Sunday, July 22, 2018

Evil is not a force in itself

Today’s Seth is interesting.  Buddhists, when “fully” awakened, realize the oneness of the world around them.  

Dogen is a great example.  He got it that everything that he perceived with his physical senses was all a projected 3D image … an image that included his physical body and the associated physical sense perceptions.  With that awakening he knew that killing was just dumb, for two reasons:  first, you’re killing an illusion and making a big deal about it; and secondly, you were actually killing something as much “yourself” as your own hands.  

Thus, it makes sense that evil actions arise out of ignorance … it’s just difficult to awaken to the kind of realization that Dogen (and other enlightened beings) discovered.  It is even more important and difficult to live that awakening in every moment of the rest of our lives!

“You make your own reality, Man’s “evil” exists because of his misunderstanding of his own ideals, because of the gap that seems to exist between the ideal and its actualization.  Evil actions, in other words, are the result of ignorance and misunderstanding.  Evil is not a force in itself.”
(Dreams, “Evolution” and Value Fulfillment Vol 2Session 921)

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