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Originally Posted by Jyotir
Hi ketzer,
Best definition of evil I found is of Sri Aurobindo, that:
Evil is a perversion of ignorance.
That is to say...
Ignorance is a condition of physical existence that we emerge from by an evolution of consciousness.
But the conscious deliberate preservation, promotion, and action of that ignorance by choice is what constitutes that perversion = evil.
This is not present in lower kingdoms of Nature, but becomes a possibility in human beings due to the dual principle of reflective self-consciousness available through mind.
~ J |
If one believes a teaching to be a powerfully persuasive perversion of truth, then one may consciously choose to remain ignorant of it for fear of ones mind becoming perverted by its power. Many religions teach that teachings outside of their own orthodox dogma are dangerous and misleading and could result in the soul going astray and succumbing to evil. Of course religions have their own self serving reasons for teaching this, but nonetheless, such dangerous and misleading teachings that could lead one astray do exist. For example, one may become persuaded by Nazi propaganda, convinced that one is saving the world from a great evil.
So what then is the best path to take? Do we expose our mind to all teachings and philosophies and hope we do not get drawn down dangerous paths of ignorance and false truths, or do we try to avoid exposing our minds to false, yet deceptive and persuasive, teachings? Just how confident are we in the evolved state of our consciousness to recognize the difference? How many times have I allowed myself to be fooled in the past, only to look back in wonder in how I let it happen?