turns and everyone tasted enough of every delightful dish.

Buddha then turned to the boy and said, “Did you note how everything in life depends on the way you are and the way you behave? You make a place heaven or hell by your own actions.”

The author of this story is unknown and greatly appreciated!