The Cauldron

I've been reading Dante's The Divine Comedy and have been marvelling about the early references to the Gates of Heaven beginning with the first "Chapter", Inferno.  This particular set of works has been cited as a partial influence to Elizabeth Haydon's development of the Symphony of Ages, so it shouldn't be too surprising, yet "discovering" certain references and how their symbolism extends into a new and unique work always gives me a thrill. 

As a brief synopsis, the poet Virgil acts as Dante's first guide through the obstacles he must face in the Inferno (Hell), as some of the background "story" is developed.  Virgil explains that Dante will see and experience many disturbing and unsettling things on their journey and tries to prepare him for the worst.  At the end of the first verse, Dante pleads:

"Poet, I beg you, by the God you did not acknowledge, lead me to where you said so that I might escape this evil or worse, and see the Gate of Saint Peter, and those whom you make out to be so saddened."

This statement brought me to me my first pause and SoA association.  It wasn't part of my own formal religious training, but a neighbor used to tell Bible stories to myself and best friend when we were children, and brought Sunday School materials home from her Pentecostal church for us to work with.  She always spoke of the Gates of Heaven as being the Pearly Gates - and in my 5 year old mind, I still remember trying to envision why Heaven's gate had lumpy pearls all over it! lol

Then, I thought of the significance of the memory pearl in the Symphony of Ages and the older BtS thread on Memory , in which several links regarding memory and pearls were posted.  It brought me to another association through the Series in Prophecy, where we learn of the power of pearls in holding memories as Ashe tries to explain to Rhapsody the importance of keeping certain ones in a pure vessel until they can be safely released again:

Prophecy, American paperback p. 618

"I know this has been unbearable for you, Rhapsody.  Your memories are a form of treasure.  As such, I can collect them, but I will only do it with your permission.  They can be stored in a pure vessel, much like you stored my soul, until such a time as it is safe for you to have them."

And a few pages later: (624)

Ashe sat down beside her on the stone bench and held out his hand.  In it was an enormous pearl, watery-white as mild with an opalescent black circumscribing it.  "This is an ancient artifact from the land of your birth, now beneath the waves," he said, his voice reverent.  "It has held the secrets of the sea, and but one other trusted to it on the land.  Name it, Rhapsody, and will it to hold the memory of this night for you until it is safe for you to take it back."

Rhapsody took the pearl in her hands.  Though it looked porous she could feel its strength, impenetrable, layer upon layer of solid tears from the ocean.  She closed her eyes and began the song of naming, matching her tune to the vibrations emanating from the pearl until they were in perfect unison.

The beginning of Verse 3 of the Inferno is a sign that is posted above the first gate:

'Through me the way to the Infernal City,  Through me the way to Infernal Sadness, Through me the way to the Lost People.

Justice moved my Supreme Maker: I was shaped by Divine Power, By Highest Wisdom, and by Primal Love.

Before me, Nothing was created that is not eternal, and eternally I endure.  Abandon all hope, you that enter here.  '                                                            

This got me thinking that the Heaven's Gates are pearly for a reason.  Memories are our treasure, but also our bane.  If we hold onto them too tightly, they can destroy us, as Virgil explains to Dante: "Here, all uncertainty must be left behind; all cowardice must be dead.  We have come to the place where I told you that you would see the sad people who have lost the benefit of the intellect."  This also holds significance to me in the experience or "test" of Rhapsody, Achmed and Grunthor passing through the Inferno of the Wall of Flame at the center of the Earth's core.  This was essentially Rhapsody's first test of the knowledge and confidence within herself while they are on the Root, unassisted by either Achmed or Grunthor.  It was Rhapsody's enduring trust that brought her through the other side, as she was willing to let go of everything that she seemed to be, except what she truly was- only to emerge on the other side, transformed and whole.  She then acts as Achmed and Grunthor's guide through the flames, much like Virgil to Dante, as they all pass into a new sphere of existence.

