Lately, I’ve allowed myself to slip into daydreams of what it would be like to have Superman like power. I quickly become a supervillain. I realize how much rancor there is in my heart and how much I can revel in it in the name of justice.
Yes, it's an interesting moment. Maybe it's not so much inside you as it is a latent tendency or an undefined energy that we all share. That's how I tend to think of it. But also, it's helpful for me just to realize sometimes that I am the problem that I pretend to see out in the world! ;-)
“Going up a mountain track, I fell to thinking. Approaching everything rationally, and you become harsh. Pole along in the stream of emotions, and you will be swept away by the current. Give free rein to your desires, and you become uncomfortably confined. It is not a very agreeable place to live, this world of ours.“ (Natsume Soseki)
Love this! I used to have a theory, based on Buddhist principles, that Evil is basically Ignorance and Denial. Ignorance of the destructive power of the human condition and denial of the potential consequences of our actions - ie, Karma. If we really understood how powerful our actions were we'd never hurt anybody or anything!! This seems a bit simple these days but not entirely ridiculous! Thanks for the vid!! ❤
'Eichmann in Jerusalem: A report on the banality of evil' would be a useful read. Written by Hannah Arendt who was Jewish and fortunately was able to escape Nazi Germany.
Dude, You really upped your special effects game in this talk, and I wrote that before I read your own comment on it. I've never thought seriously about the Devil, or God for that matter. But as I'm getting older I have noticed I am exhibiting a lower tolerance for disorder. I tend to want things to be just so. I have plenty of personal disorder but seeing it in other people has been making me ANGRY. Like, for example, the people who keep breaking into my garage or leave broken booze bottles lying around. Part of me sees order as oppressive but part of me sees it as a good thing. What is harder to understand is how the world, or at least America, could be torn almost perfectly in half by these contradictory viewpoints. I don't completely understand how people can arrive at extreme positions even though I can feel myself being pulled..
Alas… I did up the special effects game. If people were breaking into my garage, I think that would really trigger me too. I also feel you on the extreme positions thing. I'm constantly complaining about it and manifesting it myself! Anyway, thank you for the comment.
We can't talk about evil alone or good alone. It's an impossible endeavour. It basically drives humans crazy. In a dualistic reality, both evil and good co arises. Even scientifically energy waves has up and down. Can't choose only up and preach good in isolation. We have no free will. If there is no dark, there is no light.
@zenconfidential25 Don't break laws if one does not want to suffer. There is no good or bad. To define it will make us all go mad. We don't have free will no matter who preaches it.
It seems that many people have deliberately taken on suffering by breaking unjust laws. Those that protested against the Jim Crow laws/policy in the USA or the many people classified as 'Prisoners of conscience' by Amnesty International. This included Christians who could not practice their faith in the former Soviet Union. If there is no ' good or bad' then perhaps my police detective friend should stop trying to track down a rapist.
My unsolicited opinion: If everything in the universe is here with us now, and we are ultimately one, everything that is good and evil is here with us now. There is no 'outside' for evil and good to come from. And we see the real world (which may be an illusion but is still non-dualist, so...). So where, then, is good and evil? It's just bound up within us, within all of us. It doesn't even matter what you want to call it, that's where it is. And it plays out like any other dynamic system, each according to our frame of reference. I'd say this is why good and evil are ultimately meaningless. The Middle Way averages everything out to harmony, and I think we've all known that when we feel it, as rarely as we let ourselves.
I wish we could have talked before you made this video. A good reference for a Christian theological perspective is Hans Schwarz's Evil: A Historical and Theological Perspective, a more contemporary institutional theological perspective on evil. Also, I am versed in Islam's perspective on evil/Evil. The Jewish perspective is a many layered thing and has many utilitarian aspects to it. Part of my background is that I read most likely the same philosophical references that you studied. Hindu takes on evil are fascinating. Anyway, for me, evil stems from human perspective, ego, and expressions of agency. Because this is part of a work in progress, I will not go into detail. Give that line a think. What blew me away about seminary was the thought that Nature has the potential of Evil/evil (in the Schwarz book). Which I think is complete BS. Also, I have not written you an email in a long time. I think it might be time (adding to your exploding inbox). Ciao
Evil-mindedness has many causes it seems to me. Fatigue seems to make one more prone to it when around people. Also, it has a lot to do with self-consciousness. Ego.
You know, you may be onto something with this notion of fatigue, there may be a kind of deep fatigue with life that results in behavior that others wind up deeming evil.
The Devil don't want you to believe he exists. The Devil will not harm you unless you engage him. Don't believe evil exist you will have less problem engaging it. Go out there trying to find evil and policing it, don't be surprised when it slaps you in the face. As the online gurus say, make your bed, clean up your room.
Lately, I’ve allowed myself to slip into daydreams of what it would be like to have Superman like power. I quickly become a supervillain. I realize how much rancor there is in my heart and how much I can revel in it in the name of justice.
Wow, thank you for that insight. I completely and totally feel you on that one.
Thanks it's always good that someone reminds me that The evil I see outside is also inside me.... It is something that I tend to forget very easily!
