Good and Evil (Ch. 10 of 'The Impersonal Life')

The Impersonal Life, Chapter X
GOOD AND EVIL

Image credit: russian-insider.com

"In the Garden of Eden, where you abode before entering upon your Earthly mission, there grew this tree whose fruit is called the Knowledge of Good and Evil. 

"While dwelling in the Garden you were still wholly Impersonal, for you had not yet tasted of this fruit." - Chapter 10

In 'The Impersonal Life,', we are told that early humans saw Good as being what was pleasing and Evil what was not. What do other sources say?

A Wikipedia article begins, 

"In religion, ethics, philosophy and psychology "good and evil" is a very common dichotomy. In cultures with Manichaean and Abrahamic religious influence, evil is usually perceived as the dualistic antagonistic opposite of good, in which good should prevail and evil should be defeated."

Wikipedia goes on to say essentially,

"In cultures with Buddhist spiritual influence, both good and evil are perceived as part of an antagonistic duality that itself must be overcome through achieving Sunyata. This means emptiness in the sense of recognition of good and evil being opposing principles but not a reality. Over this oneness is achieved."

Oneness is the actuality of the underlying foundation of everything. How can something that already is, be achieved? Oneness is a state to realize, experience and live. Unity often requires effort, and is something different. Oneness is effortless.

The perception of dualistic antagonistic opposites of good and evil is certainly at the root of suffering, along with automatic and reactive thinking and emotion-based desire. These have been programmed into our minds.

"Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It's a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other." - Eric Burdon

As to the idea that good and evil cannot exist without each other, I propose it is not so. The One Being, my definition of Good, is self-existent. It emits itself from within all existence. Its central quality is nurturing, non-local, unconditional love. Certainly its absence from awareness and actions is at the core of all we consider to be morally evil. Programmed ideas such as that evil and suffering are necessary, are part of the history but not the future of humankind. However, such a shift in consciousness will not likely happen without some spectacular global event.

The front page of USA Today for July 18, 2016 blared TRUMP NATION and highlighted photos of people who identify with the presidential candidate, Donald Trump.

Image credit: usatoday.com

I wonder how many global citizens would identify with an O.B. Nation. Perhaps a handful. But it is the only nation to which I belong.

What is another way to look at Good and Evil? This is my perspective:

Good is the presence of the non-local pure consciousness I call the One Being. Evil is its absence. Although O.B. fills everything everywhere with its presence, humans are blocked from experiencing it by their programmed minds. Experiencing oneness is effortless once the mind is de-programmed.

Chapter 10 says,

"So, through your mistakes and troubles and sufferings, Desire for relief caused the Idea of Evil to spring up in your mind, and likewise when these troubles were not It inspired the Idea of Good. 

In the Garden of Eden, where you abode before entering upon your Earthly mission, there grew this tree whose fruit is called the Knowledge of Good and Evil. 
...
 
"During the latter ages you have been, as it were, gradually throwing off layer after layer of human consciousness, dissipating the mist or glamour thrown around your mind by the intellect; subduing, controlling, spiritualizing, and thus clarifying the intellect itself; until now you are beginning to awaken and to see, through the ever thinning remaining layers, occasional glimpses of Me, the one Great Reality, within all things."

...

"The endless flow of the Seasons,—the Spring, with its busy sowing; the Summer, with its warm, restful ripening; the Autumn, with its bounteous harvesting; the Winter, with its cool, peaceful plenty, year after year, life after life, century after century, age after age—are only the outbreathing of My Idea as I inspire It forth through the Earth and through You, My Attribute, and through all My other Attributes, during the process of unfolding in outer manifest state the perfection of My Nature."

CONTENTS - BLOG POSTS

THE IMPERSONAL LIFE, UNABRIDGED