“Master, how does a man like me get to heaven?
His Master did not answer.”
The penitent man said,
“I have studied the deeds of Mother Theresa,
Adopted the discipline of Mahatma Gandhi,
And walked in the footsteps of the great prophets.
But I fear I am no closer than I was before I started.
How does a man like me get to heaven?”
His Master replied,
“If you make Heaven your goal, I promise you will never
reach it.
If you study the actions of those who came before, you will
never be good enough.
If you mimic idols, you will only mute your voice and stifle
your own spirit.
These things will not get you to Heaven.”
“Yes Master,” the penitent man replied, “I have found this
to be true.”
I have studied, I have changed, I have walked; yet I am
still just me.
Please Master tell me; how does a man like me get to
heaven?”
His Master replied:
“Do not look for Heaven,
Create it here on Earth,
Sculpt it in the moment.”
“Do not follow the path others have walked,
Carve your own, one step at a time,
Making each your masterpiece.”
“Look to the past only to determine,
What has already been done, so as not to
repeat it.
Then make your unique mark on the world,
One brushstroke at a time for all time to see.”
The penitent man looked at his Master puzzled,
“But Master, where do I start?”
“At the beginning,” the Master replied.
With small, random acts of kindness.”
The penitent man shook his head and said,
“And then I will go to Heaven?”
To which the Master replied,
“No, you will be as Heaven for all those whose
lives you touch.”
“Then you will have found what you really seek.”
“What is that Master?” the penitent man asked humbly.
To which the Master whispered,
“The secret of the universe”
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Tamra,
ReplyDeleteThis is so wonderful. I could not help but reply to the ending "the secret to the universe;" "Wow!" This is something that should be shared. I'm sending all the well wishes I can; I so hope you are up and about tomorrow!
This is beautiful and so wise it reminds me of a quote by Confucius Brian shared with me. One of Confucius' disciples asked, "Master how do I serve God?" Confucius responded, "Do not worry about how to serve God when we have not yet learned to serve man."
Thank you so much for that gracious compliment! I love that Confucius quote...how poignant.
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