evil running wild in the world

[old3bob]

1 hour ago, steve said:

 

IMO it is an error in view to claim that a separate self "does not exist."

Nor did I claim that gods, goddesses, and demons do not exist

That is not my view or the meaning of my posts.

I do understand how people can come to that conclusion, sorry to not be more clear.

 

 

This, I can get behind... and in front...  and in the middle too. 

 

"I am he
As you are he
As you are me
And we are all together

...

Goo, goo, g'joob!"

 

"Nor did I claim that gods, goddesses, and demons do not exist", By Steve

Agreed its just that they are not eternal, or to me do not exist beyond the present cosmic cycle.

 

are those four lines also from the Beatles who said something close to it in a line from, "I am a walrus"  although theirs sounds like or was a nutty 60's mashup.  

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 12:13 AM by old3bob

[old3bob]

3 hours ago, Keith108 said:

As with good and evil, the three times (past, present, and future) are empty. They have no self nature, and are illusions that keep us locked up in our "self" prisons. I know that sounds crazy but, at least from a Buddhist pov, it's a pretty key teaching. 

 

My signature quote starts with some good instruction about how to practice, and then the last line. The last line says essentially, all of the  past, present, and future are contained in this moment. One mind moment/infinite kalpas. But, now I am drifting from the topic. 

 

Ch. 2 in the DDJ seems to point to these apparent paradoxes of time and good vs. evil:

 

~ 2 ~

When the whole world knows the pleasing to be pleasing

This ends in despising

When all know the good to be good In the end there is “not good”

Thus, existence and non-existence are born together

Difficulty and ease result in each other

Long and short are compared to each other

Above and below are opposites of each other

Noise and tone are harmonized by each other

Front and back accompany each other

Therefore, sages handle affairs with non-action

They practice wordless instruction

And the myriad things all take their places

Without responding Given life, but not possessed

Acted for, but not expected of

Perfection is cultivated, and not dwelled upon

Surely, what is not dwelled upon Does not leave

 

Gong, Heshang; Lao Tzu. The Heshang Gong Commentary on Lao Zi's Dao De Jing (2nd edition) (p. 46). Center Ring Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

 

_/|\_

 

the manifest is connected to the unmanifest thus I'd say it can not be just an illusion per se.

(or the "ten thousand" are connected to Tao thus are not just illusion per-se...so it follows that the only illusion is in the lack of full or correct perception .

 

[old3bob]

(skip) 

 

Edited Tuesday at 09:35 AM by old3bob

[old3bob]

 

"Now, where do thoughts come from? That's the question that liberates."  By Keith

 

thoughts are mind things and when a light that is not a thing (so to speak) shines through them they appear yet take away the thoughts and the light is still there but  then not seen like a thought that it seemed to be on the screen. 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 04:08 PM by old3bob

[Bindi]

On 11/1/2026 at 5:35 PM, old3bob said:

 

it has no lasting root in itself and needs to steal whatever it can get away with which lasts for awhile,  which has been a very long while but not forever, thus after stealing and consuming all it can get away with it then implodes or self destructs on itself.

 

 

I think ‘evil’ or ignorance has to be shown the door, it doesn’t self destruct. If we get a hundred monkeys to destroy ignorance, then things might start to change. 
 

Right now yes things are bad, but like zerostao said they’ve always been bad just more hidden. The bad is showing its hand, and the other faction are standing against it. We’re in dangerous times, but we have been here before and the good has won. 

[old3bob]

10 hours ago, Bindi said:

I think ‘evil’ or ignorance has to be shown the door, it doesn’t self destruct. If we get a hundred monkeys to destroy ignorance, then things might start to change. 
 

Right now yes things are bad, but like zerostao said they’ve always been bad just more hidden. The bad is showing its hand, and the other faction are standing against it. We’re in dangerous times, but we have been here before and the good has won. 

 

Hello Bindi, that's an aspect also....but I'd still say that when evil is acting (per its hungry diabolical madness, greed and with fear underneath those) to consume but can no longer steal and use energies from others it then only has itself left to consume (known in modern terms as no one else to throw under the bus) and in that way implodes or can no longer continue.   I'm no expert on this but from a Christian perspective  I know Jesus does not kill evil with evil along with the fact that evil can not steal from Christ-light and thus can not remain around that truth and presence and has to turn away or is turned away... and it can only retreat so far and for so long before the light...

 

Edited Tuesday at 09:29 PM by old3bob

[stirling]

On 1/12/2026 at 5:06 AM, Keith108 said:

One time, I asked my teacher: "when will evil end?" He replied: "when you stop doing good". KInd of a zenny answer, but also very deep. 

 

Keith, that's fantastic! You are blessed with a very "wise" (prajna) teacher. It is also a very Dao answer. Stop pushing! Actualize the fundamental point! 

 

Reminds me of a quote my teacher loves to use:

 

Quote

How many beings does it take to make a Buddha? ALL BEINGS. How many beings does it take to make a terrorist? ALL BEINGS.

