Miscellaneous - Religion   

Cultivate good qualities

CHENNAI: The eternal war between evil and good is a fundamental theme in the scriptures, the Puranas and the Itihasas and it is shown that tremendous effort, tact and determination are necessary to quell evil. The co-existence of evil and good is the basis of the conflict since there is nothing wholly good or wholly evil. At the individual level too there is both good and evil in every human being whose every effort to transcend evil becomes a symbolic inner war. Evil thus is both outside and within.

Sri Mathivannan pointed out in a lecture that in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna explicitly describes the divine qualities, conduct and actions that are righteous in nature and conducive to divinity while also delineating evil propensities and conduct. Demonic qualities hold one in bondage while good qualities help one to attain salvation. Good qualities include tireless effort, pleasing nature, absolute faith, utter humility, fearlessness, discriminating wisdom, austerity, uprightness, truthfulness, compassion, non-violence and determination to pursue the truth. Just as a seed takes time to sprout, grow and give yield, one should have patience while cultivating good qualities. This calls for constant refinement of one's nature.

Those who aim at power, glory and easy life are steeped in demonic qualities. They display pretentious pride, conceit, arrogance, anger, ignorance, pseudo religiosity, etc. Understanding that ego is the mother of demonic qualities and courage of good qualities, one should overcome the former and cultivate the latter.

Tremendous courage is necessary to establish truth and practise Ahimsa. All other good qualities derive their sustenance from courage. Similarly absence of humility boosts one's ego that brings in its wake ignorance by which one's sense of right and wrong gets blurred. The sense of I and Mine hinders the pursuit of spiritual aims.

By knowing that fear, anxiety, laziness, ego and doubt cause endless sorrow and prevent the growth of good qualities, one diligently strives to rein in evil tendencies. Divine qualities are necessary if one is to seek the ultimate truth.

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