Thank you Anonymous commenter [see below]. In your beautiful version of this story, the warrior riles himself with no help at all from the monk. That seems exactly right, doesn't it? -JB
I'm looking for the ending to a Buddhist story I once heard in a yoga class. I should have heard the ending but maybe there was a cramp in my leg, or the teacher spoke softly. However it happened, I missed it.
Here's the beginning.
A very rich, successful samurai warrior has conquered all of the neighboring kingdoms but finds himself deeply unfulfilled and unhappy. He decides to go to a mountaintop to ask a wise monk about the nature of heaven and hell.
He takes along an impressive entourage of his family and soldiers and advisors. After a long and arduous journey up the mountain, the warrior locates the monk and humbly asks him to please tell him the nature of heaven and hell. He explains that he has been successful in all of his worldly pursuits but is still very unhappy.
The monk ignores him, and walks away, but the warrior, not used to be being ignored or embarrassed in front of people, runs after the monk asking him again. The monk continues to walk, leaving behind the warrior, who is growing more angry by the minute.
Finally the warrior grabs the monk and spins him around and shouts his question: "I have come a very long way and demand an answer!"
The monk looks at him and says loudly "You overblown, ugly, arrogant pile of crap! What makes you think I would share the secrets of heaven and hell with such a stupid and disgusting man." And the monk continues like this while the warrior turns red in the face and begins to draw his sword.
Just as the warrior is about to cut the monk's head off, the monk says "Look how angry you are, my friend. That is the nature of hell."
Sadly, I missed the definition of heaven.
I'll suggest that heaven is to ignore the negative words that someone says to us, or that we say to ourselves, and to live in the moment. Buddhism and yoga are always reminding us that most of our internal lives are self-constructed and have little to do with what is actually going on around us at each moment in time.
But I'm sure the ending is more elegant than that. I will find out.
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When he entered the monk's chambers, the monk was sitting on the floor, drinking a cup of tea.
"Wise monk", he said, "tell me of the nature of heaven and hell."
The monk drank his tea, paying no attention to the warrior.
"Did you hear me, old man? I said, tell me of the nature and heaven and hell!"
The monk continued to drink his tea, refusing to even look at the warrior.
Finally the warrior said quite angrily, "You old fool! Who do you think you are, ignoring me like that? Give me the wisdom I came here for, or I will slice you in two with my sword!"
The monk drank his tea with great concentration.
"So be it!" the warrior said, as he drew his sword , raised it high above the monk, and prepared to cleave the monk in two.
"This is hell," said the monk.
The warrior dropped his sword, startled. All sorts of emotions ran across his face. He thought about it for a second, then with a look of understanding and extreme gratitude, he knelt before the monk, in tears, to thank him for his wisdom.
"And this is heaven," the monk said.
And in that moment, the warrior was enlightened.
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