Heaven, what is it? Is it a place where angels, fairies, deities and Gods reside; a place filled with utmost happiness; a sinless place where the supreme beings live in eternity; a place where all earthly beings hope to be when they finally leave mother Earth? Is it what we have been told it is?

Well, if heaven is anything close to what is being described as above, then it must be a damn boring place. It has always kept me wondering what the hell (excuse me) do the supreme beings do in heaven. Do they just float around and laze among the clouds? Do they peep through the clouds and look down at the pathethic earthly beings below, struggling for their lives and not lift a hand? Worse of all, these saints in heaven are actually going to spend their perpetual life doing just that, which is, not doing anything. OMG.

Having been a slacker, I know how life is like having nothing to do and it's definitely not something that I would want to go through again. If I'm going to heaven to relive that then I would rather go to hell, at least I'll be busy getting tortured there. All those who could made it to heaven are believed to be people who possess extraordinary virtues and who have cleansed their souls through performing numerous good acts of helping mankind. Then imagine, having reached the status of a saint, they are supposed to spend their everlasting time in heaven just idling and do nothing. (Of course, I could be wrong. They could be busy making heaven a better place but isn't heaven supposed to be a perfect paradise?).

Anyway, what's the fuss about whether we would end up in heaven or in hell, is that really that important? Well, to the believers of the various religions, I guess, it means a great deal. All religions want their followers to adhere to certain codes of conduct and morality so as to be guaranteed a place in heaven. I have nothing against these kind of teachings, in fact I support some of the doctrines but just feel that we should be doing good deeds cause we feel good doing them rather than doing them to get a ticket to heaven. It's sad that there are very few 'true' human beings who are helping others out of genuine concern for them and not for their own selfish gains. Then there are people who would go to their places of worship so diligently as if to show to whoever are watching (whether those around them or those up there) that they are devoted disciples. These people who made confessions and promises of doing good deeds in front of their Gods would often end up doing the contrary once they step out of the holy place. I have once witnessed an incident outside a church which I happened to pass by, when a man who had just finished his prayer, cursed and swore at the driver whose car had blocked his from reversing out of the parking lot. Doesn't the Almighty Lord want him to be more forgiving? Then there was another incident which I saw outside a Chinese temple, where throng of people leaving the temple after conveying their wishes to their gods, turned a blind eye to a handicap man who was asking for alms. Doesn't Goddess Guan Yin expect them to give more? Are these people good enough to be in heaven just because they believe in God and have promised to do good?

I have always despised those who carry out acts of kindness not because they really care but simply because they don't want to end up in hell. They are all very fake but at the same time they are also very real. Ask yourself this, will you still pray at your church or temple if you have been told that there isn't any vacancy for you in heaven? Will you continue with the good deeds that you have been doing? If you would then congratulations, you belong to a rare breed of extraordinary specie but if you won't, don't worry you won't be condemned, you are just being realistic.

To simply put it, heaven is not a place for those who are sincere in helping mankind as they won't be able to continue their great deeds from up there. Or could they? Anyway, why not continue with the good deeds here on earth and find true heaven from within ourselves? People who are selfless in giving all they have for the betterment of mankind, are already living in heaven, on earth, so why bother to travel all the way up there to do nothing? In fact, I don't mind being reincarnated eternally on earth as an animal, perhaps as a pig whom I have always admired for their contributions to mankind (they are being used to carry out scientific experiments and more importantly they are a main source of food, not for the Muslims though). Thus, forget about the heaven up there, it's going to bore you to eternity, bring out the heaven from inside you and you will be living in one instantly and in a more meaningful way too. Continue to do the things, either for yourself or for those around you, which will put you in seventh heaven. Heaven is what you want it to be; heaven is where you want it to be. Have you found your heaven yet?

'The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven. '

' We are our own devils; we drive ourselves out of our own heavens.'