A Japanese legend says a pious Buddhist monk died and went to heaven. He was taken on a sightseeing tour and gazed in wonder at the lovely mansions built of marble and gold and precious stones. It was all so beautiful, exactly as he pictured it, until he came to a large room that looked like a merchant's shop. Lining the walls were shelves on which were piled and labeled what looked like dried mushrooms. On closer examination, he saw they were actually human ears. His guide explained that these were the ears of people who on earth went diligently to the temple, listened with pleasure to the teaching of the gods, yet, did nothing about what they heard. After death, they themselves went elsewhere, but only their ears made it to heaven.

We may smile at such a story, but the painful truth is th…