THE PROBLEM OF GOOD AND EVIL

The problem of perceiving good and evil is stated very clearly in the second creation story in Geneses in the Torah. It results in being ejected from the Garden of Eden, from a state of consciousness that does not experience suffering but only experiences unconditional, selfless love. The death of that state of consciousness occurs for Adam and Eve when, listening to the voice of their egos (the serpent) rather than to the voice of God, they partake of the knowledge of good and evil. That knowledge can arise only in an awareness that has separated itself from God. That level of consciousness creates unreality (The imaginings of the mind) and believes it is real, represents darkness and leads to mortality. Then what is real, represents light and leads to immortality? It is Divine love that is eternal, unconditional and selfless. It is fear that blocks our direct awareness of that love. The opposing forces are not good and evil but are love and fear.

What are the most likely results of believing in and perceiving good and evil? They are conflict, fear, anger, hatred, hostile and destructive behavior. When we embrace the reality of good and evil, we diminish our capacity for understanding, empathy, and constructive and healing behavior. Such belief caters to the ego’s need for validation and superiority. It feeds into the egos game of “I’m better than you”. We then see the spiritual task as conquering the evil within ourselves and converting others to goodness, and failing that conquering, subjugating and if necessary destroying the evil ones. This promotes an authoritarian orientation that believes in domination, control, rewards, and punishments rather than behavior based on love.

What are the most likely results of seeing the fundamental problem that we face as the opposition of fear to love rather than evil to good? When people behave in ways that are destructive of others freedom, we perceive the challenge as overcoming their fear rather than converting, conquering, subjugating and destroying. The spiritual task becomes one of conquering our own fear so that we can be open to and transmit Divine love selflessly and unconditionally. In that process, we bring God into our lives and we bring God into the world by removing the barrier to the realization of Gods presence everywhere and in everything. The commandments in the Torah that tell us to love God above anything else and to love our neighbor as our self speak to this. Jesus acknowledging these as the most important commandments validates this. Buddha said that hatred is never stopped by hatred but by love alone is healed. The golden rule, which exists in some form in almost all religious traditions points to the importance of this. Swami Rama the Himalayan Master and founder of the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy said, “The whole world is like a small family. We should learn how to live together with each other, how to behave with each other. It is love that will help. But a selfless person alone has the capacity to love others. Selflessness is the foundation stone”.