Kitabı oku: «The World. Myths of the Divine, Realities, and Awareness. Freedom. Love. Life», sayfa 3

5. The Myth of the Good and the Evil

Your experience

– Have you ever experienced an event that you saw as a good one while other people considered it bad? Or vice versa?

– So how would you describe this event? Is it good or bad?

– Have you ever experienced an event that you saw differently at the time and later? Perhaps, you even totally changed your mind about it?

– So how would you describe this event? Is it good or bad?

– Is snake venom good or bad? What or who makes it good or bad? What about an axe, a knife, a bow with arrows, porridge, or milk? Are these things good or bad? What or who makes them good or bad? Perhaps, the one who controls them? What will it be? Destruction or creation? Can a knife decide that? Can porridge determine that? Or is it done by the one who holds the knife or cooks the porridge?

About the myth

What is good and what is evil? We have some very specific tenets. This is right and that is wrong. From whose perspective? To whom? In what context?

What is good and what is evil from the point of view of time? From the point of view of the past, present, and future?

What is good and what is evil from the point of view of emptiness of things themselves, phenomena, or events?

What is good and what is bad? Is it our judgment? Are they the same as good and evil? Or are they independent concepts? Or are they all interrelated?

What is the difference between good and evil? Between good and bad? Is there any difference at all?

In this context, the Buddhist idea of emptiness is pretty much interesting and seems more reasonable (or maybe not?). But let’s discuss something else. Why do the talks of good and evil, of good and bad sidetrack us? What do they prevent us from seeing? What are we missing as a result? What if the good and the evil are just a blindfold? What does it prevent you from seeing?

That there are no such things as the good and the evil? That something that is good for one person can be evil for another? That these concepts rather add to confusion instead of explaining things? And if we add the concept of time here, the notion gets even more complicated. How can we get to the bottom of things? What can help us do it?

But let’s now talk about the most important thing. About life! It is the greatest gift! Was it the mercy of God, Allah, nature, the Universe, or some spirits? It doesn’t matter… What matters is that life exists on our planet! Perhaps it exists somewhere else. But we don’t know for sure. At least it seems we don’t have neighbors. Or is it that we choose to believe so? Perhaps we are also wrong about nature, perhaps we are prejudiced against all forms of life. We are just looking for something similar to us, aren’t we? But life is life, it can be so different… It can have so many forms. But then, what is life?

Alright, we are surrounded by outer space. We have to take into consideration so many factors – space-like in their scale! And yet we live. If we assume that Earth is the only planet in the Universe where life exists… Aren’t we fooling it away? Killing each other for a reason or with no reason at all? Due to some farfetched myths? Even if life does exist somewhere else, it isn’t the same, it is unique! And again I’d like to ask you the question: Aren’t we fooling life away, killing each other over trifles? Life! In so many forms! That is what’s most important! That is what we need to protect! That is what we need to cherish! What we need to take care of! And what we need to respect! And if someone is willing to destroy life for the sake of some rules (life that was created by entirely someone else) … They shouldn’t do it. Our life is of the greatest value. And this is a way to put your gurus to test! If they choose religion, if they choose rules, or if they choose the good, and then go and destroy life (meaning other people and living beings), all their pleas are worth nothing! Because they failed to see the main thing! Our life is what counts most! If we choose to believe the stories of God/Allah or other deities/spirits, then we should accept that they created not just a planet. They created Life in all the diversity of its forms! What an incredible and wonderful phenomenon! It is a sin, an evil to destroy life! And it is easily done. But it is good to create, to produce life. And this is a much more difficult task. It takes efforts!

But so many other things take our efforts too. Our entire life is about making efforts. The entire path of our soul is about making efforts. In order to go up, you should make efforts. To go down, you should make efforts too though it is much easier. It takes more efforts to rise. It takes efforts to stay human. It takes enormous efforts to deal with fears, attachments, and sins. It takes efforts to develop spiritual qualities and values. It takes efforts to cultivate awareness and love. Sometimes it takes efforts to make an effort.

