Promise Land

[loinharte]

I've wondered what the Promise Land looks like. Is it a work of god or satan?

[Ryushikaze]

Neither. It is a work of Kitase, Nomura, and Nojima.

Though as an aside, if it weren't a work of the three, who is to say it could not be a work of Vishnu, Amaterasu, or Freya?

[Mr. Lawl]

depends on which promised land you're talking about
If you mean the one in FFVII, then niether, because neither exist in the game.

[Pure Aerisbeauty7]

It is a work of God. It is a place where everyone can live happily and they don't have to worry about bad things happening. It's like Heaven.:) :angel:

[Thorn]

I wish they had put some promised land in the game. With like rivers of Mako and materia for flowers.

[Sefie1999AD]

I always thought the Promised Land was meant to be like Heaven. Aeris says the Promised Land is "a land that promises boundless happiness."

[G SpOtZ]

I was thinking more along the lines of Costa Del Sol.

[PerpetualBurn]

Wasn't the Promised Land a metaphor? Wasn't that a pretty big part of the game?

[Zeromus_X]

I always assumed it was just the Lifestream.

So what is it really?

[G SpOtZ]

It's a wonderful place, oh yes it is. Let me tell you a story of a little boy named Pedro, and his trip to the Promised Land, years after the events in FFVII.

Pedro was trotting along the woods, in hope of resurrecting Aeris. He wasn't quite the necropheliac, but he was alwasy into seemingly innocent flower girls, specifically those who use incorrect grammar, such as using a plural verb to describe how sick a singular noun is. Oh boy, did that turn him on. While skipping like a little schoolgirl boy girl, he came across a marble... It glowed a bit, with a blue-ish, green-ish hue. He picked it up, and decided to take a bite, because as a child, he was deprived of solid foods. No fried chocobo for Pedro. All work and no fun made Pedro a dull boy, but that's okay, because now he had a Holy Materia to chew on. After realizing that the shards of materia were making his mouth bleed, he noticed he was in a completely different environment. The putrid smell of Mako filled the wonderful green scenery. Rivers of Mako flowed, and Pedro could hear the laughter of children... and Palmer. Yes, there was Palmer, downing his shots of Shera's goddamn tea, extra lard. Oh yes, it sure was a Promised Land for Palmer. Pedro wasn't very familiar with Palmer, so he kept on walking. Off to the end, was Zack. His black crazy hair looked like it could knock Pedro out with a single head-turn, so Pedro stayed distant. His mother had a tail of a dinosaur, so Pedro was wise when it came to these odd situations. The only reason Pedro approached Zack was because Aeris was speaking to him. Pedro scooted over towards Aeris, who wore a nametag that said "Aerith", but Pedro would be damned to say his love's name with a lisp.
"Excuse me..." Pedro said, as he tugged on her pink dress. Aeris turned around, and saw the small child, with such innocent eyes.
"Yes, are you lost?" She asked.
"Baby, I'm only lost in your eyes," Pedro said, with a wink. Who'd have ever thought that a small town boy with a funny accent would have some smooth words? Aeris awed and pinched his cheeks, but Pedro could tell... Zack didn't like that very much. In fact, Zack drew his sword. It was then, that the Promised Land... was not so wonderful anymore. No, not with Zack's fury. However, Palmer was giddy and plump as ever, in his little corner. But that's a different story.
Zack lunged at Pedro, sword held high, but Aeris was quick enough to get in the way. Yes, another sword in Aeris.
Bigger swords... hurt more... and I'm actually bleeding this time... thought Aeris, who was indeed, bleeding profusely.
Pedro cried like he never cried before. All he wanted was to resurrect a dead flower girl who smelled a bit stinky, for lack of showers in the Promised Land... but all he got, was a dead, dead girl. Zack also wept, for now, he did not have a sex buddy. All he had... was a lot of Mako and a jolly fat man to share his love with. Could this be a new start for Zack? That's another story for another time.
Pedro, on the other hand, accidentally swallowed the shards of the Holy Materia, for some reason, he was no longer in the Promised Land. In fact, he was in Bone Village... Where diggers were trying to find Aeris in the ground. One claimed that she would end up in the treasure chest over night, but that was sadly only a dream that one could hold onto. Pedro walked off... Only to hold the memories of a Promised Land that was never so Promised... No, it was not heaven. It was no paradise. It was more like a corny cyber sex chat room. Two deadbeat losers wanting to get some, and a fat man in denial.

That is the story of Pedro, and his trip to the Promised Land.

[Xurts]

The Promised Land is definately real. SoS explains it very well:


The Promised Land is something personal for every individual. Someone can't tell another individual what the Promised Land is. The Promised Land isn't the same for every person. It is whatever grants a person a sense of completion, a sense of supreme joy and happiness. For one person, this may be their romantic partner; for another, it may be their children; for another, it may be money; for yet another, it may be achieving, acquiring, or learning any number of different things.

