Difference between revisions of "Buddhist Story: Hell"
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The [[Buddha]], in one of his former [[lives]], was in [[Hell]]. Before he became a [[Buddha]] he had [[suffered]] a lot in many [[lives]]. He made a lot of mistakes, like all of us. He made himself [[suffer]], and he made [[people]] around him [[suffer]]. Sometimes he made very big mistakes, and that is why in one of his previous [[lives]] he was in [[Hell]]. There is a collection of stories about the [[lives]] of the [[Buddha]], and there are many hundreds of stories like that. These stories are collected under the title [[Jataka Tales]]. Among these hundreds of stories, I remember one very vividly. I was seven years old, very young, and I read that story about the [[Buddha]], and I was very shocked. But I did not fully understand that story. | The [[Buddha]], in one of his former [[lives]], was in [[Hell]]. Before he became a [[Buddha]] he had [[suffered]] a lot in many [[lives]]. He made a lot of mistakes, like all of us. He made himself [[suffer]], and he made [[people]] around him [[suffer]]. Sometimes he made very big mistakes, and that is why in one of his previous [[lives]] he was in [[Hell]]. There is a collection of stories about the [[lives]] of the [[Buddha]], and there are many hundreds of stories like that. These stories are collected under the title [[Jataka Tales]]. Among these hundreds of stories, I remember one very vividly. I was seven years old, very young, and I read that story about the [[Buddha]], and I was very shocked. But I did not fully understand that story. | ||
| − | The [[Buddha]] was in [[Hell]] because he had done something wrong, extremely wrong, that [[caused]] a lot of [[suffering]] to himself and to others. That is why he found himself in [[Hell]]. In that [[life]] of his, he hit the bottom of [[suffering]], because that [[Hell]] was the worst of all [[Hells]]. With him there was another man, and together they had to work very hard, under the [[direction]] of a soldier who was in charge of [[Hell]]. It was dark, it was cold, and at the same time it was very hot. The guard did not seem to have a [[heart]]. It did not seem that he knew anything about [[suffering]]. He did not know anything about the [[feelings]] of other [[people]], so he just beat up the two men in [[Hell]]. He was in charge of the two men, and his task was to make them [[suffer]] as much as possible. | + | The [[Buddha]] was in [[Hell]] because he had done something wrong, extremely wrong, that [[caused]] a lot of [[suffering]] to himself and to others. That is why he found himself in [[Hell]]. In that [[life]] of his, he hit the bottom of [[suffering]], because that [[Hell]] was the worst of all [[Hells]]. With him there was another man, and together they had to work very hard, under the [[direction]] of a soldier who was in charge of [[Hell]]. It was dark, it was cold, and at the same time it was very [[hot]]. The guard did not seem to have a [[heart]]. It did not seem that he knew anything about [[suffering]]. He did not know anything about the [[feelings]] of other [[people]], so he just beat up the two men in [[Hell]]. He was in charge of the two men, and his task was to make them [[suffer]] as much as possible. |
[[File:Kali by nosve.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | [[File:Kali by nosve.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | ||
| − | I think that guard also [[suffered]] a lot. It looked like he didn't have any [[compassion]] within him. It looked like he didn't have any [[love]] in his [[heart]]. It looked like he did not have a [[heart]]. He behaved like a robber. When looking at him, when listening to him, it did not seem that one could [[contact]] a [[human]] being, because he was so brutal. He was not sensitive to [[people]]'s [[suffering]] and [[pain]]. That is why he was beating the two men in [[Hell]], and making them [[suffer]] a lot. And the [[Buddha]] was one of these two men in one of his previous [[lives]]. | + | I think that guard also [[suffered]] a lot. It looked like he didn't have any [[compassion]] within him. It looked like he didn't have any [[love]] in his [[heart]]. It looked like he did not have a [[heart]]. He behaved like a robber. When looking at him, when listening to him, it did not seem that one could [[contact]] a [[human]] being, because he was so brutal. He was not [[sensitive]] to [[people]]'s [[suffering]] and [[pain]]. That is why he was beating the two men in [[Hell]], and making them [[suffer]] a lot. And the [[Buddha]] was one of these two men in one of his previous [[lives]]. |
