The Source of All Evils

The source of our ailments is not external but resides in the individual's lack of awareness and empathy. While ancient scriptures like the Tao-Te-King valued wisdom and freedom, our era derides good and evil in favor of purely material efficiency.

The blog Yoga Originel

Summary: The source of our ailments is not external but resides in the individual's lack of awareness and empathy. While ancient scriptures like the Tao-Te-King valued wisdom and freedom, our era derides good and evil in favor of purely material efficiency.

Yet, wealth and power remain helpless against old age and death, for he who chooses the side of evil always ends in suffering. At the heart of this destructive system lies vanity, the true ambassador of evil, which blinds the mind through jealousy and the desire for domination. To find inner peace, man must imperatively free himself from it and return to the simplicity of discernment.

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All existential problems have a solution, whether they are matters of simple survival — such as access to water, food, medical care, or the peace of arms — or issues related to democracy, justice, liberty, and equity. The reason for these evils resides within Man, and the solution is found there as well. World peace is often perceived as a utopia; as a result, it is no longer envisioned as a realistic option. It must be admitted that the history of humanity tends to confirm this assertion.

The root of evil is unique

When we establish the tree of causes, we systematically reach a single root. Take the example of a population dying of hunger. We might mention climatic, geopolitical factors or corruption, but in truth, the deep cause is the lack of awareness and empathy of the world's leaders.

Once, things were simple

At one time, things were simple: there was good and there was evil. Ancient scriptures, such as the Tao-Te-King, speak to us of "Wise Kings."

“Jadis, le peuple ne connaissait de ces souverains que leurs noms. Les suivants, qui étaient justes, furent aimés. Ceux d'après, qui jugeaient, furent craints. Or, on ne saurait accorder sa confiance à celui qui n'a pas confiance en lui-même. Les successeurs, qui étaient prudents, furent méprisés. Les Rois sages, eux, s'exprimaient avec sagesse. Ils étaient des exemples pour tous, et le peuple disait alors : 'C'est nous qui avons tout fait, nous sommes libres'” (Tao-Te-King, 17).

Things became blurred when the people stopped trusting their leaders. Today, few people still know how to distinguish good from evil. Those who speculate on the price of grain are totally indifferent to the famine they cause for millions of destitute people across the world, as long as they enrich themselves. What wouldn't one do to possess a house or a car more imposing and more expensive than those of others?

Good is mocked

Henceforth, the notions of good, evil, morality, and immoralité are turned into derision, treated as naive and outdated concepts. Only the notions of legality and illegality, efficiency and inefficiency, remain. Good has become what does "us" good, evil what harms "us."

In truth, when a child is happy, it is good. An unhappy child is evil. A fulfilled and healthy person is good. A person who suffers in their flesh, who lacks vital resources, who is tortured, despoiled, or whose dignity is denied, is evil. Respecting nature is good. Voluntary polluters, indifferent to the future of generations to come, represent evil. Yet, things are simple.

Simplicity is no longer in fashion

Simplicity has been degraded into simplism, just as solidarity has become "handouts." Public service has mutated into the public sector. We find it amusing, we play the "tough minds" who can't be fooled, but deep down, we know perfectly well that the truth is simple. We know that our acts are evil, but we feign ignorance to safeguard our financial interests. We have chosen our side: that of profit, no matter the evil engendered. However, denying the existence of good and evil does not make them disappear.

Good and evil truly exist

Good and evil are tangible realities. Acting poorly places you in the camp of evil, while acting with righteousness places you in the camp of good. Evil exists. When you choose it, your life irremediably ends in suffering, even if you are sitting on a pile of gold. The most powerful billionaire only enjoys his situation for a few years, thirty or forty years at most. With age, his anxieties and doubts are identical to those of a modest person. A face-lift may appear younger, but old age and the proximity of death mock appearances. When we grow old, wealth changes nothing about the reality of our condition.

The origin of suffering

Vanity rules the world; it is a creation of evil, its best soldier and its ambassador. What pushes an individual to acquire extremely expensive goods? Vanity. What pushes one to want to dominate and command others? Vanity. What engenders sickly jealousy? Always vanity.

Jealousy is the daughter of vanity, and it is a source of great misfortune. Vanity itself is the fruit of evil and the lack of awareness. It is its most powerful manifestation in the hearts of men, preventing their minds from knowing peace.

In truth, only those capable of transcending their vanity will have a harmonious, happy life. Vanity is your worst enemy; beware of it as you would the plague. Every time a feeling or a thought emanates from your vanity, know that it has only one goal: to lead you astray and move you away from inner peace.

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