What is the Spiritual Root of Good and Evil?

Lately there are so many “bad” things happening in the world – bad economies, natural disasters, terrorists, wars, and so on. We all wish that things would just be “good” already – good weather, good bank accounts, a good, peaceful planet, and so forth.

The masterpieces or literature and art explore the drama of the opposing forces of good and evil (remember Swan Lake?). To most of us, there’s no question that good and evil are opposites, two extremes.

However, as unlikely as it may be, good and evil only appear to be opposites! Beyond our limited perception of these two forces, they actually share the same spiritual root, because the root of everything in existence is the one, unique Creator. This root can only be described as the single force that governs everything, a force of absolute bestowal and love.

Only we, human beings, perceive this force dually, depending on whether we are with it or against it. Being “with it” means that our attitudes match the attitude of this force. When we adopt an attitude of love and bestowal for all people, we become attuned to the unique root of nature and can feel it the way it really is – true perfection. When we are “against it” – when our attitude is egoistic and self-centered – we perceive this unique root as the exact opposite, cruel and harsh. The choice is always ours.