| − | The guard had an instrument with three iron points, and every time he wanted the two men to go ahead, he used this to push them on the back, and of course blood came out of their backs. He did not allow them to [[relax]]; he was always pushing and pushing and pushing. He himself also looked like he was being pushed by something behind him. Have you ever felt that kind of pushing behind your back? Even if there was no one behind you, you have felt that you were being pushed and pushed to do things you don't like to do, and to say the things you don't like to say, and in doing that you created a lot of [[suffering]] for yourself and the [[people]] around you. Maybe there is something behind us that is pushing and pushing. Sometimes we say horrible things, and do horrible things, that we did not want to say or do, yet we were pushed by something from behind. So we said it, and we did it, even if we didn't want to do it. That was what happened to the guard in [[Hell]]: he tried to push, because he was being pushed. He [[caused]] a lot of damage to the two men. The two men were very cold, very hungry, and he was always pushing and beating them and causing them a lot of problems. | + | The guard had an instrument with three {{Wiki|iron}} points, and every time he wanted the two men to go ahead, he used this to push them on the back, and of course {{Wiki|blood}} came out of their backs. He did not allow them to [[relax]]; he was always pushing and pushing and pushing. He himself also looked like he was being pushed by something behind him. Have you ever felt that kind of pushing behind your back? Even if there was no one behind you, you have felt that you were being pushed and pushed to do things you don't like to do, and to say the things you don't like to say, and in doing that you created a lot of [[suffering]] for yourself and the [[people]] around you. Maybe there is something behind us that is pushing and pushing. Sometimes we say horrible things, and do horrible things, that we did not want to say or do, yet we were pushed by something from behind. So we said it, and we did it, even if we didn't want to do it. That was what happened to the guard in [[Hell]]: he tried to push, because he was being pushed. He [[caused]] a lot of damage to the two men. The two men were very cold, very hungry, and he was always pushing and beating them and causing them a lot of problems. |
| − | One afternoon, the man who was the [[Buddha]] in a former [[life]] saw the guard treating his companion so brutally that something in him rose up. He wanted to protest. He knew that if he intervened, if he said anything, if he tried to prevent the guard beating the other [[person]], that he would be beaten himself. But that something was pushing up in him, so that he wanted to intervene, and he wanted to say: "Don't beat him so much. Why don't you allow him to [[relax]]? Why do you have to stab him and to beat him and to push him so much?" Deep within the [[Buddha]] was a pressure coming up, and he wanted to intervene, even [[knowing]] perfectly well that if he did, he would be beaten by the guard. That impulse was very strong in him, and he could not stand it anymore. He turned around, and he faced the guard without any [[heart]], and said, "Why don't you leave him alone for a moment? Why do you keep beating him and pushing him like that? Don't you have a [[heart]]?" | + | One afternoon, the man who was the [[Buddha]] in a former [[life]] saw the guard treating his companion so brutally that something in him rose up. He wanted to protest. He knew that if he intervened, if he said anything, if he tried to prevent the guard beating the other [[person]], that he would be beaten himself. But that something was pushing up in him, so that he wanted to intervene, and he wanted to say: "Don't beat him so much. Why don't you allow him to [[relax]]? Why do you have to stab him and to beat him and to push him so much?" Deep within the [[Buddha]] was a pressure coming up, and he wanted to intervene, even [[knowing]] perfectly well that if he did, he would be beaten by the guard. That impulse was very strong in him, and he could not stand it anymore. He turned around, and he faced the guard without any [[heart]], and said, "Why don't you leave him alone for a [[moment]]? Why do you keep beating him and pushing him like that? Don't you have a [[heart]]?" |
