| There are good people everywhere, but how do we | | | | taxi follows the driver's instructions. Where, however, |
| define good? Pope Sixtus IV loved Tomas de | | | | does the intention come from? Is it an ineffable soul |
| Torquemada (arguably the most evil man that has | | | | force that precipitates action, is it karma? The |
| ever lived)! Good and evil seem entwined with | | | | genesis of that intention and force is an interesting |
| society's expectations. Behavior can be considered | | | | debate among the religions. |
| good by some, bad by others, and volumes are | | | | All intention, or plotting, be it for "good or evil," can |
| written on this subject by philosophers and the | | | | be seen to be a result of cause and effect, or |
| religious regarding whether good and evil exists as an | | | | karma. In turn, cause and effect could be seen as |
| entity. Since good and evil seem to change in the | | | | the mother of all action, and when action results in an |
| context of various cultures, religions, and | | | | illusion of a self performing it, that is; an entity |
| circumstances, how do we get to the root of good | | | | standing behind the action itself, this, I believe, is the |
| and evil? Wouldn't we have to look beyond social and | | | | true ground of evil -- the illusion of a separate self, |
| religious morays? | | | | standing apart from "God." Overcoming self is a |
| Sometimes good and evil set each other up. When | | | | common theme in almost all religions. |
| good people think of ways to do nice things for | | | | If you and I agree to something and one of us |
| other people, and when situations arise enabling them | | | | accidentally violates our agreement, there is no evil |
| to carry out their missions, lust can arise in the form | | | | performed, no intention, no self. However if I plot to |
| of an impulsive desire to do good. This is no different | | | | deceive you, then there is evil and there is a self |
| from any other dependency or addiction. Likewise, | | | | involved, as well as intention. |
| doing a good thing for somebody, or even having an | | | | So the response usually is, "but how can wanting to |
| insight during deep prayer, can invite arrogance, | | | | help people, such as perhaps wanting the world to |
| smugness and conceit. Also, meditation or | | | | meditate and pray, which is an intention, be a bad |
| contemplative prayer can lead to incredible calm | | | | thing? |
| states, which in turn can lead to a clinging to the | | | | Wanting the world to conform to ideas or some |
| experience. | | | | religious structure would be an evil thing. That would |
| Desire, good or bad, leads to other things; this could | | | | be the epitome of evil. But merely seeing how we |
| be called cause and effect, and cause and effect can | | | | imprison ourselves, and seeing that the world is on |
| be intentional or unintentional. If we believe something | | | | fire is merely seeing, and not evil at all. If one sees |
| stands behind our actions, a "doer" of things, a "self," | | | | this without intention, without any expectations or |
| then the actions become intentional -- we imagine | | | | desire for results, and out of compassion makes that |
| ourselves being a good person or whatever. If the | | | | vision known with no thought of building a religious |
| actions are unintentional, then we do only what | | | | structure of any kind, allowing people to decide for |
| needs to be done. | | | | themselves what will truly free them -- is this |
| If we unintentionally do something, (not by accident, | | | | "intention," or is this an unintentional action that is as |
| but just do it spontaneously because action is called | | | | natural as breathing? |
| for), that's much different from intentionally doing it. | | | | Christ and the Buddha made their insights known. |
| Unintentional actions usually don't involve good and | | | | They didn't build a church or a religion -- followers did |
| evil, whereas intentional ones can. I believe that these | | | | that. Had the followers instead actually searched for |
| intentional "self" and unintentional "no-self" aspects of | | | | truth in their hearts as their spiritual guides did, being |
| action are clues to fundamental good and evil, or | | | | paupers and "non-religious," and seeing things as they |
| perhaps a better word for good and evil might be, | | | | were (that the Truth is a moving target and can't be |
| "what is." But without some actual experience of | | | | harnessed into religious doctrines), perhaps we would |
| deep, contemplative prayer or meditation, this "no | | | | have a world of prophets now instead of a world |
| self" thing is a difficult concept to understand. | | | | torn apart by beliefs. |
| Intention, or self, might be described as a taxi driver. | | | | The question is, how can we begin to become aware |
| The driver is "intention," and his taxicab, or his brain, | | | | and act out of that awareness, rather than acting |
| is the slave to that intention. The driver (intention) | | | | out of our past habit patterns? This, I believe, is a |
| tells the taxicab (brain) where to go, and in turn the | | | | crucial point to consider. |