A Chance on Earth to Reach Heaven
A Chance on Earth to Reach Heaven
Jesus said: "A certain man invited guests. He went to the first person and said, 'My master calls you!' He answered, 'I must collect money from merchants. They are coming to me tonight. I must go and give them their orders. Please excuse me from the feast.'
The servant went to another guest and said, 'My master calls you!' He said to the servant, 'I have bought a house, and I must work on it all day. I have no time.' He went to another guest and said to him, 'My master calls you!' He answered him, 'My friend is getting married. I must prepare his wedding feast.
I cannot come. Please excuse me from the feast.' He went to another guest and said to him, 'My master calls you!' He said to him, 'I have bought a field, but I have not yet gone to collect its rent. Please excuse me from the feast.' The servant returned and said to his master, 'All those you invited to the feast have asked to be excused.' The master said to his servant,
'Go out to the streets and bring whomever you meet. Let them partake of the dinner. Merchants and traders shall not enter my Father's dwelling.'"
I too am actually inviting you all to a feast. The initial enlightenment we speak of is that very feast. But you too are saying:
"I must meet Cheol-sun today. I plan to live with Cheol-sun. I think that is the greatest happiness. So please don't tempt me to go to paradise or heaven."
"I must become a member of parliament. I'm busy collecting votes. Please don't tempt me."
"I just bought a car. I find it fun to drive around now. I don't want to go to heaven or paradise or such places. Please excuse me."
Long ago, I once asked a friend: "Do you truly want to follow me and attain initial enlightenment?" "Yes." "Then, could you go with me into the mountains and live eating wild grapes and hardy kiwis?" "Good. But there's one condition." "What?" "But if we go there, will there be flush toilets?" "There's no such thing there." "Then I won't go." (Laughter)
In the end, that friend made all sorts of excuses and couldn't follow me. If you cling to such considerations of profit and loss in this way, you will lose the chance to go to heaven. A merchant is precisely someone who lives clinging to their own interests. If you too become bound by your own circumstances or interests, you will turn away from the feast of initial enlightenment. Such a sad thing should not happen to you.
Excerpt from: Lectures on the Little Prince - From lectures on the Gospel of Thomas and the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch
