Promoting peace and harmony from an Abrahamic perspective

What is Vanity?

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 Vanity can be defined as an excessive sense of pride in in oneself or one's appearance.

Vanity can also mean 'the quality of being worthless, valueless or futile.' 

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Does our Creator create 'vanity' as 'something out of nothing'? Or is the perception of 'vanity' a creation of the Human Being as  'something out of something' which results from our 'Free-Will' to choose to obey to worship our own ego as a god beside our Creator? Does the human being have the power to define their fate as either 'vanity' or not- by using their temporary life in this physical world to worship the Lord of The Worlds and fulfil His Will instead of pursuing their own desires?

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What is the Higher Purpose of Vanity?

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How can anything in this physical world be anything other than 'vanity' if falsehood/ a false sense of ego is present within it -unless there is Higher purpose to falsehood/ 'false' ego? Does the existence of ego not allow us to exist and remain as physical beings? Does ego not allow us to have the stars and the sun the moon to help guide us in the night and day? Does ego not allow us to shine unto others our unique light/qualities/talents/gifts and blessings? Does the ego that is present within each created being, not in fact allow it to shine unto others the rays of Light and Beauty of our Creator through the diversity of His Creation like infinite rays of 'gods' that are all One with its Source? How would we be able to 'see' and delight in the beauty of a rainbow if the ray of Light was not 'separated' into many colours? are the crystal prisms which surround the Source of Light and refract its infinite rays into its many colours of Glory- nothing but mere vanity? 

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So what makes ego "real' and distinguishes it from 'false ego?' For if vanity results from false ego, then perhaps the higher purpose of vanity is to help us distinguish true ego from false ego in order that we may engage in Real Ego and use it to fulfil our Higher Purpose as Humanity in this temporary physical world? For example- when we choose to glorify the rainbow itself as an entity as though separate from its Source, the tree instead of its Maker, the human being instead of Its Creator, and when we use our blessings and gifts and talents to seek self-glory (and worship our selfish desires/false ego) rather than the Glory of our God (by acknowledging His Oneness) - then all our works become 'vain.' We cannot escape from the Worship of God, but it is our choice ( according to the best of our knowledge understanding and abilities and free will) to do it willingly or unwillingly. The difference is that we either become a vessel for His Mercy unto the worlds (through submission to His Will) , or we become a vessel for His Wrath/Justice through our worship of gods beside our Creator (through the pursuit of our desires/falsehood/ego/vanity). 

What happens if the crystal Prism which refracts the ray of Light into different colours (in order to reveal the Beauty of Creator within creation)- becomes 'blurred' or 'murky' or 'dirty' and 'stained'? Will it not be less effective at revealing the Glory of God? Is it better for man to seek his own image in the 'crystal' clear waters, than to search for the hidden treasures and life within it?  Might we mistakenly interpret the smooth crystal surface on the ground to be a deep pool of water and therefore bare our legs to step into it? How can our minds play tricks on us when we seek to self-glorify and worship our own image/reflection rather than seek to reveal the Image of our Maker unto others?  Is man not made in the Image of God? But how can God have an 'Image?' Is the image a True reflection of Him? How can something that is physical and temporary ever portray a true reflection of its Source and Essence? Are the garments of our thought speech and action true expressions of our Essence? 

Is man not able to become like a pure vessel that is able to shine the beautiful Attributes of His Creator/Light unto the lower worlds? Is the 'human' being not the Gateway that one must pass through in order to transform vanity into Reality in order to enter into the Kingdom of God?  

So let's ask ourselves- what is the 'human being?' How can the human being fulfil its Highest potential and transform false ego into an Ego that serves its Creator and helps to connect the physical with the spiritual, so that we become more able to 'See' our Creator whichever way we turn, and 'Reveal' our Creator with our every breath? How can we use the Higher Truth that lies hidden within our perception of the 'vanity veil' to help remove the 'clouding' that covers over our vision, hearing and hearts and minds in order that we become better at recognising Truth from falsehood, and Reality from Vanity? Can we Be both a pure vessel of Light, as well as a mirror which reflects the light of another unto the darkness of the land? Is it better to be like the sun or the moon? Does the sun acknowledge it's Creator? Does the moon seek to become like the sun in order to be praised and glorified? Do the stars compete in their brightness only in order to be gazed at in the night sky? Or is it the Light and Glory of Their Maker that they seek to reveal in their own unique way? Were they given a choice to worship willingly or unwillingly? Who was willing to take on the responsibility of ruling over all creatures (of free will) on earth? Was it not man that chose to take on this responsibility? So perhaps if we can understand the purpose of free will better- we can understand the Higher Purpose to our perception and experience of 'vanity' which is a consequence of the 'vanity' that we choose to worship or set up as false 'gods' beside our Creator -instead of Truth.

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How can anything physical in this temporary world be anything other than 'vanity'  -unless there is a Higher Purpose to Death itself? How can understanding the Higher purpose of Death, enable us to better understand and experience the Higher Purpose of Life- and see through the vanity that clouds our senses? 

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What is the Higher Purpose of death? Is death the End? End of what? What is it of ourself that dies in this world? Our bodies? Our minds? Our souls? Our Love? Can Love die? How can love die if it is True Love? How can anything that comes to an end be Real? Is death an end to our glitter and temporary pleasures? End to our suffering and misery and hardship? End to our temporary relationships? End to our greed and envy and lust and ego? End to our opportunity to Return to our Creator, turn from evil and do more good? Or do we have a chance to Return, even after our death? Will we have another chance? Or perhaps each time we wake each morning from our sleep- perhaps this is our second chance? Perhaps each time we breathe in and out- is our second chance? Perhaps our opportunity will leave us when we take our last breath? Perhaps all of our chances are limited to this temporary world of vanity since our fall from Eden? But Can death itself remove us from our Source? or does it only make us 'blind' 'deaf' and 'dumb' to Reality/Eternal Life?- So perhaps the reality of death is only a delusion? Perhaps those who live a life of good deeds (according to their unique potential)  'Truth' and 'Love' 'Peace' and  'Justice' do not in fact die/fall- perhaps they continue to Live because they become more able to 'See, Hear and Understand' their Creator through their choices and actions...How can death be separate from its Source this if Death itself is 'Real', and if there is no 'Reality' other than God? How can we escape our Creator- does the 'up' and 'down' not belong to Him? Can we hide away in the ground to escape His Face? 

