What is bad?

[rsingh]

Bad should not happen. Bad should not exist. Bad must be changed. That is the attitude of most humans. But bad happens and bad exists. Death is bad but death happens. Suffering is bad but everybody is suffering to certain extent. Certain things are inevitable and are bound to happen but considered as bad. This is an obvious dysfunction of human mind which is known but not accepted.

Bad is at the level of individuals which leads to bad at level of various groups which leads further to bad at the level of our society. Bad is source of all conflicts. It begins from conflict in my own mind. There is war going on in each mind. This war I project outside and create conflict or competition in the society. Competition is a kind of conflict played with in preset rules and it is the foundation of our society.

I have thoughts in my mind that I do want to have. I say to myself that I am bad and at the same time I do want to think that way. I have feelings that I do not want. I do not want to be sad or angry but I do get sand and angry. Due to these bad thoughts and feelings I label myself as bad but I do not want to be bad. So this is an ongoing conflict in my mind. I also label bad outside circumstances, events and persons that threaten or tend to diminish my existence. I try to fix bad in myself and bad in the outer world. I want to change it, destroy it or escape from it. I think I can fix my mind the same way as I fix material things. We fix the material things scientifically by analysing, dissecting, processing and so on. Can I fix my mind by analysing? No analysis works very well on materials but it is not very effective on living beings. To carry the analysis I have to make the living thing dead or it get killed in the process of analysis. For example analysis can be carried out on human body by making it unconscious but cannot be carried out on our mind by making it unconscious. There is no mind when I am unconscious. So how analysis can be carried on mind while it is conscious? When it is alive? When it is working? So how can I carry out surgery on mind so as to fix it? The mind will not allow the surgery to be performed on it when it is alive as it will create pain. So how I can fix my mind? Good news is that I do not have to fix my mind. I have to know my mind. Knowing the mind solves the problems created by my mind. Then it cannot bother me anymore.

My mind assigns good and bad to things, circumstances and events. Nothing is inherently good or bad. Every movement or form including human creation of good and bad follows certain universal laws. Universe is woven through a chain of preset laws of cause and effect. In this case, good and bad is the cause and suffering is the effect. If we take the cause away, effect goes away automatically. No thoughts are bad. They are just thoughts. No feelings are bad. They are just feelings. No actions are bad. They are just actions. Mind is standing on the foundation of good and bad always working to achieve something good. Take the foundation away and the whole intention of mind will collapse giving way for consciousness to shine through.

[Xan]

My definition of bad: Hurting others on purpose.


~ ~

[Shabby]

That which causes suffering.

[silent whisper]

Conditioned mind is standing on the seat of fear and love...when I sit and relax into the knowing of both, they exist.......nothing is bad, it simply just is.

[3dnow]

There is no bad... There is losing control.

It is not done on purpose we lose control we just don't know that we lost control (this is actually losing control because we are not aware that we lost control...)

3d

[Present]

What Is Bad?
Nothing, Things are not good nor bad. It just is. I agree with the above post of rsingh.

[Neville]

It's like ..4 legs..A Mattress..A Pillow and some coverings....Noo..Idiot Nev..That's what is bed....

Personal discernment will establish for you what you set as your own parameters for these terms...For example.. Having a sore throat as opposed to not having sore throat...Feeling Happy vs feeling unhappy...You set your own terms.

There is some conditioning involved from Parents and Governments too, but if you have a reasonable capacity for determination, at length, you will invariably decide for yourself what to you is bad..:)

[rsingh]

Originally posted by silent whisper
Conditioned mind is standing on the seat of fear and love...when I sit and relax into the knowing of both, they exist.......nothing is bad, it simply just is.

Hi silent whisper

Correct, nothing is bad when viewed from consciousness.

[rsingh]

Originally posted by 3d
There is no bad... There is losing control.

It is not done on purpose we lose control we just don't know that we lost control (this is actually losing control because we are not aware that we lost control...)

3d

Hi 3d

Correct, we loose control when we are not conscious of our thoughts, feelings and actions. Then thoughts and feeling are in control, we are not.

[chinu]

What is bad?
Anything which vanishes existance, is BAD for those who want to exist.

Similarly.. Anything which makes existance is BAD for those who don't want to exist.

Now the question is: What is BAD, and why it is BAD ?
Answer is: There's chance to happen something BAD with existance, But if there is no any existance left, than who/what is left behind to happen BAD with ?

So the true mission of spirituality is to vanish EXISTANCE not BAD.
Neither there will be any bamboo, nor there will blow any flute.:wink:

Thus.. What is BAD? Existance is BAD.

[Mountain-Goat]

It's like ..4 legs..A Mattress..A Pillow and some coverings....Noo..Idiot Nev..That's what is bed....
HAH !

[Mountain-Goat]

My mind assigns good and bad to things, circumstances and events. Nothing is inherently good or bad. Every movement or form including human creation of good and bad follows certain universal laws. Universe is woven through a chain of preset laws of cause and effect. In this case, good and bad is the cause and suffering is the effect. If we take the cause away, effect goes away automatically. No thoughts are bad. They are just thoughts. No feelings are bad. They are just feelings. No actions are bad. They are just actions.
Ok, so remove good and bad from your life,
grab a brick in each hand and proceed to pummel your head repeatedly,
according to your theory, you will not suffer.

