“Why is there evil?” The disciple asked the master.
The master remained quiet for a while. She then said, “Evil is the result of our ego. And the ego is the result of our delusion that our interests are different from others. Due to this false idea we perpetrate evil.”
“But why does God allow this? Is God not in charge?” The disciple replied.
The master did not respond. Instead she closed her eyes and meditated. The disciple seemed agitated and continued, “How can God allow genocide? How is that we have child molesters? What kind of God allows this?”
The master’s eyes remained shut and she continued to meditate. After a few minutes of silence she finally opened her eyes and said, “From here the earth seems flat, isn’t it? But when you go out in space we see that the earth is spherical. Our perception is different based on the level we perceive from. Do you not agree?”
“Yes, I agree. But what’s this to do with the question of evil?” The disciple asked.
“Look the same thing that at one level appears flat, is on another level a sphere. Similarly at the level of the ego we have division and evil. However at a much higher level there is no separation and no division. At this level there is no evil. Everything is “one” at this level. How can the right hand hurt the left hand if they are part of the same being?” The master asked.
The disciple fell silent. What the master was saying made sense but doubts remained. “How can one wish away the very real evil we see around us by the mere sleight of the hand?” The disciple thought.
Seeing that the disciple was not satisfied she continued, “Look, as long as you are at the level of the ego you will see evil as very real. What I am saying is not to wish away evil or minimize it. However at the level of the ego we have free will and we are separate from God. So then why do we wish to blame God for the evil we see around us? If you want to hold God responsible, then first go to the level where you can find God, and from that level there is just oneness and no evil. The problem is that we are speaking from two different levels simultaneously. When we do this then we enter the realm of paradoxes, such as saying that earth is both flat and spherical!”
The master saw that the disciple was not yet satisfied so she motioned him to sit next to her and they both meditated in silence for the next thirty minutes. The disciple then opened his eyes and seemed more relaxed. He then turned to the master and said, “Does this mean that I can ignore the evil around me?”
The master opened her eyes too and said, “No! You and me, both have egos. We are not fully enlightened. We have to learn to deal with the reality at our level. At this level we have evil and we must fight it.”
“And how does one do that?” The disciple wondered.
“Now here is the paradox. Though you are fighting against ego-created evil, you have to always be aware of the deeper level where all is one. Thus your actions have to be informed by this deeper unity. You must always show kindness and compassion in whatever you do.”
The disciple’s eyes lit up. It all suddenly made sense and he spoke with a sense of excitement and purpose, “I now get it! I will strive to create a just and fair society where individuals are held accountable for their actions. I will also make sure that my actions are informed by compassion rather than punishment. And most important, I will fight to include within our system of education secular techniques related to yoga that will teach our students how to reduce the size of the ego as this is the root of the problem.”
The master seemed satisfied. She smiled and nodded her head and then quietly went back to her meditation. The disciple also closed his eyes and began meditating. A bird flew into a nearby tree and started chirping. Suddenly it seemed that the world was truly one and everything was peaceful and loving.
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Credits:This has been written by Raj Shah and edited by Ketna Shah. This article has been inspired by the talk of Mooji: A question about Evil.