Parable of Long Spoons

Once a holy man met God. He was always curious to know about heaven and hell so when he met God he asked, “Can you tell me what heaven or hell is like??”

God smiled and took him to another world. There they were standing in front of two doors. God asked him to go and look for himself inside each door.

Holy man opened first door. There he saw a large round table with people sitting around. A large pot of delicious stew was kept in middle of table.

People sitting there were having very long spoons as attachment to their arms. Spoons was long enough to reach pot of delicious stew in middle but because of long handle people were not able to get spoon full of food back into their mouth.

Not being able to eat food because of those long spoons, they all were looking were thin and sickly. People there were very sad and unhappy. Holy man was shuddered seeing the misery of people suffering there.

Holy man came back from that room and opened door to another room.

Another room was exactly same as first room. Large round table with people sitting around having long spoon attachment to their arms but here people were well nourished and healthy and were happily talking and eating.

Holy man was happy to see that and came out of that door. He went to God and said, “I don’t understand. Both room are same yet one room is full of misery and another is filled with happiness.”

God explained, “You see those long spoon extension are long enough to feed others but not short enough to feed yourself.

First room you went to was Hell, there people are greedy and think only about themselves and don’t want to help others Because of which they are not able to feed themselves and suffering misery.

Where as

Second room went to was Heaven, it was full of People who cared and love for each other. They support each other and feed each other with those long spoons because of which they are healthy and happy.”