Once upon a time, but not beyond the memory of the good people of the land, there ruled a wise and benevolent monarch. Both his land and his people had prospered over the many years that he ruled. Most recently he had led his subjects in a successful, but very long war against the giant forces of evil. As the years passed and peace and prosperity pervaded the kingdom, the king felt the touch of time gently nudging him with little signs into the realization that he was approaching the end of life’s labors. Acknowledging these subtle but pervasive signs, the good king decided that he had been blest with enough years on earth, and it was now time to travel on to the kingdom of the Immortals. Once plans for this final journey were completed, the king set out for Mt. Horeb, God’s holy mountain, where he would enter into the Celestial City of Paradise through Heaven’s Gate. His beautiful wife accompanied him on his journey as did his four loyal and loving brothers. Very soon, they were joined by a dog which followed quietly behind them.
But the journey to the mountain was a long and sorrowful one. The king’s four brothers died one by one along the way, and after that his beloved wife too passed away. The king was all alone now, except for the dog, which continued to follow him faithfully up and up the steep, long road to the Celestial City.
At last, the two, weak and exhausted, were forced to stop for before them the way was blocked by an enormous solid gold barrier. It was Heaven’s Gate. The king bowed humbly, knocked on the gate, and asked that he be admitted.
Suddenly, the sky and earth were filled with a thunderous roar as a celestial power materialized before the king. “I am the keeper of Heaven’s Gate. It is I who has been sent to welcome you to Paradise.”
But the king hesitated. He was not quite ready.
“Alas, I have spent my lifetime making my way to this point, but now that I have arrived without my faithful brothers and my beloved wife, I find now that my heart is empty. I do not wish to enter without them.”
“Have no fear,” the Gatekeeper replied. “You shall see them all in Heaven. They came before you and are already there!”
But the king still hesitated. He had yet another request to make.
“This dog has come all the way with me. He has been, as were my brothers and my wife, devoted to me. Surely for his faithfulness I cannot leave him outside! And besides, my heart is full of love for him.!”
The Gatekeeper’s great flaming head shook and the earth quaked.
“You yourself may have immortality,” he said, “and riches and success and all the joys of Heaven. You have won these by making this hard journey. But you cannot bring a dog into Heaven. Cast off the dog. It is no sin.”
“But where would he go?” demanded the king. “And who would go with him?” He has given up all the pleasures of earth to be my companion. I cannot desert him now.”
Clearly, the Gatekeeper was irritated by the King’s words.
“You must be pure to enter Paradise,” he said firmly. “Just to touch a dog will take away all of the merits of prayer. Consider what you are doing. Let the dog go!”
But the king insisted. “O holy Gatekeeper, it is difficult for a person who has always tried to be righteous to do something that he knows is unrighteous—even in order to get into Heaven. I do not wish immortality if it means casting off one who is devoted to me.”
The Gatekeeper urged the king one more time…
“You left on the road behind you your four brothers and your wife. Why, pray tell, can’t you also leave the dog?”
The king replied, “I abandoned those only because they had died already, and I could no longer help them nor bring them back to life. As long as they lived, I did not leave them.”
“You are willing to abandon Heaven, then, for this dog’s sake?” the Gatekeeper asked in frustration.
The king then dropped to his knees, with his arms outstretched and tears flowing freely, he cried out, “Oh Great God of all Gods, I have steadily kept this vow—that I will never desert one that is frightened and seeks my protection, one that is afflicted or destitute, or one that is too weak to protect themselves and desires to live. Now I add a fourth, I promise never to forsake one that is devoted to me. I will not abandon my friend.”
The king them reached down and patted the dog and was about to turn sadly away from Heaven when suddenly before his very eyes a glorious light overshadowed everything. It was radiating from the dog who was transforming into a brilliantly glowing figure. The dog’s paws became two glowing hands with streams of light radiating from the nail hole in each. The faithful dog had changed into the Shepard. He then embraced the king and whispered, “You are a good man. You have shown faithfulness to the faithful and compassion for all creatures. You have done this by renouncing your very God Himself instead of renouncing this humble dog that was your companion. You shall be honored in Heaven for there is no act which is valued more highly and rewarded more richly than compassion for the humble.”
So, the good king entered the Celestial City with the God of Righteousness and Justice faithfully walking by his side. He was soon reunited with his brothers and his beloved wife where, together, they enjoyed eternal happiness.
– Adapted from the epic poem of India, Mahabharata
One love, one heart, one destiny. – Bob Marley
Have an AWE-full Weekend!
William “Bill” Bacque