[TRANS_AM409]

the promised land isnt a physical place in ff7 it the place the cetra retutn to whent they die(life stream) where they are eternaly happy to be joind back with earth the thing they worship.

[Xurts]

the promised land isnt a physical place in ff7 it the place the cetra retutn to whent they die(life stream) where they are eternaly happy to be joind back with earth the thing they worship.
The Cetra's Promised Land is returning to the Lifestream. But for other people it is different.

[G SpOtZ]

For little Pedro, it was a wonderful, yet frightful experience.

[PerpetualBurn]

I stand corrected.

[chrisfffan]

i thought the promised land was at the end of the game where it goes 500 years later.

[TRANS_AM409]

i thought the promised land was at the end of the game where it goes 500 years later.

no that was just what midgar looked like 500 years after metor nearly hit

[loinharte]

nice explanation G SpOtZ

[TRANS_AM409]

theres is no promised land for the regular people

[loinharte]

im irregular

[TRANS_AM409]

im irregular
so your a cetra man i thought aeris was the last one

[loinharte]

aeris was the last one

i been hidden for some time SHHH! dont tell

[TRANS_AM409]

ohhh ok hey every body dont tell anybody or sephiroth that loinharte is a cetra shhh!!!!

[Xurts]

theres is no promised land for the regular people
There most certainly is.

[TRANS_AM409]

what is it then huh

[Xurts]

what is it then huh

The Promised Land is something personal for every individual. Someone can't tell another individual what the Promised Land is. The Promised Land isn't the same for every person. It is whatever grants a person a sense of completion, a sense of supreme joy and happiness. For one person, this may be their romantic partner; for another, it may be their children; for another, it may be money; for yet another, it may be achieving, acquiring, or learning any number of different things.

It helps to read other replies. ;)

[Zeromus_X]

Yeah, but what proof from the game or creators have they given? I've always just assumed that the Promised Land was the Lifestream, but isn't there any info in the Ultimania book or from the creators? Or is it forever just going to be some mysterious thing nobody is ever going to find out about? Other theories I've heard which also sound believable are that it's really Midgar, the Northern Crater, and that the Cetra were looking for the 'Promised Land' by traveling from planet to planet.

[G SpOtZ]

You all obviously haven't played FFVII-2.

[Xurts]

Yeah, but what proof from the game or creators have they given? I've always just assumed that the Promised Land was the Lifestream, but isn't there any info in the Ultimania book or from the creators? Or is it forever just going to be some mysterious thing nobody is ever going to find out about? Other theories I've heard which also sound believable are that it's really Midgar, the Northern Crater, and that the Cetra were looking for the 'Promised Land' by traveling from planet to planet.
Well, I wasn't going to post Squall of SeeD's entire chapter explaining it, because I thought it would be too long and that the paragraph I quoted explained it well enough. I suppose I could post the chapter now, if you want a more thorough and complete explanation.

SoS explains this very well, like he does with everything else in his FAQ.


13) -The Promised Land Revealed-

"What is the Promised Land?" The great question of Final Fantasy VII's mythos.
The question that players, in-game characters, and game developers have sought
an answer for. Is the Promised Land the Northern Crater, a land filled with
rising Spirit Energy, as Shin-Ra believed the Promised Land to be? Or is it
Midgar, the technological behemoth of metal and highways where Shin-Ra held
its seat of power for decades, as the game's Character Designer, Tetsuya
Nomura, once said he believed it to be? Is it the Lifestream itself, the great
river of Spirit Energy from which all life on the Planet Gaia springs? Or is
it something which we find within ourselves? Here, I will seek to answer the
great question.

The answer to all of the questions above is this: Yes. Yes, the Northern
Crater IS the Promised Land. Yes, Midgar IS the Promised Land. Yes, the
Lifestream IS the Promised Land. Yes, the Promised Land IS a peace which one
finds within theirself. But the answer to the above questions is not "Yes" for
everyone. For many, the answer to all these questions may be "No." The
Promised Land is something personal for every individual. Someone can't tell
another individual what the Promised Land is. The Promised Land isn't the same
for every person. It is whatever grants a person a sense of completion, a
sense of supreme joy and happiness. For one person, this may be their romantic
partner; for another, it may be their children; for another, it may be money;
for yet another, it may be achieving, acquiring, or learning any number of
different things.

