The Blue Box

Puspha came to her doorstep. She saw a large blue box wrapped with a red bow. She was excited and at the same time confused as to what was in the blue box and who'd delivered the package to her. She picked it up, it was a little heavier than she'd expected. She held it on one arm while she opened her handbag to get the key to unlock the front door.

As soon as Puspha entered the house, she dropped the blue box on the sofa. She went to the kitchen to make some tea. While she was making the tea, she thought about what could be in the blue box and who could've sent it to her.

She took her teacup and went into her living room where she put the teacup on the round table next to her sofa. She sat down on the sofa and placed the blue box on her lap. Excited and curious, she began to unwrap the blue box. As she unwrapped the box, she saw an old, rusty, round and huge wall clock. Pushpa felt uncomfortable looking at this rusty and ugly looking clock. It looked as if it hadn't been cleaned for years.

She began to wonder who was playing such a trick on her by giving her this rusty and ugly clock. There was no name on the parcel; this seemed totally strange to her. After thinking for a long time, Pushpa got tired and decided to leave the clock in her storage room. She got up from her sofa, headed to her storeroom, opened the door and recklessly threw the blue box and the clock into her storeroom. She shut the door and headed off to take a shower.

Pushpa is a 35-year old single woman who lives alone with her mother and her poodle dog. Her 65-year-old mother was diagnosed with stage four cancer. The doctors told Pushpa's mother that she only has a few years to live.

Pushpa was also trapped in a lot of debt. She borrowed money from many of her peers to pay her late father's debts and her mother's medical expenses. Her late father was a pathological gambler who incurred a lot of debts. Pushpa was caught between managing her own work, paying off her late father's debts, and caring for her elderly mother. She copes with stressful times by spending time and taking care of her poodle dog.

It was about midnight. Pushpa suddenly heard her dog barking. She went down the stairs and saw her dog barking in the direction of her storeroom. She could hardly open her eyes as she suddenly woke up from her deep sleep. She rubbed her eyes and approached the storeroom, as her dog kept barking.

Puspha felt uncomfortable and creepy. Her dog had never acted like this before. It was completely strange to Puspha to see her dog barking at half -past twelve at night. Puspha opened the door of the storeroom. It was pitch black. A strong scent of roses filled the room. Pushpa turned on the light. The next moment, she was presented with a completely queer sight.

A small blue book lay on the floor. On the book was a silver crescent. On it was written, "The gateway to selflessness." A golden halo brightly shone on the book.

Pushpa took the book in her hand and turned the pages. It seemed as if the little book was hidden inside the rusty clock. Perhaps, when Pushpa threw the clock into the storage room, the clock broke and the book fell out of the clock. Her dog stopped barking and watched in silence as Pushpa turned the pages. The book had only four pages.

On the first page, it said: How to use the book.

On the second page, it said: Moka.

On the third page, it said: Boka.

On the last page, it said: Loka.

On each page of Moka, Boka and Loka are three lines of spells.

On the first page, it said that she could only read any one page; Moka, Boka or Loka. It also said that the book will miraculously disappear within fifteen minutes after it has been found.

Moka gives her the power to become liberated.

Boka grants her every wish and grants her luxuries. But her life will continue to suffer.

Loka helps to end all pains and sufferings of her life, but none of her wishes in her life can be fulfilled.

She can only choose any one page and read the verse. She has fifteen minutes to decide on which page to read.

Pushpa began to sweat profusely. She has to make up her mind within fifteen minutes. She has a desire to cure her mother and give her a long life. She's also looking forward to ending her suffering from debt. But she's perplexed about how to decide and what to choose. She wanted to heal her mother and pay off her debts, but she didn't know which one to choose and which spell to recite.

On the other hand, the thought of liberation didn't interest her at all. She wondered what this "liberation" was all about and how it would help her.

Many thoughts ran through her mind. She was unable to make up her mind. Twelve minutes had passed. Filled with uncertainty and doubt, she read the first page on Moka. She felt the pages on Boka and Loka were far more confusing than Moka. Though she was uncertain, she preferred to choose the simpler and less confusing option; Moka.

After she finished reciting the verse about Moka, the book slowly disappeared. As the book gradually disappeared, she heard a thunderous voice saying,

"Congrats! Since you chose Moka, you get Boka and Loka as bonus gifts!"

Pushpa felt her heart pounding with excitement and tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. The voice continued,

"From today your pain and suffering will end, your desires will be fulfilled and you will attain bliss!"

Boka is coming alone. Loka is coming alone. But with Moka... both Boka and Loka will follow......

Moka is the path to liberation. All good things are given in Moka. Boka grants wishes and desires that can lead to the beginning of new suffering. Loka is the ending of suffering, and it protects the person from getting new problems by stopping all other desires. With liberation, a person gains the wisdom to balance and enjoy what he desires without getting entangled in the vicious cycles of suffering.

Fewer desires lead to less suffering. In liberation, man attains the highest cosmic intelligence to overcome suffering, balance desires and attain a state of bliss. Sometimes, our uncertainty is a sign of intelligence. Fortune favors the courageous. The courage to face uncertainty also leads us to successful outcomes. The clock presents our precious time in the universe. The rusty clock tells us not to judge the book by its cover. The 'fifteen minutes' is about building the ability to make decisions on time without procrastination. Pushpa choosing a simple option, describes simplicity as the best way to approach spirituality. Never look for complex answers, when simple and clear answers are available in the here and now.

Moka- The liberated man.

Boka- The materialistic man.

Loka- The transcending man.

The End.....