| − | That was what he said, this man who was to be the [[Buddha]]. When the guard saw him protesting like that, and heard him, he was very angry, and he used his fork, and he planted it right in the chest of the [[Buddha]]. As a result, the [[Buddha]] [[died]] right away, and he was [[reborn]] the very same minute into the [[body]] of a [[human]] being. He escaped [[Hell]], and became a [[human]] being living on [[earth]], just because [[compassion]] was born in him, strong enough for him to have the {{Wiki|courage}} to intervene to help his fellow man in [[Hell]]. | + | That was what he said, this man who was to be the [[Buddha]]. When the guard saw him protesting like that, and heard him, he was very [[angry]], and he used his fork, and he planted it right in the {{Wiki|chest}} of the [[Buddha]]. As a result, the [[Buddha]] [[died]] right away, and he was [[reborn]] the very same minute into the [[body]] of a [[human]] being. He escaped [[Hell]], and became a [[human]] being living on [[earth]], just because [[compassion]] was born in him, strong enough for him to have the {{Wiki|courage}} to intervene to help his fellow man in [[Hell]]. |
| − | When I read this story, I was astonished, and I came to the conclusion that even in [[Hell]] there was [[compassion]]. That was a very relieving [[truth]]: even in [[Hell]] there is [[compassion]]. Can you imagine? And wherever [[compassion]] is, it's not too bad. | + | When I read this story, I was astonished, and I came to the conclusion that even in [[Hell]] there was [[compassion]]. That was a very relieving [[truth]]: even in [[Hell]] there is [[compassion]]. Can you [[imagine]]? And wherever [[compassion]] is, it's not too bad. |
| − | Do you know something? The other fellow saw the [[Buddha]] [[die]]. He was angry, and for the first time he was touched by [[compassion]]: the other [[person]] must have had some [[love]], some [[compassion]] to have the {{Wiki|courage}} to intervene for his sake. | + | Do you know something? The other fellow saw the [[Buddha]] [[die]]. He was [[angry]], and for the first time he was touched by [[compassion]]: the other [[person]] must have had some [[love]], some [[compassion]] to have the {{Wiki|courage}} to intervene for his [[sake]]. |
| − | That gave rise to some [[compassion]] in him also.That is why he looked at the guard, and he said, "My friend was right, you don't have a [[heart]]. You can only create [[suffering]] for yourself and for other [[people]]. I don't think that you are a [[happy]] [[person]]. You have killed him." And after he said that, the guard was also very angry at him, and he used his fork, and planted the fork in the stomach of the second man, who also [[died]] right away, and was [[reborn]] as a [[human]] being on [[earth]]. | + | That gave rise to some [[compassion]] in him also.That is why he looked at the guard, and he said, "My [[friend]] was right, you don't have a [[heart]]. You can only create [[suffering]] for yourself and for other [[people]]. I don't think that you are a [[happy]] [[person]]. You have killed him." And after he said that, the guard was also very [[angry]] at him, and he used his fork, and planted the fork in the {{Wiki|stomach}} of the second man, who also [[died]] right away, and was [[reborn]] as a [[human]] being on [[earth]]. |
Both of them escaped [[Hell]], and had a chance to begin anew on [[earth]], as full [[human beings]]. | Both of them escaped [[Hell]], and had a chance to begin anew on [[earth]], as full [[human beings]]. | ||
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What happened to the guard, the one who had no [[heart]]? He felt very lonely, because in that [[Hell]] there were only three [[people]] and now the other two were [[dead]]. He began to see that these two were not very kind, or very nice, but to have [[people]] living with us is a wonderful thing. Now the two other [[people]] were [[dead]], and he was alone, utterly alone there. | What happened to the guard, the one who had no [[heart]]? He felt very lonely, because in that [[Hell]] there were only three [[people]] and now the other two were [[dead]]. He began to see that these two were not very kind, or very nice, but to have [[people]] living with us is a wonderful thing. Now the two other [[people]] were [[dead]], and he was alone, utterly alone there. | ||
