Karma

[CAUTION: This story has an extremely deep end. The writer does not insure readers from falling and hence, getting lost in it. She bids you good luck.]

In a little village, just like any other little village, lived a little girl named Karma. Karma was a beautiful girl. She had two very big brown curious eyes, white teeth that shone like stars when she smiled and long shiny ebony black hair that her mother would tie in two pigtails. Yes, Karma was a very beautiful girl indeed. And in all her life, Karma lived in the village called Samsara.

On the day of her birth, a wise man foretold that Karma would one day become a significant figure. Everyone thought she would grow up to be Miss Universe. Every girl wanted to be Miss Universe. After all, didn’t it mean you could rule the whole universe by just the wave of your hand?

Charming as Samsara was, it begin to have its share of problems. One day, Mara, a neighbouring village witch doctor came to Samsara. He was a powerful man who craved control over every man, woman and child. He was an evil man and he drew fear the moment he set his glowering red stare upon your face. No one could banish him. No body dared to. He was too scary. And so he became untouchable and almost invisible. Emboldened by fear, Mara kept the villagers under a spell. He drew a white circle around the village so no one could ever leave Samsara. Everyone called it the Cycle of Samsara or, the cycle of Suffering, because once you start running from one point of Samsara, you’d only end up where you begun. It seemed like there was no way out.

Mara used various tools of torture on anyone who tried to escape. He tempted the greedy; he angered the proud; he brought sorrow to the lonely. Many gave up and succumbed to Mara. Mara became more and more cruel, more and more ugly and more and more scary.

Soon people forgot this child called Karma. She was ignored and she was forgotten. People were so absorbed in their own fears, no one cared to understand the prophesy: Karma was to be a significant figure. Who cared? Who bothered?

Karma was the key to the chain of events. Literally. She was born with a key in her heart. That key could open any door in the world. It could unlock the butcher’s house, the central bank, the state library and even magical circles that no one could escape.

In order for anyone to get the key, a series of rites had to be performed. Complicated, elaborated twirls and turns that took magnanimous amount of effort. It could take, not weeks, not months, not even years, but lifetimes, to perfect it!

Sadly, there is no end to this story because, at the time of print, Karma’s secret key remains... a secret.

Ancient folks talked about it. Parents’ of the parent’s of their parents’ talked about it. But no one did anything but talked. Simply because, talk is cheap and it was way too difficult to achieve. Lifetimes! How incredulous! Lifetimes! They would rather rot. Lifetimes! They preferred to stick with Mara.

Ajahn Brahm once said: ‘We have the freedom to leave any thing, any time we want.’

If only, yes, if only we knew that the doors of hell is always open. If only we understood that we have the freedom to walk out of hell whenever we wanted to, we could be in heaven right now.

[P.S.: I told you so.]

Here's some psycho analaysia on the characters' & place name: MableTV: Glossary


Stream Winner
Putrajaya, Malaysia 2006