Ashe's holding of Rhapsody's memory in a pearl signified to me the Pearly Gates.  The only things that hold us back from our own personal heaven is what we carry within ourselves. Each pearl on the heavenly gates holds a memory that can hold us back - making us feel "richer", but really burdening ourselves against the bliss of what is waiting for us beyond.  I think that Jesus' words:  "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven", is a direct corrolation to this concept of what we hold valuable, and what we miss in the translation.

If the Gate is simple, it turns out to not be an obstacle at all, as the essay in the Summer 2008 edition of Tricycle magazine's "Encountering the Gateless Gate" tries to get us to see.  The article cites the Mystic poet Rumi and his own struggle with this concept:

I have lived on the lip of insanity, wanting to know reasons, knocking on a door.  It opens. I've been knocking from the inside!

I'll bring in more references as I progress through The Inferno, but in the meantime, thoughts, comments?

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"No, they're not real, but thanks for noticing"! WoW Dwarf Female /silly
Avatar by Krinsel

I wanted to pop in here a minute to say I have read it, but I want a bit of time to...well, digest this, if you will, before I really reply.

My very first thought was to the reference to the quote from Jesus. It is in a new light and I can very well see your train of thought there. That is a great way to look at that! Also, I can see what you mean about how that is similar to what happened when Rhapsody allowed herself to trust the Fire completely, without restraint, and came out a more fully realized version of herself. Again and again in the the Bible (and I am assuming in other faiths as well) we are told we must give up what we think we know and believe with the faith of a child. Rhapsody did show that abandonment of what she seemed to know, or what she thought she knew, which allowed her to take the leap of faith to walk through those flames.

Interesting that both Grunthor and Achmed had such faith in her, I might add.

Okay, that's all for now. As I said, I want to digest this a bit.

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Avie pic by me.
Elwood: It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.
Jake: Hit it. ~ The Blues Brothers (1980)

I've been wondering...if Peter holds the keys to the gates of Heaven (as it says in Matthew 16:19, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."), then who holds the keys to Hell?

But I have to digest the rest of that stuff too. There's a lot to think about.

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"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."
~Edgar Allan Poe
"Darest thou now O Soul, Walk out with me toward the unknown region, Where neither ground is for feet Nor any path to follow."
~Walt Whitman
~Avatar made by Me, madhatter.

That would probably be strictly a matter of interpretation, MH.  There are a number of existing arguments regarding that passage and who it actually pertains to, having to do with the genderization of the Greek word for "rock", in which  Petros, is the masculine and Petra is the feminine, both which are used in the original scripture.  Some of the arguments can be found here and here, or you can search them yourself, but I'm not touching that one further! lol  My father-in-law said "leave Theology to the theologians" and I'm inclined to agree with him on that in this case. 

 

18 And I say to you: That you are Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.

Though from a  personal standpoint, I'm inclined to believe that we are all given the keys which open the doors to either Heaven or Hell...it is a skeleton key of sorts, in which our choices dictate the paths we end up taking.  "The roads to Hell are paved with good intentions", seems appropriate here.

Thinking about this skeleton key, and the Earthchild (or Child of Living Stone ), do you think there can be some significance here as well?

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"No, they're not real, but thanks for noticing"! WoW Dwarf Female /silly
Avatar by Krinsel

Perhaps. What if the Earthchild's "key" (rib) can in fact also be used to bind the F'dor again?


That whole Skeleton key to Heaven/Hell would made an awsome storyline for a movie! LOL!

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Avie pic by me.
Elwood: It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.
Jake: Hit it. ~ The Blues Brothers (1980)

That tale might just have been part of "The Greatest Story Ever Told", Val! lol

The story of Adam and Eve used Adam's rib in helping "create" Eve.  Through that key's opening into knowledge (both carnal and intellectual), Paradise was lost to humanity as a perpetual state, separating them from God into a fall of despair - which in some traditions is a true meaning of hell.  In this way, the key - and how it is/was used, determines our experience of either bliss or the grinding and gnashing of teeth.

Now I particularly like the references within Rhapsody of Achmed's using the bone key given to him by Tsoltan to open the Tree, giving them a chance of new life.  This key was intended by Tsoltan to bring about the Void, yet Achmed's choice was in taking an outside chance (not something which he was fond of doing) against what he was instructed to do with that key.  In that way, the key was shown to have at least two uses - one that would bring about destruction, and the other, which renewed Life.  I think this is kind of interesting.

