How do you see yourself living the life you have been given to live?
Recently, we came upon Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds. Set aside religiosity to focus on the idea of judgment day at the time of one’s death, and this movie leads you to reflect upon the question, “Would I make it through?”
Movies have depicted the way one’s life gets judged in the afterlife. This one has seven trials one must convince judges to individually go through. If they fail within any of the trials, they would immediately fall into the awaiting fires of hell. Make it through all, one gets to the afterlife or, if deemed a paragon, a chance to be reincarnated.
Paragons, having been noted as noble during their living flesh, are a rarity to find.
The main character, Ja-hong, a firefighter, dies while saving yet another life. He is to be escorted through all seven trials by his three guardians. Upon the discovery that Ja-hong is the rare find, thus, a paragon, his guardians are thrilled, knowing that he is to be their 48th out of 49 paragons they must help get through to be granted their own reward, to be reincarnated under their own choice of a new soul.
Paragons are not just a rare find, but are decades between to come across all seven trials. It is one thing to be considered a paragon in the life one has lived, but facing moments of questionable sin is yet another testimony to how truly noble one has been.
Sins
The order of trials one visits goes from least to greatest sin lived in the flesh. The order Ja-hong, the firefighter, faces are the trials of: 1. Murder/Indirect Murder 2. Indolence- Laziness/Idleness 3. Deceit 4. Injustice 5. Betrayal 6. Violence 7. Unfilial Impiety
This is a good moment to stop and ask if this would have been the same order you would have had to face, from least to greatest of all your sins.
Even a noted paragon such as Ja-hong must be tried through these gates before he passes through to the afterlife, each trial facing a judge with two prosecutors whose only task is to see that Ja-hong doesn’t make it through. Ja-hong’s three guardians stand at each trial as his defense team.
Murder/Indirect Murder
You would think at first that this is an interesting start of facing one’s sins as how can murder or indirect murder be the least of all sins.
Keep in mind, however, that Ja-hong was a firefighter. Someone else’s death under his account, whether directly or indirectly would have to be pleaded here.
While as a firefighter he saves many lives, he is questioned for one life he knowingly left behind, his captain. What may be difficult for others to grasp, this scene depicts the very understanding of those who have sworn to save lives- even if it means losing your own or those who fight to save others with you.
Ja-hong is revealed to have been torn and broken from having left behind his captain, but is also shown to have been ordered by his captain to do so. He saved many lives that day following his captain’s order.
Would you or have you done the same?
Laziness/Idleness – Indolence
Quite an interesting trial to face, Ja-hong has to reflect upon how he lived the gift of life, his second evaluation. Laziness or idleness considered a sin, is examined here. A life given to you put to waste considered sinful is surely a strong message for anyone taking life for granted.
Ja-hong is portrayed as not just a hardworking firefighter, but tirelessly takes on other jobs, at times seen falling asleep on the job as he fights to stay awake to make it to another one.
Though the prosecutors relinquish themselves of any fight on this trial as the judge clearly expresses favor of Ja-hong’s use of life, it is Ja-hong who confesses that he did all the work for money, disappointing the judge to anger with a verdict of punishment into the awaiting wraths of hell.
To Ja-hong’s fortune, his guardians jump to his rescue, speaking up on his behalf. It is here that the audience sees that while Ja-hong had picked up all those jobs and did all work for money, day and night jobs, it was because of his determination to help his ailing mother while also to put his younger brother through school that revealed his decision to relentlessly work. This reveals his selflessness, living life not for just himself, but for his loved ones.
How would you fare with how and for whom you have lived your life?
Deceit
This one faces the sin of lying and deceit. While some of us have lied to say, “I’m on the road” as we pull out of our driveway, running late to an engagement, there have been quite bigger lies to be heard of committed in a lifetime.
As revealed to the court before a judge, Ja-hong admits to writing letters deceiving both children of deceased parents and his own mother. His life is exposed to show children being given hope as he falsely pretends to be their deceased parent away and unable to return home through his own writings. In the letters he gives loving orders for the children to continue to work hard and do well in school. Sadly, it also shows children crying while waiting for the parent to return home.
The rest of the letters addresses his own mother. Lies of being married and having a son is revealed, showing his mother to have read each of them with joy while Ja-hong continued to write fabrications of his life for many years while away, intentionally and knowingly writing the lies.
