It was raining again. As I sat watching the raindrops fall, I thought of Lao Tze and the happy times we had spent together. Oh, how I miss him! After the rain had stopped, I walked down to his grave under the weeping willow. To my surprise and delight, I saw that it was covered with small white flowers and wild mushrooms which had taken root probably during one of the rainstorms. I felt it was a good sign indicating that Lao Tze had reached Nirvana. Ning was sceptical as usual when I told him about this and said that rats don't go to Nirvana. Well, that's only his opinion!
That night as I stared at the dark sky with threatening rain clouds, I saw a bright golden star suddenly float out from behind the clouds ... and it was coming towards me! As I looked in wonder, it came closer and closer and lo! Lao Tze was sitting on it!
"Lao Tze! Lao Tze!" I cried excitedly, unable to believe my eyes. He laughed and beckoned to me. "Come with me, I shall show you what Nirvana is like! Don't be afraid. Just hop onto this star!" I hesitated - much as I wanted to see what Nirvana was like, I was a little scared of sitting on a star and flying through the heavens on it. Lao Tze beckoned to me again - "Come on, we haven't got much time before daybreak!" Something inside me said it was alright, so I jumped onto the star and off we sped through the clouds...
We whizzed through clusters of stars and unknown planets for something like half an hour before I saw a pink cloud looming before us. "That's Nirvana!" said Lao Tze, eyes twinkling. I gasped - we had made it, well nearly. We zoomed in closer and not before long, we landed on a field that was covered with small white flowers, like the ones on Lao Tze's grave. (I was right when I said the flowers were a good sign!) As I alighted from the star, I looked up and was amazed to see that the sky was a beautiful pink with fluffy white clouds from which small golden stars dangled.
Lao Tze told me to follow him and we went along a little path that he said led to Lord Buddha's temple. As we walked along, I gaped in awe at the bushes on either side of the path. They were fruit bushes with all kinds of fruits bursting from their green branches and leaves. Lao Tze said anyone was free to pick them to eat because the bushes never ran dry! The fruits reappeared as soon as they were plucked.
We then came upon a magnificent waterfall. It was like nothing I had seen before. The gushing waters were of rainbow colours - pink, blue, gold, green, purple ....oh, how I wished I had a camera with me! Most wonderful of all, there were dozens of fish playing happily in the water and they were multi-coloured like the water! I was so fascinated that Lao Tze had to drag me away.
"We haven't got much time but we're nearing the temple," he said. There were so many wonderful things I saw on the way - beautiful birds, flowers, trees and oh yes, a special park for cats - I knew there would be one! Hundreds of cats were there enjoying themselves - some were swimming in the fish-shaped lake, some were eating ice cream, some playing games, others just relaxing in the cool weather. How I wished I could join them! "If you work hard at your goal to reach Nirvana, you will one day," said Lao Tze reading my thoughts.
"Here we are," he said as we neared a wondrous temple of white marble. It was shaped like a huge lotus and was surrounded by pink coloured fountains that sprang up and down to the chanting of mantras. It was glowing in the pale sunshine and there were dozens of monks and devotees sitting outside in meditation. "This is the time the Lord Buddha will usually come out and bless his devotees," said Lao Tze. We stopped a little away from the main entrance of the temple and waited.
In a short while, we heard a gong sound. Everyone woke up from meditation and looked in the direction of the temple. Then, to the sound of sweet, celestial music, we saw the Lord Buddha slowly emerge from the temple. He was sitting on a white lotus and his face glowed with a radiance that just couldn't be described. I gazed spellbound as the lotus floated along and stopped in front of the crowd of monks and devotees.
"The Lord Buddha will usually give a short sermon first," said Lao Tze. "But we have no time to listen. We've got to get you back to earth as it will soon be dawn." I was quite unwilling to leave but had no choice. We ran back to the golden star which Lao Tze had parked under a flowering tree and sped back to earth.
"Lao Tze, will you come back and take me again to Nirvana?" I asked as we neared earth. He smiled and shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, my dear, I can't. When I first arrived in Nirvana, the Lord Buddha told me he would grant me a wish, one dearest to my heart. I asked whether I could bring you to see Nirvana and He agreed. So this is goodbye, my friend."
I could not control my tears. "Thank you so much, Lao Tze. May you be forever happy in Nirvana."
Lao Tze smiled and patted my shoulder. "You take good care of yourself. Here, take this back with you," and he pressed into my paw a small golden star like the ones in the pink sky of Nirvana.
As we neared earth, there was suddenly a violent storm. Strong winds blew from all directions and rain and hailstones fell on us. Our star rocked to and fro like someone was playing football with it. I clung on for dear life but to my dismay, lost my grip and felt myself falling, falling ..... "Help, help!" I screamed.
"Vege Cat! Vege Cat! Are you alright?" said a voice near my ear.
"I'm falling ... help, help!"
"Wake up, Vege Cat! You just had a nightmare. You're not falling, you're alright."
I woke up with a start. Head Nun was peering at me and stroking my head.
"It's time for breakfast," said Head Nun.
"Head Nun, you won't believe this!" I cried excitedly, then stopped. Of course she wouldn't believe me or would she if I told her I had just returned from Nirvana?
