Aikido Parable

O Sensei believed that man made his own Heaven and Hell right here on Earth. Unfortunately, so few people seem to understand that life is what we choose to make of it in terms of our attitude and outlook. We create our own painful thoughts, which leads to negativity and the plugging up of the flow of ki.

Aikido Sensei Mitsugi Saotome recounts the following Japanese fable to illustrate this wonderful point in his thoughtful book, Aikido and the Harmony of Nature:

I am reminded of an old Japanese folk tale of an adventurous young man who wanted to know the difference between heaven and hell. He first looked upon hell and saw many people seated at a long table filled with the finest foods. But everyone had gaunt faces with sunken cheeks. They were thin and weak, crying in despair. A closer look revealed that their hands had only two fingers formed into the shape of hashi, Japanese chopsticks, four feet long. Although they could pick up the food, their fingers were so long that they could not get it into their mouths. In frustration, they were turning their tools into weapons, fighting selfishly among themselves for the food they could not eat.

Then he looked upon heaven. He saw the same long table with the same beautifully prepared food and the same long fingers. But everyone was laughing and smiling at the others. Their cheeks were full and glowing with health. There was no fighting, for they picked up the food and, extending it to the other side of the table, fed each other.

What is the difference between heaven and hell? Consciousness, compassion and cooperation.