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"No, they're not real, but thanks for noticing"! WoW Dwarf Female /silly
Avatar by Krinsel

Something else occurred to me about the Pearly Gates.  Perhaps, as one of the prerequisites of entering heaven, you have to "leave your weapons at the door" so to speak.  All of those pearls could just be containing memories, adorning and beautifying the gates - but meaningless beyond the veil.  When I think about it a bit more, memories can really be a burden, and aren't needed and are actually the antithesis to experiencing Bliss. 

Part of the "beauty" of Paradise was its innocence and purity, unencumbered by rational or critical thought - as when Adam and Eve were embarrassed and humiliated by their nakedness once they had the knowledge that they were naked.  The pearls act in much the same manner: memories can make us look better (or worse) to ourselves and others as clothes often do, but tend to hide our flaws (and conversely our attributes), and prevent us for seeing things as they truly are.  By leaving your memories at the gate, you can experience what true happiness means - without any preconceived notions of how it ought to be.

Rhapsody is a somewhat tangible example of how memories can really be a double edged sword.   She puts herself down through the use of her memories - whether it being her belief that she is a faithless daughter, a whore (for which Oelendra promptly slaps her - to wake her up), her "peasant" upbringing making her ineligible to be a Queen,  and can't see her beauty for what it is.  Even seven years in the Veil couldn't "cure" Rhapsody of the memories that haunted her day and night - in a way, the Veil was an attempt to purge her of self criticism to allow happiness, yet she still couldn't let them go - making her return to the brewing inferno necessary.  In this way, she herself, locked and barred the door of the Afterlife against herself, and opened more opportunities for her to experience the darker side of Life - ie. a living Hell.

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"No, they're not real, but thanks for noticing"! WoW Dwarf Female /silly
Avatar by Krinsel

Krinsel wrote:

I've been reading Dante's The Divine Comedy...

The guy from Seven was reading that too…  Not that I mean anything by that; just an observation.   LOL.  *just joking* 

BTW SIA has been reading “the divine comedy” of Garfield…  small world huh.  Haha.  I remember in grade school I wanted to buy all the Garfield books, but they were so expensive that I only bought it on one occasion; the rest of the time I got the cheaper Heathcliff books instead.  LOL.  Strangely enough; I still have that pink Garfield book and flipped through it recently.

Hmmm…  I think this thread will require some further pondering.  LOL.

Garfield! I love Garfield. I have like 8 Fat-Cat-3-Packs. He is a great philosopher of our time.

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"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."
~Edgar Allan Poe
"Darest thou now O Soul, Walk out with me toward the unknown region, Where neither ground is for feet Nor any path to follow."
~Walt Whitman
~Avatar made by Me, madhatter.

  I gave up reading it after I wasn't getting any responses here to make me move onward, SIA!  Sadly, I haven't yet made it to Paradisio , but there will be plenty of time for that!

I liked Garfield, but couldn't understand his obsession with lasagna...that is until my son brought home a stray cat, which I now call "Slug".   She really reminds me of Garfield and she loves to torture the dog.

I did read something on pearls lately, though I can't pinpoint the source.    Anyone have anything to add to how the Pearly Gates might fit into the SOA?  The pearl was placed in the Elysian gazebo, which acted as an amplifier of sorts...could it also have opened Rhapsody's view into the Past?

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"No, they're not real, but thanks for noticing"! WoW Dwarf Female /silly
Avatar by Krinsel

Krinsel wrote:

This also holds significance to me in the experience or "test" of Rhapsody, Achmed and Grunthor passing through the Inferno of the Wall of Flame at the center of the Earth's core.  This was essentially Rhapsody's first test of the knowledge and confidence within herself while they are on the Root, unassisted by either Achmed or Grunthor.

I think everyday since the moment Rhapsody ran away from home was a test.  A test of her resolve…  of basically everything that she was.  IMO compared to those early days (along with the torment of Michael) passing through the core was just a walk in the park.
 