But no one tells you about it. Because in this case, you won’t kill. Because in this case, you won’t plunder. Because in this case, you won’t rape. Because in this case, you won’t find excuses for doing it! Because in this case, you won’t be manipulated! Because in this case, you will see what is valuable and start making efforts in that direction.

Start noticing life! Start noticing how it flows, rolls, and streams. Realize that you are alive! The energy of life is constantly flowing through you! Realize that there are millions, billions of living creatures around you – in all kinds and forms! You don’t even see most of them. You don’t know most of them and will never learn about them! Even the Universe is alive, planets are alive. It’s just that their lives are different. The scale is completely different! Just like when we talk about germs and bacteria living in the human body. For them, even a human body is a whole different scale. Try to comprehend how many factors had to coincide to give birth to Life. The Life that we have. We, among other people and living beings, were born. And all of them want one and the same thing. To live!

Cherish life! Your life and the lives of others! Turn it into Heaven here and now. For the sake of yourself and lots of other people (and, perhaps, other species), not for the sake of a tiny group!

But how can we do that? What do we need for that? What can help us do it?

Love and compassion. To yourself and to your surroundings. What is love? What is compassion? These questions are so simple and yet so complicated. It is not enough to say that you love and show compassion. These are the states that give birth to an action or actions. These are the states that provide us with power and inspiration. With determination and clarity. But what else do we need them for? They are the basis of harmony between individualities and diversity of forms. They are the key. To have unity among all individualities and diversity of forms, we need harmony between ourselves and the life around us. And for that, we need love and compassion. For ourselves and all other forms of life. For life itself.

In this context, we should pose the following question: How much love does our God have? And what about Allah? The Almighty? Krishna? Buddha? Zarathustra? How much love do deities or spirits have? How much love do they have for this world? How much love and compassion do they have while seeing everything that is going on here? Try to comprehend the volume of their love and compassion. Can you imagine it? Can you guess it? How much love and compassion one would need to provide us with the right of choice, with a free will while seeing everything that is going on in this world? I’m going to say a horrible thing. Evil, pain, and suffering are mostly created by us, people… by our choice, by our refusal to make yet another effort, by our desire to choose a simpler way even if it leads us down.

Let us peek into the dark side of the force. Does it need a soul? No, it doesn’t. A soul is always free. But there is always energy, there are always choices that can be directed to the side of evil and destruction. We will get back to it later. And right now… We should admit that in most cases, everything that exists in our life and in our world is the consequence of our choices and minimal efforts, just as it is the consequence of the choices and minimal efforts of other people. The Universe or God Almighty (or whatever we name him) has a lot of love and compassion.

And love and compassion for ourselves and for other beings are those things that help us find a balance between ourselves and those who surround us. A balance, equilibrium, conformity, cooperation! In other words, find harmony. An amazing phenomenon.

So let us find a metaphor for our planet, for our world.

What if it’s just a lifelong school? Where we all are lifelong learners? In this case, how should we treat it? Being diligent students? How should we treat our teachers and other students? How should we treat other school workers?

What will happen to the school if students don’t respect each other, their teachers, and other people? What will happen if students constantly destroy the building itself and pick up fights? Each time finding new excuses?

And what will happen to the school if students do respect each other, their teachers, and other people? What if they take care of the school building and each other? Each time doing it out of love and compassion? What will happen to the school and its students if they choose harmony and understand their role in serving life?

Choose any type of conflict and then refer to the picture in the section: «The myth in a nutshell». Try to analyze which of the elements slackened or was missed to a greater or lesser degree. In order to prevent conflicts, you should balance all the elements. This is the balance, the harmony. It is no coincidence that it is located right in front of the unity. The positioning of the elements is not coincidental.

Tips

– Think of the value of life, of how many individualities and various forms it embraces.

– How do you understand the good and the evil?

– How do you understand what is good and what is bad?

– How can you extend care and caution to your life? To the lives of your friends and relatives? To the lives of other people and beings? To life in general?

