A holy man was having a
conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would
like to know what Heaven and Hell are like. "The Lord led the
holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy
man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round
table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew
which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They
appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very
long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot
of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer
than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their
mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery
and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly
the same as the first one. There was the large round table
with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth
water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled
spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump,
laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand."
It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You
see, they have learned to feed each other. While the greedy
think only of themselves. |