Some religions teach that heaven and hell are places where we go after death, but spiritual awareness reveals that this is not so: they are states of consciousness. We create them by the way we think and act.

When we align our thoughts with the highest ideas, we feel good. The body is flooded with natural opiates, endorphins, which are one hundred times stronger than morphine. This is heaven. Heaven is here every moment when we trust that good will unfold and affirm universal intelligence as the source of our happiness and support.

When we fill our minds with negative thoughts, tension rises, the bloodstream is flooded with stress hormones (cortisol and adrenalin), digestion suffers, muscles tighten and we feel bad. This is hell.

You are responsible for your own heaven and hell. If you frequently find yourself in the hell state, examine your state of consciousness. What you are resisting? Are you trying to defy Universal Law? What adjustments must you make?

Here’s an ancient Oriental story which illustrates the point

The philosopher and the king

A powerful king asked a learned philosopher to explain the meaning of heaven and hell.

‘You!’ replied the philosopher with an angry tone, ‘do you really expect me to be able to explain something so profound to a stupid, power-crazy, self-centred fool like you?’

The king was incensed. ‘Why you…’ he exploded with rage, ‘I could have you executed for this, how dare you, you…!’

‘That,’ said the philosopher, smiling, ‘is hell.’

The king took a deep breath and prostrated himself. He thanked the philosopher for his wisdom. ‘And that,’ said the latter smiling, ‘is heaven.’

Legend has it the king instantly became enlightened.

©David Lawrence Preston, 21.11.2016

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