The child is unaware of any division into what is good and what is bad.

That unawareness is the innocence.Even if he (she) gets angry, he (she) has no mind to be angry, It is a pure and simple act. The purity is not touched; the purity is the same.

So a child is pure because there is no division and no mind. A child can be a thief in our eyes, but a child himself (herself) is never a thief Because the very concept that things belong to individuals doesn't exist in his (her) mind. If he takes your watch, your money, or anything, it is not a theft for him Because the very notion that things belong to someone is nonexistent. His theft is pure while even your non-theft is not pure-the mind is there. A child is standing naked-no one feels the nakedness because a child is still unaware of the body. His (her) nakedness has a quality different from your nakedness. Because you are aware of the body. The child will one day become aware of his (her) body and will feel the nakedness. He (she) will try to hide, he (she) will become a guilty, and he (she) will feel shame. Because he (she) will come to be aware his (her) nakedness. So his (her) innocence is an innocence of ignorance. Knowledge will destroy it.

This is the real meaning of the biblical story of Adam and Eve being expelled from The Garden of Eden.

They were naked like children. They were not aware of the body They were not aware of anger, greed, lust, sex or anything. Actually they were unaware.They were like children, innocent. But God had forbidden them to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge.Anything forbidden becomes attractive1x

The Genesis is deeply symbolic and cannot be grasped by a literal interpretation.

[The Christian theologians and Christians have misinterpreted Christ's words, in such passages as 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me' (John 14:6). Jesus meant, never that he was the sole Son of God, but that he and the divine was oneness: union with each other.]

Its 'tree of knowledge' is the human body. The spinal cord is like an upturned tree With human's hair as its roots, and afferent and efferent nerves as branches.The tree of the nervous system bears many enjoyable fruits, or sensations of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

In these, human may rightfully indulge; but he (she) was forbidden the experience of sex, the 'fruit' at the center of body ('in the midst of the garden'.)

The woman said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I ate." ? Gen. 3:12-13)

Really, this forbidden-ness became the attraction and an invitation1x

So they couldn't escape from that invitation, they had to eat.

That moment they ate the fruit of knowledge they became non-innocent.

They became aware; they came to realize that they were naked.

Immediately, Eve tried to hide her body.

With awareness of the body they became aware of everything-

Anger, lust, greed, everything1x

Finally they became adult, so they were expelled from the garden.

They were thrown out from the garden, they were punished, because of knowledge.

Unless you become again like child- innocent, not knowing-you cannot enter the garden.

You can enter the Kingdom of God again only of you fulfill this condition of becoming innocent again.

Every child lives his (her) childhood in innocence without knowing anything.

He (she) is pure, but the purity is of ignorance. But it cannot continue.

This world needs knowledge, the very existence needs knowledge.

You cannot exist in it without knowledge.

Now a day as a substitute for the tree of knowledge we have schools, colleges, graduate schools.

At the moment when the knowledge comes in you, division follows into you.

Then you begin to divide between what is good and what is bad.

The knowledge is a necessary evil, you cannot escape from it.

Knowledge is part of life.

But one need not remain in it always, one can transcend it.

Only the transcendence makes you again pure and innocent.

Unless knowledge becomes a purity of wisdom, you cannot rely on it.

If divisions lost their meaning,

If the knowledge which differentiates between good and evil were no more,

You would again look at the world from an innocent attitude.

(Philosopher & Poet)

*All rights reserved and copyrighted by Sang-Bong Lee.

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