{"id":4022,"date":"2009-10-20T00:25:19","date_gmt":"2009-10-19T16:25:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/?p=4022"},"modified":"2009-10-21T02:21:40","modified_gmt":"2009-10-20T18:21:40","slug":"being-good-among-the-evil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/2009\/10\/being-good-among-the-evil\/","title":{"rendered":"Being Good Among the Evil"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Who bears within them enmity:
\n‘He has abused and beaten me, defeated me and plundered me’,
\nhate is not allayed for them.<\/p>\n

– The Buddha (Dhammapada)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

J: I don’t believe in karma [the moral cause and effect; of begetting fruits of that sown], because many ruthless people get ahead in life.
\nS: Why don’t you try being ruthless to get ahead then, since you don’t believe in karma?
\nJ: I wouldn’t want to do it.
\nS: Why?
\nJ: I would be unhappy doing that.
\nS: Then you do believe in cause and effect – that being evil leads to unhappiness, which would also mean that being good leads to happiness.<\/p>\n

J: But many of the ruthless seem happy.
\nS: Do you sincerely believe they will be happy forever, and not reap the fruits of their bad karma in time?
\nJ: I’m not sure.
\nS: You’re actually quite sure.
\nJ: Why?
\nS: Because if you are certain that being evil can lead to lasting happiness, you would already be one of them.<\/p>\n

J: But isn’t it unrealistic to think that good can always win evil?
\nS: Why not? It may not be immediate but it’s eventual.
\nJ: Just as how some of the evil do get nabbed?
\nS: Yes, and how some of the good triumph.
\nJ: But it doesn’t seem universal.
\nS: Even seeds take time to ripen – it’s a matter of time.<\/p>\n

J: As long as I can’t see justice met in all cases, it requires some faith to believe in karma.
\nS: Yes but most people already believe in it in some sense.
\nJ: How so?
\nS: If not, there would be chaos all over, with most believing that being evil is good.
\nJ: It is better for one and all to believe in karma then?
\nS: Definitely.<\/p>\n

J: But the world still has ruthless people out to take advantage of those like me. Shouldn’t I be ruthless in return?
\nS: Then you’ll have to ask yourself what kind of world you want?
\nJ: Huh?
\nS: Do you want a world where everyone is ruthless to everyone?
\nJ: No.
\nS: Then you ought to play a part in making this world a better place by doing good instead.<\/p>\n

J: Isn’t being ruthless to the ruthless exacting karma justly to them?
\nS: Their bad karma might be expressed through you, but why create bad karma doing so?
\nJ: If I don’t punish them, who will?
\nS: The law of karma will – via many other possible means.
\nJ: Does that mean I shouldn’t stand up for justice?
\nS: You should – but without being ruthless, as bad karma is created with ill intentional actions.<\/p>\n

J: It still seems tough going against the grain of the ruthless.
\nS: Some do not accord with the way we hope, but it always takes effort to change the world.
\nJ: It’s too much for me to handle.
\nS: You are not alone. Many others are doing what they can too. Together, we can change the world.
\nJ: It still seems too idealistic, trying to change the world totally.
\nS: Even if this ideal can’t be realised fully, it is ideal to realise it as fully as we can – for the happiness of as many as possible.<\/p>\n

We the unhating live happily midst the haters,
\namong the hating humans
\nfrom hatred dwell we free.<\/p>\n

– The Buddha (Dhammapada)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Related Articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Four Assurances (Solaces) from Not Being Evil
\nhttp:\/\/groups.yahoo.com\/group\/thedailyenlightenment-excerpt\/message\/190<\/a>
\nThe Paradox of Karmic Fairness
\nhttp:\/\/groups.yahoo.com\/group\/zeph\/message\/1010
\n<\/a>How Karmic Payback Works
\nhttp:\/\/groups.yahoo.com\/group\/zeph\/message\/371<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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