Krinsel wrote:

I think that Jesus' words:  "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven", is a direct correlation to this concept of what we hold valuable, and what we miss in the translation.Wink

That’s just like (not really, lol) in Meet Joe Black when even Death realizes just how precious Life is; perhaps he was better off not knowing (only makes his job harder).  And at the end of that movie Anthony Hopkins turns to Brad Pitt (Death) just as they are about to leave the world behind them and says, “It’s hard to let go isn’t it?  Well that’s life.  What more can I tell you.”

But the Jesus one works too.  LOL.

Krinsel wrote:

It was Rhapsody's enduring trust that brought her through the other side, as she was willing to let go of everything that she seemed to be, except what she truly was - only to emerge on the other side, transformed and whole.

Hmmm…  she didn’t exactly let go of everything IMO.  She held onto something from her past…  something very precious to her.  She held onto to the memory of Sam. 

She was willing to let go of her family, her friends, her enemies and all the pain and regret that came along with them…  but her memory of that night and her hope that one day she may once again reunite with Sam could not be cleansed from her body and soul by even the hottest of flames.  If not then I’m sure she would have let her locket burn to ashes and left Sam behind at the core.

Valecynos wrote:

Again and again in the the Bible (and I am assuming in other faiths as well) we are told we must give up what we think we know and believe with the faith of a child. Rhapsody did show that abandonment of what she seemed to know, or what she thought she knew, which allowed her to take the leap of faith to walk through those flames.

IMO when Achmed first asked her, “Take my hand if you want to live,” and then Rhapsody accepting the offer; that was the “Leap of Faith.”  Everything after that was just the “Fall.”  LOL.

Valecynos wrote:

Interesting that both Grunthor and Achmed had such faith in her…

I don’t think it was necessarily faith in Rhapsody; I think it was more, “I would rather burn to death than have to go all the way back where we came from."  LOL.  In every journey there is always a point of no return in which once passed, forward is the only option available no matter what lay ahead.

Krinsel wrote:

The roads to Hell are paved with good intentions", seems appropriate here.

That quote pretty much sums up SIA’s Cauldron posting career.  LOL.

Krinsel wrote:

…but I'm not touching that one further! lol  My father-in-law said "leave Theology to the theologians" and I'm inclined to agree with him on that in this case.  Smile

Ooo…  your father-in-law is a smart man.  Yup, there are experts for a reason!!!  I say leave theology to the theologians and biology to the biologists… but you can leave the consumption of chocolate to me.  LOL.

Krinsel wrote:

…to myself and best friend when we were children, and brought Sunday School materials home from her Pentecostal church for us to work with.  She always spoke of the Gates of Heaven as being the Pearly Gates - and in my 5 year old mind, I still remember trying to envision why Heaven's gate had lumpy pearls all over it! Lol

SIA’s current mind is still trying to envision why Heaven’s Gate has lumpy pearls all over it.  LOL.  But “Pearly Gates” doesn’t literally refer to actual pearls right?  It just means the gate is really shiny and white like when they refer to nice teeth as being “pearly whites,” right?  *whispers*  SIA never went to Sunday School…  and apparently has the mental capacity of a 5 year old.  LOL.   

Krinsel wrote:

This got me thinking that the Heaven's Gates are pearly for a reason.

 
Oh, so you mean when you past through the gate it absorbs all of your memories (like the pearl did with Rhaps)?  I think that would be horrible; some of my memories are good.  Wait, maybe it just absorbs the bad ones then.  Yah, yah that sounds much better, let’s go with that.  LOL.

Krinsel wrote:

Memories are our treasure, but also our bane.  If we hold onto them too tightly, they can destroy us…

You may be right; those that cling to the past tend to do so at the expense of the present.  But then those that cling to the present also do so at the expense of the future.  And those that cling to the future usually invent stuff like ipods and ebay.  LOL.


Be forewarned; SIA is now listening to the theme song to Star Trek: Voyager (on an endless loop, lol) while he is writing this, so things could get very… metaphysically deep.  *whispers*  Meaning nonsensical.  LOL.

Krinsel wrote:

Ashe's holding of Rhapsody's memory in a pearl signified to me the Pearly Gates.  The only things that hold us back from our own personal heaven is what we carry within ourselves.

