The Inability To Recognise Evil

The inability to recognise evil makes us useless students of truth.

It is through recognising suffering and confusion
– and the cause of suffering and confusion –
that we traverse the path to enlightenment.

It is not through reading books.

The banality of evil suggests that evil can result not from monstrous intent, but from a lack of empathy, and a thoughtless conformity to a system. The root of evil is the self-serving emotions of desire, aversion, and delusion.

There are factors – including psychological trauma, abuse of power, and media that fosters biased behaviour – which create a toxic atmosphere. With the erosion of empathy, we lose our natural ability to relate to and feel for others, resulting in indifference and biased judgement.

Evil is recognised by uncontaminated consciousness. If it is not recognised, we are participants within the system.

Awareness of the pure and impure at the same time is the unity of opposites – heaven and hell.
If we only want heaven, we are already in hell.