How do you understand evil?
 

The title says it all. How do people on this forum make sense of evil in the world?

Evil is not in the world it's in certain individuals. I'm thankful I can't get too close to how those sick individuals might feel when occasionally I have meditated on their situations. I feel sick inside when I do get close so I have to stop.

I can't make sense of evil and nowadays - after nearly 40 years 'in the spooks' - I find myself increasingly questioning why a percentage of new humans coming into this world are seemingly destined to live lives where they perpetrate the kind of sick behaviors humankind has been subjected to for centuries and millennia.

Look at the word 'evil'....... backwards...... and you have the word "live".

Having said that , some people look at the word "evil" differently then others do.

If something 'bad' happens, is it some 'Spirit(s)' trying to get somebody to experience a certain experience? This reminds me of Judas, who betrayed Jesus and who some claim was only fulfiliing a karmic debt or one of the many other versions of the 'story'. So, was Judas 'evil'?

As for me, I believe that if you dwell on 'evil', we might give it enough energy that it can come 'alive' to cause havoc as we create our own realities. Is this what we really want? Who knows?

In a channelled session, Buddha said “sometimes to go to the right, the pendulum must first move to the left” … or words to that effect

https://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/s...d.php?t=128587

Life, yes. Interesting because this is where it is seen. Is it something we are suppose to see maybe, not to do. It is experienced. How important and relevant is it do we know it. Do we have an innate understanding of it and if so is it valid? Look at the energy felt. It certainly is found in why we do things, so we know imo.

What I find interesting about the question is a persons view that seems to determine it. I've noticed one can look at something done towards others (outside) and supposedly not see it wrong yet complain when the (exact) same thing happens to them (inside). It seems to be more relatable when it happens to us. If it is understood in one situation then it remains the same outside oneself to. Certainly instinct plays a part and part of the code.

I have plenty to say, but later. So here is just 1 thing Joel S. Goldsmith* said:

''When we appear to be good, it is the activity of God operating through us.
When we appear to be evil, it is the activity of material sense
which is only a sense of separation from God.''

*Author of:
'Conscious Union with God"
'Practicing the Presence'
'Beyond Words and Thought'
'Living by Grace'
'The Art of Spiritual Healing'

I think people commit evil when they see it benefiting them immediately or in the near term. The benefit may be material gain or psychological advantage. Thus a few years ago we had a guy (Bernie Madoff) perpetrate a vast securities fraud whose magnitude was estimated at over 60 billion dollars. He wanted to get rich quickly and he didn't care that a lot of retirees lost their life's savings and safety net in the process. This is an example of evil for material gain.

Sometimes, evil is committed for psychological advantage. Most cases of revenge fall under this type of evil.

Does this mean evil is necessary?

Please remember any quotes more than two or three sentences long will be deleted


Namaste

I wasn't puzzled about the reasons for their doing what they do.

But I am baffled why foul and outrageous patterns of behavior are still happening even after many thousands of years of human existence and certain humans being inhumane towards their fellow man.

Does it mean that a small percentage of all new humans - the ones experiencing their very first incarnations as humans - will have the chance to behave in such ways? If so then it seems humankind must be resigned to such situations ad infinitum or as long as first-timers continue to come into this world.

Perhaps it's the positive/negative aspects of human existence which will never change?

Good and evil are human constructs arising out of our dualistic framework.

I think way too many people act in evil ways for them all to be first timers. Besides if a man can commit evil 15 or 15 million times in one life, what is there for him to stop committing evil in his next life for the 16th or 15 million and first time? If a person benefits each time he commits evil, there is no incentive for him to stop committing evil.

Evil in the human condition, comes with the vices taken to too extremes i.e. greed, wrath, jealousy

There is Day and there is Night.

It's a possibility but we have no idea how many might be first-timers.


If what you say is the actual situation then it suggests this world is failing miserably in what its role has been said to be - that of providing a possibly-unique environment that enhances the rate of our spiritual progress. I would find that a hugely depressing situation and it might suggest this world is one greatly-attractive to spirits of the lowest order who find freedom to choose how often they come here and freedom to continue their evil ways ad infinitum.

I desperately want to believe that's not the true situation. :icon_frown:

I first think of ignorance when I think about evil. I have been ignorant before in my life and realize now in my ignorance I then created evil even if I did not have evil as intent. That is why I suppose we are suppose to get wiser here on earth-school.

The low levels I have not quite figured out yet, what they're about. I mean I think I know of some of them but there is this hierarchy there and it is not black and white, I feel. I could of course be dead wrong about this and then that just means I'm ignorant ;)

Evil is a product of your free-will and blindness to God. Evil only exists to the individual perceiving it. Evil only exists to evil. In a righteous perspective it doesn't exist at all. If you don't know righteousness than all you know is evil. Evil is the mirror reflection of our own sin.

We're ALL ignorant of exact details and some will likely not have any idea about anything!

Evil intent may not be there at birth or before birth (using our human definitions of evil) even in most who later become monsters. But perhaps some, maybe lots or even most of them, have a seed of evil in their psyche and the special conditions in this physical world enables them to behave in ways they simply could not behave in the world of the spirit.

I don't know if that's a true representation - it's just my suggestion, a possibility - but we do know that evil and good appear to be 'in the design' of us spirit individuals and it's covered in certain philosophical explanations given by illumined communicators. That's all above my pay-grade though. :wink: :biggrin:

That's how you perceive what we term 'evil' and it's not definitive.

BigJohn,

That is it. The survival instinct. To live comes at some other’s expense. In the modern world money is the means for survival…..thus ‘the love of money’……

In this world..... It seems that's not the case elsewhere. :wink:

Evil comes in many forms. Survival at someone else's expense is just one way that evil may manifest in this physical world.

There must be a number of texts explaining the philosophical side of creation and why good and bad (for want of better words) co-exist closely. I've read one account, followed it but couldn't put it into simple words of my own. I could only just get my head around the teacher's explanation let alone try to pass it on the way I do concerning other principles!

There is no hierarchy, though, as suggested above. That's a concept we humans use and it's a similar with so-called higher and lower levels. As usual we're stuck with our crude spoken/written words that don't work to describe situations where there are neither spoken nor written words, where communication is by thought, telepathically.

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

I have to agree with ImthatIm



Namaste

Bobjob,

Evil morphs into many forms. Survival makes this possible. Fortunately the ego is there to help us desire many of those forms….survival being the most basic. It is what reminds us that we are separate from others….the realization of our aloneness.

Two functions of the hand: it can reach out to take…it can reach out to give….

Which is better ?

That is a good metaphor

Does it matter how evil originates or changes?

And that's a fortunate thing, you think? :confused: :confused: We must see matters very differently from one another, I have to say.

Another function is to strike a blow, neither giving nor taking. - just being negative toward another.

Hahaha the joke didn’t go over……fortunate for evil….it gives it life

Lost me there.....

Another case of symbolism being lost……I could speak for along time what the hand is capable of…….too esoteric for most perhaps…

Too tricky for this simple soul - ya lost me yet again......:confused:

It’s OK……not for everyone……:)

Riddles instead of simple explanations. Good thing I don't teach in such a way.....

One must cater to his clientele….

[quote=Molearner]One must respond to students' needs…

Isn't that also dichotomizing taking and giving?

Not all taking is bad, and not all giving is inherently good

I understand you were sincere with the metaphor, though