How Did We Get Here?

In the Book of the Yellow Emperor, the source document for modern acupuncture, we learn that human beings lived in harmony with heaven and earth, that they never experienced illness, that they knew no malice, that they did not fatigue themselves or obsess on any thoughts, that they were free of expectation, and that they were never bored. In other words, paradise. 

And, oh, yes, there were the remarkable capacities our ancestors had, ones that provided degrees of intimacy and connectedness we can no longer imagine. Not to mention those capacities that kept them out of harm's way. Or the stress-less lives they had, thereby allowing them to live long, long, happy lives.

But for some reason, we weren't satisfied with paradise. We wanted to know more, do more, see more.

 The elders of that spiritual civilization could see that we would have to follow this new path, one of perfecting materiality. We would have to go out and explore, so that one day we could return to our original nature, undistracted and confident in our reason for being human.

 The elders also foresaw the suffering such an exploration would produce. So, to help us get through it as quickly as possible, they hid the principle upon which their civilization was based, the Principle of the Word, or the Kototama Principle. We would forget paradise had ever existed and actively pursue the work at hand.