'Good' and 'Evil': Deconstructing an Age-Old Philosophical Question
Bringing clarity to one of the oldest philosophical conundrums
Recently, within my Infinity Mentorship community on Telegram, someone wrote:
"Wow great post -- especially "Notice that by embodying the 'dark' side of human nature, such beings activate within us a recognition of that which we are not and do not wish to be"
But that being said, are you saying that we can remove the dark side entirely from ourselves? Or that we ourselves can choose to be all light and no dark? This seems too good to be true and a little counter to what I thought, which is that all of us have part light and part darkness to us"
My Extended Answer
Initially I responded to this with a very direct pointer toward that which is beyond ‘dark’ and ‘light.’ I will include that original answer later in this post.
After some contemplation, I decided this age-old question about the nature of ‘dark’ and ‘light’ deserved a more comprehensive follow-up answer. This is what I wrote:
I felt a call to elaborate further on this response, as I know statements like this can seem quite cryptic.
'Good' and 'evil,' 'dark' and 'light,' appear obviously real to most human beings.
Experientially, they are real. Every reality-tunnel, every perspective, is true and real within its own context. If you are experiencing it, it is real for you in that moment. Similarly, a dream is true and real when you're in the dream, yet when you 'wake up,' it is revealed to have been more and other than what it appeared to be.
So, experientially, in this 'third-density' earth-realm, as humans, we notice a lot of contrast. Contrast is a key facet of this earthly realm that allows for certain specialized types of soul-games to be played, and certain types of accelerated realizations to be had.
As such, for a long time in our earthly journeys, potentially across many apparent lifetimes, 'good' and 'bad,' 'dark' and 'light,' 'benevolent' and 'evil,' seem like obvious, inescapable realities. They seem very solid.
Then, at some point, we get tired of the game of 'for' and 'against' and the inevitable suffering it leads to. We begin to loosen our grip on opinions and concepts, and we begin to discover neutral loving awareness. We begin to access the ability to remain as the neutral witness as the play of Life unfolds.
Through the 'eyes' of neutral loving awareness, reality begins to look different. Suddenly, we begin to see that all beings are simply doing what seems best to them in their current paradigm of awareness. We begin to realize that if we had the exact biology and circumstances of another being, we cannot honestly say we would behave differently. We notice our own 'mistakes' and 'darkness' too, realizing that the potentiality for even the most 'terrible' things we have perceived 'externally,' also exists within us. Thus, we begin to see the underlying innocence of all activity. Compassion for all beings is born.
As this happens, we begin to realize that what we had called 'evil' or 'darkness' is simply confusion—forgetfulness of our deeper loving nature; our "basic goodness," as the Buddhists say. We notice that "hurt people hurt people," and begin to see how wounds passed through generations repeat themselves in endless cycles, until someone breaks the chain through sufficient awareness.
All of these realizations begin to reveal a remarkably different picture of what is going on on Earth. We begin to realize that our civilization is simply a mirror reflection of our species' current degree of awareness—our current degree of remembrance of our deeper nature. We start to see that there is no one to blame for how things are. They simply are as they are. Beings have the awareness that they have. The need to make them 'wrong' or 'bad' or 'evil' begins to fade, as essential innocence shines forth with greater and greater brightness. We may notice at this point that reality is hyper-intelligent and is teaching us directly—that it has always been doing this and is our great teacher.
Yet it goes deeper still. For a while, we remain as the witness, and we feel almost as if we are 'outside' the world, in some transcendent vantage point, viewing human life from the vantage point of non-conceptual 'pure awareness.'
Eventually, this sense of being 'outside' the world begins to collapse. We begin to notice that—just as a dream is made of nothing other than awareness—our earthly life is made of nothing other than awareness. Human life, death, bodies, time, space, worlds, appear in and as awareness.
We start to realize that the entire world and everyone in it is a luminous self-appearance of awareness—of what we truly are. The world is nothing other than awareness. It is seen that there is actually no 'inside' or 'outside,' and thus it is seen that every single gorgeous, terrible, plain, technicolor, or tragicomic appearance we have ever seen, has been nothing other than our own Self. The entire universe is a light show appearing in/as awareness.
We realize that "awareness" is the only reality, and that this has also historically been referred to by many names, such as "God," "Being," "Tao," "Source," "Brahman," "Mystery," "Perfection," "the Absolute," and so forth. We realize we are that one reality.
Yet it goes deeper still. We eventually then notice that even awareness is unfindable. Awareness itself cannot be located or defined or pinned down as 'this' or 'that.' The same is true of "God," "the Absolute," "Being," "reality," and all other words.
So then we are left with ____________________. That which words cannot say. We are left with reality as an entirely unsayable and unfindable yet absolutely inclusive field of light in which all things come and go. Reality has then recognized itself through the aperture of our apparent individuality—recognized itself as an indefinable, indivisible, intelligent field of infinite potentiality.
This is what has historically been referred to as 'enlightenment,' 'liberation,' or 'self-realization.' Far from the end, it is only the beginning. Unfoldment proceeds eternally. THIS opens and opens to itself in ever subtler and more astonishing ways. Each moment is its own revelation.
Endlessness is the destination. Infinite intelligence has no finish line. Any clear 'end point' would be finite, defined, limited. Reality is infinite, undefined, unlimited.
Interestingly, reality seems to remain always a mystery, even to itself. Even as it reveals itself to be infinitely intelligent, omnipotent, omnipresent, indivisible, perfect, totally at peace with itself, and totally embracing of all aspects of itself, its innermost secret is never known. It can never be pinned down, and this is its freedom. The freedom of infinity. The eternal play of unresolvability.