We find two indications in-game of the Promised Land being something personal.
The first comes from Aerith when AVALANCHE has been jailed in the Shin-Ra
headquarters, and the second comes from Elder Hargo of Cosmo Canyon. Aerith
says that her mother's spirit has told her that one day she would leave Midgar
and find HER Promised Land:

Aerith
"Someday I'll get out of Midgar... Speak with the Planet and find my
Promised Land."
"...That's what mom said."
"I thought I would stop hearing her voice as I grew up, but...."


As for Elder Hargo, he first states that he believes there is no one thing
called the Promised Land. He then goes on to describe what he believes to have
been the Promised Land for the Cetra, citing them rejoining with the Planet
(the Lifestream) at the time of their deaths as being the fulfillment of their
journeys and the acquisition of their supreme happiness:

"There is no one place called the Promised Land. That is what I believe. No
no, it does exist. Hmmm... You can say that too. In other words, it doesn't
exist for us, but it did for the Ancients. The Promised Land is the resting
place of the Ancients. The life of the Ancients is one continuous journey. A
journey to grow trees and plants, produce animals, and raise mako energy.
Their harsh journeys continued throughout their lives... The place they return
to after their long journey... Their burial land is the Promised Land. Huh?
Supreme happiness? I believe that, for the Ancients, it was the moment that
they were able to return to their planet. At that moment they were released
from their fate, and gained their supreme happiness..."


The Promised Land for the Ancients was the Lifestream. This does not
necessarily hold true for everyone, however.

To summarize things thus far, the Promised Land is not the same for everyone.
It may be anything for anyone, but it is whatever gives that person supreme
joy, whatever grants them fulfillment. Considering that people are quite
possibly as varied in desires as there are things to be desired, there may be
a limitless number of Promised Lands, a different one for every person that
one sees.

Having now established what the Promised Land is, or -- more accurately --
what the Promised LANDS are, let us now examine how one finds this place of
ultimate joy. According to Aerith, the location of the Promised Land is not
something one will know until they've found it:

Aerith
"...You don't 'know' where the Promised Land of the Ancients is."
"You search and travel, until you feel it. Like you just know,
'...this is the Promised Land.'"


What's interesting to note about this is that Aerith only says that one
doesn't know WHERE their Promised Land is. To put it another way, they don't
know HOW TO FIND it, though they may know full well WHAT it is for them. To
give an example, one whose Promised Land is fulfilling their desire to have a
romantic partner that they will love wholeheartedly and who will love them
back wholeheartedly may know that this is their ultimate desire, yet they may
not know at all how to achieve it. This is true of many people who will find
fulfillment in all-consuming romantic love, and also true of many others who
know what their ultimate desire is. According to Aerith, they all would
"search and search" until they just felt it and KNEW that they had found their
Promised Land, their ultimate fulfillment.

Another side to the difficulty in knowing where/how to find one's Promised
Land is the hardships that they most likely will face in searching for it.
Using again the example of one who seeks all-consuming romantic love, they may
find that the path to this is not an easy one. They will likely face a great
deal of emotional sorrow and hardship before they find this ultimate
happiness. Quite often, those who seek this particular brand of fulfillment
will find themselves becoming "desperate for love" as such folks are often
described, possibly resorting to any number of means by which to find this
love, whether it is singles clubs, love match websites, or ads in the
Personals section of their local newspaper. To clarify this particular point,'
a Promised Land will not be achieved save by overcoming hardship. This is
directly connected to the game's theme of building off of the concept of the
Sephiroth of Jewish mysticism.

In the Kabbalah, it's stated that man is separated from God by the sin of the
world, and the only way he can return to God is by navigating the paths of the
Sephiroth. The Sephiroth, also known as the "Tree of Life," is a spiritual
grid that represents the 10 divine emanations of God as projected into the
mortal world. These 10 aspects of God are comprised of 22 paths based in seven
realms of mortal existance. Along each path, a soul must overcome obstacles to
reach the next node, gaining a further understanding of itself and more of its
potential -- yet still limited -- understanding of God. If it is triumphant
throughout the life of its time as a mortal, it will gain a full understanding
of itself and as great an understanding of God as is possible for a mortal
being. The soul attains this great understanding when it reaches the central
node on the grid, the Tifaret (also spelled as "Tipharet," "Tiferet," and
"Tipheret"). From here, the soul will ascend to the seventh and highest realm
of conscious mortal existance, where it gains full understanding of itself and
may rejoin with God.

Just as an individual following the paths of the Sephiroth and seeking their
way back to God must overcome obstacles along the paths in order to achieve
this, so too must one do so in seeking their Promised Land. This is
demonstrated in-game by the Cetra's journey. It is described as a "harsh, hard
journey" at the end of which they would find their Promised Land:

Sephiroth
"This Planet originally belonged to the Cetra. Cetra was a
itinerant race. They would migrate in, settle the Planet, then move on..."
"At the end of their harsh, hard journey, they would find the
Promised Land and supreme happiness."