| − | He could not bear that kind of loneliness, and [[Hell]] became very difficult for him. Out of that [[suffering]] he learned something: he learned that you cannot [[live]] alone. Man is not our enemy. You cannot [[hate]] man, you cannot kill man, you cannot reduce man to [[nothingness]], because if you kill man, with whom will you [[live]]? He made a [[vow]] that if he had to take care of other [[people]] in [[Hell]], he would learn how to deal with them in a nicer way, and a transformation took place in his [[heart]]. In fact, he did have a [[heart]]. To believe that he did not have a [[heart]] is wrong -- everyone has a [[heart]]. We need something or someone to touch that [[heart]], to transform it into a [[human]] [[heart]]. So this time the [[feeling]] of loneliness, the [[desire]] to be with other [[humans]], was born in him. That is why he decided that if he had to guard other [[people]] in [[Hell]], he would know how to deal with them with more [[compassion]]. At that time, the door of [[Hell]] opened, and a [[bodhisattva]] appeared, with all the radiance of a [[bodhisattva]]. The [[bodhisattva]] said, " Goodness has been born in you, so you don't have to endure [[Hell]] very long. You will [[die]] quickly and be [[reborn]] as a [[human]] very soon." | + | He could not bear that kind of loneliness, and [[Hell]] became very difficult for him. Out of that [[suffering]] he learned something: he learned that you cannot [[live]] alone. Man is not our enemy. You cannot [[hate]] man, you cannot kill man, you cannot reduce man to [[nothingness]], because if you kill man, with whom will you [[live]]? He made a [[vow]] that if he had to take care of other [[people]] in [[Hell]], he would learn how to deal with them in a nicer way, and a [[transformation]] took place in his [[heart]]. In fact, he did have a [[heart]]. To believe that he did not have a [[heart]] is wrong -- everyone has a [[heart]]. We need something or someone to {{Wiki|touch}} that [[heart]], to [[transform]] it into a [[human]] [[heart]]. So this time the [[feeling]] of loneliness, the [[desire]] to be with other [[humans]], was born in him. That is why he decided that if he had to guard other [[people]] in [[Hell]], he would know how to deal with them with more [[compassion]]. At that time, the door of [[Hell]] opened, and a [[bodhisattva]] appeared, with all the radiance of a [[bodhisattva]]. The [[bodhisattva]] said, " [[Goodness]] has been born in you, so you don't have to endure [[Hell]] very long. You will [[die]] quickly and be [[reborn]] as a [[human]] very soon." |
{{R}} | {{R}} | ||
Latest revision as of 14:35, 29 February 2016
(Told by Master Thich Nhat Hanh)
The Buddha, in one of his former lives, was in Hell. Before he became a Buddha he had suffered a lot in many lives. He made a lot of mistakes, like all of us. He made himself suffer, and he made people around him suffer. Sometimes he made very big mistakes, and that is why in one of his previous lives he was in Hell. There is a collection of stories about the lives of the Buddha, and there are many hundreds of stories like that. These stories are collected under the title Jataka Tales. Among these hundreds of stories, I remember one very vividly. I was seven years old, very young, and I read that story about the Buddha, and I was very shocked. But I did not fully understand that story.
The Buddha was in Hell because he had done something wrong, extremely wrong, that caused a lot of suffering to himself and to others. That is why he found himself in Hell. In that life of his, he hit the bottom of suffering, because that Hell was the worst of all Hells. With him there was another man, and together they had to work very hard, under the direction of a soldier who was in charge of Hell. It was dark, it was cold, and at the same time it was very hot. The guard did not seem to have a heart. It did not seem that he knew anything about suffering. He did not know anything about the feelings of other people, so he just beat up the two men in Hell. He was in charge of the two men, and his task was to make them suffer as much as possible.
I think that guard also suffered a lot. It looked like he didn't have any compassion within him. It looked like he didn't have any love in his heart. It looked like he did not have a heart. He behaved like a robber. When looking at him, when listening to him, it did not seem that one could contact a human being, because he was so brutal. He was not sensitive to people's suffering and pain. That is why he was beating the two men in Hell, and making them suffer a lot. And the Buddha was one of these two men in one of his previous lives.
