Good and Evil
1046 am 2/3/24
In my slump, an excuse to give my soul up, I have done well. I watch a Youtube video, on quotes by villains. There is much I find stirred within. I am confronted with the fundamental question of good and evil. Directly, instead of choices like masturbation and becoming anti-social. I am confronted with the idea of what makes a hero and a villain. For this, my judgement had to go. Now it is a simple choice, made by the heart. My heart does not condemn villains. It then stands to reason that I do not condemn the darkness within. The shadow. Yet, if a villain is one who stands his ground against conviction by heroes, so does a hero stand his ground. It seems to me more difficult to be a hero in this aspect, as to be good can be confused with being nice, and giving in to the whims of evil. I wonder what this phenomenon is for villains. To be bad can be confused with being cruel, needlessly so, and giving in to the whims of evil. When we consider this, there is a commonality between a good hero and a good villain, they both stand their ground. Their values. And I imagine that they both would team up against evil that is chaotic, cruel and unfair.
For a villain has a code of conduct, just as a hero. This is reflected in our folktales, where, for example, Raavana, though he broke societal laws, stuck to his rules of not forcing Seeta. In such a way, the hero and the villain can respect each other. They can understand they have a role to play, and must not judge. Then what causes good to fight evil? Is it the same as a hero fighting a villain, for to me a villain is not evil. A villain is only a different path taken. Look at Mahabharata, the villains are justified and given release in death. I do not imagine evil to be given release. In fact, it must be kept under checks and balances. To confine being evil to only a villain is a folly, as the good too can become evil. Evil is like a disease. Both villains and heroes must stay wary of it.
The difference between a hero and a villain is what you identify with. You personally. That is a fair world. We deserve villains and heroes who have their values clearly mapped out. Who, in the analogy of life’s play, know, understand and follow their scripts. In such an understanding, my conflict against villains is reduced. I seek to bring them compassion.
Yet this compassion is tricky. It must be supported by a robust understanding of life, these are the values I seek. Based on these laws, the world will be put at rest. These laws ensure that I save the man but kill his evil.
Why are we not compassionate toward the evil? It seems to me thus: compassion can be brought about when one’s karma is understood. If I see a villain, and understand his story, I will be brought to compassion. This compassion will seek to restore this villain to his former state, before he was harmed. This compassion is based on understanding that he became a villain due to cause and effect; thus a different cause and effect can be brought about. Evil is a choice. It is not based on cause and effect, for the same causes have often led to different effects. The is no compassion for evil, because evil is a choice. If we have compassion for such a choice, then we become indecisive. Our whole love for good will be questioned, and this will cause inner turmoil.
The greatest power, it then seems to me, is to be able to extract the man out of evil. Evil is a quicksand pit. An evil man- be it a hero or a villain- is only a man stuck in this quicksand pit. Or shall we say a villain is only a man stuck in this quicksand pit. This man could have been a hero. But to say this goes against the idea of a good villain not being evil. Perhaps we can say a good villain is a man in the clutches of evil. He need not be a hero. Regardless, when we see a man in a quicksand pit, we shall not save him based on judgement. To let a villain die in such a way is not being a hero. It is the hero’s equivalent of Raavana taking Seeta without a fair fight. For cosmic order, the hero must too kill evil in a fair fight. Thus let the hero save the man. Rather, let the man save the man. Let judgement go when we are confronted with quicksand, with evil. For this unifies the hero and villain within myself. We shall save each other from quicksand, and continue our duel. Because I imagine it better to save a villain than to kill him. For this, I must kill the evil, not the man.
In such ways our stories gave the villains many chances to reconcile. This is akin to giving the chance to a villain for going back to a clean slate, before he had committed a sin. Before he chose evil. It seems to me incredibly important to give such villains a reason to choose good. If this does not happen, to kill a villain, is the last resort. For death cleanses us of our sins and boons. It is the ultimate clean slate. Thus many villains in our stories are grateful for death.
Let me make goodness look popular, for it is the only peace a man can have. Goodness. Let me fight fairly with my heroes and villains. Let us both be saved from evil. For a hero becomes evil if he lets evil thrive, as much as a villain becomes evil if he lets evil thrive. In this, we are together.
How does this translate to practicality. As a hero, when I am good, I become evil if I let evils like addiction in my friends thrive. I am evil if I am complacent and continue such friendship. I am evil if I do not communicate my feelings to those who sin, to correct them. As a villain, let us say when I am lazing in bed, I become evil if I get greedy. I become evil when my laziness is planned and extends much longer into the future- much like two children taking turns on a swing, both prone to greed, heroes and villains must take turns. When heroes become lacking in compassion, when their righteousness gets to their ego, they become evil- not villains. When villains become unfair and kill the future- let us say in my ejaculation or abandonment of goodness, rather abandonment of character and values- they become evil. This is the balance of the world.
When you grasp this, you are at ease. You have isolated evil, and shall no longer lack in decision. You shall become firm yet compassionate. For to be a hero or a villain is alright by me, but to be evil is not. Chaotic evil has no meaning just as chaotic good has no meaning. Let there be meaning in this life, for I prefer plays that make sense over those which decide their not making sense is what makes sense. There is a difference between absurd theatre and theatre that is absurd. In the former, there is intent. This itself gives the absurdity meaning. But in the latter, it is just theatre which is senseless.