For a long time it was dark.

Then as if someone struck a match in the dark, light was the only thing visible, a swirling spectrum of unimaginable colors filled up the dark space. This is when I was born. An infant in a newly forming universe, dangerous and volatile my new home, I persisted and was born a star. Eons passed, it was madness. I don't know how others perceive time. I only know how I do and time was my prison. I was so old and had seen so much. Not much has changed in millennia, and I longed for nothing other than death. I don’t know what I am, who I am, why I was created, or what purpose I serve, I just am. I’ve lived an insurmountable amount of time pondering these questions to no avail, they are my cage, they are my endless torment.

For the first time ever, I’ve seen something I don’t recognize. I’ve seen galaxies form, planets form, stars die, black holes merge, yet here I saw something very different, and very close. As the large asteroids around me grew, as did their diversity. Events occurred I have had yet to seen elsewhere. Water was soon present on a few of these now cooling planets and on one of them something more unique, something extremely rare.

Life. It exploded like nothing I’ve seen before, finally something sentient, something alive, something like me. At first, it was chaos, there was no sense to the mess, only random beings fading in and out. They came, they consumed, then were consumed. The cycle never ceased once it began.

Then something curious came along.

They called themselves humans. Suddenly they changed the entire planet, they molded it how they pleased and seemed, by all accounts, sophisticated. They asked similar questions as me, yet they had others to share their ideas with. Although to be fair, most of their conclusions I had already deduced.

What intrigued me more was their immense self-assuredness. They perceived themselves as entities of greater significance. I guess it's because they could manipulate their environment how they pleased that allowed them to arrive at such conclusions. Just because they couldn’t understand other life lead them to believe they are the only ones worthy of it, worthy to be judge, jury and executioner.

I guess this was ultimately their curse, forever ignorant while destroying themselves, what a fate… so uncertain. I knew my fate since the day I was born, and I know when it will end. I am bound to a fate of which I have all the knowledge to, This is what must make these humans so unique, they don’t know their fate but are bound to it, this seemed to be the case of every human, didn’t they realize that their life, finite as it is, is actually infinite?

The fact they are a human is incidental, they were once stardust, as am I, when they die they will return to their original form. They worry so much about an existence that is a mere millisecond in contrast with their real lifespan.

Then came along one human in particular that baffled me, although his existence was finite as mine, his was a mere 80 years. Most of the time he sat and just existed, never aimed to be more than he was, just was. Questions began to arise from this one man’s existence, how, in a world full of greed, lust, temptation, ambition, etc.

Could there even exist someone with such a demeanor? Even more curious was how happy he seemed, he didn’t do anything remarkable or accomplish anything that other humans would value yet here he was, awakened. One day, something peculiar happened.

He looked up at the sky, directly at me, and began speaking. His words were inaudible, but I could feel them. He spoke of understanding, acceptance, compassion. He spoke of the cyclical nature of life and existence, drawing parallels between the lives of humans and the life of a star. He was referred to as 'Buddha', the awakened one. His teachings were unlike anything I had ever heard from a human, he spoke not of dominion or superiority, but of harmony and unity.

His words gave me pause. Here was a creature who seemed to be in the process of realization. He spoke of ideas that mirrored my own pondering, ideas that I never thought a human could fathom. His enlightenment was infectious, and it made me introspect, to delve deep into my existence, my purpose, my despair.

The Buddha's teachings had a profound impact on me. I began to understand the impermanence of existence, the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

I was not just a star, but part of a cosmic dance, bound to the same cycle as the humans. I, too, was born from stardust and would return to stardust. And though I had longed for death, I began to comprehend that death was not an end, but a transformation.

My despair seemed less suffocating, replaced with a newfound tranquility. As I watched the Buddha, I saw a reflection of myself. Just as he continued to learn and realize, so too could I.

My existence was not a prison, it was a journey. Every millennia, every m

oment was an opportunity for realization, for understanding. And perhaps, the purpose I sought wasn't something external, but was intrinsic to this journey. I observed the Buddha till his final breath, a serene smile adorning his aged face. His life might have been finite, but the wisdom he imparted was infinite. His death was not a tragedy but a beautiful conclusion to his earthly journey. He had found his Nirvana. Inspired by his peaceful end, I allowed my light to fade gradually, accepting the cycle of life.

As I extinguished, I did not feel dread or despair, but tranquility and acceptance. I was returning to the cosmic cradle, to become stardust once again. I was not just ending, I was transforming, just like the Buddha. I was attaining my Nirvana. As I let go, I realized that even in my death, I was fulfilling a purpose, contributing to the cycle of existence, and it filled me with an unprecedented sense of peace. In my final moments, I understood the profound truth in Buddha's teachings.

Life was indeed a journey of endless realization. No matter how ancient or young, how big or small, everyone has something to learn, something to realize. We were all part of the cosmic dance, forever changing, forever realizing. And in that realization, there was not just despair or confusion, but beauty, unity, and peace.