[shehari]

what is a not conditioned mind... isnt everyone conditioned with one way or another? When one philosophy is gone, it is being replaced by something else.

[Humm]

For me it's all about expression.

By 'expression' I mean the Being of an entity, of an organism. For it to unfold to it's full potential would be to fully 'express'.

What is 'bad' is that which thwarts 'expression', and conversely, that which encourages or cultivates expression is 'good'.

The greater good is that which fosters the greater expression. Obviously, this demands a lot of careful observation, education, and discernment to implement productively.

It takes awareness, intelligence, compassion, cooperation - all demonstrable traits of higher expression.

[shehari]

Hi Humm

I find your postings very inspiring...

can you explain this what you have just written in a easy to understand version??! Thank you


Best wishes

[Humm]

A quick example would be the tiny seed of a flower.

When it germinates deep in the earth, it has but one urge and one expression it must fulfill, it must unfold itself from the husk of the seed and seek the sun.

Anything that helps this is good, anything which thwarts this is bad. Once it has broken through the crust of the soil into the air and sunlight, once it has slipped it's tiny root tendrils down below, it can seek the next step of expression which is to unfold it's leaves and expand itself to eventually deliver the flower which will start the cycle all over again.

There are great vulnerabilities all along the way, but given the barest of consideration the seed knows that in it's heart is the beautiful flower which only takes some time and a little luck to bloom in all it's beauty.

And so is any Being.

[Quintessence]

My mind assigns good and bad to things, circumstances and events. Nothing is inherently good or bad.

Yeah. This pretty much was going to be my response to the thread. "Bad" exists because we decide to label things that way. "Bad" exists because humans see it fit to project expectations onto the universe of how it "ought" to be, and when it (inevitably) fails to conform with our expectations, we label it "bad."

[silent whisper]

Yes as we continue to keep bad alive in our perceptions of what bad might be........or is......we keep that connection maintained on some level of our being.

[Swami Chihuahuananda]

What Is Bad?
Nothing, Things are not good nor bad. It just is. I agree with the above post of rsingh.

bad is a value judgement placed by humans onto acts of no eternal significance :cool:

[Shabby]

Like Jesus said we will always have the poor.Why? Because we live in a world of duality...good and bad. Yes from a bigger picture it does not exist but the way out is not to ignor what causes suffering but to realize our true Self and rise above the appearance of things.

[Mr Interesting]

Bad's just another way to get to good... kinda the long road.

I may do something bad and hear my heart speak... learning to hear the heart speak may be infinitely better good than the bad we use to get there.

[rsingh]

Originally posted by Quintessence
Yeah. This pretty much was going to be my response to the thread. "Bad" exists because we decide to label things that way. "Bad" exists because humans see it fit to project expectations onto the universe of how it "ought" to be, and when it (inevitably) fails to conform with our expectations, we label it "bad."


Hi Quintessence

True, bad exists due to good. We define something as good which obviously results into some thing as bad or opposite polarity of good. Form exist in polarity which we call positive and negative. Neither postive nor negative is bad. They are just polarities of the same thing.

[rsingh]

Originally posted by silent whisper
Yes as we continue to keep bad alive in our perceptions of what bad might be........or is......we keep that connection maintained on some level of our being.


Hi silent whisper

Obviously we consider bad something which is undesirable. Bads is a perspective which varies from individual to individual, form groups to groups and from one society to other. There are some common bads among all individuals as well such as death, suffering, pain etc.. In reality all that threaten or diminish my existence is considered as bad because I want to exist. If I have no fear of death then there is nothing bad for me.

[rsingh]

Originally posted by Dar
bad is a value judgement placed by humans onto acts of no eternal significance

Hi Dar

Correct, I establish some values in my life that I want to achieve. Then opposite of these values is bad. So I struggle or fight to achieve values and destroy bads against these values. That is the fight most of humans fighting every day throught their life. That is they way I am programmed and so I follow our programming. If I rise above this programme then this programme does not bother me any more.

[rsingh]

Originally posted by Mr Interesting
I may do something bad and hear my heart speak... learning to hear the heart speak may be infinitely better good than the bad we use to get there.


Hi Mr Interesting

If I hear to my heart then heart leads me to the Truth. Heart favours your evolution towards the Truth. When you percieve the Truth then nothing is goood or bad. Then It is only stillness and motion. Stillness is the Truth and motion is the form. Then I know that motion is a dream of the Stillness.

[Mr Interesting]

Hmm, Rsingh, I shouldn't reply to these sorts of posts as I really no idea.

Bad happens other places but I do know about naughty...

Naughties like a present full of good but wrapped in bad.... maybe.

Well, and goods not naughty... much!

[rsingh]

Originally posted by Mr Interesting
Hmm, Rsingh, I shouldn't reply to these sorts of posts as I really no idea.

Bad happens other places but I do know about naughty...

Naughties like a present full of good but wrapped in bad.... maybe.

