Guest guest Posted December 10, 1999 Report Share Posted December 10, 1999 I had posted a question by Christine to the list. I had also forwarded Christine's email to Swami Atmanandaji. I am posting his reply here for the benefit of list members R. Dinakaran - Swami Atmananda <atma <SalcidoC_93930; <dorkus109 Cc: Dinakaran <dynes Friday, December 10, 1999 8:09 AM Goodness & Evil ! > Dear Christine, > Namaskar ! > Your mail was forwarded to me yesterday. Hope the answers help you > understand Hinduism better and thus help you in effective presentation too. > My Best Wishes. > Love & om, > Swami Atmananda > --------------------------- > > 1. How does the Hindu religion explain the evil present in the world? > > > Unlike other religions which pass on the buck of the existence of evil in > man to someone else, ref the story of the Greek Mythology, in Hinduism it is > different. We do not pass on the buck to someone else and clearly say that > evil is a product of the ignorance & weakness of human mind itself. > Ignorance of the truth brings about the possibility of taking the truth > about oneself as something different, like a rope being mis-apprehended as a > snake. When the divine, transcendental and infinite Self is mis-apprehended > as a limited & finite being, then alone starts the life of endless seeking & > compromises. A person who is bothered only about his or her selfish ends > resort to all kinds of possible evil. The moment right knowledge is given > all this can be eliminated. > > The theory of the existence of evil should not only explain the its > existence in the world but should also help us to show a way out. Theories > like Greek one do not show us a way out, but rather condemn man to co-exist > with evil for all times to come. Unlike these the Hindu Religion talks about > the basic divinity of man and says that evil is just a diseased state > brought about by of absence of right knowledge. > > > > 2. In the case of good and evil, in Hinduism is good suppose to prevail > > in the end? > > > Goodness is like good health and evil is like a diseased state. The former > is intrinsically & naturally there, while the latter is not natural but is > brought about by some extraneous factors. If someone resorts to the medicine > of 'right knowledge' then the intrinsic goodness re-surfaces once again, > because evil is not naturally there. However, for goodness to finally > prevail over evil, goodness too should be as dynamic & assertive as the > evil. Passive goodness cannot help us root out the evil. The following > statements validate my points. " Satyameva Jayate - Truth alone > wins. " (Mundaka Upanishad). " Yato dharmah tato jayah ! - wherever there is > righteousness there will be victory " (Mahabharata), > > Love & om, > > Swami Atmananda > ----------------------------- > Visit me at : http://vedantamission.tripod.com/GurujiPage.html > ----------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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