How can we Rise if we do not Fall? Do the leaves that fall and decay back into the ground after they have run their due course- do they no longer serve a Higher Purpose? Is death not the beginning of new life before Spring? Is Time a destroyer? Is Time not itself a creation of our Creator? What is the purpose of Time? How can we go beyond Time and space- and experience our Oneness with our Creator-in Truth. For how can Truth change? How can God die? How can True Reality ever come to an end? Perhaps the temporary physical body can serve as a vessel for Light to go down into the depths of darkness in a way that does not destroy what it meets on its way completely- Perhaps our bodies (and all physical creation)  enable God to remain concealed in this physical world as a blessing rather than a curse in order that His work be done in a way that does not blind us. Perhaps when we sin, we become less able to percieve this Light? Perhaps when we sin, we become less able to transmit this Light? Perhaps it is Sin itself that makes us fall and die and return to the ground? Perhaps turning away from evil, and doing more good will enable us to escape death itself? 

Would we appreciate and Know the true meaning of 'Life' if we did not know of death? How can there be a 'new' if there is not the 'old?' Is the old and new different and separate from one another or are they from the same Essence expressed in different ways? Is our Creator The Beginning or the End? Is He both? But How can there be a beginning and an end to Truth? Perhaps our Creator is The One- without Beginning, without End? Perhaps our Creator's Oneness encompasses All-  in the beginning, the end, and beyond time and space? But without a beginning or an end, ( and without our perception of the concept of life and death) ; How would we 'exist' as anything that perceives its 'separateness' in order that it can experience a 'relationship' with the other- without a 'me' or a 'you' -how would we be able to 'serve' our Creator through garments of His Righteousness? Is the creation of life and death in this world full of vanity and perceived duality- was it created so that we can worship our Creator? Is Life a death a garment of our Creator? A Way of expressing His Will? Did He not create us in his Image and enable us too to express our will (and His Will which works through us) through our garments? Are garments limited to clothes and glitter? Or are garments also our thoughts speech and behaviour? Perhaps if we choose to purify our garments (with the Help/Mercy of our Creator) , we can become more able to serve our higher Purpose, escape all fear of death and Rise from our Fall into eternal Life that is a garment of Light of our Creator who works through us? 

Surely God is beyond time and space? But must He not also be present within Time and Space?- for how would time and space exist without His Word? Is The Word not One with The Speaker? Without our perception of the Truth of His Word (Be) how could this worldly physical existence be anything other than a  'delusion' of 'creation?' for if it does not last forever then how can it be anything other than vanity? Perhaps it is only life in its temporary physical form that is vanity (truth mixed with falsehood)- perhaps its purpose is to be a vessel of Higher Truth that can be spoken through it in a concealed way- that enables it to serve its Higher function? perhaps the life of our soul- The Breath of our Creator that breathes into our physical form- and speaks His Truth (and therefore maintains His creation with Justice ) through our spoken word- perhaps this is what does not die? Perhaps man is nothing other than a breath of God? What will make man "Be" forever?  Must we not eat from the 'Tree of Life'? What does the Tree of Life offer- is it not a life that is Eternal? So is our perception of this worldly life anything but a delusion that is limited to our physical senses? Or are we able to enter into a new kingdom of Reality by eating from the tree of knowledge within the temporary boundaries covered over by the vanity of this world- through other perceptions such as 'love' and 'faith' which enable us to break through the difficult paths using our physical hands, feet, brains, eyes, ears and hearts and mouths so that we are able to express this love and faith in our actions and become more righteous/reveal God's Presence in this physical world? Is it enough to just feel love? Is it enough to just 'believe' in our hearts and minds? Is it True Faith and Love if we do not 'choose' it with our free will? Is Love and Faith of value if it is forced upon us? So how can our free-will, life and death- enable us to 'prove' our faith using our free will to 'choose' to speak and perform good deeds (according to His Commandments and Guidance)  in order that we become able to Remember, and seek to fulfil our Higher Purpose and once again Return to our Creator into eternal Life (through becoming more God-conscious) ? 

Why would our Creator create death and life except for the reason that we may be tested as to which of us is better in deeds? What would be the purpose of this test if we did not have free -will? What is the Higher purpose of free will except that we use it to willingly worship our Creator, become God-conscious and progress towards righteousness in order that His Will may be done on earth as it is in Heaven? 

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How can Vanity help us?

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Vanity enables us to physically 'see' the glory of God by revealing HIs Garments/Attributes like a beautiful colours of the rainbow which are in fact one light. The existence of time and space allows vanity to exist so that mankind can eventually 'ripen' in awareness of the Oneness within the diversity of creation through either willing (experience of His Mercy) or unwilling worship (experience of His Wrath) of its Creator. Without Vanity- how would we be able to experience the 'left' or the 'right'? the 'up or the 'down?' The 'front' or the 'back?' 'darkness' or 'Light?' Vanity allows us to perceive and physically experience (through sin and our fall)  a false 'duality' so that we can reach Higher levels of the perception of 'Oneness.' Is all diversity within physical creation not merely a vanity that disguises the Oneness of our Creator as infinite 'gods?' Can there be a physical world where the infinite 'gods' become more aware of their Source of existence (Creator) and therefore refuse to be worshipped? Or perhaps this is already the case? Perhaps our lack of awareness of the willing worship of all existence is due to the veil of vanity that clouds our perception? Perhaps 'vanity' is a tool of satan that God allows us to exist in a way that our ego is not completely destroyed to the point that we are not able to have a 'relationship' with our Creator and with the rest of creation? Or perhaps in order for our senses to mature and ripen in a way that we are not blinded by the Light of our Creator (if revealed too quickly) that is One with even the Darkness? Perhaps vanity allows us more 'space' to get lost so that we cry out for and desperately 'seek' our Creator and 'Return' with a Whole heart to be even closer to Him than before? 