That is sort of taking a “glass is half empty” approach.  IMO what we carry within ourselves is our only shot at ever finding Heaven.  I always presumed salvation to be an internal progression, never an external one.           
 

Krinsel wrote:

Something else occurred to me about the Pearly Gates.  Perhaps, as one of the prerequisites of entering heaven, you have to "leave your weapons at the door" so to speak.Wink   All of those pearls could just be containing memories, adorning and beautifying the gates - but meaningless beyond the veil.

 
Ooo…  Ooo…  That is sort of like that cave in Degobah where Luke fought with Darth Vadar (and in turn---himself, so deep, lol).  Yoda tells him just before he enters, “Leave your weapons, you will not need them.”  And then Luke basically gives him the “yah, right” look.  LOL.

He took into that cave whatever “darkness” he already had within him.  Had he left his fears (along with the need for his weapons) at the entrance, then his encounter inside the cave might have been with a dancing unicorn or something.  LOL.

Krinsel wrote:

When I think about it a bit more, memories can really be a burden, and aren't needed and are actually the antithesis to experiencing Bliss.

I disagree.  Ignorance is not Bliss…  it is just convenient.  IMO Bliss requires context, which fortunately our memories provide in abundance.  Humanity is lucky in that way; angels at play will never realize where they truly are, for their memories lack the contrasting depth to provide the proper perspective. 

IMO Heaven is a place where dreams come true.  What do people that have only known eternal bliss ever dream about?  To know better days means to have once longed for them; otherwise they were just…  days…  without end…  or meaning.             

Krinsel wrote:

Part of the "beauty" of Paradise was its innocence and purity, unencumbered by rational or critical thought.

Yes, but (IMO) that kind of innocent beauty is only an illusion; it is the beauty seen through the eyes of a child; fleeting at best.  Kids playing in a sand box will never realize the dangers that lurk just beyond the edges of the sand, but they are affected by them regardless.

So then is Paradise a place where the sand has no edge?  I wonder…  It is only grown men whom envy their childhood.  Sometimes it takes a lifetime to know that where you’ve been is where you always wanted to go; even the path to Oz eventually led back home.  Hmmm…  I believe Paradise HAS to be a destination…  it cannot be the only place you have ever known.  There is no Heaven without the journey to find it; discovery is the key to it all.    

Krinsel wrote:

The pearls act in much the same manner: memories can make us look better (or worse) to ourselves and others as clothes often do, but tend to hide our flaws (and conversely our attributes), and prevent us for seeing things as they truly are.  By leaving your memories at the gate, you can experience what true happiness means - without any preconceived notions of how it ought to be.

I guess it all depends on what “true happiness” means.  What is happiness to person who has never known a single day without it?  What do blind men see with the eyes of their mind? (Yup, that was a random question, lol).

Yes, it’s true that others with all their preconceived notions can often define for ourselves who we ultimately want to be.  But that is sort of the point I think…  the wanting.  Without that external force or pressure; how would we ever know what we truly want?  I think it is within our nature to want…  to want to be something more than we are…  even if that desire causes us grief.  IMO it is not enough…  to just be.

That sort of a static life is almost an acquiescent to death.  To be thoroughly content cannot mean happiness.  Happiness requires attainment; however constant.  I do not believe that Heaven lies just beyond the finish line…  I believe Heaven resides just before it.  And crossing it once never seems to be enough for us; we will continue to set markers for ourselves even if it means drawing a chalk line at the foot of our own graves.     

Krinsel wrote:

Rhapsody is a somewhat tangible example of how memories can really be a double edged sword.   She puts herself down through the use of her memories...  In this way, she herself, locked and barred the door of the Afterlife against herself, and opened more opportunities for her to experience the darker side of Life - ie. a living Hell.

I think the key to everything is finding a balance.  And right smack dab in the middle of it all…  is life.  Life is our balance between our Heaven and our Hell.  To experience a bit of both is to live; that is the price we pay to know the difference between the two.

*coughs*  Yah, yah, SIA may have actually contradicted himself once or twice, but hey, that is also the price of trying to sound cool.  Haha.