Referring back to Elder Hargo's comments on the Cetra, again, he states that
the "harsh, hard journey" of the Cetra ended when they were allowed to rejoin
with the Lifestream:

"The life of the Ancients is one continuous journey. A journey to grow trees
and plants, produce animals, and raise mako energy. Their harsh journeys
continued throughout their lives... The place they return to after their long
journey... Their burial land is the Promised Land. Huh? Supreme happiness? I
believe that, for the Ancients, it was the moment that they were able to
return to their planet. At that moment they were released from their fate, and
gained their supreme happiness..."


We can connect the matter of rejoining with the Lifestream to the matter of
rejoining with the Promised Land in the case of the Cetra based on what Aerith
says concerning the Cetra's origins, and what Bugenhagen says concerning
Spirit Energy and the cycle of rebirth in Final Fantasy VII:

(Aerith in the Shin-Ra headquarters)
Aerith
"All I know is..."
"The Cetra were born from the Planet, speak with the Planet, and
unlock the Planet."
"And....... then......"
"The Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land that promises
supreme happiness."


(Bugenhagen in Cosmo Canyon)
Bugenhagen
"Well, let's get to the subject."
"Eventually... all humans die. What happens to them after they die?"
"The body decomposes, and returns to the Planet. That much everyone
knows. What about their consciousness, their hearts and their
souls?"
"The soul too returns to the Planet."
"And not only those of humans, but everything on this Planet. In
fact, all living things in the universe, are the same."

Bugenhagen
"The spirits that return to the Planet, merge with one another and
roam the Planet."
"They roam, converge, and divide, becoming a swell, called the
'Lifestream'."
"Lifestream.... In other words, a path of energy of the souls roaming
the Planet."

Bugenhagen
"'Spirit Energy' is a word that you should never forget."
"A new life... children are blessed with Spirit energy and are
brought into the world."
"Then, the time comes when they die and once again return to the
Planet..."


While this brings up the question of why the journey to DIE is made so
difficult for the Cetra, there may have been any number of cultural
assumptions amongst the Cetra that led them to feel that they must do their
best to help cultivate life on the Planet in order to rejoin with the
Lifestream, or perhaps it was a sense of duty that drove them in such a
regard. The game is, sadly, unclear on this matter, nor are hints provided.
For all we're made aware, there may have been a cultural assumption amongst
the Cetra that they felt they would only be worthy of the return to the
Lifestream by helping to cultivate life on the Planet's surface. Whatever the
reason, this journey of the Cetra along the paths of the Sephiroth to reach
their own personal Promised Land was a journey to the Lifestream, made more
difficult for them than it was for other forms of life due to it being the
fulfillment of self for these Ancients.

What we can conclude from all this is that the Promised Land is not the same
thing for everyone, nor is there any means by which an individual can
determine HOW to find their personal Promised Land. They simply must seek it
out, and when they find it, they will just KNOW they have found it. We can
also conclude that -- whatever an individual's journey may be for -- the path
to one's Promised Land will be made harsh for the sake of them overcoming
obstacles in order to reach it. While one individual may be able to easily
attain something that is not very special to them, for another, that is their
Promised Land and it will be a harsh path, indeed, before they can acquire it.

As for why this may be, it is likely to provide the Spirit Energy of the
individual with the necessity to undergo experiences, forming memories and
maturing as a result. All this is done so that when the Spirit Energy's host
body dies and the Spirit Energy returns to the Lifestream, it will be able to
provide memories/experiences for the Lifestream as a whole to learn from and
grow. We know that it is these memories and experiences that provide the
Lifestream with the ability to live and grow based on a statement made in the
first Final Fantasy film, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within:

(Aki Ross, quoting Dr. Sid's journal)
"All life is born of Gaia and each life has a spirit. Each new spirit is
housed in a physical body. ...Through their experiences on Earth each spirit
matures and grows. When the physical body dies the mature spirit enriched by
its life on Earth returns to Gaia bringing with it the experiences, enabling
Gaia to live and grow."

The implications of the matter would suggest that limits are placed on an
individual's abilities, the situations they're placed in, or both, so as to
provide them with the NECESSITY to struggle for their ultimate achievement of
self.

In conclusion, the Promised Land is a reality, and it is a different reality
for different people. It is also the culmination of their effort and the
hardships that they must face and overcome. These are hardships that they will
absolutely be required to deal with in order to mature as an individual and
reach their Promised Land, in so doing, ensuring that they will provide the
lifecycle as a whole with the means by which to grow.

[TRANS_AM409]

SOO longggg

[Zeromus_X]

No, it isn't that long.

Well, okay then. I'd really like something from the creators though, until then, I'll just be a bit skeptical.