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The concept of 'vanity' and the hidden wisdom in all that is 'vanity' can help us to better appreciate and willingly 'do' the Higher Will of our Creator in surrender and worship of Him- by helping to reveal Truth and its Glory in comparison to falsehood and its vanity. Our ever changing perception of the world around us as we either grow or decay in knowledge wisdom and understanding- helps us to realise (either way) that everything under the sun in this worldly physical existence is 'vain'- even that which is spiritual can be vanity- unless our hearts are pierced with faith and love for our Creator and creation, and unless we use whatever blessings gifts and talents we have to help ourselves and others become more Aware of 'The Oneness of our God' by worshipping Him Alone. The concept of death and immersion of experience within the 'temporary physical' can bring us to the realisation that everything in this life is vanity and even our deeds are wasted if we do not direct our hearts towards our Creator as willing servants nullified to HIs Will.  Sin, which results from our desire to rely on our own free will and understanding rather than our Creator (due to our Ego) is what leads to our perception and experience of the suffering, pain and hardship of vanity as part of our True Reality. The more we seek refuge in our Creator from evil, and turn away our thoughts, speech and behaviour from all that we 'know' to be sin- (after eating from the tree of knowledge)- and 'fulfil' His commandments- the more we become able to perceive God in everything- even that which we previously only saw as 'vanity.' By doing so- we are able to transcend the limits of this physical land and its temporal existence- travel into the unknown, transform fear of God into Love of God and humanity and become courageous warriors of Light that allow Higher Truth to work through them to defeat falsehood and reveal the hidden light in the darkness, inspiring others to do the same and together we help each other to either transform our perception of Hell-Fire into a Higher Perception of Peace (through perception of Unity) or be involved in a process which transforms it with The Attribute of The Mercy of our Creator that works through us when we willingly accept suffering through our acts of self-sacrifice for Love of our Creator and for our fellow human fellow being. When a soul is touched by vanity, and finds ways to use it as a vessel of Higher Light (by obeying the Will of our Creator and fulfilling HIs will out of fear and/or love)-this  way our previous mistakes (done out of ignorance) that make us 'fall' into the worship of the vessels of creation rather than Creator- can in fact be transformed to good- once we repent and mend our ways and can even allow us to reach higher Heights and dive into lower depths of wisdom than ever before in Infinitive ways, and beyond time and space. 

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So 'Vanity' can be the stepping stone that one must step over in order to get closer to the path of Altruism. The Vanity 'veil' can also be viewed as a 'ladder' which helps us get through the necessary stages that helps bring a soul to higher levels of consciousness, righteousness and 'awareness.'

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For example- What would happen if a person with a huge criminal record and history of repetitive harmful behaviour was suddenly released into society, without the tools necessary which help to protect himself and others from further harm? These tools can in be in the form of a 'justice system' 'city of refuge'  or perhaps CCTV camera, or handcuffs when necessary, support work, constant risk assessment, supervised outings from home, offering of 'rewards' for him achieving the set goals, and the therapy he might need to help him to reflect, reason, learn from past mistakes, gain wisdom and understanding in order to gradually gain the desire to 'will' to become a better person that helps society. This takes time, and discipline and effort. Putting in an intermediary system where the person must feel  'fear of punishment' and 'reward for abstinence from crime' and perhaps even the 'fame, glory and praise' of members of his society for his 'change in behaviour' and acts of kindness/success in rehab are likely to help this person to step by step to go up the ladder from selfish ego driven behaviour to a more selfless person who can better integrate and 'give' to society. He must be wearing the right garments to suit his needs. One may argue that if a person abstains from causing harm to others or from criminal behaviour because of 'fear of punishment', and if a person does kindness to another because of seeking 'reward' such as praise, thanks and glory that is self-serving- is this not all vanity? Are the efforts of this person not 'wasted' in vain? But let us ask ourselves- if this 'vanity' stepping stone was not available as an intermediary to help a  'criminal' become a  person who only does good deeds with the sole purpose of seeking The Creator's Pleasure- without expectation for any return- then how would this be possible? We do see it happen- that a person can repent, with a sincere repentance, and be like 'born again' as a new person- but this only releases them from carrying around the load of the past sins- it doesn't actually transform that person into a new person that they want to 'become'- this is something that requires actual 'work' and can take time, be an up and down journey in search of wisdom - which is where vanity veil/ladder/stone plays a huge role: it shows us the down, in order that we go up to Higher, in order that we can dive deeper and fly higher and higher. The Ultimate purpose of this is in order that we worship our Creator and fulfil His Will to the best of our potentials, transform darkness to light and help others to succeed, to the best of our potentials. This becomes like a new 'song' we sing to praise glorify and show gratitude to our Creator, and as the love for our God and our people melts away the vanity veil which clouds our senses of Reality- we see more clearly His Face which ever way we turn and our hand becomes One with His Hand in everything, our hearts open to feeling and giving true love and this love heals our suffering, our pain, and transforms death into eternal life. 

