My father was a wonderful and religious man. He was also a great teacher. From his teachings, I learnt many important lessons – lessons I’ve held dear in my heart to this very day. I’ll share with you the story he once told me about the life and death of a rich man and a poor man, and the lesson I gleaned from that story:
The rich man gave some of his great wealth to charity, mainly for tax purposes, which he boasted about relentlessly. This, he foolishly thought would secure his mansion in heaven. On the other hand, poor man, with love, honesty and compassion, happily shared his meager possessions with the needy – never boasting – no tax benefits.
Then the rich man died. At heaven’s pearly gate he met Peter, the gatekeeper. “You have finally arrived,” Peter greeted him. “I’ll take you to the place where you’ll spend your long eternity.” The journey began with many grand mansions. At each mansion, the rich man stopped, clapped his hands and gleefully chirped, “This must be my house. I had only the best on earth.” With a calm voice, Peter answered, “Follow me!” Finally, after a long stretch of homes that gradually decreased in beauty and size, Peter stopped in front of a little dilapidated shack at the end of the row of houses. Pointing to the shack, Peter said, “This is your home where you’ll spend your long eternity. Enter within and make yourself comfortable.”
Shocked and in complete disbelief, the rich man spatted: “Oh, no! You are mistaken! This is for the poor who never had wealth. I deserve the very best. Don’t you know I was one of the richest men on earth who gave millions to charity?” “You certainly did,” Peter immediately replied. “But your gifts were conditional – you never gave from your heart. The material you sent here was barely enough to make this dwelling,” and again Peter pointed to the shack. Then Peter walked away ignoring the rich man’s protests – demanding a grand mansion similar to the one he had on earth.
Next, the poor man died. At Heaven’s pearly gate he met Peter. “Welcome home! Peter greeted him with a friendly smile. “I will escort you to the place where you will spend your long eternity.” The journey began with little dilapidated shacks. At each shack, the poor man stopped and pointed, telling Peter that was his home, because it looked similar to the one he had on earth. But with a smile, Peter answered calmly, “Follow me!” The poor man noticed that as the journey progressed, each house they passed was grander than the previous one -- all reminiscent of those the rich owned on earth. So he quietly asked Peter, “Sir, where are you taking me? These mansions are for the rich. I don’t belong in this part of town.” Again, Peter replied with a smile, “Follow me!” Finally, at the end of the row of houses, they reached the grandest mansion of all. It was a mansion befitting a king. “This,” Peter gestured with sweeping, outstretched arms, “is your home where you’ll spend your long eternity.”
Perplexed, the poor man kept shaking his head and in a timid voice asked, “Are you sure, Mr. Peter? This cannot be. All my life I had been a poor man with very modest means. I cannot accept this; it is too grand for me. I will happily live in one of those houses we passed when we first started.
Again, Peter smiled and in a firm voice replied, “This is your home, my friend. The materials you sent here built this mansion for you. Enter within and be forever happy.”
Lesson learnt: However small our deeds may seem to be, if they done with love, honesty and a pure and kind heart, our heavenly reward will be enormous.
Thank you, my loving dad! Your daughter remembers!
The rich man gave some of his great wealth to charity, mainly for tax purposes, which he boasted about relentlessly. This, he foolishly thought would secure his mansion in heaven. On the other hand, poor man, with love, honesty and compassion, happily shared his meager possessions with the needy – never boasting – no tax benefits.
Then the rich man died. At heaven’s pearly gate he met Peter, the gatekeeper. “You have finally arrived,” Peter greeted him. “I’ll take you to the place where you’ll spend your long eternity.” The journey began with many grand mansions. At each mansion, the rich man stopped, clapped his hands and gleefully chirped, “This must be my house. I had only the best on earth.” With a calm voice, Peter answered, “Follow me!” Finally, after a long stretch of homes that gradually decreased in beauty and size, Peter stopped in front of a little dilapidated shack at the end of the row of houses. Pointing to the shack, Peter said, “This is your home where you’ll spend your long eternity. Enter within and make yourself comfortable.”
Shocked and in complete disbelief, the rich man spatted: “Oh, no! You are mistaken! This is for the poor who never had wealth. I deserve the very best. Don’t you know I was one of the richest men on earth who gave millions to charity?” “You certainly did,” Peter immediately replied. “But your gifts were conditional – you never gave from your heart. The material you sent here was barely enough to make this dwelling,” and again Peter pointed to the shack. Then Peter walked away ignoring the rich man’s protests – demanding a grand mansion similar to the one he had on earth.
Next, the poor man died. At Heaven’s pearly gate he met Peter. “Welcome home! Peter greeted him with a friendly smile. “I will escort you to the place where you will spend your long eternity.” The journey began with little dilapidated shacks. At each shack, the poor man stopped and pointed, telling Peter that was his home, because it looked similar to the one he had on earth. But with a smile, Peter answered calmly, “Follow me!” The poor man noticed that as the journey progressed, each house they passed was grander than the previous one -- all reminiscent of those the rich owned on earth. So he quietly asked Peter, “Sir, where are you taking me? These mansions are for the rich. I don’t belong in this part of town.” Again, Peter replied with a smile, “Follow me!” Finally, at the end of the row of houses, they reached the grandest mansion of all. It was a mansion befitting a king. “This,” Peter gestured with sweeping, outstretched arms, “is your home where you’ll spend your long eternity.”
Perplexed, the poor man kept shaking his head and in a timid voice asked, “Are you sure, Mr. Peter? This cannot be. All my life I had been a poor man with very modest means. I cannot accept this; it is too grand for me. I will happily live in one of those houses we passed when we first started.
Again, Peter smiled and in a firm voice replied, “This is your home, my friend. The materials you sent here built this mansion for you. Enter within and be forever happy.”
Lesson learnt: However small our deeds may seem to be, if they done with love, honesty and a pure and kind heart, our heavenly reward will be enormous.
Thank you, my loving dad! Your daughter remembers!
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