[Xurts]

There is a section on the Promised Land in the FF7 Ultimania Omega FAQ, also. This one is pretty short.


**The Ancients Relation 1: The Promised Land** (005.2A)
The aim of the Cetra was to find the land where supreme happiness awaited.
Passed down as an oral tradition, what the land of supreme happiness is
supposed to be was never concretely identified.

The Shin-Ra interpreted that a land of supreme happiness must be somewhere where they could find abundant mako [as it would make them even more wealthy], and wished to use an Ancient to help them find it, while Sephiroth considered the Promised Land to be a place in which he could draw the power to use the Black Materia in his aim to become a "god." Though both of them had different goals, they both got the idea that the Northern Crater was the place they were looking for.

The theory of one of the Planet Life scholars [in Cosmo Canyon] is that the
Cetra's mission to find the land of supreme happiness is equivalent to the
peaceful sleep [of dying and returning to the Planet] (a line delivered [in
the game]). According to this theory, the Lifestream -- to which everyone
returns -- is itself the Promised Land, but this is not something that one can
assert to be true for everyone. Therefore, it is in each person's hands to
take their own interpretation.

(Accompanying screenshot caption)
For one with the conception that the Promised Land is a place where energy
swells up from inside the sleeping earth, the Northern Crater -- where the
Lifestream breathes forth -- may be it.

------------------------
[Analysis: Here, we're pretty much told that there's no correct take on what
the Promised Land is, and that it could be any number of different things for
any number of different people. It can even be the same thing that another
person would consider the Promised Land, but for entirely different reasons.
Sephiroth and Shin-Ra both considered the Northern Crater to be the Promised Land; Sephiroth because he knew he could use the energy there to help him use the Black Materia in his plans to become a "god," and Shin-Ra because they saw it as a land where "the abundant Mako will just come out on its own," allowing them to bypass the costly maintenance of mako reactors and just reap profits.

The basic conclusion is that there is no conclusion: the Promised Land is not one thing, and is something specific to each individual. This idea is brought up again in the "Maiden who Travels the Planet" novella at the back of the Ultimania Omega, in which Aerith refers to the Lifestream as the Cetra's
Promised Land, while the Northern Crater is referred to as Sephiroth's Promised Land.]
------------------------
I think that makes it pretty clear on what Square intended it to be.

[Ryushikaze]

I think this is further enhanced by the comment by, Nomura, was it? It's been awhile, might have been Nojima, but I'm pretty sure it was Nomura. Anyways, he has gone on record saying that he thought that Midgar was the promised land for awhile based on Cloud's statements in the crater.

Which, of course, it very well might be. For Cloud, the promised land could be where he can be with the one he loves, where she lives.

And yes, I mean Tifa. After the comments in Reunion files, I refuse to hedge any longer.

[loinharte]

Originally Posted by Squall of SeeD's FF7 FAQ:
13) -The Promised Land Revealed-

"What is the Promised Land?" The great question of Final Fantasy VII's mythos.
The question that players, in-game characters, and game developers have sought
an answer for. Is the Promised Land the Northern Crater, a land filled with
rising Spirit Energy, as Shin-Ra believed the Promised Land to be? Or is it
Midgar, the technological behemoth of metal and highways where Shin-Ra held
its seat of power for decades, as the game's Character Designer, Tetsuya
Nomura, once said he believed it to be? Is it the Lifestream itself, the great
river of Spirit Energy from which all life on the Planet Gaia springs? Or is
it something which we find within ourselves? Here, I will seek to answer the
great question.

The answer to all of the questions above is this: Yes. Yes, the Northern
Crater IS the Promised Land. Yes, Midgar IS the Promised Land. Yes, the
Lifestream IS the Promised Land. Yes, the Promised Land IS a peace which one
finds within theirself. But the answer to the above questions is not "Yes" for
everyone. For many, the answer to all these questions may be "No." The
Promised Land is something personal for every individual. Someone can't tell
another individual what the Promised Land is. The Promised Land isn't the same
for every person. It is whatever grants a person a sense of completion, a
sense of supreme joy and happiness. For one person, this may be their romantic
partner; for another, it may be their children; for another, it may be money;
for yet another, it may be achieving, acquiring, or learning any number of
different things.

We find two indications in-game of the Promised Land being something personal.
The first comes from Aerith when AVALANCHE has been jailed in the Shin-Ra
headquarters, and the second comes from Elder Hargo of Cosmo Canyon. Aerith
says that her mother's spirit has told her that one day she would leave Midgar
and find HER Promised Land:

Aerith
"Someday I'll get out of Midgar... Speak with the Planet and find my
Promised Land."
"...That's what mom said."
"I thought I would stop hearing her voice as I grew up, but...."


