Heaven is a place on Earth. Does that raise questions… sounds absurd? Is it possible to experience a moment on earth that is like heaven? Only you can know for yourself… not believe for yourself… but know for yourself. Keep reading. Heaven may be closer than you think.
Once a great samurai warrior came to see a little monk. “Monk,” he said, in a voice charged with instant obedience, “teach me about heaven and hell!” The monk looked at this mighty warrior and replied with utter disdain: “Teach you about heaven and hell? I can’t teach you anything. Look at yourself. You are dirty. You smell. Your sword is rusty. A shame. Get out of my sight.” The samurai was furious. He trembled and his face turned red with rage, he raised his sword, preparing to kill the little monk.
“That’s hell,” the monk said quietly. The samurai was completely taken aback. He took a deep breath, deeply moved by the compassion and dedication of this little man who had offered his life, to give him this teaching, and show him hell! He slowly lowered his sword, filled with gratitude and suddenly at peace. “And that is heaven,” said the monk.
After reading the above story in a book called How Can I Help, I immediately thought how much we are like the warrior when something unpleasant happens and we get angry. Our discomfort fills us with inner confusion and gives us a life experience that we describe as “going through hell.” If that’s where we stay when we’re upset, that’s not where we should stay.
Many people use the saying, “This is a little piece of heaven on earth” to describe a beautiful place, experience, or moment in which they are present in what only God can create and make possible. Describing life that way is not normally what we do on a day-to-day basis. Seeing your child being born, standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon, and other incredible experiences are rare events for most of us. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t experience life as “a slice of heaven on earth” on a day-to-day basis.
The key is to be present in what God has created and made possible, day after day. Since God is love and we are created in his image, when our way of being includes love (patience, kindness, gratitude, meekness, forgiveness, etc.), we experience the Kingdom of Heaven because we experience the presence of God, but only if We recognize the opportunity.
Recognizing and experiencing the Kingdom of Heaven is only possible in the present moment. Experiencing life as, “just like heaven” arises from our godly way of being… right now; It is not our human way of being. This is what I mean. Consider the two fundamentally different ways of being from which we live our lives.
God’s way of being shines when we are: Loving, Accepting, Grateful, Faithful, Trusting, Forgiving, Hopeful, Joyful, Helpful, Affectionate, Generous, Compassionate, Kind, Patient, Understanding, Humble, and Authentic.
The reactive way of being human shines when we are: hateful, judgmental, ungrateful, fearful, worried, anxious, distrustful, resentful, angry, full of despair, miserable, anguished, indifferent, selfish, cruel, impatient, self-righteous. , Proud, Inauthentic and Fake.
As you can see, the experience of God and of “heaven on earth”, as much or as little, depends on our way of being. When our reactive ways of being become rampant, we experience separation from God, just as the warrior did. In our suffering, the Kingdom of Heaven seems far, far away. We do not realize that God is not missing in our life. Rather, our reactive ways cause us to miss God’s presence. By losing the presence of God, we also lose the Kingdom of Heaven.
On the other hand, when we reflect a godly way of being, we are in harmony with God. As a result, we experience God’s presence and peace, and naturally describe life as… “just like heaven.”
Today is part of eternal life. Heaven and hell are words that can describe your experience on any given day. If you ever describe yourself as “going through hell,” take a deep breath and do what you must to adjust your ways so you can experience the other side: the Kingdom of Heaven… right here on earth. .