 

[old3bob]

On 1/12/2026 at 6:06 AM, Keith108 said:

One time, I asked my teacher: "when will evil end?" He replied: "when you stop doing good". KInd of a zenny answer, but also very deep. 

 

Some years ago, a rather eccentric friend of my mine once remarked that evil was necessary to balance good. Kind of a yin/yang thing. That's always been interesting to me. Every time humans try to create a utopia, it's a disaster. It seems we can't function with just the light. I still like ruminate on this one, because it runs against the grain for me. But as OldBob mentioned above, some deep ideas to think about. 

 

_/|\_

 

well,  if stopping with dharma ways then in that vacuum adharma gains...

 

I'd also say its a mistake to somehow conflate Yin with willful evil, when its just the other half of of duality..."These two flow from the same source though differently named" as found in chapter one of the T.T.C. or "One gave birth to Two" as found in chapter 42.

 

Edited Tuesday at 06:14 PM by old3bob

[Lairg]

In the DK writings there is a statement that in 1825 at the regular centennial meeting of the spiritual government of the planet, it was decided to allow the human race for the first time to make direct contact with divine will.

 

The result was a polarization in which humans were required to choose between light and dark.  The polarization worked out through much conflict including the two world wars.  Even then the polarization was not fully resolved.

 

So were the world wars good or evil? 

 

Perhaps good and evil are human perspectives

 

 

What decisions were made in 2025?   Stand by for more out-working.

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 08:56 PM by Lairg

[Nungali]

Since you dont seem to know  if world wars are good or evil I suggest you look this up ;

 

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/holocaust

 

[old3bob]

24 minutes ago, Lairg said:

In the DK writings there is a statement that in 1825 at the regular centennial meeting of the spiritual government of the planet, it was decided to allow the human race for the first time to make direct contact with divine will.

 

The result was a polarization in which humans were required to choose between light and dark.  The polarization worked out through much conflict including the two world wars.  Even then the polarization was not fully resolved.

 

So were the world wars good or evil? 

 

Perhaps good and evil are human perspectives

 

 

What decisions were made in 2025?   Stand by for more out-working.

 

 

 

holy cow, please get real...

[Lairg]

1 hour ago, old3bob said:

holy cow, please get real...

 

How do you test what is real?  Take a vote?

 

I tend to support Shakespeare:  There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 11:18 PM by Lairg

[old3bob]

2 hours ago, Lairg said:

 

How do you test what is real?  Take a vote?

 

I tend to support Shakespeare:  There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

 

 

 

that fiction about 1825  is not real by many many thousands of years+ 

[Lairg]

1 minute ago, old3bob said:

 

that fiction about 1825  is not real by many many thousands of years+ 

 

Hopefully you are not going to quote religious scriptures 

 

 

[Lairg]

Experiment:

 

- go back on this timeline to 1820 and look at the quality of surface Earth humanity

- come forward to 1830 and repeat

 

What differences

 

 

[old3bob]

17 hours ago, Lairg said:

 

Hopefully you are not going to quote religious scriptures 

 

 

 

some of it is better than weird or cult like fiction that is repeated,  Btw, many missed their ride on that comet and spaceship a while back and paid with their lives: 

 

"in 1997, 39 members of the Heaven's Gate cult died by mass suicide in the belief their souls would board a supposed alien spacecraft they thought was traveling behind the Hale-Bopp comet. They referred to the process as shedding their "bodily containers" or "meat vehicles" to "graduate" to a higher existence". 

 

Edited Wednesday at 06:58 PM by old3bob

[old3bob]

4 minutes ago, Lairg said:

Experiment:

 

- go back on this timeline to 1820 and look at the quality of surface Earth humanity

- come forward to 1830 and repeat

 

What differences

 

 

 

go back 2 to 4 thousand years and read of some of the pointers that Spiritual giants left us.

[Lairg]

Did the Dao forbid humanity advancing?

 

Did the Dao forbid inner plane experiments?

 

Meanwhile some 60 nations have signed up to the moral principles for managing the solar system: the Artemis Accords.   Where in the ancient documents is humanity entitled to manage the solar system?

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords/

 

These days there are spiritual standards to be met for humans that wish to reincarnate on/in this planet.  There are more important projects here than Earth humanity.

[old3bob]

Excerpt from BKS Iyengar, "Light on Yoga"  

 

"The yogi opposes the evil in the wrong-doer, but not the wrongdoer.
He prescribes penance not punishment for a wrong done. Opposition
to evil and love for the wrong-doer can live side by side. A
drunkard's wife whilst loving him may still oppose his habit. Opposition
without love leads to violence; loving the wrong-doer without
opposing the evil in him is folly and leads to misery. The yogi knows
that to love a person whilst fighting the evil in him is the right course
to follow. The battle is won because he fights it with love."

