ALONG THE WAY

BRILE SAN JOSE

  "Paradiso 2079" 

                    In the year 2079, a winged spirit named Lux visited the Paradiso. It was the only habitable part of a planet that was once called ‘Earth’ after the rest of its face was ruined years after years of pollution and modifications and a few battles and conflicts. In this garden, he met the young twin brothers Ignoramus and Ignorabimus.

                    Filled with excitement and curiosity, Ignoramus approached Lux and, after a few introductions, asked him with innocence, “Why are we forbidden to eat the Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge?”

                    Lux smiled and simply explained, “Well, if you eat the Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, you will gain knowledge about the concept of good and bad.”

                    “Is it not good to know what is good and to know what is bad?” Ignorabimus inquired with a puzzled look.

Lux flapped his wings and spoke to them; “Well, it is both good and bad. It depends…” then he fell silent. The cadence of nature prevailed.

                    The angel looked at the children and smiled. “My dears, you have free will… I remember, once there were men and women who lived in this place. If you take a bite of the Fruit, you might end up like them.”

                    The angel flew closer to the Tree of Knowledge. As Ignoramus and Ignorabimus followed Lux, they saw that the Tree had a lot of gleaming emerald-green fruits.

                    Ignoramus couldn’t help but ask, “What happened to those who came before us?”

                    “Well, you see, my dears. One bite of that fruit, unfortunately, led them to crave more. They consumed so much of it until they were able to reconstruct the world at their own convenience. They gained knowledge of good and bad, they became biased. They were engrossed by their ability to right the wrongs. The inevitability of the sense of power with the knowledge that they possessed had modified their ways and being. They were proud, vocally or silently, of their knowledge to the extent of being filled with arrogance and pride masquerading under concern and righteousness. Each of them had their own concept of good and bad—different from others—according to their own perception, according to their mindset, and, most of the time, with a touch of their ego. They believe that they have defined the Universe with utmost accuracy and correctness. My dears, naming your Universe is beyond your power and capability as a human. Don’t be insolent. The Universe is vast and unfathomable for a spec to interpret. Accepting that the Universe is being called by many names is an act of humility and respect. In general, the Universe was often called God. What the Universe desires the most is for you to experience the Creation and its greatness while you keep your balance and footing. Those who came before you insisted on the accuracy of their belief—they fought, and even killed for their truths. Others, too, fought for what they believed in. Ironically, the awareness of good and bad caused misunderstanding. The attempt of creating unity, and formulate a unifying truth had given rise to chaos and war. It gave rise to conflict. It catalyzed their demise. They were the ones who destroyed their own kind. In other words, eating The Fruit had brought them Death—in the long run.

                    “The earth did not end as they often thought. They did,” Lux added.

                    “But does eating the fruit foretell our fate?” Ignorabimus inquired.

                    “Very good question,” Lux responded.

                    “Your life is filled with intricate crossroads called fates. Every path you decided to take will lead you to where you are destined to be in the future;  thus, eating The Fruit will not necessarily tell your definite future. Your actions and decisions, my dears, will tell your story. Not the fruit.” With this, Lux flew and harvested two emerald fruits and offered them to the children. The children received the fruit on their cupped hands.

                    “If we eat the Fruit of Knowledge, will the Universe be offended? Will the Universe punish us for doing so?” Ignorabimus asked.

                   “You have free will. It is a gift of being free to make decisions and take action. Knowledge is a gift as well. So, come and have a bite. The Universe will not punish and does not punish. Whatever the consequence your actions will bring, understand that it is the result of what decisions and actions you have made. Use the Knowledge well. It is the gift of power to understand and to create meaning. Be at peace, the contents of your heart will determine the pureness of your intentions and not the words that will come out of your mouth. However, be warned. The pureness of your intentions will not necessarily foretell your fate. It is your actions, my dears.”

                    Ignoramus and Ignorabimus smiled at each other. Innocence was overflowing on their faces. They both received the Fruit, and gave thanks to the Universe, to the Giver, and to the Tree. And after they consumed the Fruit, Ignoramus and Ignorabimus felt the scorch of the day. They also felt the coldness of the night. But it was good. The balance was good, and they understood. They were wounded by the thorns of the roses but they understood its beauty. They saw how the ground made their feet dirty and they learned to wash with the waters of the river. They understood. They faced the wildness of the other creatures and they faced them with bravery and cleverness, and they understood. They heard about the snake; they heard its hiss from a distance every now and then, but they accepted its existence as a part of nature—and they were cautious. They understood. They witnessed the day turn into darkness before their eyes and they understood, and, so, they slept soundly. For the rest of their stay, there had been no bad, there had been no good, and there had been no conflict either. There were only peace, contentment, and innocence.

©BRILE SAN JOSE/JOSEJRLIBRE2021