Yes, it's an interesting moment. Maybe it's not so much inside you as it is a latent tendency or an undefined energy that we all share. That's how I tend to think of it. But also, it's helpful for me just to realize sometimes that I am the problem that I pretend to see out in the world! ;-)
“Going up a mountain track, I fell to thinking. Approaching everything rationally, and you become harsh. Pole along in the stream of emotions, and you will be swept away by the current. Give free rein to your desires, and you become uncomfortably confined. It is not a very agreeable place to live, this world of ours.“ (Natsume Soseki)
Man, that's a good quote, thank you.
Thanks!
Love this! I used to have a theory, based on Buddhist principles, that Evil is basically Ignorance and Denial. Ignorance of the destructive power of the human condition and denial of the potential consequences of our actions - ie, Karma. If we really understood how powerful our actions were we'd never hurt anybody or anything!! This seems a bit simple these days but not entirely ridiculous! Thanks for the vid!! ❤
Thank you, that's a great point -- ignorance plus denial plus anger-greed-illusion!! That's how it is for me, anyway.
Great video and very helpful in this time of fear that “evil” will win and hurt people, the environment etc…
'Eichmann in Jerusalem: A report on the banality of evil' would be a useful read. Written by Hannah Arendt who was Jewish and fortunately was able to escape Nazi Germany.
I have definitely read that one. profound.
yes
Dude, You really upped your special effects game in this talk, and I wrote that before I read your own comment on it.
I've never thought seriously about the Devil, or God for that matter.
But as I'm getting older I have noticed I am exhibiting a lower tolerance for disorder.
I tend to want things to be just so.
I have plenty of personal disorder but seeing it in other people has been making me ANGRY.
Like, for example, the people who keep breaking into my garage or leave broken booze bottles lying around.
Part of me sees order as oppressive but part of me sees it as a good thing.
What is harder to understand is how the world, or at least America, could be torn almost perfectly in half by these contradictory viewpoints.
I don't completely understand how people can arrive at extreme positions even though I can feel myself being pulled..
Alas… I did up the special effects game. If people were breaking into my garage, I think that would really trigger me too. I also feel you on the extreme positions thing. I'm constantly complaining about it and manifesting it myself! Anyway, thank you for the comment.
We can't talk about evil alone or good alone. It's an impossible endeavour. It basically drives humans crazy. In a dualistic reality, both evil and good co arises. Even scientifically energy waves has up and down. Can't choose only up and preach good in isolation. We have no free will. If there is no dark, there is no light.
Good points. I wonder what a "good" definition of good and evil would even be.
@zenconfidential25 Don't break laws if one does not want to suffer. There is no good or bad. To define it will make us all go mad. We don't have free will no matter who preaches it.
It seems that many people have deliberately taken on suffering by breaking unjust laws. Those that protested against the Jim Crow laws/policy in the USA or the many people classified as 'Prisoners of conscience' by Amnesty International. This included Christians who could not practice their faith in the former Soviet Union. If there is no ' good or bad' then perhaps my police detective friend should stop trying to track down a rapist.
My unsolicited opinion: If everything in the universe is here with us now, and we are ultimately one, everything that is good and evil is here with us now. There is no 'outside' for evil and good to come from. And we see the real world (which may be an illusion but is still non-dualist, so...). So where, then, is good and evil? It's just bound up within us, within all of us. It doesn't even matter what you want to call it, that's where it is. And it plays out like any other dynamic system, each according to our frame of reference. I'd say this is why good and evil are ultimately meaningless. The Middle Way averages everything out to harmony, and I think we've all known that when we feel it, as rarely as we let ourselves.
Perfect. Thank you my friend.
I wish we could have talked before you made this video. A good reference for a Christian theological perspective is Hans Schwarz's Evil: A Historical and Theological Perspective, a more contemporary institutional theological perspective on evil. Also, I am versed in Islam's perspective on evil/Evil. The Jewish perspective is a many layered thing and has many utilitarian aspects to it. Part of my background is that I read most likely the same philosophical references that you studied. Hindu takes on evil are fascinating.
Anyway, for me, evil stems from human perspective, ego, and expressions of agency. Because this is part of a work in progress, I will not go into detail. Give that line a think. What blew me away about seminary was the thought that Nature has the potential of Evil/evil (in the Schwarz book). Which I think is complete BS. Also, I have not written you an email in a long time. I think it might be time (adding to your exploding inbox). Ciao
Greetings Joe, as always LOTS of food for no-thought here, thank you!! :)
Was the televangelist Kenneth Copeland? He is talented at just what you say. He’s also worth $300 million
I had to google him but yeah...that's the dude.
Evil-mindedness has many causes it seems to me.
Fatigue seems to make one more prone to it when around people.
Also, it has a lot to do with self-consciousness.
Ego.
You know, you may be onto something with this notion of fatigue, there may be a kind of deep fatigue with life that results in behavior that others wind up deeming evil.
The Devil don't want you to believe he exists. The Devil will not harm you unless you engage him. Don't believe evil exist you will have less problem engaging it. Go out there trying to find evil and policing it, don't be surprised when it slaps you in the face. As the online gurus say, make your bed, clean up your room.