 

( implied between human beings) 

[old3bob]

  11 hours ago, old3bob said:

 

 Btw, the following saying is simple and pure, even transcendent in a way without overly lamenting or trying to be profound even if it is profound for a Christian and really for any religion if understood  right,

"There but for the grace of God go I".

 

"Now you seem to be saying if it was not for God 's grace    you might have become a heavy metal  musician ?"  by Nungali 

 

nope, but my experiences with falls could have been worse and farther...

[Nungali]

22 hours ago, Lairg said:

Experiment:

 

- go back on this timeline to 1820 and look at the quality of surface Earth humanity

- come forward to 1830 and repeat

 

What differences

 

 

 

the difference is after you do that , then your visualization fantasies are now included in your previous lack of understanding 

[old3bob]

23 hours ago, old3bob said:

Excerpt from BKS Iyengar, "Light on Yoga"  

 

"The yogi opposes the evil in the wrong-doer, but not the wrongdoer.
He prescribes penance not punishment for a wrong done. Opposition
to evil and love for the wrong-doer can live side by side. A
drunkard's wife whilst loving him may still oppose his habit. Opposition
without love leads to violence; loving the wrong-doer without
opposing the evil in him is folly and leads to misery. The yogi knows
that to love a person whilst fighting the evil in him is the right course
to follow. The battle is won because he fights it with love."

 

( implied between human beings) 

 

I think many would agree with the above for minor or intermediate wrongs but when it comes to major wrongs like dictators or murderers commit  (for instance killing from one to millions of people!) in this world who then could name or see a penance to offset or mitigate wrongs at such levels??   A great master could/would still see the Atman or (Buddha nature if you are Buddhist) in such people yet again there is no penance in this world to offset acts of limited or mass murder so then what would a master say or prescribe related to that?  

 

Btw,  in some Buddhist schools there is this saying:  "In some Mahayana Buddhist traditions, there is a story or ethical discussion that a highly realized being (a Bodhisattva) might, out of immense compassion, intentionally kill a person to prevent that person from committing an even greater crime (such as murdering many others), thus saving the potential murderer from accumulating an enormous amount of negative karma that would result in eons of suffering". 

 

And in Tibetan Buddhism there is this story:

"according to traditional biographies and legends, the Tibetan yogi and spiritual poet Milarepa was a mass murderer in his youth, using black magic to kill 35 people. This dark past is a central part of his famous redemption story within Tibetan Buddhism. 

 

The Story of Milarepa's Violence

• Betrayal and Revenge: After Milarepa's father died, his aunt and uncle seized the family's wealth and property, leaving Milarepa, his mother, and his sister impoverished and effectively as servants. His mother, driven by grief and a desire for justice, insisted that her son learn sorcery to take revenge.
• Mass Murder: Milarepa left home and found a master of the dark arts. After acquiring these skills, he cast a powerful spell that caused the house where his relatives were celebrating a wedding feast to collapse. Thirty-five people died in the collapse; ironically, his aunt and uncle reportedly survived, though their sons and their wives were among the dead.
• Further Retaliation: When the remaining villagers became furious and sought to retaliate against his mother, Milarepa sent a hailstorm to destroy their crops. 

 

Remorse and Redemption

Immediately after these acts of violence, Milarepa was overcome by deep guilt and remorse, realizing the heavy karmic consequences of his actions. This profound regret marked a turning point in his life, leading him to seek a path to purification and enlightenment. 

He eventually sought out the great Buddhist master Marpa Lotsawa, who subjected him to severe physical and psychological trials for years to purify his negative karma. Milarepa's perseverance and devotion under Marpa's guidance ultimately allowed him to achieve full enlightenment within a single lifetime, transforming him from a murderer to one of the most revered figures in Tibetan Buddhism. His life story is a powerful testament to the Buddhist belief in the possibility of redemption and spiritual transformation, no matter how great the past misdeeds. "

 

...even with great effort and several earth years of purification work mentioned above it seems it would take far more than that to offset murdering 35 people?

 

As for someone like Stalin maybe it would take 35 million years of suffering for him to come around?  or maybe some Beings spend an entire cosmic cycle in the hell realms by refusing to make amends.  (all that is above my pay grade so to speak)

 

Edited 18 hours ago by old3bob

[Lairg]

4 hours ago, old3bob said:

the great Buddhist master Marpa Lotsawa, who subjected him to severe physical and psychological trials for years to purify his negative karma.

 

There are much more efficient processes:

- forgiveness of self and others,

- being open hearted,

- intending right relationship and

- petitioning the Lords of Karma

are often sufficient.

[Apech]

12 hours ago, Lairg said:

 

There are much more efficient processes:

- forgiveness of self and others,

- being open hearted,

- intending right relationship and

- petitioning the Lords of Karma

are often sufficient.

Good to know you know better than Marpa.

 

 

[Lairg]

17 minutes ago, Apech said:

Good to know you know better than Marpa.

 

Test or believe.  

 

Humanity is changing!

Edited 3 hours ago by Lairg