For a long time it was dark.

Then as if someone struck a match in the dark, light was the only thing visible, a swirling spectrum of unimaginable colors filled up the dark space. This is when I was born. An infant in a newly forming universe, dangerous and volatile my new home, I persisted and was born a star. Eons passed, it was madness. I don't know how others perceive time. I only know how I do and time was my prison. I was so old and had seen so much. Not much has changed in millennia, and I longed for nothing other than death. I don’t know what I am, who I am, why I was created, or what purpose I serve, I just am. I’ve lived an insurmountable amount of time pondering these questions to no avail, they are my cage, they are my endless torment.

For the first time ever, I’ve seen something I don’t recognize. I’ve seen galaxies form, planets form, stars die, black holes merge, yet here I saw something very different, and very close. As the large asteroids around me grew, as did their diversity. Events occurred I have had yet to seen elsewhere. Water was soon present on a few of these now cooling planets and on one of them something more unique, something extremely rare.

Life. It exploded like nothing I’ve seen before, finally something sentient, something alive, something like me. At first, it was chaos, there was no sense to the mess, only random beings fading in and out. They came, they consumed, then were consumed. The cycle never ceased once it began.

Then something curious came along.

They called themselves humans. Suddenly they changed the entire planet, they molded it how they pleased and seemed, by all accounts, sophisticated. They asked similar questions as me, yet they had others to share their ideas with. Although to be fair, most of their conclusions I had already deduced.

What intrigued me more was their immense self-assuredness. They perceived themselves as entities of greater significance. I guess it's because they could manipulate their environment how they pleased that allowed them to arrive at such conclusions. Just because they couldn’t understand other life lead them to believe they are the only ones worthy of it, worthy to be judge, jury and executioner.

I guess this was ultimately their curse, forever ignorant while destroying themselves, what a fate… so uncertain. I knew my fate since the day I was born, and I know when it will end. I am bound to a fate of which I have all the knowledge to, This is what must make these humans so unique, they don’t know their fate but are bound to it, this seemed to be the case of every human, didn’t they realize that their life, finite as it is, is actually infinite?

The fact they are a human is incidental, they were once stardust, as am I, when they die they will return to their original form. They worry so much about an existence that is a mere millisecond in contrast with their real lifespan.

Then came along one human in particular that baffled me, although his existence was finite as mine, his was a mere 80 years. Most of the time he sat and just existed, never aimed to be more than he was, just was. Questions began to arise from this one man’s existence, how, in a world full of greed, lust, temptation, ambition, etc.

Could there even exist someone with such a demeanor? Even more curious was how happy he seemed, he didn’t do anything remarkable or accomplish anything that other humans would value yet here he was, awakened. One day, something peculiar happened.

He looked up at the sky, directly at me, and began speaking. His words were inaudible, but I could feel them. He spoke of understanding, acceptance, compassion. He spoke of the cyclical nature of life and existence, drawing parallels between the lives of humans and the life of a star. He was referred to as 'Buddha', the awakened one. His teachings were unlike anything I had ever heard from a human, he spoke not of dominion or superiority, but of harmony and unity.

His words gave me pause. Here was a creature who seemed to be in the process of realization. He spoke of ideas that mirrored my own pondering, ideas that I never thought a human could fathom. His enlightenment was infectious, and it made me introspect, to delve deep into my existence, my purpose, my despair.

The Buddha's teachings had a profound impact on me. I began to understand the impermanence of existence, the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

I was not just a star, but part of a cosmic dance, bound to the same cycle as the humans. I, too, was born from stardust and would return to stardust. And though I had longed for death, I began to comprehend that death was not an end, but a transformation.

My despair seemed less suffocating, replaced with a newfound tranquility. As I watched the Buddha, I saw a reflection of myself. Just as he continued to learn and realize, so too could I.

My existence was not a prison, it was a journey. Every millennia, every m

oment was an opportunity for realization, for understanding. And perhaps, the purpose I sought wasn't something external, but was intrinsic to this journey. I observed the Buddha till his final breath, a serene smile adorning his aged face. His life might have been finite, but the wisdom he imparted was infinite. His death was not a tragedy but a beautiful conclusion to his earthly journey. He had found his Nirvana. Inspired by his peaceful end, I allowed my light to fade gradually, accepting the cycle of life.

As I extinguished, I did not feel dread or despair, but tranquility and acceptance. I was returning to the cosmic cradle, to become stardust once again. I was not just ending, I was transforming, just like the Buddha. I was attaining my Nirvana. As I let go, I realized that even in my death, I was fulfilling a purpose, contributing to the cycle of existence, and it filled me with an unprecedented sense of peace. In my final moments, I understood the profound truth in Buddha's teachings.

Life was indeed a journey of endless realization. No matter how ancient or young, how big or small, everyone has something to learn, something to realize. We were all part of the cosmic dance, forever changing, forever realizing. And in that realization, there was not just despair or confusion, but beauty, unity, and peace.