As for Elder Hargo, he first states that he believes there is no one thing
called the Promised Land. He then goes on to describe what he believes to have
been the Promised Land for the Cetra, citing them rejoining with the Planet
(the Lifestream) at the time of their deaths as being the fulfillment of their
journeys and the acquisition of their supreme happiness:

"There is no one place called the Promised Land. That is what I believe. No
no, it does exist. Hmmm... You can say that too. In other words, it doesn't
exist for us, but it did for the Ancients. The Promised Land is the resting
place of the Ancients. The life of the Ancients is one continuous journey. A
journey to grow trees and plants, produce animals, and raise mako energy.
Their harsh journeys continued throughout their lives... The place they return
to after their long journey... Their burial land is the Promised Land. Huh?
Supreme happiness? I believe that, for the Ancients, it was the moment that
they were able to return to their planet. At that moment they were released
from their fate, and gained their supreme happiness..."


The Promised Land for the Ancients was the Lifestream. This does not
necessarily hold true for everyone, however.

To summarize things thus far, the Promised Land is not the same for everyone.
It may be anything for anyone, but it is whatever gives that person supreme
joy, whatever grants them fulfillment. Considering that people are quite
possibly as varied in desires as there are things to be desired, there may be
a limitless number of Promised Lands, a different one for every person that
one sees.

Having now established what the Promised Land is, or -- more accurately --
what the Promised LANDS are, let us now examine how one finds this place of
ultimate joy. According to Aerith, the location of the Promised Land is not
something one will know until they've found it:

Aerith
"...You don't 'know' where the Promised Land of the Ancients is."
"You search and travel, until you feel it. Like you just know,
'...this is the Promised Land.'"


What's interesting to note about this is that Aerith only says that one
doesn't know WHERE their Promised Land is. To put it another way, they don't
know HOW TO FIND it, though they may know full well WHAT it is for them. To
give an example, one whose Promised Land is fulfilling their desire to have a
romantic partner that they will love wholeheartedly and who will love them
back wholeheartedly may know that this is their ultimate desire, yet they may
not know at all how to achieve it. This is true of many people who will find
fulfillment in all-consuming romantic love, and also true of many others who
know what their ultimate desire is. According to Aerith, they all would
"search and search" until they just felt it and KNEW that they had found their
Promised Land, their ultimate fulfillment.

Another side to the difficulty in knowing where/how to find one's Promised
Land is the hardships that they most likely will face in searching for it.
Using again the example of one who seeks all-consuming romantic love, they may
find that the path to this is not an easy one. They will likely face a great
deal of emotional sorrow and hardship before they find this ultimate
happiness. Quite often, those who seek this particular brand of fulfillment
will find themselves becoming "desperate for love" as such folks are often
described, possibly resorting to any number of means by which to find this
love, whether it is singles clubs, love match websites, or ads in the
Personals section of their local newspaper. To clarify this particular point,'
a Promised Land will not be achieved save by overcoming hardship. This is
directly connected to the game's theme of building off of the concept of the
Sephiroth of Jewish mysticism.

In the Kabbalah, it's stated that man is separated from God by the sin of the
world, and the only way he can return to God is by navigating the paths of the
Sephiroth. The Sephiroth, also known as the "Tree of Life," is a spiritual
grid that represents the 10 divine emanations of God as projected into the
mortal world. These 10 aspects of God are comprised of 22 paths based in seven
realms of mortal existance. Along each path, a soul must overcome obstacles to
reach the next node, gaining a further understanding of itself and more of its
potential -- yet still limited -- understanding of God. If it is triumphant
throughout the life of its time as a mortal, it will gain a full understanding
of itself and as great an understanding of God as is possible for a mortal
being. The soul attains this great understanding when it reaches the central
node on the grid, the Tifaret (also spelled as "Tipharet," "Tiferet," and
"Tipheret"). From here, the soul will ascend to the seventh and highest realm
of conscious mortal existance, where it gains full understanding of itself and
may rejoin with God.

Just as an individual following the paths of the Sephiroth and seeking their
way back to God must overcome obstacles along the paths in order to achieve
this, so too must one do so in seeking their Promised Land. This is
demonstrated in-game by the Cetra's journey. It is described as a "harsh, hard
journey" at the end of which they would find their Promised Land:

Sephiroth
"This Planet originally belonged to the Cetra. Cetra was a
itinerant race. They would migrate in, settle the Planet, then move on..."
"At the end of their harsh, hard journey, they would find the
Promised Land and supreme happiness."