As I got up for breakfast, something fell from by blanket. I saw to my amazement that it was a small golden star - the one Lao Tze had given me!
"It wasn't a dream, it wasn't a dream! I did go to Nirvana!" I whispered to myself excitedly.
I spent the rest of the day in blissful remembrance of my beautiful journey ... a journey to love, peace, joy and contentment.
"Lao Tze! Lao Tze!" I cried excitedly, unable to believe my eyes. He laughed and beckoned to me. "Come with me, I shall show you what Nirvana is like! Don't be afraid. Just hop onto this star!" I hesitated - much as I wanted to see what Nirvana was like, I was a little scared of sitting on a star and flying through the heavens on it. Lao Tze beckoned to me again - "Come on, we haven't got much time before daybreak!" Something inside me said it was alright, so I jumped onto the star and off we sped through the clouds...
We whizzed through clusters of stars and unknown planets for something like half an hour before I saw a pink cloud looming before us. "That's Nirvana!" said Lao Tze, eyes twinkling. I gasped - we had made it, well nearly. We zoomed in closer and not before long, we landed on a field that was covered with small white flowers, like the ones on Lao Tze's grave. (I was right when I said the flowers were a good sign!) As I alighted from the star, I looked up and was amazed to see that the sky was a beautiful pink with fluffy white clouds from which small golden stars dangled.
Lao Tze told me to follow him and we went along a little path that he said led to Lord Buddha's temple. As we walked along, I gaped in awe at the bushes on either side of the path. They were fruit bushes with all kinds of fruits bursting from their green branches and leaves. Lao Tze said anyone was free to pick them to eat because the bushes never ran dry! The fruits reappeared as soon as they were plucked.
We then came upon a magnificent waterfall. It was like nothing I had seen before. The gushing waters were of rainbow colours - pink, blue, gold, green, purple ....oh, how I wished I had a camera with me! Most wonderful of all, there were dozens of fish playing happily in the water and they were multi-coloured like the water! I was so fascinated that Lao Tze had to drag me away.
"We haven't got much time but we're nearing the temple," he said. There were so many wonderful things I saw on the way - beautiful birds, flowers, trees and oh yes, a special park for cats - I knew there would be one! Hundreds of cats were there enjoying themselves - some were swimming in the fish-shaped lake, some were eating ice cream, some playing games, others just relaxing in the cool weather. How I wished I could join them! "If you work hard at your goal to reach Nirvana, you will one day," said Lao Tze reading my thoughts.
"Here we are," he said as we neared a wondrous temple of white marble. It was shaped like a huge lotus and was surrounded by pink coloured fountains that sprang up and down to the chanting of mantras. It was glowing in the pale sunshine and there were dozens of monks and devotees sitting outside in meditation. "This is the time the Lord Buddha will usually come out and bless his devotees," said Lao Tze. We stopped a little away from the main entrance of the temple and waited.
In a short while, we heard a gong sound. Everyone woke up from meditation and looked in the direction of the temple. Then, to the sound of sweet, celestial music, we saw the Lord Buddha slowly emerge from the temple. He was sitting on a white lotus and his face glowed with a radiance that just couldn't be described. I gazed spellbound as the lotus floated along and stopped in front of the crowd of monks and devotees.
"The Lord Buddha will usually give a short sermon first," said Lao Tze. "But we have no time to listen. We've got to get you back to earth as it will soon be dawn." I was quite unwilling to leave but had no choice. We ran back to the golden star which Lao Tze had parked under a flowering tree and sped back to earth.
"Lao Tze, will you come back and take me again to Nirvana?" I asked as we neared earth. He smiled and shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, my dear, I can't. When I first arrived in Nirvana, the Lord Buddha told me he would grant me a wish, one dearest to my heart. I asked whether I could bring you to see Nirvana and He agreed. So this is goodbye, my friend."
I could not control my tears. "Thank you so much, Lao Tze. May you be forever happy in Nirvana."
Lao Tze smiled and patted my shoulder. "You take good care of yourself. Here, take this back with you," and he pressed into my paw a small golden star like the ones in the pink sky of Nirvana.
As we neared earth, there was suddenly a violent storm. Strong winds blew from all directions and rain and hailstones fell on us. Our star rocked to and fro like someone was playing football with it. I clung on for dear life but to my dismay, lost my grip and felt myself falling, falling ..... "Help, help!" I screamed.
"Vege Cat! Vege Cat! Are you alright?" said a voice near my ear.
"I'm falling ... help, help!"
"Wake up, Vege Cat! You just had a nightmare. You're not falling, you're alright."
I woke up with a start. Head Nun was peering at me and stroking my head.
"It's time for breakfast," said Head Nun.
"Head Nun, you won't believe this!" I cried excitedly, then stopped. Of course she wouldn't believe me or would she if I told her I had just returned from Nirvana?
As I got up for breakfast, something fell from by blanket. I saw to my amazement that it was a small golden star - the one Lao Tze had given me!
"It wasn't a dream, it wasn't a dream! I did go to Nirvana!" I whispered to myself excitedly.
I spent the rest of the day in blissful remembrance of my beautiful journey ... a journey to love, peace, joy and contentment.
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