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How does this work? Well- let's imagine at the bottom of the ladder is a fire, a raging fire that burns anyone too close to it- Within the fire are many people, criminals, some people trying to help their loved ones, some people who are disabled and oppressed and facing lots of hardship in life due to to the actions of others who have a temporary power over them- a criminal who finds a tall ladder as an 'escape' mechanism will want to climb onto it and take a few steps higher to escape the burning heat of the fire- but when he or she gets high enough -perhaps they feel 'stuck'- not sure which way to go- should they go down, to a place where they can continue their criminal behaviour (which gives them a temporary pleasure or relief)  and risk getting burnt- or should they face their fear and climb upwards? When they look upward, they see that the ladder is going into the clouds, and it seems a long long way up. Who knows what is beyond the clouds? Now they face fear of the climb, and then notice beside them is a rock they could leap onto quite easily and a platform that seems to offer stability and safety for rest. Unless there is A very good reason to climb up higher the ladder- is it not better to go for what 'appears to be a 'safer option? at least if he or she falls- the fall is not from such a high distance? He notices there are some jewels at the level he is on which entice him more to stay on this level- looking further there is even food, and a river to provide water. Just as he starts to get comfortable, there is a huge gang of wolves which try to surround him ready to attack- the fear kicks in and he flees for his life- the only direction is back to the ladder, the fear of the wolves urges him to jump onto the ladder and climb a few steps higher to get away from immediate danger. He climbs and climbs and then reaches the cloud- The fear of the unknown beyond the cloud prevents him from climbing anymore steps. Then he gets distracted by the beautiful view of the world from where he stands- he feels amazing, like the king of the world, looking down over all the mountains, feels as though the mountains are praising him- he enjoys to just sit at this stage and gaze over his people who are the fire below him- and does not yet hear their cry- even if he heard it it would have no effect on him- all he cares about is saving himself. This level makes him feel 'powerful' and 'better' and more 'deserving' than they- but he himself would not want to be down there with them. Suddenly the clouds seem to be moving down the ladder- covering over each step- so he starts to climb lower and lower due to the fear of the unknown that is over the clouds- but the clouds chase him down as they sink to lower levels and hover around him. When he looks down he sees hands reaching up from the fire as though asking for help, and then starts to hear the screaming cries of children begging for his help- a cry that he had not really 'listened' to before- he then realises that these cries are echoing all around him- from above beyond the clouds and from below him- surrounding him- He realises they are coming from within him! Which way should he go? up through the thick clouds which are trying to push him down back into the fire, or should he face his fear and climb upwards? He decides now that he will pray for Help from His Creator (something he has never be aware of doing before) - and in despair- He cries out like a baby yearning for his mother's milk- 'help!!' 'help me!' and then he sees a hand coming through the cloud above him and he reaches for that hand which gives him the strength to climb a few steps higher through the thick smoke of cloud that covers his senses for a while- but he keeps moving through the darkness, the cold, because he puts trust in the "Hand' that holds on to his. Then a few steps later he reaches a new stage/level/platform! although the ladder seems to go up and up- he reaches a level where the hand reached down from- looks around and here there are wonderful delights, glorious cars, and houses and food and drink and all kinds of beautiful delights to be entertained with. There are no wolves or scary creatures around- feels like a happy place to stay for a while. He asks someone- where do all these come from ? And how can get to enjoy in these delights? He is told that for every kindness or helping hand he offers to someone else who is afraid to take the next step up the ladder from hell- through the thick cloud into the unknown- for every person he helps- he gets a reward on this level. So each day he becomes the helping hand to reach down through the clouds and help another person up the same path that he himself experiences- he starts to feel even empathy toward them- but initially the helping hand was only to suit his own needs and wants- he desires to enjoy the beautiful riches available at this stage- and was told he could only do so if he helped others just as he was helped himself. He did this each day and built up huge mountains of riches. But with each time he helped another person up unto the stage that he was on, he felt as though the cloud that surrounded his own vision and hearing and understanding- seemed less thick, his perception seemed to be clearing and becoming more 'crystal' like. The stains were being removed, the shells were being cracked, his heart was becoming more purified. His empathy for others who were previously in his position- grew and grew so intensity, to the point that he no longer sought after the glittering riches as reward for his efforts to offer a helping hand- instead just seeing the joy and happiness in the other person's face (the one he helped) gave him enough reward and satisfaction to keep helping over and over again. With time, and as his vision became more clear- he began to 'see' the physical rewards for his efforts as nothing more than 'vanity' and began seeing the real 'value' which is in trying to improve his relationships with the other people who lived on this level- he began getting a huge satisfaction in helping others just for the sake of helping them, as he could start to see himself in them and others in himself. He began to feel 'Love' in His heart. One day this 'love' in his heart made him 'Remember' his people he had left behind- his family, his friends, his children- they were still down at the bottom of the ladder- and he had not seen them climb up. He started to 'hear' the cries of children once again- the screams of the pain and suffering from the ones he left behind. This love that was now perceivable and palpable in his heart- helped him to decide to leave behind all of the riches he had earned due to his efforts on this level- and try to work out a way to go back down to help his people. How would he do it? So he remembered the last time he felt in a desperate situation- he cried for help to His Creator from the bottom of his heart "HELP!"- but this time the intent was not to save himself but for His Creator to help him to help his people. The cry for help was for his love for others, not himself- he even would be prepared now to sacrifice and risk his own life in order to help them. At that moment- he returned to the ladder and a huge Eagle like bird was waiting for him. He climbed onto the huge bird - and took much of his collected riches with him- and the bird dived through the thick clouds and hovered over the fire: He shared out his wealth with those in the fire- giving them food, and a cooling drink, in order to help those who have less physical wealth than he had himself. and  - He shared his journey and experience of the ladder with those in the pit and helped to and guide their steps to find it and climb it - he encouraged them to call out for their Creator's Hand and reassured them not to be afraid, that He is Forgiving, and Merciful, helps to remove our burdens that weight us down, and that as long as they kept His commandments, they would not fall back down into the fire and that there were great riches awaiting for them past the cloud- for their efforts- to keep taking the steps, one by one, and never to give up trying. He told them of the great Mercy of His Creator, and that the only reason he wants us to go up to collect the riches, is in order that we come back down to help others with them, and the only reason he gives us this temporary pain and pleasure, is so that we can enter eventually into a kingdom of eternal pleasure, iall together as 'One people' and escape from eternal Hellfire which is His Wrath for those who refuse to help others in need. He saw that some of those in the fire were better than he was before he went up , they were not criminals, but they simply did not want to leave their loved ones behind- they chose to be there suffering with their loved ones because they would find no joy without their presence. He searched fro his family, the ones he loved- He told his people the secrets to eternal life, the key was in their own hearts, and that the purpose of the fire is to burn away the ego, and break through the hard shells which cover our True light- the Light that guides us out from darkness, the Light that reaches out to us like a hand when we are in despair. Only altruistic kindness and love can uncover our senses and reveal our True Essence. Only Truth can burn away the thick cloud and guid us back Home. He advised that some should stay with him in the fire, climb onto the wings of the huge Eagle and help him reach out to more of his people. He found some others in the fire, also doing what he was doing- they too had come 'down' from the 'up' and they too had found the same wisdom he had found. They remained in the deep helping as many as they could, while others chose to escape punishment by climbing the vanity ladder. Some got distracted on the way, and feared to climb higher steps, some fell back down into to fire as they committed crimes on their way up. There was gnashing of teeth and chaos everywhere, but this man and the disciples remained calm and at peace, they were being shielded from the flames, as they felt their Creator's Hand on their hand, The Creator's wings working through nature/his creation- directing the wind as they pleased, with their sincere intention flamed by the fuel of Love. This task involved effort, and required rest. Every now and then the man and the other disciples would climb up to higher and higher levels of the ladder in order to gain more wisdom together with physical riches to bring down to their people in need. This wisdom is what gave them the strength through prayer and meditation, through acts of loving kindness and through justice- to persevere in their efforts and to gain the courage to once again, again and again to help their people. After a while, they began to 'see' even more clearly- and discovered the hidden treasures even in the fire and wrath and misery that was surrounding them in the deep. Their light of their Creator within, shone even more brightly, and they became even more able to help others in need with their light. One day the man decided that he had done enough- He was starting to really enjoy the praise he was receiving from others both in the up and the down- praise for so much for his relentless efforts, and they gradually started to glorify and worship him like a god and 'saviour'. He enjoyed this praise so much that it fuelled his ego once again, and even began to feel the desire to be 'worshipped.' So he climbed up the ladder to the highest stage- above all others and shouted out "Is there a King that is Higher than me?" and demanded that everyone else bowed down to him. His ego prevented him from 'remembering' from where he came and he forgot that he was ever in 'need'. He enjoyed the status of 'king' so much that he did not feel the want or desire to keep moving stage to stage- he wants to remain static- he did not remember that the key to success is in showing gratitude to the 'Hand' that saved him, and his own 'hand' that reaches out to help others. He demanded gratitude directly for his own hand, and forgot to show gratitude for the Hand that has helped him help others. He began to claim that his Hand itself is God and that there is no Hand Higher than his own. Except while doing so, his helping hand stopped working. He stopped reaching out to others and instead painted his Hand in Gold and jewels and demanded that people worship it.  He did not want others to compete to be in his position. Anyone that threatened his position, he would tyrannise, cut off their hands, and try to prevent them from helping others.  With time, his people were suffering once again, feeling oppressed, imprisoned, prevented from spiritual ascension, without a helping hand to reach out to them-  due to his false ego and claims of false godliness. The ones in the flame below, who still had their hands- driven by their anger and vengeance and wrath because of no-one coming down to help them, and no-one responding to their cries, found the ladder in the fire pit, all jumped onto it in an attempt to escape, but due to their fighting and chaos, and lack of wisdom about how to climb it- they shook the ladder off balance and it fell to the ground. The Throne that was at the top of this ladder fell down to- The man on the throne had forgotten that his success was not only because of his own efforts- but also because of the mercy of His Creator- and that without the Mercy of his Creator- He is nothing. He had forgotten that time when he was crying for the help of His Creator, and that his Creator is Higher than him. At this point- all of his efforts were as though in 'vain' and the people below him shook the ladder and he fell down, down and down- from the highest levels, to the lowest- and found himself back on the ground from where he he once started. This wisdom - gained at the Highest level- was indeed the most enlightening one of all- That none has the right to be worshipped- except our Creator. Once this was inscribed unto his heart, and after sincere repentance and mending of his ways, he once again together with the help of his people- repaired the ladder of vanity in hell- began to climb it , and to help others on his way back up. Eventually he realised that his success is the success of his people- re remembered his vow to sacrifice for their sake, rediscovered the love for others as himself and the love for His Creator- and that the highest position of the ladder is a place he wants to share with his friends and family. In order that they may all together as 'One people' praise and glorify and thank their One Creator- Lord of the Worlds. 

