The Angel and the Ghost

One day an angel found out that a ghost was trying to destroy the world.  The ghost had pulled the world near a cliff.  In the nick of time, the angel appeared between the world and the cliff.

"Ghost, why are you so angry with this sinless world?"

"Shameless people.  I spent countless years building it for them, but they are destroying it in a twinkle."

"So what are you going to do, Ghost?"

"This world can't survive, so I think it's better to destroy it instantly than suffer for a long time."

"Why don't you try to tell people about this condition?"

"I'm tired of them.  I gave them a lot, but they were never satisfied.  They ask me to give them more and then waste the things that make up this world.  Listen, can you hear?  The world is hardly breathing.  It's dying ..."

"Please put it back in the forest and think of a way to save it."

"I don;t want to do anything for it, but if you want it you can have a competition with me."

"Okay!  I'd like to have a competition with you for it."

The rule was that they couldn't use their magical powers and they must race through a tunnel.  When they were ready to start, an animal shouted, "Ghost, may we have a talk with the angel?"

The ghost thought he should allow the angel to talk with them.  So he said, "Yes, of course."

A white animal who was holding a cloth said, "Dear Angel, I am from the North Pole, and this is my gift for you.  You can use it to keep yourself cool."

"Thank you!"

The ghost and angel started to run.  The tunnel was very long.  After they ran for an hour, the tunnel slowly became hotter.  So the angel put on the cloth that was given to her by the white animal.

A very strong fire was burning but the angel was not afraid and ran right through it.  The white cloth protected her.  The ghost was burned in the fire and the angel won the world.

After that the angel put the world back in the forest and said, "If people protect the world well, nothing will destroy it.  The state of the world depends on people."

(A Tibetan story by Baimajie in Skipping Stones)

Moral: Think about what we are doing to the world that holds us as if we were its heart.