– What do love and compassion mean to you? In what actions can they be manifested, in your opinion?

– If our world is just a lifelong school, what should you do about it?

– What is harmony to you? How and in what actions can you manifest it?

Key points

Why do the talks of good and evil, of good and bad sidetrack us? What do they prevent us from seeing? What are we missing as a result? What if the good and the evil are just a blindfold? What does it prevent you from seeing?

Alright, we are surrounded by outer space. We have to take into consideration so many factors – space-like in their scale! And yet we live!

It is a sin, an evil to destroy life! And it is easily done. But it is good to create, to produce life. And this is a much more difficult task. It takes efforts!

Start noticing life! Start noticing how it flows, rolls, and streams. Realize that you are alive! The energy of life is constantly flowing through you! Realize that there are millions, billions of living creatures around you – in all kinds and forms!

To have unity among all individualities and diversity of forms, we need harmony between ourselves and the life around us. And for that, we need love and compassion. For ourselves and all other forms of life. For life itself. Love and compassion help us find a balance between ourselves and those who surround us. A balance, equilibrium, conformity, cooperation! In other words, find harmony.

And what will happen to the school (our planet, our world) if students do respect each other, their teachers, and other people? What if they take care of the school building and each other? Each time doing it out of love and compassion?

The myth in a nutshell

The good is life. It is the preservation and development of your own life and of the lives of others in their unity and diversity of forms and individualities that is based on harmony, love, and compassion for yourself and for others.

 
A Master Who Reflects
 
 
The beauty of a spirit in a painting
The greatness of talent in a song
The grandeur of thought in a building
The wisdom of power in a path
The harmony of relations in dance
The dawn of knowledge in a discovery
The humble kindness in a temple
The diversity of life in a creation
 
 
The communion with the world in the transparency of self
The balance of movement and silence in energy
The wheel of time in a space point
The ending in the eternity of life.
 

 
The Song of Life
 
 
Gentle, blessed by the Universe
So sweet and abundant and nice
The Master’s music flows
In an Elysian song to a new Paradise.
 
 
Sadness and pain, love are for the hearty
A moment of joy, a moment of time
A glance and conscience for the mighty
A point in space where your thoughts gently chime.
 
 
Life as a gift from the depths of the sky
Its way lies in the shade of wise views
And saving the innocent with thy
Master of new and glorious news.
 

6. The Myth of God/Allah/
the Almighty Punishing
Unbelievers/ the Infidel

Your experience

Have you ever:

– heard of punishment for weak, insufficient faith?

– met successful and yet atheistic people?

– met successful and yet religious people?

– met people of faith who indulge themselves in committing sins?

Have you ever been punished for your dissenting views? When your opinion differed from that of a parent, teacher, professor, employer? Have you ever punished someone for their dissenting views?

Why is it important to you to have people agree with your opinion? Who should agree with you?

About the myth

Life is so valuable that no one would ask for it. Do plants believe in God/Allah/the Almighty? No, they don’t. Do beasts? Birds? Fish? They don’t! Can we know that for sure? And yet they are supposed to have been created by God too. But God/Allah/spirits/other doesn’t tell us to kill them due to their lack of faith. But they have souls too. And they can feel! They can feel pain, love, joy! Even stones can feel. Even soil. They don’t have the same feelings as we do. They have a different way of feeling. But they are not unfeeling. Of course, we can always assume that this demand is placed only on humans. But why single us out all of a sudden? What if this is a myth? What if this demand was made up by humans themselves and doesn’t have anything to do with superior forces? Does the wind believe in God? And waves? Do they? They sparkle with energy and life! No, they don’t. Or we may be just unaware of that. Do they need faith? No, they don’t. Or we may be just unaware of that. But they exist in any case!

Why would God/Allah need to punish someone? We say God and assume that He is beyond human passions but then we invest him with human behavior and motives… Why would God punish his latest and most valuable creation? If humans are so exceptional, perhaps, there is no need to destroy them? Would anyone full of love and compassion do something like that? Demand something like that?