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Vanity brings forth Death. However, the 'sacrifice' of vanity for Love- brings further everlasting Life. Without vanity- what would we 'have' to 'sacrifice' in order that we can 'prove' our devotion to our Creator? When we look at it like this- is 'vanity' not a blessing in disguise? Like anything else, how can a curse be transformed into a blessing if it is not in reach of our physical grasp, perception and understanding? The falsehood that is mixed with the truth in our physical bodies- will be burnt/melted/destroyed, and the truth will descend back into the ground from where it came- to return to dust and ashes from the ground. However, death of the physical body enables us to truly appreciate the concept of eternal Life. Just like the leaves which fall from the trees, and the creatures which die and go back into the soil- rise up again as a new creation- our physical bodies too- that part of it which benefits humanity which also rise once again but in a different form. The soul which purifies itself (through using the body to do physical good deeds) never truly dies. For how can True Love ever die? Instead its physical and spiritual seeds that have been planted into the hearts of others and into the ground from which it came will continue to grow and grow into a beautiful Tree of Life. When we become more willingly accepting of 'death' in that we plant seeds of love in hearts of those who we may never come to know in this world ( and not for self-glory/praise or gratitude) and physical seeds of hard work in our toiling of the land - we sacrifice our vanity for love- and therefore transform it into a Tree of Life- which will/and does sustain us forever when we are resurrected both in the physical and spiritual worlds. 

