Eating Food in Heaven or Hell

I got this story from my teacher Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson, he also added it to his memoirs “A Master’s Journey Secret Memoirs Of a Warrior, Healer, & Mystic.”

I believe it is not a better time than in which we are living now to share it, to show the importance of working together, because you like or not we are on this together.

This ancient Daoist tale was designed to teach the new students the importance of service and working together for the better of all mankind.

Eating Food in Heaven or Hell:

In ancient China, there once was a righteous man named Ming Shen, who lived all his life in the countryside. He was well-loved throughout his entire village, and extremely active within his temple.

Although Ming Shen worked hard day and night for the service of others, the one thing that had perplexed him all of his life was the concept of Hell. He had always wondered how a loving God could make such a horrible place for “his children.” As much as he tried, Ming Shen could not come to terms with this horrible concept.

One night while Ming Shen was peacefully dreaming, a Celestial Messenger came to visit him. This powerful spirit had been personally dispatched by the Jade Emperor (God of Heaven) and had been ordered to give the faithful servant Ming Shen a personal tour of both Heaven and Hell.

Ming Shen felt honored at such a gift, and as he stood next to the Celestial Messenger — immediately a radiant mist covered them both and they descended into the inner depths of Hell. Expecting Hell to be a terrible, frightening place, Ming Shen was amazed to find thousands of people seated around a very large, beautiful, banquet table. The exotic table was piled amazingly high with every delicious food you could think of.

All of the fine, succulent foods were positioned in the middle of the table; and everything looked and smelled delicious. At each place setting, there was a set of very long (five-foot) chopsticks, through which each person could easily reach the succulent foods located at the center of the table. Although everything looked and smelled wonderful, the enormous chopsticks were too long for the people to be able to place the succulent foods inside their mouths.

Because no one could even take a bite of these wonderful foods, all of the skinny people sat around the table wailing and cursing, angry and starving. As Ming Shen observed their plight, he thought to himself, “How horrible.”

Then, with a wave of his hand, a radiant mist suddenly filled the air and the Celestial Messenger immediately transported Ming Shen up into the inner-most realm of Heaven.

To his great surprise, Ming Shen found the exact same situation as he had seen in Hell. Many people were gathered around a beautiful banquet table, piled high with succulent foods; and all of the diners also held a pair of five-foot-long chopsticks in their hands.

In Heaven however, everyone was fat and happy, and all were laughing as they sat about eating all of the delicious, succulent foods. You see, all of the residents sitting at the banquet table in Heaven were using their five-foot-long chopsticks to share the food by feeding each other.

Suddenly Ming Shen awoke from his dream, and understood the true concept of Heaven and Hell.

He immediately arose from his bed and went to the temple. There, Ming Shen offered incense to the Jade Emperor for his great wisdom, and for the important lessons that he had learned that night in his dream.

Picture: Artist Unkown.