An old rambling redone.
Since mankind has first contemplated living, rather than dying.
There has been borne a struggle, between life and death, and knowledge.
Genesis indicates a choice of two trees, in The Garden of Eden, Eternal Life, and Knowledge.
Is there a reason the serpent enticed with knowledge, rather than life, or some luxury?
Is there some ancient philosophy behind this choice, that we have failed to retain over these millenium?
Doesn't the choice of knowledge over life, luxury, or instant gratification, directly correlate to “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”?
If so, then why are Adam and Eve condemned by their god, for teaching themselves to fish?
It does now occur to me to ponder; had Eve chosen the other fruit, from the Tree of Eternal Life, would we utilize eternal life, to aquire knowledge?
I ask this because, we currently further the original knowledge gained by Adam, in that long ago garden, to extend life.
And what good would be an extended life, without the perspective to understand the finite, death, and ultimately, the circle of life itself?
How would you take pleasure in living forever, if you had no knowledge of death?
What good is knowledge, if it is not used to prolong and save lives, and prevent death?
How can we think that we might someday prevent death, if we had never been told it once was?
What else might inspire our civilization, religions, advances in technology, and education of self, if not for struggling against the limits of time placed upon us by death?
Myself, I would rather be aware of my innescapable demise, than to perpetuate through infinity, in ignorance.
This choice made, I must thus admit, to be arrogant towards ignorance, in preferance of one, over the other.
Arrogance then becomes vanity, the quest for extended life through knowledge a vexation, and even in death's passing, knowing that we do.
Solomon argued that; "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit."
This argument accepted, lifes punishment for the vanity of desire for knowledge then, is death.
"And the innocent shall inherit the Earth."
And the struggle to aquire knowledge, shall accomplish the hard purchase of extending our time above it, before we too inherit, the Earth.
Meanwhile...
In my own vain pursuit of knowledge,
I prepare myself, for that thing which shall be my final thought,
something that might encompass the whole of my life,
and hopefully justify it's course, in ending.
In the midst of all my efforts,
and I fleetingly suppose,
considering my passion for motorcycles, speed, and adventure,
regardless of what I contemplate,
and twisted irony that fate becomes,
my final thought, and eulogy of self,
will most likely be;
"OUCH !!"
Adieu! and take thy praise with thee to heaven,
Thy ignomy sleep with thee in the grave,
But not remember’d in thy epitaph!
Shakespeare, Henry IV
Max
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