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How can Vanity cause us harm?

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When we worship vanity, it destroys our Relationships with our Creator and within creation. It turns us away from reaching our True Potential as humanity, becoming more Righteous and walking the Higher Ways of Peace, Love, Truth and Justice. 

Vanity causes us harm when we do not recognise it's poison, and the falsehood in its voice. It causes us harm when we do not resist the temptations that it arouses within us when it tries to entice us with its scent, its luring voice, its external beauty, and all of its temporary glitter. It causes us harm when we allow it to deceive us into trusting in its words of falsehood, when we believe it's false promises, and when we rely on it as our 'helper' as like a 'god' beside our Creator/True Reality. Vanity has a way of disguising it's falsehood by covering over itself as a 'false reality' or a delusion of truth. It mixes falsehood with truth- and the truth within it makes us falsely believes in the lies that are mixed up with it. It makes us become 'addicted' to its pleasures it provides as a distraction from Truth, and from the rememberance of our Creator. It draws us closer, to darker places (when we willingly disobey our Creator's Will by following our own desires of Ego) until we become unaware of what is beyond it- we become unable to 'see' Higher Truth with our own eyes and to distinguish good from evil. It offers a 'false sense of oneness' by pursuading us that good and evil are equal, and that darkness and light are equal, so that we lose our conscience and feelings of guilt when we wrong our fellow human. When we eat from the tree of vanity- for the sake of fulfilling our selfish animalistic desires, willingly disobeying our Inner Higher Way of Truth- we eat poison, and lies, and we start living a 'lie' losing our ability to recognise our True Identity in ourselves and others, and unable to reveal it by emulating the Beautiful attributes of our Creator. Vanity covers over our 'love' for one another with shells of false ego, envy, greed, lust, gluttony and wrath to a point that we begin to feel 'hate' instead of love and therefore act like criminals (by disobeying His Commandments) and we become like 'enemies' to The Creator and creation. Vanity invites us to live a life that is in fact a 'lie' and nothing more than a beautiful mirage of water in a desert that we chase after like thirsty camels. Vanity wants to be worshipped. Vanity does not itself willingly surrender to the Higher Service of its Creator- either because it lacks free will, or because it has not yet been transformed to a state of Higher Awareness by the true human being. When we spend our time and efforts in this temporary physical world to chase after all that is vanity with the intention to satisfy our worldly pleasures while willingly disobeying Higher Truth (either out of Fear or Love of God) then we reject/refuse/fail to prove our devotion/Belief/Faith in our Creator, and we willingly allow destruction to enter into our blood, so that we ourselves 'Become' one with Vanity/delusion- and all of our works, become as though in Vain. Our temporary life becomes a vessel or weapon of destruction, division, separation. We become 'unwilling' servants of our ~Creator and therefore experience His Wrath rather than His Mercy. In both worlds, this and the hereafter- we are used as 'fire-wood' and 'stones' which keep fuelled the 'Fire' of our Creator as a Place of Return for the  'company of the Left'. 

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We choose to allow vanity to cause us harm when we rely on our own understanding of truth, instead of seeking the help and guidance form that which is beyond us. It causes us harm when we allow it to put the human being into a 'box' of limited awareness, when we allow ourselves to become enslaved by the desires of our physical existence -our lusts, ego, greed, gluttony, wrath, sloth and envy. This enslavement causes us to either sink into deeper levels of depression, anxiety, fears, and sorrow- or it lifts us up to a deceptive temporary level of joy and happiness that is limited by time, space and the physical bounds of this physical world. Vanity invites us to seek self-glory rather than the Glory of our Creator. Vanity invites us to rely on intermediaries between our perception of 'self' and our Creator. Vanity seeks to destroy, separate and divide creation from its awareness of 'Oneness' with its Creator. The more we are driven by our desires to receive self-proclaimed glory, fame, praise and gratitude in this world of vanity for our efforts - through the gain of knowledge, wisdom, understanding, physical or spiritual riches- the less able we become to help one another in true ways of Truth, Peace and Justice- and to spread unconditional love in the service of Higher Love and therefore truly 'invest' in the world to come'  a world of Peace where we see the Face of our Creator whichever way we turn, a world that is everlasting and where there is no vanity or death. 

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Vanity corrodes our ability to Judge with Truth. Without our ability to Judge according to Higher Truth, The Will Creator- how can there ever be Justice and Peace? How can humanity ever fulfil its Higher Perception if we are unable to see the 'Truth' in His Word and reveal Truth in the world by following them? When we cling on to vanity and rely on it (rather than Higher Truth) as our source of success- we fall into the pit of darkness- either in this world or the world to come. Better to be in this world- for in this physical world the 'pit of suffering' is a blessing in disguise- it lifts up the little good that we do with sincere intention, it helps to purify us from sin, and our experience of the Wrath of our Creator (due to our willing disobedience) which is covered over by His Mercy (that we start to perceive once we become more merciful unto our fellow human and the rest of creation) brings us Hope that we will once again Rise. In the pit of darkness we are in despair, surrounded by depression, anxiety , fear and hopelessness- like a fire- like Hell. Here the fire burns away our ego that wraps over us and covers our senses from our Truth that is buried within our hard shells. Unless we discover our hidden Truth (by choosing to seeking it) so that we can use the wisdom of our hidden Truth to guide us and give us the strength to turn away from evil and do more good- we remain in this place forever (unless God Wills). 