You've given my poor brain a lot to sift through this morning, SIA...I'll just take a few of your points for now! lol

 

Sam I am. wrote:

Krinsel wrote:

Ashe's holding of Rhapsody's memory in a pearl signified to me the Pearly Gates.  The only things that hold us back from our own personal heaven is what we carry within ourselves.

That is sort of taking a “glass is half empty” approach.  IMO what we carry within ourselves is our only shot at ever finding Heaven.  I always presumed salvation to be an internal progression, never an external one. 

Ah, but isn't the Zen Nirvana an empty vessel?    I agree that salvation or nirvana or paradise is an internal progression as well - we have to realize what we've lost to "find" it again, and like Dorothy finds out, it never really left us at all.             
 

Sam I am. wrote:

 

Krinsel wrote:

When I think about it a bit more, memories can really be a burden, and aren't needed and are actually the antithesis to experiencing Bliss.

I disagree.  Ignorance is not Bliss…  it is just convenient.  IMO Bliss requires context, which fortunately our memories provide in abundance.  Humanity is lucky in that way; angels at play will never realize where they truly are, for their memories lack the contrasting depth to provide the proper perspective. 

IMO Heaven is a place where dreams come true.  What do people that have only known eternal bliss ever dream about?  To know better days means to have once longed for them; otherwise they were just…  days…  without end…  or meaning. 

Hmmm...I'm not saying that we return to ignorance, but that memories taken out of context  is bliss' antithesis.  We can wallow in our memories learning nothing  and failing to put them in their proper perspective, or we can move on, learning from our experience but not letting the memories of our successes and failures hinder us.  Reminisce too much about our "glory days" or where we've failed doesn't move us forward, it keeps us behind and longing for something different, or that we had the hindsight to see how we could have made it better for us at that moment - instead of dealing with what we have to work with now.

My guess is that people who have only eternal bliss are already in that nirvana and have no need to return to earth for more lessons in living.  I do believe that there are some who are moved by compassion to come back and help others realize that everything that has happened in the Past has brought you to this moment, and that it is a gift to be cherished - and has its lessons to teach you as well.       

Sam I am. wrote:

Krinsel wrote:

Part of the "beauty" of Paradise was its innocence and purity, unencumbered by rational or critical thought.

Yes, but (IMO) that kind of innocent beauty is only an illusion; it is the beauty seen through the eyes of a child; fleeting at best.  Kids playing in a sand box will never realize the dangers that lurk just beyond the edges of the sand, but they are affected by them regardless.

So then is Paradise a place where the sand has no edge?  I wonder…  It is only grown men whom envy their childhood.  Sometimes it takes a lifetime to know that where you’ve been is where you always wanted to go; even the path to Oz eventually led back home.  Hmmm…  I believe Paradise HAS to be a destination…  it cannot be the only place you have ever known.  There is no Heaven without the journey to find it; discovery is the key to it all. 

I agree, without personal discovery, we cannot realize for ourselves what it is we are truly seeking.  I was one of those kids who got out of the sandbox for a toy, or water to pave the roads or get a new bucket.  When I got back, "my" truck or doll or spot might have been taken by another, but like the sands shift, we learn to adjust as well - I found another spot! lol  There are "dangers" lurking outside the box, but unless there is some exploration, the play will get rather rote and boring as well. 

I see the casting out of Paradise in a similar way - it was necessary for growth, just like cutting the cord after birth when previously everything that was needed was provided without asking. 

Sam I am. wrote:

Krinsel wrote:

The pearls act in much the same manner: memories can make us look better (or worse) to ourselves and others as clothes often do, but tend to hide our flaws (and conversely our attributes), and prevent us for seeing things as they truly are.  By leaving your memories at the gate, you can experience what true happiness means - without any preconceived notions of how it ought to be.

I guess it all depends on what “true happiness” means.  What is happiness to person who has never known a single day without it?  What do blind men see with the eyes of their mind? (Yup, that was a random question, lol).

