Leaving Eden

Alright, I am a bit hung over from that semi sugar binge I went on last night, consuming a box of Hot Tamales. I know a box doesn't sound like much but I really don't eat a lot of sugar so trust me, one box is more than enough to send me on a sugar high. My treat for today might be Thin Mints (stored nicely in the freezer), since Girl Scout cookies arrived yesterday. Okay, back to serious contemplation. Believe it or not, the story of the garden of Eden kept crossing my mind, so I did some Google searching. Specifically, I did some research about the Kabbalah, the Tree of Life and the story of Adam and Eve. The Kabbalah teaches that "God’s blessings flow to the world through the Tree of Life when there is ethical behavior among humans. God and humankind are interdependent.... Thus, we are 'co-creators with God Itself." In addition, according to The Kabbalah "a person must metaphorically and spiritually ascend the 10 points of the Tree of Life to reunite with the Divine. As one increases his or her spiritual capabilities, one increases the capacity to contain more of the Light pouring down through these 10 emanations, and so draws nearer to the Creator....Thus, the Tree of Life both symbolizes the Divine Being, and offers the way back for humans to be reunited with the source from whence he came." I love the idea of that. With that in mind, we are all rebuilding our vessels and climbing a metaphorical ladder back to the divine within. "In Kabbalah, Adam and Eve are viewed as symbols of male and female energy and as metaphor for the 'primordial Vessel whose existence' came before creation, thus encompassing all the souls of humanity to come. The presence of the Serpent, considered a fragmenting force, was necessary for creation; otherwise, all would unite with God. This gave man the opportunity of earning the Light on his own. One of the hidden meanings of the story is that there are two Gardens of Eden, one above, and one below, and reuniting these two Gardens is the goal of humankind. ...everything, including evil, has divine nature. Adam and Eve took a second bite of the fruit, done out of self-serving motives, thus short-circuiting their ability to receive the fullness of the Creator’s Light and moving them back to the material level with a knowledge of death and evil. God’s command that Adam must now work the land was not literal; rather, it meant that he must rebuild the Vessel of yourself through your own work in the world." That certainly sums up much of what I've been writing over the past year and a half, that we are all in lesson...growing more emotionally and spiritually with each lesson we tackle. "As in the Eastern religions, Kabbalah teaches reincarnation, the belief that we die and are reborn, living many lives, ever seeking to advance spiritually. We are in a process of repairing our broken vessels, which may take many lifetimes. When a critical mass of humanity spiritually advances, it tips the scale in favor of all humanity, and will bring us back to a connection with the immortality we had before the fall. We all have sparks of the Divine and are shards, albeit broken ones, of the original Vessel in the Garden. We can fix ourselves, regain what was lost. Our days spent doing good deeds are 'woven into a garment of splendor that will clothe the soul as she enters God’s presence in the world to come. There are three ways to ascend to higher consciousness: study and scrutiny of behavior; [today's psychology & personality assessments?] seclusion, contemplation, and soul-searching; and having a constant awareness of the implications of everything one does." This version of Adam and Eve makes more sense to me, metaphorically speaking. The idea that Adam and Eve meant well and were always searching for the light, albeit through an error in judgement, teaches all of us that we can be reunited with the divine light with continued work and effort. Isn't the idea anyway that Eden is a place to be found inside of us, not outside of us. Many people have created their own version of Eden with money and comforts, yet many are still seeking, feeling lost, broken, empty and disempowered. Money cannot create Eden. Denial cannot create Eden either. Many live behind facades, hiding their misery and pain. I see now how Eden is a state of awareness and a light that shines brightly within. Living of and in the world is no easy task sometimes. That is where the lessons are learned however, in a world full of challenges, tests and deceptions. Hey, if climbing the spiritual/emotional ladder was so easy, then we'd have no true sense of the growth it took to get there. The hardest lessons seem to garner the most self improvement and insight. I certainly know that from those gut wrenching moments I have had, those moments that tears are streaming down my face and I am raw and completely open, I have advanced emotionally by leaps and bounds. I truly cry my tears in gratitude now, knowing that I was offered yet another lesson helping to advance my soul on this journey I am on. Finding Eden within is the goal then...to take each step with vigilance, awareness and care and to know that we each affect each other profoundly, mirroring each other's lessons to help one another in this life. Everything happens for a reason, to show us from moment to moment, what we still need to learn and thus what we have attracted to help us grow the most.