Once this is seen, what then? Well... "chop wood and carry water." ^__^ If earthly life continues to appear, earthly life is lived and greatly enjoyed. Perfection is seen to be everywhere and everywhen. Reality is seen to be doing itself—effortlessly accomplishing itself, no maintenance required, as it always was and will be. So then one plays whatever game one's soul came here to play. This can look like anything.
This character, JB, enjoys the game of playfully being what 'he' is and playfully liberating consciousness. He enjoys food and nature and cuddles and dance and rap and laughter and family and friendship and fatherhood and partnership and art and teaching and exploring and adventuring and creating cool things. He enjoys radiating the all-embracing Light of reality into this earthly realm. He enjoys practicing bringing unconditional joy, love, acceptance, and honor to each moment. He enjoys the game of "birthing the New Earth." He enjoys the ongoing apparent process of more deeply integrating the clear seeing of reality into his moment-to-moment existence. He enjoys gawking at the ongoing revelation of reality.
Amen.
Love,
JB 💙
My Original Answer
I’ll also include my original answer to the question, which for some will likely be more intelligible after reading the more comprehensive answer above:
In reality there is no 'dark' and 'light.' There is only THIS. And it is entirely at peace with itself. Utterly and entirely in relaxation with itself. Resting as perfection. Source has never known any burden or darkness.
Find any strategy that allows you to get out of mental reference points and you can feel this Peace directly for yourself. Such strategies for dropping the dualistic/separative thought structure are personal to you but could include various forms of meditation, vigorous dancing, staring at a wall or some other 'mundane' aspect of experience you wouldn't usually notice, dousing yourself in ice cold water, reading/listening to Peter Brown or other teachers who transmit very directly and 'do the trick' for you, etc.
Everything is made of Pure Innocence. Everything is made of the Highest Light Which Has No Opposite. Including all beings who seemingly embody 'darkness' in this lifetime. Each one is a diamond-buddha perfectly reflecting all the other diamond-buddhas in any given moment. In each moment we receive nothing other than the exact reflection we need from reality.
The Innocence of Being can take on an appearance of something 'dark' as a catalyst to help us remember what we are beyond all dualistic constructions. Yet as we do increasingly access this remembrance of what we are, what had previously appeared as 'dark' will then appear as nothing other than Pure Innocence and Perfection.
Whatever you are categorizing as 'dark'—whatever appears 'dark' and 'wrong' to you—is not separate from you. It is within you and truthfully it is you. You are only ever seeing yourself. All the 'darkest' beings and acts that have ever appeared in your awareness—those are you.
Yet again, eventually, when seen clearly, all of these 'dark' beings and acts will be revealed to you as nothing other than the Play of Pure Innocence appearing to itself in infinite ways from infinite angles for its own amusement and exploration. In the comments here I will link a recent essay of mine that expresses this in greater detail.
This is the most direct way I can point at reality in response to this question. 'Dark' and 'light,' like all dualistic constructions, are a figment of the imagination. There is only reality. And reality is peace.
Infinity Mentorship
If you haven’t yet, I invite you to join the Infinity Mentorship community on Telegram and to ask me any question you like, about anything. A lot of beautiful and powerful stuff is coming through over there.
If you missed the memo, I’m gifting all of you one month of Infinity Mentorship, which will begin 1/11/22 and will include weekly live group sessions with me via Zoom. This will also include the ability to ask me any questions via Telegram. In a sense, this gift of Infinity Mentorship has already begun, as I’ve already begun answering everyone’s questions in the Telegram community.
Once the gift month ends in February of 2022, I will convert the current Telegram community into a more general community, and I will create a new community for those who elect to continue with Infinity Mentorship. The key difference will be that the Infinity Mentorship container will be specifically geared toward providing advanced, accelerated training for beings who feel a burning, undeniable call to assist in liberating planetary consciousness and being/birthing/living in the New Earth.
After the gift month, Infinity Mentorship will become a month-by-month container of indefinite length. I will ask you to make a monthly monetary investment for the duration of your involvement in the container. I don’t know exactly what this investment will be yet, but I do not intend to make it prohibitively high. And, if you are truly sincere yet cannot afford the investment, there will be the opportunity to join at a reduced rate, or at no cost, and to find other ways to honor the value of what is being offered.
If you resonate with my work, do not miss this opportunity.
The Astonishing Miracle of Existence
If you haven’t yet, I invite you as well to join The Astonishing Miracle of Existence community on Telegram.
If you missed it, I’m gifting all of you a retreat and New Year’s party called The Astonishing Miracle of Existence.
This is intended to be a fun, chillaxed space “for all beings to celebrate the magic of life and relax into their place in the great unfoldment.” As I wrote on the vision page:
The event will incorporate various workshops and modalities to help you directly see the Miracle of Being that is already here, and to connect to your unique blissful purpose of expressing this Miracle on Earth in the way that only you can.
The retreat will conclude with legendary producer CoryaYo and I co-hosting and DJ'ing a Playful Dance Party that will be a ridiculously fun and uplifting way to usher in the New Year.
The Telegram community is intended as a space for the before-party, the event itself, the after-party, and an ongoing celebration of the astonishing miracle of existence. I’m not certain, but I have a feeling more magic may wish to emerge in this container after the initial event. Let’s see what unfolds.
Peace
All right, I think that’s all for now, y’all.
If you haven’t yet joined us in the Ouroboros Discord Community and checked out the Ouroboros New Earth Soul Activation Course, I can also recommend to do so.
Hope this finds you relaxedly surfing the ever-shifting wave of this eternal now-moment with grace and precision.
Love,
JB
Jordan Bates is a zany orangutan. Listen to his recent rap album, ATLANTIS.