How quaint! Think about it. Any system in pursuit of power or in an attempt to hold on to it punishes dissenters. Punishes them severely. And their descendants too. Their relatives. Their friends. Just because they disagree. Just because they see another way. And don’t accept the way of the system. Think of the history! You can find evidence in any age, even in modern times. None of the chasteners has ever thought of trying another way. Even if you exterminate all the dissenters, there is no guarantee that new ones won’t emerge later. The world is wired in such a way that they are sure to emerge. You only need to understand the world and lives arrangement. Just a bit. Perhaps, one should attract followers with a carrot instead of a stick? Perhaps, one should attract followers with good deeds instead of terrors? Perhaps, one should attract followers with love and inspiration instead of fear? Perhaps, one should attract them with an example instead of threats. An example everyone genuinely wants to follow. An example everyone admires and wants to model after. Openly, honestly, without any double standards or double-speak! A slave is one who acts out of fear of punishment. A mercenary is one who acts in the hope of a reward. A thinking person is one who acts at the bidding of the heart. What followers do we want? Do we want slaves, mercenaries, or human beings?

A loving god doesn’t need punishments. Punishments are for those who wants to reach power quickly, easily, and at any cost. God/Allah/the Almighty/spirits simply do not need it. They already have everything! And the scale of this «everything» is just incredible!! He (or they) who can make the abundance of life! He (or they) who can create at least one planet! Why would he punish anyone? He is so much more than that!!! Moreover, his wisdom is boundless if he created it all. It means that he exists beyond time and space. It means that if he needs someone, these people will come to him themselves. Sooner or later. Of their own accord. True faith is voluntary. Faith under pressure will always be ephemeral and unstable. The divine always provides the freedom of choice.

The myth that we need to kill those who are different or of dissenting views, to enslave them, to turn them into second-class beings… This myth exists not only with regard to God and religion. It exists everywhere. In politics, in economics, in our traditions. It exists in the very essence of humans. Because a lot of people believe that foreign or different means dissenting. Foreign or different means following a different path, a different road. What if it’s dangerous to me? It is in details. When mother-in-law nags at her daughter-in-law because she made soup in a different manner. When father-in-law nags at his son-in-law because he twisted in a screw instead of striking a nail. When one person tries to prove another wrong just because he came up with a different solution. A government official arguing with a businessman? An employer and an employee, each looking at the world from their own perspective? When one nation declares another second- or even third-class while announcing itself a proud civilization…

But what if the beauty of the world is in the diversity? Then there is no reason to get rid of it. There is no reason to make wars, to burn dissidents.

It is terrifying when people go and kill those who are different. Using their difference as an excuse. It is terrifying when people turn those who are different into their slaves, into second-class beings, when they deprive them of their rights. We could talk here about black people, Jews, American and Asian Indians, Russians, the poor, or women. It doesn’t matter. What’s important is that they are different. And their difference becomes an excuse, a justification for evil, violence, and wars.

Think of history: It has always been done by men of faith and in the name of faith. Native Americans were slaughtered in the name of so called faith. Or take the history of Old Believer. Or… How many historic examples are there in different countries? Who demanded all those massacres? Was it God/Allah/the Almighty/spirits who created life and its diversity? Or maybe people in power who tried to achieve their own goals? But what is even more important, who still supports it?! Who follows this line without thinking? Without a shade of a doubt?

Can we treat dissidents as «blind, foolish children»? If you realize that a person doesn’t know, doesn’t understand something, or is blind or deaf, will you destroy them? Or will you sympathize with them? You will sympathize with them, won’t you? That’s great! This is the first step towards love and compassion. What is the point of arguing with such people? What is the point of humiliating or killing them? We can only sympathize with them or, perhaps, take care of them by creating some space for knowledge. We should provide such people with a freedom of choice. Let them choose knowledge. We can help them if they want our help. And we can respect their dissenting views, their own path. But is it possible for those who chose to serve destruction? Are they able to make SUCH an effort?

