A Thousand Splendid Moons

On a pointy peak of a majestic mountain, there appears a big diamond, the size and the circumference of the peak itself, shining as brightly as a thousand moons, even as deep darkness envelops the town at the foot of the mountain. It is a clear night as the clouds have suddenly parted to reveal the glittering diamond to Maya’s eyes.

Maya isn’t able to stop looking at it. She has a family to tend to, so she cannot immediately run towards the glittering ball of brilliance, which most people around her refuse to see. The diamond shines so beautifully that suddenly, right in front of Maya’s eyes, the darkness at the foot of the hill parts to give way to its ethereal light, as it makes its own path toward where Maya stands transfixed. Maya knows that the diamond is calling her to itself and that it has a secret message that it wants to reveal to Maya. What is the diamond trying to say?

Maya starts walking on the enlightened path towards the diamond, leaving her physical body with her family, while her subtle body decides to aim for the peak.

At first, she doesn’t understand whether it really is a diamond, or simply Moon. And why is she so drawn towards it? She first walks with unsure steps. But as the silver light of the diamond comes closer and closer, the attraction doubles and she starts sprinting toward the mountain.

People around her think that she has lost her mind. They distance themselves from her, thinking that she is escaping from her family duties, towards a ‘diamond’ that they haven’t even seen! She is running away from reality. What they couldn’t figure out is that she is, in fact, running towards reality!

She finally reaches the foot of the mountain, and she can now see the diamond more closely. Love emanates from it, filling her own heart with similar love and gratitude. There is no other way to get to the diamond except crawling. She gets on her hands and knees and starts to crawl towards the diamond, up the steep hill.

The way is not only steep but also rough. The pointy pebbles make Maya’s hands and knees bleed but she continues towards the diamond, which is now getting brighter and closer. Even though she faces problems and injuries, Maya’s heart is full of nothing but bliss! Nothing can lower her spirits, last of all the rough, uneven terrain! She slips 5 times and crawls back up 6 times. She forgets about everything; all she wants is to merge into that brilliant light up on the pointy peak that seems to ooze nothing but love.

Gradually, as she approaches the wonderful diamond, she experiences extreme calmness. She finally reaches the peak, stands up on her feet, and looks towards the diamond. It’s the most beautiful vision of her life. Ethereal. It’s so bright, and yet so cooling for her eyes! She looks down, at the town she has left behind. It is still enveloped in the same darkness. But for her, everything is bright and clear. And then she experiences an emotion that she has rarely experienced down there – a deep, warm feeling of compassion for the ones living in darkness. She wants to share the light that she has found. But how?

And suddenly, a diamond hand comes out of the diamond and stretches it towards Maya. Maya holds the hand, expecting it to pull it towards itself, dissolve her in itself! But instead, as soon as the diamond touches her, Maya’s heart shines like the diamond itself, and her own shining heart tells Maya in a sweet, soothing voice that the others couldn’t see the diamond, and she did, because it was her destiny to be a diamond herself, and light up the dark paths of the world for others. And after saying this, the diamond on the peak suddenly dissolves in itself, leaving nothing but a small dot. The dot travels to Maya’s heart, and lights up her entire self! Maya herself shines like the diamond she was so attracted to. She looks down, her eyes stopping at the darkest corner of the town below. Suddenly, a ray of impossible brilliance emanates from her, lighting up the path toward that corner. There are so many people huddled in that corner, but only one sees the light!

Nisha isn’t able to ignore the light. She turns to find the source of this bright light, and finds, on the pointy peak of the majestic mountain, a big diamond the size and the circumference of the peak itself, shining as brightly as a thousand moons.