Two Angels

This is a famous Chinese story about two angels, one male and one female

When they were at the lower Heaven, freely flying around together

They saw fishermen in the high sea casting their nets

After spending a few days in the high sea, the fishermen had no luck

They hardly had any catch and all were worrying about their hungry stomachs

Sufferings indeed they knew after they returned home empty handed

The Two Angels made a mistake and laughed at their coming sufferings

With this mistake, the Two Angels were immediately apprehended

By a higher Holy Being in charge of the Law of Heaven

They were supposed to pity the fishermen and not laugh at them

They were then sentenced to become human beings and had to go through

The suffering of birth, old age, sickness and death

Deeply frightened and pleading for mercy, but Heaven assured them

That after their sufferings as human beings, they will return to Heaven

Their sufferings as human beings cannot be told by Heaven because it was a secret

The female Angel was then born as a female in an upper class family

Where her brother was a high level imperial guard, having prestige

The male Angel was born as a male abandoned by his parents

And was saved by a man who discovered and brought him up as his own son

The man’s wife wholeheartedly accepted the male abandoned Angel baby

Unfortunately, the male Angel was dumb but his foster parents still loved him

The foster parents were rich and had no children of their own

When the two human Angels were of marriageable age, they met each other

Immediately they fell in love and arrangement was made for the wedding

When the brother of the female Angel discovered that the bridegroom was dumb

He cancelled the wedding because of his position in the society to save his pride

His sister insisted that she wanted to proceed with the wedding because she loved him

Her brother was very annoyed and came up with a plan to kill the dumb bridegroom

In the middle of the night, he set fire to the bridegroom’s house

The foster parents and the male human Angel escaped unhurt but lost everything

With deep sorrow, the foster father vented his frustration at his dumb son

That he had brought him up all these years and could not even called him “father”

Dumb, dumb, dumb, not even a word of “father” and he had lost everything

If he could just call him “father” he would want to die instantly and peacefully

Heaven opened up his speech and out of sudden the dumb Angel called out “father”

With great joy and sadness at the same time, he really died on the spot

The foster mother had the shock but was in great grief that her husband died

With nothing left, she too wanted to die if the dumb son could call her “mother”

The dumb son out of impulse called out “mother”

True enough the foster mother also died instantly, leaving him alone

With deep sorrow, he did not have a single penny to bury his foster parents

He then sold off his only good clothing to get some money for the burial

But it was not enough, so he begged for money for the burial

And could only afford to wear a beggar’s clothing

Going around begging money for the burial, a very old monk happened to pass by

Upon discovering his tragedy, the old monk offered to conduct the funeral rites

For free so that his foster parents’ souls could ascend to Heaven

After all the rites and rituals were over, the old monk offered the male human Angel

To copy the Taoist’s Sutra for people to chant and gladly he accepted

After some time, the old monk fell sick and could not go for alms round

The male human Angel volunteered to go round for alms so that they can have food

He was not a monk and people were doubtful about his story

A rich man happened to pass by and heard his story

But this rich man was a cunning one and had a plan to earn money

Out of the misfortune of the male human Angel

He offered the male human Angel to dress up as a female beauty from Heaven

To parade on the street as a show for fun and money

The male human Angel, was very handsome and was very beautiful

When dressed and made up as a female beauty doing the show

He accepted the money offered by the cunning rich man because of the old monk

He had to buy food and medicine otherwise they would suffer

During his act as a female beauty from Heaven, there was a big crowd watching

He did a very good act and people gave money for the show

During the show, the female human Angel where he was supposed to marry came

With her High Level Imperial guard brother

Deep inside she could recognize the human male Angel

Disguised as a beautiful female doing the show

After the show she quietly excused herself and managed to talk privately

With the male human Angel and confirmed that it was him disguised as a female

Bonded by karma, they reunited without the knowledge of her brother

Since he could speak instead of dumb, he asked for permission from her brother

To marry his sister but out rightly rejected by his brother because he was very poor

The High Imperial Guard brother fearing the reunion, quickly arranged

For his sister to get married through the ancient custom of throwing a special ball

By his sister to the crowd and whoever got the ball will have the right to marry his sister

Secretly she informed the human male Angel to come on that day

And she would throw the ball for him to catch and have the right to marry her

Unfortunately only rich men were only allowed to enter into the compound

Where the throwing of the ball event was held on that day

The judge refused to allow him to enter into the compound because he was poor

He was only allowed to stand outside the compound to watch

All the rich men were allowed to enter hoping to marry the female human Angel

Upon seeing the male human Angel outside the compound

She threw with all her might the ball out of the compound so that he could receive it

He got it and was introduced by the judge to her brother as the winner

Her brother got a shock of his life that the winner was the poor male human Angel

Thinking of the welfare of his sister, he set an unprecedented condition

That the winner must drink a glass of special wine to celebrate the event

The male human Angel accepted knowing that the wine could be poisoned

To kill him so that the marriage would not be carried out

The innocent female human Angel thought there was nothing wrong

In drinking the special wine and did not protest but was happy

He drank the wine and within minutes the poison took effect

He died in the arms of his bride to be, the female human Angel

Realizing he was poisoned by her brother to protect her welfare

She could not accept the tragedy and was in deep sorrow

Crying in front of her brother, she walked closer and closer to him

Her brother was always carrying the imperial sword

Out of a sudden she pulled out his sword and cut her own throat

She died instantly besides her male human Angel’s body.

Indeed a very sad story about love and suicide

Upon death, as promised by Heaven, their souls ascended to Heaven

As the happy Angels who had served their punishment

By laughing at the poor fishermen

Thinking about this story and I reflected about the life of Mother Teresa

Would she laugh at the poor and unfortunate Indian in India?

She wouldn’t and that is why she had been beatified as a Saint

Her compassionate heart would not laugh at the unfortunate human beings

She would pity them instead of laughing at them

The law of Heaven is very strict, fair and just

One has to be qualified to be a Saint like Mother Teresa

Likewise the Two Angels who had learned their lesson

Not to laugh at the unfortunate human beings

Do not laugh at the expense of suffering of others

Learn to have a compassionate heart like Mother Teresa