Well, and goods not naughty... much!

Hi Mr Interesting

Mind divides events, circumstances, persons and things into good and bad. To make it little more complicated, it analyses and evaluates advantages and disadvantages. In other words things are good and bad at the same time. So if good is considered as heavier as compared to bad then it decides to follow in the direction of good etc.. It can be expanded further to include like and dislike, pleasure and pain and so on. You know all the duality stuff.

[Shabby]

To give up the bad is simple, but can we give up the "good"? That would mean no judgment of anything....it seems to me that if that were a possibility to give up good and bad we would be like little robots not caring at all for ourselves or others.

The only way to over come judgment in my opinion is to rise above it but that means that we will not have a "perfect world" until each and everyone on earth has found their true Self being one....until then...we can not have one without the other.

[Gem]

Everyone recognizes good and bad, but don't like to seem human, yet they all ate from the 'the tree of knowledge'.

[Shabby]

Everyone recognizes good and bad, but don't like to seem human, yet they all ate from the 'the tree of knowledge'.

True Gem, knowledge is what makes us human. Who/what would we be without knowledge?

[rsingh]

Originally posted by Shabby
To give up the bad is simple, but can we give up the "good"? That would mean no judgment of anything....it seems to me that if that were a possibility to give up good and bad we would be like little robots not caring at all for ourselves or others.

The only way to over come judgment in my opinion is to rise above it but that means that we will not have a "perfect world" until each and everyone on earth has found their true Self being one....until then...we can not have one without the other.
__________________


Hi Shabby

Good and bad is perspective. It can be a perspective of an individual, a group or society. Consciousness, stillness or presence etc.. does not create good and bad. Or in other words there is no good and bad for consciousness.

Humans identify themselves with their mind and body. Anything required for survival and protection of the body and mind is considered as good and its opposite as bad. If I know that there is no such thing as daeth then there is no good and bad for me. I know means that I can percieve it directly through consciousness.

[Shabby]

Hi Shabby

Good and bad is perspective. It can be a perspective of an individual, a group or society. Consciousness, stillness or presence etc.. does not create good and bad. Or in other words there is no good and bad for consciousness.

Humans identify themselves with their mind and body. Anything required for survival and protection of the body and mind is considered as good and its opposite as bad. If I know that there is no such thing as daeth then there is no good and bad for me. I know means that I can percieve it directly through consciousness.

Yes Rsingh...good and bad are perspectives and judgments. From a bigger picture (looking through God's eyes) there is no good or bad...only perfection...but here on earth is duality. Everything we see and perceive is based on duality...as the "I am" is separate from non beingness.

Consciousness is pure beingness... the "I am" of your very being. Consciousness and "I am" arise and disappear together. To know there is no death does not stop suffering in my opinion, as suffering can be experienced in many different situations life presents to us.

[Gem]

True Gem, knowledge is what makes us human. Who/what would we be without knowledge?

I don't get the sense we are really communicating. I'm under the impression you Know, and aren't really curious about it, and I feel like I'm supposed to answer in a way alike a novice answers the monk.

I understand fully that ones come here to preach, but I'm not part of that scenario, I'm just a guy in a suburb with a computer, and aren't really interested in teacher student role plays.

[Shabby]

I don't get the sense we are really communicating. I'm under the impression you Know, and aren't really curious about it, and I feel like I'm supposed to answer in a way alike a novice answers the monk.

I understand fully that ones come here to preach, but I'm not part of that scenario, I'm just a guy in a suburb with a computer, and aren't really interested in teacher student role plays.

I know who I am without knowledge, but I liked the comparison you used in your sentence. My question was not addressed to you or anyone but more like me agreeing to what you said.

True some come here to preach and others just to get rid of some frustration they can't let out some where else.

[rsingh]

Originally posted by Shabby
To know there is no death does not stop suffering in my opinion, as suffering can be experienced in many different situations life presents to us.


Hi Shabby

Let me put it differently.

I die befor I die. This means my ego dies. So I am no more identified with my thoughts, feelings, body or attachments. For example a feeling of sadness happens. Then I do not suffer due to this feeling because it is not bad for me any more. I am not identified with it. I am identified with consciousness. It is just a feeling or just a motion for the cosnciousness.

All suffering happens due to labeling bad to our thoughts, feelings and actions. There is no suffering without labeling bad to things or happenings that I identify with.

[Shabby]

Hi Shabby

Let me put it differently.

I die befor I die. This means my ego dies. So I am no more identified with my thoughts, feelings, body or attachments. For example a feeling of sadness happens. Then I do not suffer due to this feeling because it is not bad for me any more. I am not identified with it. I am identified with consciousness. It is just a feeling or just a motion for the cosnciousness.

All suffering happens due to labeling bad to our thoughts, feelings and actions. There is no suffering without labeling bad to things or happenings that I identify with.

Yes I agree Rsingh and thanks for explaining it. When we no longer attach ourselves to a thought simply by seeing a thought as a thought without a judgment, a thought no longer has power over us. You are right, we have the capability to die to ego in this life time before our physical death, simply by separating our selves from thought.