Dr. GURU speaks,
Most religions stray away from dealing with the topic of evil directly. It is often seen as something that should be pushed away, resisted, or denied. All this teaching gives us the notion of separateness between good and evil; but this is a false dichotomy.
I see good and bad as siblings. What bore one, bore both. It would be impossible for any physical Universe to have one and not the other. They are defined and embodied by each other. It is only in the words we use to describe them that suggest their detachment. This has led many to view in their minds a clear line which demarcates good from bad. A war-line, where the two battle each-other for supremacy. This highlights another issue of contention; I do not believe good and bad are in conflict. These are rudimentary philosophical and Ethereal concepts which we have only started to understand…
Imagine a Universe where no one physical being was able to comprehend the concepts of good and evil. The concept eludes them and so has no existence in their life. The actions that they take are therefore neither good nor bad; they are merely actions. Good and bad do not exist in this Universe... they have not yet been born here in the minds of any sentient being. The events on this Universe, which we may regard as being good or bad, are simply the pit-a-pat of life. There is no good or bad in this Universe; just the life and death of different species in a process of constant renewal.
In our Universe the concepts of ethics, fundamental principles, freedom and justice have taken root in our psyche and we have nourished them by grasping on to ideas of “good” and “bad”. A newborn infant has not yet any concept of right and wrong, and so is without sin. As we climb our spiritual ladder of understanding in this Universe we open the floodgates for evil to enter our lives. This must be done in order to test our understanding at each rung. It is only in our physical lives that we can be tested to strengthen our character. This is why bad things need to happen to us. It is part of our development.
“Good” is the drive up the spiritual ladder towards better ethical practice, a deeper understanding of Universal Principles, freedom (which is relative), and justice. “Bad” are the tears, blood and sweat that is involved in climbing up that ladder.
Bad is not necessarily evil, and evil is not necessarily bad...
When the tsunami hit the south coast of the Asian continent at the end of 2004 we all felt the deep loss of so many victims, many of whom were only children. We would say this was a horrendous catastrophe on man-kind, a bad thing, but we could not say that it was “evil”. Nature cannot be “evil” in its motions, it simply “is”.
Men unite and fight over what we think is “good”; but what is good for one man may not be good for the other. This is when battle-lines are drawn between men. But with this tsunami event, the ideas of unity-of-the-masses to lift one-another up is shared by all, to a greater of lesser degree. There are no war-lines between men, and so we unite; helping each other, and showing compassion.
A bad thing is not necessarily “evil”.
Evil between men shows us the depths of our souls. It shows it all...good and bad. Only when we have fully understood ourselves, our potentials, will our eyes truly be open. This is when the reason for “evil” reveals itself to us...understand man-kind’s depth of depravity, as the balancing force of our spiritual divinity lies just on the other side.
There is a need for evil to be in our lives as we learn from it. These “necessary evils” interweave themselves throughout our lives. For some, they act as rungs to pull themselves up the spiritual ladder. For others they act as a noose into which they place their own necks.
There are two main types of evil which people exhibit:
[i] Evil from bodily (physical) disorder.
Brain disorders where...
- blood-flow to a particular area is tardy, absent, or blocked;
- blood flow is increased in a particular area;
- neural networks are irregular in density fragmentation; and
- neural networks are poorly conducting…
...can lead to mental derangement. Such a mind may not be capable of understanding good and bad. We as a species are defined in this Universe by our mental and spiritual achievements. If the mental derangement is such that the person does not understand the difference between good and bad, then the physical disorder would have caused a person to lose “evil” in their lives, along with all traces of “good”. If the ideas are absent in their mind, then they are absent in their lives. They are like the animals. Evil from such persons will still be called such…but should always be mitigated by the fact that they are not the same as us. They only link themselves by form. Their minds are not that of a normal mans. This is why we have mental institutions dedicated to the care of the “criminally insane”.
[ii] Evil from mental (spiritual) disorder.
If the brain functions normally then we must put ourselves as “equals”. Only our minds separate us. A mind where the concepts of good and bad have taken root can be truly held to account when evil reveals itself in them. This is true “evil”. Their minds have already congealed concepts of “good” and “bad”. No matter how ill-prioritised their thoughts may be, they have had equal chance (dependent on time) to cultivate their own minds, and choose a way of living which, at least, rises them above the animals spiritually.
When thinking about redemption, it should be remembered that Justice should be in equal measure to the crime…
Take for example the serial killer, paedophile, and rapist. Should we keep such people alive? They may be able to fit back into productive society, but they will never develop their minds enough to clean the stains of their murders and evils. They are in that rotting-state. Their lives are irreparable. Their actions have left their souls lost. By selection, we must rid ourselves of the infections we have in our society.
This is not so simple with the black-hearted dictator. Such individuals carry much weight with many people. Moreover, the “passion” shown by someone willing to die for their beliefs is very provocative; to everybody. Martyrdom carries with it its own glory. Their deaths only serve to spur others into the same action. Strong beliefs, like foul smells, linger for a long time. Dictators should be kept alive (in confinement) for all to see; as a painful display of passion turned emptiness.
As for “lesser” crimes...I leave that to the Courts. Although I would share the belief that sentences should be served in full. There can be no display of leniency when Judicial Law has been laid down. This only puts calmness into the minds of the criminally inclined.
Our lives are constantly intertwined with necessary evils...
Let’s take the following sayings:
“The want for superfluous money is evil”.
Currency is a necessity in an industrialised and networked community. As some men are more suited to the economy they live in, they may accumulate more financial wealth. This means a necessity in life carries with it the danger of turning men into hungry, shallow, possessed, and empty carcases. This evil is with us always. This evil must then be a necessity.
“Murder is evil and always wrong".
War is inescapable in an evolving civilization. There will always be a struggle between good and evil, ultimately ending in war when rising tensions are left to stifle the air until people feel the need to lash out or suffocate.
War is inescapable. When a number of strong beliefs collide, words lose their use and action becomes the need or reflex. The fight of the good must be good if the fight is all that remains. Passion, by definition, must be shown. The ultimate show of ones passion is to die for it. Murder, death and indeed evil, come hand-in-hand with The-Good-Fight.
“The feeling of Hate is evil”,
Hate is an evil feeling. His sister’s name is Love. As with Good and Bad, there cannot be one without the other. Friedrich Nietzsche described this unity better:
“Love and hatred are not blind, but are blinded by the fire they themselves carry with them.”
We must acknowledge and deal with the necessary evils in our lives, as they are too deeply twined to unravel.
The GURU must now sleep.