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How can we break free from our addiction to /worship of Vanity?

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We become addicted to falsehood and trapped within the shells of vanity because man is made weak (forgets)- and because of the enticing promises of 'freedom' that is whispered into our hearts so that we are led to believe (by Satan) in the power of our lower self/the desires of our physical bodies- greed, ego, envy, lust, vengeance, sloth, gluttony etc.. our lower self deceives our mind, heart and body into believing that by 'disobeying' our Higher Self "Spirit of Truth", we will be granted the ability to be like God. However once we start taking this path- we fall into a pit of scorpions and snakes, and realise that the mirage of water that we were chasing after like thirsty camels- is not in fact 'Real' and we then must taste a 'Repayment'  for our disobedience- by then experiencing the Wrath (opposite of His Mercy)  of our Maker- our True God. 

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Without self-reflection and the Mercy/Guidance of our Creator- we may not be able to discover/see the lies and deception that is offered to us by Satan using the vanities of this world- wrapped up in gold- claiming to be a 'false god' beside our Creator. This involves forsaking our addictions to intoxicants such as alcohol and drugs which cloud our consciousness/ awareness and distract us from prayer/being more 'self-aware.' Seeking God with humility and accepting that there is a Force that is Higher than the powers of my lust/ego/envy/gluttony/sloth/wrath/greed that is able to rule over us in a way that it means our efforts are not in 'vain.' Unless we can become convinced of the danger of following down the dark paths of self-glorification and vanity- we will be less willing to 'change' the direction of our hearts using the 'sail' of our ship. According to Abrahamic Scripture- Messengers and Prophets were sent to help guide Humanity to 'Return' to their Higher Purpose- with Instruction from our Creator (commandments) in order to help us out from darkness to Light. In order for us to follow these commandments or even desire to fulfil them- we must have the 'Fear/Awe of God' within our hearts, and then with time and perseverance the 'Love of God' and love for humanity also enters upon the heart- making it easier for us to 'understand' and therefore to fulfil our Higher Purpose fully with Joy. Until the Love enters the heart- this process of 'hearing and obeying' can be perceived by our lower self as a 'hardship, pain and suffering' - when in fact it is a purifying process for the soul and body which helps to elevate the lower world, lower the Higher Realms and connect us with Higher perception/awareness of Truth/Will. 

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All that is 'falsehood' whether it be disguised as truth or not- is Vanity. The vanity of this physical world is the tool of Satan (our lower self?) which is used to 'distract us' from the Remembrance of the Creator and from achieving the correct balance in both spiritual and physical matters in order to help us 'succeed' in the Eyes of our Creator and fulfil our Higher Purpose. Part of being able to break free from the enslavement/addiction to all that is vanity- is to bring 'Faith' and 'Awareness of the Unity of our Creator' into the backbone of physical being/existence. If we only sought to 'escape' the falsehood of physical world (by refusing to engage in anything that is physical/vanity) then we would be unable to achieve our Higher Purpose- the task that we accept upon us when we choose to become Human- to help Unite the Infinite Spirit of Truth that hovers over the world, with the finite creation/world below in order to elevate our perception of Reality. We do this by elevating the sparks of holiness that are hidden within the physical world- by cleaving onto Higher Truth and using it as a light to guide us through the foreign lands/deep waters of darkness to help find and release from bondage- the 'lost' parts of our lower self so that they too may  to 'rise' with us in order to fulfil our Higher Potential as One Soul.

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The task of 'setting free' The Higher Spirit of Truth from the limitations of/and addictions to  the temporary vanities of this worldly existence involves 'perseverance and work'. It involves 'Repentance' and willingness to Surrender to The Will of our Creator (by obeying HIs Commandments) and active disciplined sacrifice our bodily desires (ego, lust, envy, greed, sloth, gluttony, vengeance)  in exchange for the Pleasure of our Higher Self. It involves facing hardship, loss, challenges and sometimes suffering in this physical temporary world in Return of Success in the Hereafter. By directing our Will towards the Will of our Maker and Uniting it as 'One Will'- we become able to unite our Higher Spirit of Truth with our thoughts, our emotions, our speech and our action so that we can 'Be' the Word of 'Truth' that we seek to Become more aware of in and Infinite world of Eternal Bliss. 

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How can we find and use the wisdom that lies hidden within all that is vanity to help us transform darkness to Light?

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We should strive to seek to always choose to do the 'right' thing (according to the best of our given abilities, knowledge wisdom and understanding) in any given situation- even if it means we must must experience physical pain, hardship and suffering for it. This takes courage, perseverance, faith and Humility. In order to 'know' what is 'right' in a given situation- whether it be our desire, thought, feelings, speech or action- we must stay 'connected' in our perception to 'Higher Truth' or the 'Spirit of Truth' that is part of who we are- when we nullify ourselves to it completely- letting go of our stiff-necked fixed ways (of what we think we know) and becoming open to learning Higher Ways of Peace and Unity. Regular Prayer and meditation and oft rememberance of our Creator within every moment of life (with each breath) will help us to stay strong, our intentions to be focussed on our Creator's Will/Desire and our hearts focussed on our mission of establishing Justice and Peace and uniting heaven and earth. We must seek 'Truth', think 'Truth', feel 'Truth', Speak 'Truth' and act in fairness/Justice/Peace/Love with 'Truth' and integrity (treating others how we want to be treated)  to the best of our potentials in order to keep our hearts sincere and in order to cleave onto the Spirit of Truth- our higher Self. This cleaving onto Truth will help us to shine the Light in the darkest of places, and help us to reveal the hidden Light that is concealed /trapped by the darkness of vanity. Truth will bring our Hand into obedience to our word, and our word to obedience to our thought, and our thought to obedience to our sincere intention which inclines towards Truth. Our Hand will seek Justice with Truth and through our acts of loving kindness with sincere hearts inclined toward Truth- we will help to uncover the hidden wisdom that is beneath the outer shells of our hearts, behind our vanity veil- When we become more aware that our Hand is One with the Hand of God, and that our Will is One with The Will of our Creator- the vanity veil will be as though removed,  we will be given the ability to "God' in everything and reveal the hidden blessings that have been concealed by all apparent curses due to our Higher Perception of Truth/Reality/Onesness of God. This cleaving unto 'Truth' will unite the Will of the Creator with the will of the earth and all its vanities will be transformed and purified from falsehood. Only the Spirit of Truth can set us free from our addiction to vanity. Only Truth can save our efforts in this worldly life from being wasted.  Only when our hearts are inclined toward Truth can we truly Be who we choose to Become- by The Will of our Creator. 

