A CEO and a cleaning auntie died on the same day.
They met at the judgement room, awaiting their fate.
Auntie : ""Hello Mr CEO!"
"Who are you? Do I know you?" the CEO asked incredulously.
Auntie : "I worked in your company. I'm the cleaning auntie. I ... "
"Hah ..." the CEO interrupted with a snort and turned away, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
Just then, the judge arrived and said,
"One of you has accumulated good kamma (merits) and is going to Heaven. Let me see who is it going to be."
The CEO thought to himself, "Of course it's me! I'm a CEO. She's just an old dirty, useless cleaning auntie. Heaven would never have a place for such people."
He looked earnestly at the judge, smiling expectantly as he adjusted his coat and tie to ready himself to be ushered to the Heaven's gates.
The judge looked up from his book of records and said, "Ah Auntie. you are going to Heaven. Congratulations! Stay humble now. Be good, OK?"
The CEO was so shocked his jaws literally dropped.
The Auntie humbly thanked the judge.
Turning to the CEO, she said, "Goodbye Mr CEO sir. I'm sure you will be even better than me," as the guard ushered her through the Heaven's gates.
The CEO ignored her, thinking to himself,
"Of course! If she can go to Heaven, surely I'll be going to a better place than her. Ahh...perhaps the most fortunate rebirth of all - as a human again cos' I did such a good ... no no no, excellent job as a CEO, and they see and appreciate my potential. Maybe I will be the president of a country this time ... or, maybe they want me to be enlighten, to lead the world to salvation ..." Mr CEO fantasized away.
Just then, the judge interrupted his fantasies.
"And for you, Sir ... "
"Yes! Yes! Judge, please tell me, where will I be heading for my next rebirth?" Mr CEO asked in fake modesty.
"You sir, are going to The Avici Hell."
"What?! Is there some kind of mistake? Please check through your records again. I'm the CEO of xxx company. How can that dirty stinky old woman be going to Heaven while I'm going to Hell?!" The CEO shouted and argued pompously, aggressively.
The judge cocked his eyebrows, thought to himself, "Ah ... the wolf is finally showing his tail ... "
The judge put on his glasses, looked through his records one more time, and replied flatly,
"There's no mistake. You, the CEO of xxx company, is going to The Avici Hell."
As the guards were about to lead him away, the CEO fought," Wait a minute! I want to know why? I created 300 new jobs for my company. How can I be going to Hell? I helped 300 people." .
.
The judge replied, "Oh yeah. 300 new jobs - it's recorded here. But for the 300 new jobs, 600 others lost theirs because of it."
"They're old, worthless, useless. It's the new economy. What do you expect?! We've got to move on. Can't stay stagnant, you know. We've got to compete." Mr CEO countered.
"They've got families to feed, and 500 of them could not find another job after that."
"OK, fine. But I increased the salaries, bonuses, benefits etc of my staff by 50%." Mr CEO proudly announced.
"Yes, Yes. But it was only for yourself and the 100 managers who were directly beneath you. And, it's at the expense of all the other employees who had to suffer substantial pay cuts etc. You and the 100 managers were already enjoying huge and great benefits and luxuries, while the rest had to struggle to make ends meet."
"Well, it's their Kamma ... " Mr CEO stated matter of factly, nonchalantly.
"Yes, it's their Kamma, and it's also your Kamma that you didn't make full use of your position to do good, to help and benefit others that you are going to Hell. I hope you learn your lesson ... "
"Wait! I did do good, help and benefit others! I set up funds. I give to charities. Every year I donate $10,000 to charities. I do good. I help and benefit all those charities!" Mr CEO pleaded. This time, with panic and fear in his voice.
"Yes. I see you do that. But you did it for 'show'. For publicity. To show everyone you're good, you're kind' you're charitable. That you're Better Off than them.
It wasn't real generosity. You're NOT giving to let go. You're giving to Gain. That's NOT giving. That's NOT generosity.
Besides, you earn $10 million a year...... $10,000 to $10million is peanuts!
No more arguments. Off you go!"
"CEO or cleaning auntie, young or old,
Regardless of who, what or how we are in this life,
We'll all have to face our own sunset one day.
A sunset that's painted and created by no one else BUT Ourselves."
"Ultimately, what really matters in life is neither riches, nor power, nor glory, nor fame and fortune;
Rather, it is the ability to love, to help, and to make our lives beneficial for ourselves and others."
"Nothing lasts. Whether whole or otherwise, we'll all end up one day in a pile of ash."
"Regardless of who, what or how we are in this life,
When we die,
We'll all end up as nothing but fertilizer for the soil."
.
.
"When we die, our fame and fortune will stay behind.
Our family and loved ones will only take us up to our grave.
But the good and/or bad deeds (Kamma) that we did during our lifetime,
Will follow us,
Even beyond our grave."
"Give and forget you've given;
Take/Receive and Remember Always you've taken/received."
