I once read a “Zen” story, I don't know or don't remember where, - about a monk, - or maybe not a monk, asking his teacher, - “where will you go after you die?”.
In spite of what is said here, - none of the quotes here is necessarily supposed to be exact. I don't even remember when I read this.
- The master replied: - “Straight to hell”. – “How come?” - the student wondered. – “Otherwise, - who is going to be there to save lost souls such as yourself?” – replied the master whose name I don't remember.
- In the last answer I even wrote somewhat more freely, - but it does not seem to matter. – The point is about wages we get or are supposed to get from Heaven in accord with our good or bad deeds. - Essential it is not. – In a way they are treating us like a herd of cows. How should we relate to these? - I am not in Heaven. I do not have their view. But it does not seem pleasant. - In a way it might seem even ugly. Jesus speaks about it a lot. But Jesus lived about 2,000 years ago. Master Dogen speak about the reality of karma, - of these facts being real, - (as much as this world or any other are real) but he does not tell us we should not act in accord with them. Nishijima says Master Dogen [usually?] write four chapters about each issue. We know Master Dogen intended to add 25 chapters to those he has written for the Shobogenzo. So perhaps it would have been found there. As far as I remember there are only three relevant chapters in the Shobogenzo. We are never free of our individual karma as far as I know until enlightenment. Is this not disappointing? I think teachers should at least emphasize we should not act in a wish to get these rewards from Heaven. Suppose we would get a negative outcome off a good deed and a [personally] beneficial one for a good deed - how should we act? Would this justify evil or wrongness?
I am not in the place of Heaven. I have not acquired their wisdom or their knowledge. - But somehow this issue seems to suck.
I wish teachers, enlightened teachers that is, - would direct those following them or listening to them in accord with what I am saying here. Even If a teacher says once in a while you should not seek gain in this way but continually tells of these rewards and payments, as you might perhaps call them, - you would naturally wonder what it is really that he is pointing to. – I don't know the souls of all, - but actually you might say both positive and negative such implanted outcomes are bending our soul, our being, twisting it somewhat, - both for the worse that is. This world seems truly an unhappy one.
