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This weekend I attended a lecture about the Bhagavad Gita and at the end of the lecture a girl asked a question, that I think we all – yogi or not – ask ourselves at some point. I am not sure she got her answer, so here’s my shot at finding that answer.
The Bhagavad Gita is just a small part of a much larger epic – the Mahabharata, the great story of the Bharatas. The book tells the story of two related families, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, who fight against each other in a great, pompous battle. The specific part of the Bhagavad Gita is a conversation on the battlefield between Arjuna, a warrior, and the god Krishna, in the role of Arjuna’s charioteer.
One of the verses by Krishna reads:
“I am the same towards all beings. Before me, no one is hateful and no one is more or less cherished. However, those who lovingly workshop me will realize that they are actually a part of me and I live in them.” (9.29)
The girl wanted to know how Krishna could be the same towards all beings, how a force or a god could be the same towards all beings, regardless of their human behavior. She gave the example of a mass murderer or abusive people – how could that not make a difference? And by it she asked a question that has been common in religion – how can god tolerate evil? And how do I, as an individual, respond to evil in the world?
It’s a question that requires a radical view – that good and bad are interpretations of the human mind. Ironically it is something we create and sustain. And as long as we don’t realize our own judgements, we are victims to this confusion. Life – from the tantric perspective – is neither good nor bad. Whatever is the case, that is the case. It’s all about how you view it.
Here is the best answer I can give for how to meet evil in the world: Try to see it from the other perspective. When you meet a mass murderer, try to understand his view. Let go of your ego, your position, your ideas how things should be. We tend to interpret other people’s actions from our own perspective and deny them their own story. We assume that they should act and think the same way as ourselves, but we don’t acknowledge the different experience we’ve had. If we meet them from a place of unity and see that deep down they are humans just like us, then we realize that we most likely would act the same way they do. Had we had the same experience as they have, we’d have a lot more understanding. We’d see that ultimately we come from the same place.
This ironic paradox is so beautifully shown in the Bhagavad Gita. Two related families fighting against each other, both believing they are right and righteous without realizing that they are both made of the same flesh and blood. Both families focused on what separates, rather than what unites them.
This uniting force is Krishna in the heart of all creatures. By humbly worshiping this uniting force we become part of it again and can see it in all of us. It will not resolve good and evil in the world, but it will help us understand the world around us. This force is the birthplace of forgiveness and compassion.