Will you slaughter children who are just learning how to live in this world and know and can do so little?

No, you won’t! You will help them, take care of them, teach them, bring them up, and love them!

Will you slaughter people who prefer green color to blue? NO, YOU WON’T! Because they have the right to choose their favorite color. Perhaps, green just suits them best!

You should also think of the following. Isn’t the very lack of faith a punishment already? What is it like, the life of a person whose world has no God/Allah/Buddha/Krishna/the Almighty/Ra/Zarathustra/spirits and none of the things they represent? How do they live in the world where good, love, compassion, souls, and spirituality just don’t exist? In fact, this is all about personal Hell for such people… Is there a need for some additional punishment if a person has already punished themselves and so severely? No, there is not! Then who is really in charge of demanding it? Is it some superior force or is it the ego of a human being, possessed by power, fear, and attachments?

Tips

Start accepting different points of view and analyze them. Acceptance doesn’t mean agreement. You can disagree. You do have your own opinion. But it will do you good to accept that another person has the right to think and act differently. This is the first step towards harmony. This is exactly what I mean by acceptance: You should acknowledge the right of other people to think differently. You should acknowledge that they know what’s best for them.

Analyze any conflict you have recently had with anyone from the point of view of the aforementioned. Or you can even take several conflicts. How would you resolve it now? Would there still be a conflict?

How could you show your interest in the point of view of the other person?

Could it be somehow useful for you?

Could it be just curious to you? No? Then why do you want to change it?

Key points

We say God and assume that He is beyond human passions, but then we invest him with human behavior and motives…

Even if you exterminate all the dissenters, there is no guarantee that new ones won’t emerge later. The world is wired in such a way that they are sure to emerge. You only need to understand the world and lives arrangement. Just a bit.

Perhaps, one should attract followers with love instead of fear?

A slave is one who acts out of fear of punishment. A mercenary is one who acts in the hope of a reward. A thinking person is one who acts at the bidding of the heart. What followers do we want? Do we want slaves, mercenaries, or human beings?

True faith is voluntary. Faith under pressure will always be ephemeral and unstable. The divine always provides the freedom of choice.

The myth in a nutshell

God will only accept someone’s free and voluntary choice to take the first step to him. True faith is voluntary. The divine always provides the freedom of choice.

What is power?

When weakness carries power in its arms?

When limitedness begets art?

When fear inspires courage?

When hate engenders compassion?

When a deaf person hears? When a blind person sees?

When a dumb person speaks? When a lame person dances?

What is power?

When a victim cries: «I am responsible for this!»?

When a tyrant whispers: «I am responsible for that!»?

When a slave realizes: «I am free!»?

When a slave-holder realizes: «I am a slave!»?

When a human being says to himself: «It is divine!»?

What is power?

Is it when a man admits: «I am weak and stupid!»?

Is it when a woman admits: «I am strong and smart!»?

What is power?

Is it to be a child and say the simple words: «I want!»?

Is to be young and say the affirmatory words: «I can!»?

Is to be mature and say the significant words: «I do!»?

Is it to be old and say the wise words: «I know!»?

What is power?

To be a blooming spring? To be a hot summer?

To be a fruitful autumn? To be a revealing winter?

What is power?

When you open your heart to love despite all the pain?

When strength turns into tenderness?

When your soul creates something despite your anger?

When lies become truth?

What is power?

Is it to say «I love you» even if there isn’t a chance?

Is it to say «I don’t love you» for there isn’t a chance?

Is it to follow your love even though it’s against all rules and against yourself?

What is power?

To fulfill YOUR purpose even though you don’t understand it yet?

To be a Master of YOUR craft beyond your mastery?

To be a Teacher and Know the Path followed by your students?

To be a learner and not to know the path you are supposed to follow? To step onto it and go forward?

To be Enlightened and choose coming back to the world and serving it?

To be human and love this life despite all the suffering?

What is power?

It is us. Every day, every moment…

I don’t know what it is… What about you?