Inspiration: Having a flash of being on a cloud looking down on earth while driving a scooter.
To a conqueror comes a conqueror. Villages rise from the ashes and are raised to the ground. There was much killing and pillaging in this land. Noble men, once united under one prosperous empire, seized the opportunity of King Ajuna's death to proclaim their independence. From one large unified empire, sixteen individual provinces were born. A land exemplary for its tolerance of religious and cultural differences was besieged by bitter rivalries. As time did its tedious work and the centuries passed, there was no recollection of the grand empire that united all men and women under the sun.
The gods and goddesses had decided. It was Rahula, goddess of fire, that would lead the campaign to unify the land once more and bring peace to its people. Rahula, only seven years old, was a witty and compassionate girl. She was very excited to finally receive her first assignment as a goddess. The stories of all the heroic deeds of her parents and other gods were getting boring. Many had changed the course of history and she was very eager to do the same and confident she could do so easily.
Come my child, Said her mother - goddess of the wind, it is time. War has crippled this once prosperous land. Memories of tolerance and acceptance have faded. All accounts of the golden days were burnt as Kings wanted to instill fear in the hearts of their subjects. Men are moved by war and burning meadows more than they are moved by peace. It is your task, Rahula, to restore peace in this land and unify all men and women once more. You are not allowed, however, to show yourself. You can only use the gift of fire. Good luck my child.
Rahula did not want to waste any time. She asked her mother to create a cloud with which she would overlook the lands. From high above she could see how battles were fought and villages were pillaged. How will I restore balance in this land, she thought. But I must do so if I am to become a member of the council. Whenever she visited a battlefield she noticed that there always seemed to be an aggressor and a defender. One group seemed particularly interested in the demise of the other. The aggressor's army was always a bit larger.
That's a start she thought. She hurried to overlook a battle that had yet to start. She heard rumors of a large battle to be fought in the north and rushed with the winds.
One army would be the aggressor and the other would be the defender, she said to herself. In these particular armies, the difference wasn't very clear to her. She started to become a little nervous, but as one army commenced its approach she made her pick.
That's the one. She conjured a flame in her palm, blew into it very softly, and behold a huge fire poured down from the sky burning a small part of the aggressor's army. There was much confusion on the battlefield. The defending King saw this as a sign of god, took advantage of the confusion, and charged at the now disorganized army. Victory was swift. Rahula smiled. This would certainly bring peace to the land as the aggressor was now defeated. As the defending army closed in on the other army's soldiers, to Rahula's great surprise, they did not simply capture them. They slaughtered them, one by one. After having slaughtered them, they went on to burn villages and cities of the conquered land. Many innocent people died and Rahula was devastated. The separation between evil men and good men seemed obvious at the start of the battle. Now she was confused and did not know what to do to bring peace to war-hungry kings. Was all this blood now on her hands?
Seeing that she was crying Rahula's mother approached her:
What is wrong Rahula, why are you so upset?
I killed all these innocent people Mother. I thought I recognized the evil king from the good king. I thought that by helping the good king, the battle would be won. I thought there would now be peace. Because that is what good people do, bring peace, is it not?
Rahula's mother hugged her daughter for a while and said:
Fickle is the nature of good and evil. To violence always comes more violence. Killing will always bring more killing. There is no dividing line between good men and evil men. Within the hearts of all, there is both the potential to do evil and the potential to do good. The desire for power and dominance is part of human nature. But so is the desire for peace and prosperity. Your fire will bring balance. Use it wisely.
Rahula found the courage to travel the lands once more. This time, she went to the villages of the various kingdoms. Disguised as a monkey she would approach the villagers without being seen. At night, as families came together for their evening meals, there was much laughing and loving. Those who held spears and knives in their hands now held women and children. Rahula traveled to many villages and in each village, the same scenes unfolded. There was indeed no dividing line between good and evil. Encouraged, Rahula returned to the realm of the gods and meditated in silence. In her meditation, scenes of blood-thirsty men intertwined with images of care and of love. Mothers scolded their children yet loved them dearly too. She recognized that most men only went to battle out of fear of losing their families. She opened her eyes. Now, she knew what to do. High above the kingdoms below, Rahula once again conjured a small flame in the palm of hand and prayed. She then blew into the flame and it traveled to each and every man, woman, and child in their sleep. Each flame went straight into their hearts. The next morning peace and prosperity returned to the land and the kingdoms reunited once more.
Rahula's mother came to see the young goddess:
Excellent my child. I am so proud of you. Tell me, what is it you did to restore peace? I am so curious to know.
Rahula, who was very proud yet also humble shared her insight with her mother:
Well, mother, I thought about what you said. There is indeed no dividing line between good and evil men. As I traveled the lands I saw that the same men that could kill could also love. I saw that eyes that could hate could also smile. And so I used my fire to awaken the desire for peace in the hearts of every man, woman, and child. Their desire for love would now be stronger than their hatred and their ignorance.