Referring back to Elder Hargo's comments on the Cetra, again, he states that
the "harsh, hard journey" of the Cetra ended when they were allowed to rejoin
with the Lifestream:

"The life of the Ancients is one continuous journey. A journey to grow trees
and plants, produce animals, and raise mako energy. Their harsh journeys
continued throughout their lives... The place they return to after their long
journey... Their burial land is the Promised Land. Huh? Supreme happiness? I
believe that, for the Ancients, it was the moment that they were able to
return to their planet. At that moment they were released from their fate, and
gained their supreme happiness..."


We can connect the matter of rejoining with the Lifestream to the matter of
rejoining with the Promised Land in the case of the Cetra based on what Aerith
says concerning the Cetra's origins, and what Bugenhagen says concerning
Spirit Energy and the cycle of rebirth in Final Fantasy VII:

(Aerith in the Shin-Ra headquarters)
Aerith
"All I know is..."
"The Cetra were born from the Planet, speak with the Planet, and
unlock the Planet."
"And....... then......"
"The Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land that promises
supreme happiness."


(Bugenhagen in Cosmo Canyon)
Bugenhagen
"Well, let's get to the subject."
"Eventually... all humans die. What happens to them after they die?"
"The body decomposes, and returns to the Planet. That much everyone
knows. What about their consciousness, their hearts and their
souls?"
"The soul too returns to the Planet."
"And not only those of humans, but everything on this Planet. In
fact, all living things in the universe, are the same."

Bugenhagen
"The spirits that return to the Planet, merge with one another and
roam the Planet."
"They roam, converge, and divide, becoming a swell, called the
'Lifestream'."
"Lifestream.... In other words, a path of energy of the souls roaming
the Planet."

Bugenhagen
"'Spirit Energy' is a word that you should never forget."
"A new life... children are blessed with Spirit energy and are
brought into the world."
"Then, the time comes when they die and once again return to the
Planet..."


While this brings up the question of why the journey to DIE is made so
difficult for the Cetra, there may have been any number of cultural
assumptions amongst the Cetra that led them to feel that they must do their
best to help cultivate life on the Planet in order to rejoin with the
Lifestream, or perhaps it was a sense of duty that drove them in such a
regard. The game is, sadly, unclear on this matter, nor are hints provided.
For all we're made aware, there may have been a cultural assumption amongst
the Cetra that they felt they would only be worthy of the return to the
Lifestream by helping to cultivate life on the Planet's surface. Whatever the
reason, this journey of the Cetra along the paths of the Sephiroth to reach
their own personal Promised Land was a journey to the Lifestream, made more
difficult for them than it was for other forms of life due to it being the
fulfillment of self for these Ancients.

What we can conclude from all this is that the Promised Land is not the same
thing for everyone, nor is there any means by which an individual can
determine HOW to find their personal Promised Land. They simply must seek it
out, and when they find it, they will just KNOW they have found it. We can
also conclude that -- whatever an individual's journey may be for -- the path
to one's Promised Land will be made harsh for the sake of them overcoming
obstacles in order to reach it. While one individual may be able to easily
attain something that is not very special to them, for another, that is their
Promised Land and it will be a harsh path, indeed, before they can acquire it.

As for why this may be, it is likely to provide the Spirit Energy of the
individual with the necessity to undergo experiences, forming memories and
maturing as a result. All this is done so that when the Spirit Energy's host
body dies and the Spirit Energy returns to the Lifestream, it will be able to
provide memories/experiences for the Lifestream as a whole to learn from and
grow. We know that it is these memories and experiences that provide the
Lifestream with the ability to live and grow based on a statement made in the
first Final Fantasy film, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within:

(Aki Ross, quoting Dr. Sid's journal)
"All life is born of Gaia and each life has a spirit. Each new spirit is
housed in a physical body. ...Through their experiences on Earth each spirit
matures and grows. When the physical body dies the mature spirit enriched by
its life on Earth returns to Gaia bringing with it the experiences, enabling
Gaia to live and grow."

The implications of the matter would suggest that limits are placed on an
individual's abilities, the situations they're placed in, or both, so as to
provide them with the NECESSITY to struggle for their ultimate achievement of
self.

In conclusion, the Promised Land is a reality, and it is a different reality
for different people. It is also the culmination of their effort and the
hardships that they must face and overcome. These are hardships that they will
absolutely be required to deal with in order to mature as an individual and
reach their Promised Land, in so doing, ensuring that they will provide the
lifecycle as a whole with the means by which to grow.


toooo loonngg

anyway the i think that regular people unlike myself (cause im cetra) have ther own lifestream

[Xurts]

Lol. Definately untrue.

[loinharte]

y i think there is.......sorry the planet started talkin to me again
what was i talkin about
o ya
i have no proof but... tha planet say there is. y dont u think so

[Xurts]

Why would I think so? There is only 1 Lifestream. Read The Maiden who Travels the Planet (http://www.ff7ac.net/?s=pages/shorts/2). That should make it pretty clear.

