The Tree of Knowledge
Picture a tree. This tree has roots, a trunk, branches, flowers and fruits. Our perception of the universe is such a tree. Our perception is not the only tree, there are as many trees as there are perceiving beings. The universe is an endless forest of such trees that we can’t even imagine exist. It’s unreasonable to think that our tree is the only reality experienced by some form of being. Thus, I present to you my image of the tree of knowledge, my image of our perception of the universe.
The earth upon the tree stands, where it’s rooted and grows out off, is the metaphor for the concept of the infinite potential of existence. All that there is, isn’t and may be. As all trees are rooted in the same earth so all realities manifested by all diverse beings’ perceptions come from the infinite potential of existence.
The roots are the base of the tree, that which connect it to the earth so that all that is needed for the tree to grow is extracted from the earth and concetrated into it’s growth. The roots are the metaphor for the mysteries of the universe, the big questions like “who am I? What is existence? Where did I come from? Why am I?...”. The Mysteries have developed our knowledge into the shape of the linguistic models through which we keep adding layers to the reality that we experience. The mysteries grew into theologigical, philosophical, political and many more kinds of conceptual systems, but before we look at the branches of this beautiful tree, let us look at the trunk that is so commonly disregarded that is no surprise that we are so disconnected from our roots.
The trunk is what the mysteries naturally grow into, the most basic laws that manifest in every level of existence that fits within our field of perception and shapes our reality at its basis. These laws were addressed in many ways by many peoples throughout our discovery of the tree of knowledge in the long journey and the beautiful dance that has been and still is the totality of the human experience. The collection of the absolute laws within our field of perception, the formula that all levels of reality follow, the trunk of the tree of knowledge, that is Universal Law.
The branches come out of the trunk, and so, the esoteric fields of inquiry were born. An esoteric field of inquiry, or an esoteric science if you prefer, is a methodical study of the diverse levels of reality looking for the one and only Universal Law. Esoteric sciences came to be defined as all science that deals with the metaphysical level of existence. Such studies include: astrology, alchemy, gnosticism, hermetica, tarot, kabbalah, various religious mysticisms more recently transpersonal psychology and many more that I haven’t come across yet.
As off the branches bloom flowers, so out of esoteric sciences bloom ideological systems.These ideological systems are implementations of a branch of esoterics into the improvement of the physical and psychological necessities rather than the spiritual ones. This to my mind is a manifestation of every being’s burning will to live consistently with it’s roots and that way connect to the vast infinity of the Infinite Potential of Existence that is the universe, by implementing universal law through esoterics upon all aspects of experience. If we had no will to be in harmony with the universe, why would we develop ideological systems? That’s the only reason I see as a plausible explanation. And so, as out of a flower come out fruits, so do ideologies breed fruits.
The fruits of the tree of knowledge are disciplines, the values through which we live our lives. Shaping our experience of reality into whatever it is that the ideology that its discipline we choose holds as the values that guide us into harmony with the universe or a distortion in the force. Some fruits are sweet and beautiful, some only sweet or only beautiful, but we all have the choice of which fruit we take out of the mesmerising tree of knowledge that I can’t help but admire every single day and look through it at the amazing gift that I’ve been given as a being with a perception that lets me experience something new every single day of my beautiful life.
Thank you for sharing this journey and dance with me, all who reads this and all who doesn’t, I have nothing but love for all beings for I want to appreciate that aspect of the Infinite Potential of Existence that you are here to show us. Thus I want to part with a gift: What is it that you love the most to give? That may just be your gift to the world, and your key to happiness. It’s just an idea, but it works for me, why not try it?