People talk about creation as a remote fact in history, as if it were something that was attended to a long time ago, and finished at the time. But creation was not an act; it is a process, and it is going on today as much as it ever was. And nature is not in a hurry…” — John muir
Whether you believe in a singular, almighty “God”, an endless journey of death and rebirth, science and the big bang theory, or the creation as a mindset; whatever the case may be, here we are human beings. We are alive, moving around this planet with as much freedom as we grant ourselves or to which we have been granted (that opens up another can of worms and becomes another subject altogether).
It doesn’t matter if it comes from the eyes and hands of a supreme being, the perfect alignment of cosmic dust and chemical reactions, or the gathering of minds engaging their all-power mindset to create a form… or form a creation.
Keep an open mind, and pass no judgment:
- Christianity says God created mankind. Not out of loneliness or because of needed anything specific from them, God already had company in the animals, birds, and fish (Genesis 1:26). God created mankind for our love (Deuteronomy 6:5), our love we give to one another (Matthew 22:39), and for our ability to do good in the name of God (Ephesians 2:10).
A broader view, however, is that God created mankind as both a weapon of war between God and Satan (Ephesians 6:10-18); and finally, we are pointing folks to eternal life through God, our “Ministry of Reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) - Buddhism doesn’t like to talk about creation and on many occasions, Buddha simply refused to answer questions about the origin of mankind, and everything surrounding us. With the Buddhist focus being on releasing one’s self from suffering, focusing on the past being a point of suffering, not much thought has been given to it.
Just because they don’t like to talk about it doesn’t mean there isn’t going to be a story or some theory behind it. Fundamentally, Buddhists believe that the universe, like so many other theories and beliefs in their system, is cyclical – an ever growing, constant evolution. This constant change refers to no point as the beginning or the end, but a continuous flow of beginnings and endings. - Hermetic Philosophy doesn’t bother to point the finger at a singularity but, instead, makes things a bit more confusing – the All (which happens to be one being but all thoughts, we’ll save that one for another story as well) is the creator of everything, all things that exist, have ever existed, or existed before the All were created by … the All. Thus, the All created itself… woah! This creation continues in the mind, or minds of the All.
Regardless of what your belief, there is always some sort of creation story behind it; let me tell a story, a greatly paraphrased and condensed version of a very common creation story:
Once upon a time, angels roamed the heavens, glorious beings on golden wings, both male and female alike, moral and immoral.
These angels feed for a long time on delight and happiness and all things beautiful, without pain or suffering, long before the stars, planets, or other things of creation. When finally, the earth was formed and strange, new, lovely smells and visions enticed these angels to taste its fragrance. There, they sat, engorging themselves and the more firmament they devoured, the less their light shone until it simply just … disappeared. The light they had lost became the sun and the moon – and this was creation (in a very small nutshell).
You’ll find dozens, hundreds … I’ll dare to say thousands of these stories about the world’s, and mankind’s creation but the basis for most of them – the ultimate reason we, and all existence … EXIST … is for growth and evolution. We were put here by someone or something or some process with the goal of growth.
Physical growth and adaptation, or lack thereof, is written in our cells, our very DNA, and passed on chemically … biologically to our descendants so they too and perform the same basic task of evolution. Knowledge, spirituality, mentality all share the same fate: we learn, we make mistakes, and we teach these to our offspring or those of the next generation so that they can carry this knowledge forward. This entire process repeats on and on just as it has done for a millennium, and it will continue on until there is nothing else left to continue; in the end, this is still evolution, right?
We are evidence that: When we are born, we have a finite, extremely limited skill-set; we know what is necessary for our survival. We know when we are hungry and need to eat, to rest when we are weary, and to cry out when we need love. As we grow, our skills grow to meet the ever-changing demands of our existence. This is what evolution does for us, and this is what the world and all things within are in a constant state of doing.
Where is all this going?
Personal creation – simply put.
There is always going to be some sort of grand creation story for the universe, the planet, life as a whole, etc. You are a grand creation as well, and one creation you have personal control over it. Certainly, many external factors can contribute to your creation but in the end, you have the final say.
You decide:
- Will you learn from your mistakes or keep pounding your head against the same wall?
- Will you eat the apple for health or eat the cake for pleasure?
- Will you love or hate?
- Will you dwell on those that have wronged you, or move on?
Every little decision you make is going to affect you for the rest of your life, the rest of Your Creation but it doesn’t mean it has control over you, just like you have no control over it once it’s been done. Evolution takes over and leads you by the hand on the path you’ve chosen. Whether the road was a wise detour or becomes a permanent route, only the choices you make from here-on become viable.
Life doesn’t allow for us to go back and fix what we have done wrong, or what has wronged us in the past, but it does allow for us to live each day better than our last.” — Unknown
Regardless of your beliefs around creation, you are the author of your own story. Learn, write, and teach your story to others. Never stop growing for every breath you take is a chance to make you a better person than you were a year, a week, a day, or even a second ago.
You are your only limit… be limitless.