Random (and rhetorical, I'm thinking) but good! lol  I loved the way the movie "Mask" presented an answer to this question, when Rocky explains color and other descriptive language to a girl who was blind from birth.  He gets her to "see" color by having her hold ice (blue), and cotton to describe "billowy clouds" - it is one of the most beautiful scenes in that movie, I think. 

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"No, they're not real, but thanks for noticing"! WoW Dwarf Female /silly
Avatar by Krinsel

I believe that the Gates of Heaven being pearly is purely metaphorical. Pearls are earthly treasures and mean nothing to the spiritual realm. Even the reference to gates is metaphorical. Why would the soul need a gate?

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"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."
~Edgar Allan Poe
"Darest thou now O Soul, Walk out with me toward the unknown region, Where neither ground is for feet Nor any path to follow."
~Walt Whitman
~Avatar made by Me, madhatter.

Ah, very wise that statement is, yes -  madhatter!   The soul doesn't need a gate, but I am among those who believe that we make our own barriers against true happiness.   

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"No, they're not real, but thanks for noticing"! WoW Dwarf Female /silly
Avatar by Krinsel

A wise man told me once (as I was a teenager): "You can choose to be happy and unhappy". Well, this sentencce changed my life. lol. I agree with you Krinsel.

Absolutely. Other people cannot cause you to act or feel anything. You allow yourself to become angry, depressed, unhappy, etc.

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"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."
~Edgar Allan Poe
"Darest thou now O Soul, Walk out with me toward the unknown region, Where neither ground is for feet Nor any path to follow."
~Walt Whitman
~Avatar made by Me, madhatter.

Krinsel wrote:

You've given my poor brain a lot to sift through this morning, SIA...

Yah, sorry about that.  SIA doesn’t know how to be not awesome.  LOL.  *just joking*  But I was on such a roll there I just couldn’t stop.  Haha.

Krinsel wrote:

I'll just take a few of your points for now! lol

And do the rest later?  Ooo...  That's suspiciously sounds like when a girl tells SIA that she will call him "later."  LOL.  *just joking*  My posts need no replies.

Sam I am. wrote:

What do blind men see with the eyes of their mind? (Yup, that was a random question, lol).

Krinsel wrote:

Random (and rhetorical, I'm thinking) but good! lol  I loved the way the movie "Mask" presented an answer to this question, when Rocky explains color and other descriptive language to a girl who was blind from birth.  He gets her to "see" color by having her hold ice (blue), and cotton to describe "billowy clouds" - it is one of the most beautiful scenes in that movie, I think. 

Ahhh yes…  Pretty Laura Dern whose lack of sight was so absolute that it even blinded the eyes of her mind, but in by doing so it unburdened her heart to see as clearly as it was always meant to.

And a deformed Eric Stolz whose own heart was so generous it was able to make a blind girl see the colors of the world for the first time, but whose mirrored reflection would never let the world know anything else about him except what the glass told them.

Ahhh yes…  a pretty girl who saw beautiful in an ugly boy.  Yup…  totally SoA.  LOL.

madhatter wrote:

Why would the soul need a gate?

I think the soul needs a gate to provide perspective; to know the difference between what lies on the outside and what lies within.  Maybe it is like what Krinsel mentioned earlier…

Krinsel wrote:

The article cites the Mystic poet Rumi and his own struggle with this concept:

I have lived on the lip of insanity, wanting to know reasons, knocking on a door.  It opens. I've been knocking from the inside!

I think Mystic Poet Rumi was onto something there.  Where you are in Life is all a matter of perspective; and a "door" or "gate" provides us with a tangible way to define our boundaries and help us realize exactly where we are.  But then again; if your name is Mystic Poet Rumi you best be having some deep insightful meaning of life stuff in the repertoire to begin with, so as much was to be expected from him.  LOL.

This talk of happiness and memories reminded me of the parable of Lazarus told by Jesus. In it he spoke of how the Rich Man (he was never named in the story) spoke to Father Abraham to ask for relief by sending Lazarus to him in hell, but Abraham told basically told him that while alive the Rich Man had had his chance at happiness while Lazarus had only had hunger and misery his whole life. In Heaven, Lazarus began to have the happiness that he had always been without. So perhaps the "gates" are meant to act as a sort o