Once upon a time there lived a kind man. All his life he followed the high commandments, for he hoped to go to heaven after death. He gave generous alms to the poor, loved his neighbors and helped them. Remembering the importance of enduring patience, he endured the most difficult and unexpected trials with dignity, sacrificing much for the sake of others. From time to time he traveled in search of knowledge. His humility and exemplary behavior earned him a reputation as a wise man and a respected citizen, which spread from East to West and from North to South.
He cultivated all these virtues in himself whenever he remembered them. But he had one drawback - inattention. This quality did not have much power over him, and he considered that, in comparison with its merits, inattention was a very insignificant fault. Thus, he sometimes left several needy people without help, because sometimes he did not notice their need. Love and service also sometimes became forgotten when he became absorbed in his personal needs or even desires.
He loved to sleep and often fell asleep precisely at those moments that were favorable for the search for knowledge or for understanding it, for the practice of true humility or when it would be possible to increase the number of good deeds - he woke up such opportunities, and they never returned.
Inattention had no less influence on his essential self than good qualities.
And then one day he died. Finding himself beyond this life, the good man headed towards the heavenly abode. After walking a little, he decided to take a break to examine his conscience. Having carefully weighed everything, he came to the conclusion that he was fully worthy to enter the heavenly chambers, and continued on his way.
Approaching the gates of heaven, he saw that they were closed, and at that moment he heard a voice addressed to him: “Be careful, for the gates open only once every hundred years.”
The good man sat down nearby, waiting, excited by the prospect. Not being busy, as usual, in performing virtuous actions, he discovered that his attention was poorly developed. For some time, which seemed to him a whole century, he tried not to fall asleep, but, in the end, his head bowed on his chest, and sleep closed his eyelids for a moment. And at that moment the gates opened wide. But before he could open his eyes, they slammed shut with a noise and crash that could have woken the dead.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru