Ophiuchus

Pandora's Box

  Supernatural.
Things seemingly not natural or unexplainable by the laws of nature as we know them.
When you think "supernatural", the first things you might think of are "monsters".
Second might be the concepts of what could be hiding in the dark and what kind of emotions that kind of concept might bring.
But there's one thing that is so obviously supernatural and it might be the last thing you ever attach meaning to that word: in fact you might not think of it at all.
Being human.
It seems so natural to us that we don't even think that it's weird that our brain is the in the world that not only wants to, but CAN study itself, and that we all have a different personality.
But life itself is supernatural, isn't it?
I'll save that for another time, but right now I wanna talk about the most supernatural and controversial aspect of being a human being: the human soul.
Humanity is EVERYONE'S greatest weakness: it can cause jealousy, greed, selfishness, and in these negative traits we see war, corruption, negligence of not only other species and their habitats; but out species and our habitat, and etc.
We also, even if we choose not to believe in the human soul, are a little worried about our soul being "damned": whether it be because of "sins"we commit, or because of situations where one feels so hopeless they decide to end their own life. You may have heard "they're going to hell" about one thing or another, or have even heard it about yourself: always being taught there is always a negative and a positive answer for ALL situations, a heaven or hell, yes or no, black or white.
What if there is a grey area?
And instead of a straight line, it's more like a circle.
Humanity, as history has shown, is ignorant and selfish. But this may just be a stepping stone to where our real spiritual fate may end. We may be the six year olds of the cosmic universe growing up, and because we don't know what happens after death, we are scared of it; unaware that we, even as extraordinarily different people, are extraordinarily similar, and have to learn the same lessons as each other, and whatever vice holds us and is a personal struggle for us is what we are here to learn from: and if we don't learn in this lifetime, we may be born again and keep on learning until we have learned all we can from that life experience.
Now that being said, we can die at anytime, either by chance, or tragically, by the hand of oneself; regardless of if we have learned the one, or multiple, lessons we have been tested with. We have been told that if a soul DOES exist, a soul is someone's life energy: energy is recycled.
We just come back: full circle.
What are we here to learn? Why haven't we been at least told whether answers are straightforward or are never as black and white as they seem?
Aren't we evolved enough to handle the truth? Aren't we more socially accepting than our predecessors?
Honestly...
What do you think?
Everyone here has endured some type of suffering, and has seen someone they care about suffer. Turn on the tv. Watch the news. You're sure to see suffering.
If we are so young and have so much to learn, why does this life have to be all about suffering?
Well, there may be an answer to that in a Greek myth written long ago.
Has anyone ever heard of pandora?
Not the radio station: but if it doesn't sound familiar from when you covered Greek myth in middle school, I'll sum it up for you.
A Titan, named Prometheus, who also created man in the gods' image, taught him the secret to fire. Not only did the gods not like the resemblance of man to themselves, but they HATED this action and punished Prometheus by casting him out and by having a bird feast in his liver everyday. Not only did Prometheus have to be punished, but the gods' felt that for this knowledge, mankind would have to pay.
And with this in mind they created Pandora.
What was Pandora, you may be asking? A disease? War? Aging?
Nope.
Pandora was a woman.
The first human woman, in fact.
And with her, they created the jar of evils.
She was sent down, and mirroring the tale of Adam and Eve we are so accustomed to hearing, Pandora became curious as to what was inside her jar, famously known as "Pandora's Box", and so did man.
They opened it, and let out all the "evils" unto the world, the causes to all our suffering.
She closed the jar, but one thing lay behind.
Hope.
Now, why would that be an evil? Is it evil?
Or did the gods put it in the jar so that when we are suffering, it would be our choice, and a learned lesson, whether to use hope to push through the suffering we endure or see endured everyday?