[Ryushikaze]

Let's see... you aren't Cetra. Cetra is almost assuredly more about mindset than birthright, given that Cetra and Human are the same species- Hojo thinks differently, but Hojo is an insane crackpot who thinks you can succesfully breed extra genus just by humping.

Oh, and yes, there's only ONE Lifestream per planet. The only known instances of dual lifestreams were Spirits Within and FF9, and both were about the second, foreign one infringing on the first.

[Christmas]

The Promised Land is actually the Honey Bee Inn.

[loinharte]

Why would I think so? There is only 1 Lifestream. Read The Maiden who Travels the Planet (http://www.ff7ac.net/?s=pages/shorts/2). That should make it pretty clear.

i see that is a good explanation


Let's see... you aren't Cetra

yes i am, your just jealous.

[Ryushikaze]

Then show some evidence of your supposed cetra-hood.

[loinharte]

maybe i should create a fanclub
any ideas of haw to create one

[Ryushikaze]

A fanclub does not evidence make. Demonstrating known powers of the cetra would. Nothing major. A Seal Evil would suffice.

[loinharte]

i killed sephiroth and then i killed cloud for bein a wineing bitsh

[Omni-Odin]

I always thought of the Promised Land looking like that place in the end of Final Fantasy VIII, that Squall and Rinoa are in with the flowers

[loinharte]

the place on the side of the orphanage(cant spell) and i thought it was at the beginin cant remember though.

[Ryushikaze]

i killed sephiroth and then i killed cloud for bein a wineing bitsh

Unsupported claims are also not evidence. PROOF.

[loinharte]

why do you need this "proof" thing?

[Ozmoid]

I think that the promised land is an ideal of JENOVA rather than the CETRA. Jenova's kind would take oover planets to make meteors and would land on a nother palnet, and so on until they all met up agian on one that was perfect for them. That, or here's whst it could be.

Sephiroth was an angry child. His mother was a headless corpse, and he was stuck in a buuble, but that didin't stop hi from killing aerith. Oh dear me no! he stuck his giagntic sword right trhrough her (giggedy!) and took it out again, pooing on the way out. This is tha story of that little poo, and how it found the promised land. And Time travel, but thaty's noyt for here. That little poo grew and grew. He grew and he grew and he grew and he grew. Then he turned into jenova LIFE, who was beaten quickly, and did'nt have the cool jenova music. But when jenova life was defeated, who shouold step on our intrepid little poo, but Tidus, who was vacatining with some bimbo, whom he never ever evrer told Yuna ABout(it was lulu. Vidina is'nt wakka's.)Tisdus asmelt the litle poo, and sold his right dhoe to a tramp. Thus a beautiful friendship was born, the tramp emulating sex with the shoe frequently, the poo having been on the left shoe and got stuck on a stair. eventually, the poo grew legs, and walked a million miiles, only to realise that he was on escalaotr the whole time. So he decicded that he would use his poo magic to fly off to the promised land. And so, he went down the toilet, where alll poos gather, and was happpy, and there was lot's of mako, which allwed him too discover time travel. For more info, see back to the future.

[Ryushikaze]

why do you need this "proof" thing?

Because without proof, I have jack for reason to believe a damn word you say.

Let me put it this way- I'm god, and I don't have to prove it.

[Ozmoid]

Wait a minute! You can't be a cetra, as i'm a cetra. Mo waut, that was just gas:choc2:

[loinharte]

Wait a minute! You can't be a cetra, as i'm a cetra. Mo waut, that was just gas:choc2:

you lie i hate it when persons lie you are not cetra you just think you are, i am my proof is secret.

[Ryushikaze]

bull/xxx.gif/xxx.gif/xxx.gif/xxx.gif!

[loinharte]

ok im not cetra sorry for the trouble
but i was in SOLDIER

[Ryushikaze]

Y'know, monkeychunks, this isn't an RP forum. This ISN'T the Gaia of FF7. You are normal human male teenager. Get over yourself.

[loinharte]

i am over myself, but are you over yourself?

[Ryushikaze]

Oh, such a devastating response. I am defeated and awed by your magnificence[/sarcasm]

Ad Hom tu quoques will get you nowhere, child.

[loinharte]

ok im done person who eats @ss

[MJN SEIFER]

That was because I had no arua's left so it didn't work.


I already revield the location of the promise land in FFVII, Where've you been?

[loinharte]

at my house why
were is it are you evil:mad2:

[Ryushikaze]

ok im done person who eats @ss

Nor will simple Ad Homs. Learn your logical fallacies, child, and avoid them in the future.

[MJN SEIFER]

at my house why
were is it are you evil:mad2:

http://forums.eyesonff.com/showthread.php?t=66081