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Let us choose- Who Am I? who do I want to become? Do I want perceive the more true Reality of my Higher Being? or do I choose to experience/perceive the less true Reality of my lower being? Do I choose to be Merciful or do I choose to be Vengeful? Do I choose to be Light or do I choose to be darkness? Do I choose to be Holy or unholy? Do I choose to be Real or false? Do I choose to worship my Creator 'willingly' or 'unwillingly?' Do I choose to be a slave to Life/Eternity or a slave to falsehood/death? Do I choose to invest in the World to come or do I choose to invest in the vanity of this worldly life? Do I choose Bliss in the Hereafter or do I choose to live a temporary life of bliss in this world? Do I choose to shine the Beautiful Attributes of my Maker as a vessel of His Light? Or do I choose to become the covering that hides His Light? Do I choose to be set Free to express my Higher Self/Spirit of Truth? Or do I choose to cover over my Inner Light by chasing after the false banner of temporary 'freedom' that my ego has to offer me? Perhaps I can choose to be part of both worlds and choose a middle way of 'Balance' in order that I can reveal the Glory of my Maker like a crystal prism refracting the rays of His Beautiful colours unto the rest of creation? Perhaps in order to truly be Human, I must stop trying to be who I am not, and instead of rejecting the parts of me that I do not like to accept, instead embrace them with love and compassion, in order to help the darkest parts of myself discover its hidden Light?

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When we Truly seek it-  we become able to discover the hidden secrets of wisdom concealed by the vanity of this physical world- by The Mercy of our Creator Who unveils the covering according to our soul capacity. If it is revealed too quickly, or uncovered without adequate preparation of the physical body- then the vessel of our body shatters, and our eyes become blinded by the Light. If we are unable to maintain our physical form of our lower self in a way that enables us to continue our false but necessary perception of duality so that we can experience our 'Relationship' with our Creator- then we become unable to reflect the garments of our Creator's Attributes to the lower worlds as a human being- who is both upper and lower self united as One By Truth/Love/Peace. When our perception of duality blinds us to the point of setting up gods/idols/falsehood as a God beside our Creator- then this Peace which unites our upper and lower world becomes broken and we find our perception of reality adjusts accordingly so that we then are less able to see the hidden sparks of wisdom, the blessing in the curse. Therefore it is essential that during our journey of discovering hidden wisdom in order to transform darkness to Light- we must be Aware of the Oneness/Unity of our Creator and know that 'there is no Reality other than God.' The more we become aware of this, the more we will be given the ability to filter out the dirt from the water, and the water from the dirt. When we remind ourselves that nothing that we perceive to exist can be part of Reality unless its Creator Wills it- so without a Higher Purpose/Spirit of Truth present within it- so either it must be a delusion/ or it pleases God for it to continue to exist/Has a Higher Purpose. When we refine our ability to bring the Unity awareness of our Creator into our perceived Reality in every given moment- we discover our hidden ability of being able to find a Higher purpose for even the dirt that we have extracted from the water. This way, even the unholy becomes pure because we find for it a purpose that helps the rest of creation. And dirt is something that mankind can really relate to isn't it? Was the body of man not made from altered mud? Unless we accept this as part of our Reality and find in our hearts a way to Love the earth and all the creatures within it- we cannot reach our Highest potential of transforming darkness to light, and curses into blessings- by uniting Heaven and Earth. 

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Please visit 'Darkness to Light' Page and use the 'self reflection'- exercises that might help us to meditate on and discover from within ourselves- the Beautiful Attributes of our Creator- that can help us to Rise up unto our feet and heal our broken wings- so that by the Help of our Maker we are not trapped within the prison walls of 'wrath and destruction' through our addiction to/worship of vanity

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For those of us that choose to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, through the fall of man into the lower world where everything under the sun is vanity- we sin through our disobedience to our Creator by choosing to worship creation as a god instead of or beside our Creator- causing separation rather than union between husband and wife, Father and daughter, Mother and son. - but for those of us who seek Mercy, Forgiveness and Redemption after making a mistake/forgetting- there is a way Back to perceiving our Creator again. This involves transforming vanity into a smoke of sacrifice that is Pleasing to our Lord.

When we feel lost, alone, in the wilderness of the desert of our soul, or on our ship alone in the darkest depths of a stormy ocean- who do we cry out to? Is it not our Creator we call out to for help when we find that all our idols have forsaken us? Our 'losing' ourselves by eating of the forbidden temporary delights of the vanities of the world through our willing disobedience- leads us further into these desperate moments/experiences- it is here that we discover that our lower self/satan offers only lies, delusion and false promises. Our minds and hearts cannot save us unless they are One with the Will of its Creator. It is here that we become convinced that falsehood (even if it is mixed with truth) can never overcome Truth. It is here we realise that only our Creator can save us, and that unless we follow His Ways, and unless He has Mercy on us- we are nothing. 

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