Sunsets Into Sunrises
Bishop Martin - The Progress of a Soul in the Beyond
- Chapter 109 -
CHANCHAH'S BASIC QUESTION AND THE LORD'S VERY CRITICAL COUNTER-QUESTION. STORY OF THE MORNING AND EVENING FLOWERS.
During My instruction of this dear Chinese, Martin's face has brightened, and in his heart he expresses his deepest gratitude to Me.
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(But Chanchah says): "Glorious friend of my heart and my life, you are right in every word you say, and still Chanchah cannot help being such an inquisitive child. However, your poor Chanchah will restrain her heart from now on and become like a flower unfolding in the light and warmth of Lama's sun and, nourished by Lama's morning dew, gradually filling its receptacles with the rich seeds of life.
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Ah, the great, holy Lama must be boundlessly good, wise and mighty, judging from all the things He has so wonderfully made. Oh, if I could only be granted the immeasurable happiness of seeing Him from a distance just once - only for a few moments! Tell me, you glorious one, shall I ever be found worthy of such happiness? If I could only see Him but once - no matter when - I would be satisfied forever and would willingly do whatever is asked of me. But, do give me hope for this one thing."
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(Say I). "My beloved little one, I can see that Lama is foremost in your heart, which, of course, is very good. However, you keep telling Me - and so do your eyes - that you love Me too, beyond measure. Now I would like to hear from you which one you love more - Me or your Lama. Ask your heart about it and then tell Me."
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Here Chanchah becomes most embarrassed and casts down her eyes, while her heart kindles more and more in her love for Me, of which she is only too aware. Therefore, she - who usually has a ready tongue - now can find no answer. After a while, I ask her again to tell Me this, and she says, quite uneasy:
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(Chanchah): "Oh, you apple of my eye, you altar of my heart, when I was still living on earth with my mother and was but a girl of some thirteen years of age, I asked my mother what one would have to do to love the holy Lama above everything.
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Then my wise mother said: 'Listen, dearest daughter, plant two flowers of the same kind in the garden - one towards morning, and dedicate it to Lama, and the other one towards evening, and this dedicate to mankind. Tend both equally and see how they will grow and develop. If the evening flower thrives better than the morning flower, it will prove that you love the world more than the holy Lama. If it is the other way round, then your love for Lama is greater than it is for mankind.'
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I followed my mother's advice without delay, but fearing the Lama's flower might lag behind, I secretly tended it with much more care than the other one. However, notwithstanding all my care, Lama's flower lagged behind.
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I told my mother everything, and she comforted me, saying: 'Look, my dear child, with this the Lama only wanted to point out to you that you can love Him Who resides in an inaccessible light, solely by loving your fellowmen as you love yourself. For who does not love those whom he sees, how could he love the Lama whom he cannot see?'
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From then on I watered the evening flower more often than the morning flower and, behold, the latter commenced to thrive much more than the evening flower.
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And here I am doing exactly the same thing. You are my evening flower, and my heart for Lama is the morning flower. I am tending you to the best of my ability, discerning in you the most perfect spirit of man; and my heart thrives with all its might - but unfortunately not with Lama, but with you - yes, with you!
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You have become a true Lama of my heart! And the great Lama, in due course, will know best what He is going to say to this. I must even admit that my usually most sensitive conscience does not reproach me at all for this. What do you say to this, glorious one?"
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(Say I): "My beloved Chanchah, you kept Me waiting for some time for an answer in which My heart could rejoice. Therefore, I will now keep you waiting a little bit longer for a good and proper answer. But it will not be long, and you may look forward to a wonderful answer!"