The story of Tat and Ammon
Once upon a time in Ancient Egypt, the two young friends Tat and Ammon went fishing on the Nile. They took their boat, net, and spears and went to the river.
Tat was a poor but pious follower of Thoth and the son of the local spiritual teacher Hermes. Ammon was the son of the King and lived a spoiled and luxurious life in a great palace.
Prince Ammon quickly caught many fish, while Tat struggled to catch anything. At one time Tat managed to catch one fish, but when he wanted to grab it, the fish slipped through his fingers and fell back into the river.
After several hours of fishing, Ammon had a pile of fish while Tat had not caught a single one. The young prince was excited about his haul and was about to leave when he noticed Tat’s disappointment.
Ammon asked, “Tat, why are you not catching any fish? I prayed to my father, the King, to let me catch many fish. Did you not pray to God?”
Tat replied, “Yes, I prayed to God to let me catch fish so that I and my father have something to eat tonight. But I guess I’m just not as lucky as you are.”
Ammon smiled and said, “Maybe you should have also prayed to my powerful father” while loading his haul of fish in his cart to take to the palace.
Tat nodded, thinking that Ammon might be right. Why would God not let him catch even one fish? But, little did they know, their fates were about to be sealed.
Tat and Ammon heard suddenly the voice of a divine daimon within each of their hearts.
“Tat, you have lived a life of peace and compassion, always putting others before yourself. You sit at the feet of your spiritual teacher listening and learning. You walk the Way of Life, for this, after the death of your body, your soul will be rewarded by going straight to the eighth sphere, there to sing praises to the Divine with those who are present. Then in due order, you will ascend, surrender yourself to the powers, and become yourself one of the powers that are merged in the Divine.“
But the voice continued,
“Ammon, up until now you have lived a life of greed and selfishness, always taking more than your fair share. You walk the Way of Death, for this, after the death of your body, your soul will be punished with a painful cleansing by the avenging daimon and sent back down to earth to be reincarnated in a new human body, one not of a rich prince but of a poor, destitute person.“
Ammon was shocked and afraid, while Tat was filled with joy and peace. Ammon asked Tat:
“Dear friend, is there a place left near the feet of your master? Can I join the group to listen and learn the Way of Life?“
Ammon was accepted into the group of students of Hermes. From that day on, Ammon learned to live a life of kindness, thankfulness, piety, reverence, and generosity, always remembering the lesson he learned from his fishing trip.
He became the student of Asclepius, the senior student of Hermes, and walking the Way of Life was eventually also rewarded with a place in the highest spheres near the Divine.
Our actions in life determine our reward or punishment in the afterlife. It is never too late to change our ways and strive to do good and start on the Way of Hermes, the Way of Life.
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