Zen Story

The Samauri was weary. He had not been able to sleep.
Headless corpse had been chasing him
through dark and smoky dreams.
Spirits of those that he had killed
for what cause he was unsure.
A Samauri is duty bound to fight.
Now his conscience found no cure.

Thought he'd see a holy man,maybe find him some relief.
He went to see a Zen master, being Buddhist by belief.
The master met him at the door, "I'm glad you've come" said he
Take off your shoes and come inside, I'm about to brew some tea.

The water boiled on an open fire,the master fetched the tea,
and measured it out to an open pot as he did so rose the steam.
"I see the trouble of the war is written on your face.
If you've come here to find some ease
maybe you've come to the wrong place".

The Samauri said "what I want to know
is the nature of heaven and hell.
Of the first I know almost nothing,in the second I think I dwell."

Zen Master looked at him and studied the lines of his face.
In measure steps he walked on over and set the teapot in place.
Then looked at the Samurai and with a smile he bowed.
So both prepared to take their tea and maybe talk for awhile.

Zen Master took the pot in hand and went to the Samurais cup
and very mindfully poured some tea out until he filled it up.
But then an odd thing did occur,the pouring did not end.
The scalding water flowed over the table onto the Samurai's skin.
The Samurai rose and drew his sword, a scowl upon his face.
"you'd better be quite prepared to die",
he screamed at the stonefaced priest.
Zen Master looked straight at him and said "I'm here to tell
exactly what you said you wanted to know."
"Thus open the gates of Hell"

The Samauri turned from red to white and to his knees he fell..
The warrior started to softly weep, a burden fell from him,
Zen Master looked at him, said "Thus Open the Gates of Heaven".

"Go home my friend, you won't forget the ghosts of all you killed.
Do only good from this day on and maybe your dreams will be still
And if you pledge to do no harm and on the path you keep
Perhaps in time your troubled mind will come at last to peace."