However, what is also revealed is his deep-rooted intentions. By lying, pain and worry would be replaced by strength and hope, both for the children whom lost a parent and his own mother who has yet to be reunited with him for years.
Have your lies or deceit led to healing or hurt?
The trials of Injustice and Betrayal are next. To Ja-hong’s fortune, he passes through these with no trial, seeing his actions in life as justified under both these cases.
Would you have just as easily gotten a pass through each of these gates?
As would be understood and anticipated, understanding that the order of trials is from least to greatest of all sins, now that he has arrived to the final two trials, these last two would be the most challenging and difficult to face.
It is within these last two trials where you are torn to see Ja-hong’s more questionable side of character, the most heart-wrenching trials to bare.
Violence
By the sixth trial, Ja-hong is being put to face his own act of violence- beating down his younger brother at the time of their youth, a younger brother who was suffering from malnutrition. This scene is made difficult to witness as one would quickly find it hard to understand why an older brother would want to physically hurt his younger brother already suffering from lack of nourishment.
It becomes clear to his guardians that the judge agrees with the prosecuting team, clearly Ja-hong’s act not justified, difficult to watch and excuse.
Once again, it is Ja-hong’s guardians who come to his rescue, making an urgent plea for a double trial in the last and final phase of judgment. If Ja-hong were to fail exoneration in this last trial, his three guardians would not only fail in getting Ja-hong through as the 48th of their 49th paragon to be granted reincarnation, but would each have to return back to starting all over again, waiting until they find another paragon to escort, back to starting at one. So close to being granted reincarnation and all three take such risk for the one they must currently defend.
Would you take such risks as to see through and beyond one’s acts of violence to still stand by them?
Unfilial Impiety
The last and final trial is seen unforgivable by all who witness. Ja-hong is seen hesitating over his mother with a pillow, clearly depicting a moment where he was contemplating to smother his mother to her death. It was also at this time where the connection of the previous trial was made- Ja-hong turning around to beat down on his younger brother suffering from malnutrition as he is caught attempting the act to end his mother’s life. His younger brother is heard pleading Ja-hong to not go through with what he is about to do before Ja-hong, enraged, turns to beat on him.
Seeing both scenes with Ja-hong holding the pillow over his mother and then, turning to beat down on his malnourished brother is difficult to not judge and personally deny a guilty verdict. Your torn heart and shattered beliefs of Ja-hong’s noble character submits to judgment. You agree with the prosecution team and the judge that such acts are not only selfish, but clearly unforgivable.
And then, you hear Ja Hong’s explanation.
They were starving. He, being the older of the two, at the age of fifteen, felt helpless to care for his ailing, mute mother and his younger brother. His desperate plan was to first to take away his mother’s life before planning to give he and his brother sleeping pills to put an end to theirs, ending all of their miseries. Still, this is not enough for the judge. Because Ja-hong’s plan does not fall through, Ja-hong is shown to leave his family behind, running away to abandon them, unable to forgive himself for his attempted plan.
It is at this time that his mother is seen unconscious in the real world. His guardians, with this last moment of hope find a way for Ja-hong to speak to his mother in her dreams, allowing all to hear both as they speak to one another.
It is here where Ja-Hong pleads for forgiveness, tearfully expressing his actions as an act of desperation at a time where as the oldest of two children, had run out of any other options.
With a mother to reveal her own kept secret, it is here where Ja-hong’s mother tells him that she had known of his plan that evening before he left them as she had opened her eyes to see the pillow above her.
Ja-hong is besides himself to hear his mother reveal such admittance, unable to bare the acceptance that for over fifteen years, his mother had always known what he had attempted to do that night, to add, he leaving both his mother and brother behind. If he felt his actions to be unforgivable at the time of his attempt, he falls into greater depths of defeated unforgiveness upon hearing his mother’s confession.
And then, the only words his mother could utter to free him of fiery judgment, “I forgave you that night.”
Like any mother who has ever gone through trials and tribulations with their child or children, she, alone, held the power to release him of any further judgment.
Ja-hong was pardoned and thus, passed through the last trial, escaping the gates of hell to instead, enter the awaiting other side of afterlife.
My last and final self-reflective question only left to ponder on?
“What have you not forgiven yourself that those who love you, already have?”