The guard had an instrument with three iron points, and every time he wanted the two men to go ahead, he used this to push them on the back, and of course blood came out of their backs. He did not allow them to relax; he was always pushing and pushing and pushing. He himself also looked like he was being pushed by something behind him. Have you ever felt that kind of pushing behind your back? Even if there was no one behind you, you have felt that you were being pushed and pushed to do things you don't like to do, and to say the things you don't like to say, and in doing that you created a lot of suffering for yourself and the people around you. Maybe there is something behind us that is pushing and pushing. Sometimes we say horrible things, and do horrible things, that we did not want to say or do, yet we were pushed by something from behind. So we said it, and we did it, even if we didn't want to do it. That was what happened to the guard in Hell: he tried to push, because he was being pushed. He caused a lot of damage to the two men. The two men were very cold, very hungry, and he was always pushing and beating them and causing them a lot of problems.
One afternoon, the man who was the Buddha in a former life saw the guard treating his companion so brutally that something in him rose up. He wanted to protest. He knew that if he intervened, if he said anything, if he tried to prevent the guard beating the other person, that he would be beaten himself. But that something was pushing up in him, so that he wanted to intervene, and he wanted to say: "Don't beat him so much. Why don't you allow him to relax? Why do you have to stab him and to beat him and to push him so much?" Deep within the Buddha was a pressure coming up, and he wanted to intervene, even knowing perfectly well that if he did, he would be beaten by the guard. That impulse was very strong in him, and he could not stand it anymore. He turned around, and he faced the guard without any heart, and said, "Why don't you leave him alone for a moment? Why do you keep beating him and pushing him like that? Don't you have a heart?"
That was what he said, this man who was to be the Buddha. When the guard saw him protesting like that, and heard him, he was very angry, and he used his fork, and he planted it right in the chest of the Buddha. As a result, the Buddha died right away, and he was reborn the very same minute into the body of a human being. He escaped Hell, and became a human being living on earth, just because compassion was born in him, strong enough for him to have the courage to intervene to help his fellow man in Hell.
When I read this story, I was astonished, and I came to the conclusion that even in Hell there was compassion. That was a very relieving truth: even in Hell there is compassion. Can you imagine? And wherever compassion is, it's not too bad.
Do you know something? The other fellow saw the Buddha die. He was angry, and for the first time he was touched by compassion: the other person must have had some love, some compassion to have the courage to intervene for his sake.
That gave rise to some compassion in him also.That is why he looked at the guard, and he said, "My friend was right, you don't have a heart. You can only create suffering for yourself and for other people. I don't think that you are a happy person. You have killed him." And after he said that, the guard was also very angry at him, and he used his fork, and planted the fork in the stomach of the second man, who also died right away, and was reborn as a human being on earth.
Both of them escaped Hell, and had a chance to begin anew on earth, as full human beings.
What happened to the guard, the one who had no heart? He felt very lonely, because in that Hell there were only three people and now the other two were dead. He began to see that these two were not very kind, or very nice, but to have people living with us is a wonderful thing. Now the two other people were dead, and he was alone, utterly alone there.
He could not bear that kind of loneliness, and Hell became very difficult for him. Out of that suffering he learned something: he learned that you cannot live alone. Man is not our enemy. You cannot hate man, you cannot kill man, you cannot reduce man to nothingness, because if you kill man, with whom will you live? He made a vow that if he had to take care of other people in Hell, he would learn how to deal with them in a nicer way, and a transformation took place in his heart. In fact, he did have a heart. To believe that he did not have a heart is wrong -- everyone has a heart. We need something or someone to touch that heart, to transform it into a human heart. So this time the feeling of loneliness, the desire to be with other humans, was born in him. That is why he decided that if he had to guard other people in Hell, he would know how to deal with them with more compassion. At that time, the door of Hell opened, and a bodhisattva appeared, with all the radiance of a bodhisattva. The bodhisattva said, " Goodness has been born in you, so you don't have to endure Hell very long. You will die quickly and be reborn as a human very soon."
