The beauty of grey

[Rob]

Absolutely! But bear in mind that the "thanatos" and "eros" instincts can both be use for good or evil, as positive in the kabalistic sense does not really mean good and negative evil, though this is the way most people express it. This is because people do not particularly understand that the negative (essentially breaking down) can be put to good use - eg (ripped straight out of Dion Fortunes Mystical Quabalah!) detergent kills bacteria but you should not therefore say I will never wash plates with anything that may destroy life. And if the eros (positive) existed exlusively everywhere would soon get very crowded, and even chaotic. Both positive or negative when taken to extremes creates evil and disharmony, balance implies proper use of both together to create somthing which surpasses the simple addition of both sides of the tree.
That's the way I see it all anyway!

[distant bell]

Well, in normal life I guess people can be either way..

But walking the left hand path is a major issue. If you start to
walk the dark path it will end up in the disintegration of the mind in the end- the second death- and then you´ll have to start all over agian, and on the way have caused alot of evil and suffering.

Crolwley said that anybody who ever has done a dead for someone else without any personal gain, thus out of love or compassion, is NOT on the leaft hand path.

But when all is done out of egoism, it becomes really nasty and dangerous.

I think that people should try to do good in all situations.I think that the reason for suffering is egoism.

[PeacefulWarrior]

Greetings.

Well, I must disagree and I do so wholeheartedly.  I do not think it right nor necessary to try to "seek balance" and/or walk both sides of the line.  I do agree that in this life it is impossible for us to "be perfect" or in other words walk always in the light.  We are imperfect and the "eros" with it's instincts will be with us until the end of this mortal life, but I don't necessarily think these "animal" instincts are evil in and of themsselves (although they OFTEN lead us to do evil things).

I have no doubt that we are beings equipped with the necessary attributes and power to someday become perfect.  The object of our existence is to be "happy" (although that is a weak word to describe what I am trying to convey here).  To be perfectly happy, one must be perfect...and now is the time to strive for perfection, one step at a time.  Yes we need to seek balance, but I think one errs greatly when he or she says that darkness has any place in us.  I some it may, but for those beings truly desiring to reach their potential this thought is simply repulsive.

That's my two cents on the subject...

-Dan

fides quaerens intellectum

[Rob]

Quick thought:
A major shamanistic practise which I believe is usually done at the start of a training shamans "apprentiship" (for lack of a better word) is the death/rebirth process. In this the aspiring youngun effectively dies to their old self to be born anew in a new light. This is a perfect example of the negative/thanatos energies being used for good purpose, and it also shows how this side/polarity must always be under the control and discretion of the light. Light can use dark but when dark starts being used indescriminently and with no control that is where the dangers lie. Although this is a subject which I fully admit I do not fully understand, eg why then should we seek to rid ourselves of all dark energies?? I go with the practise on one side and the theory on the other, for now I cannot link the two but maybe one day.

[Bhikku]

Hello- I believe in perfect balance, but let me explian why. As somone mentioned earlier, why would you need to be "half-evil"? I see it as the world we live in now, society, government etc. has such a strong negative influence on all of us, regardingless of whether we realize it or not. To counter this, some of us take the spritual path. Now in general this path seems extremely posative, which it is, but the amount of positave energy this lifestyle raises is basically a couter measure for all the negativity that is already existing. So if the world was more of a positive place overall, the spirtual path would seem less positive, and more balanced. A perfect example of how life should be, is the yin-yang. It is posativity blended perfectly and equally with negativity, and in the center of each is it's own opposite. Male and female, dark and light, + and -.

"Look within, thou art the Budda"

[Vladimir]

Purely philosophical view:
I think that there is no such thing as good and bad. Reality is in its very nature neutral, people are those who claim it good or bad. In another words, it is purely matter of subjective personal experience, there can never be an objective "scale" of good and bad. Different people have different reactions and different emotions on one same event, they think different about it and they draw different conclusions.On the other hand, you might say, what about established values of good and bad that are approved by most of the people of the world. Those values were built throughout history and also changing with coarse of events, it has nothing to do with objectivity. Just imagine, for example, how different the concept of good and bad could be today if Hitler has succeeded in his crazy intention and won the war (scary thought). Spirituality demands of the seeker to reject every concept of duality including good and bad.

Best wishes, Vladimir

[Fenris]

If one is to draw distinction between good and evil they also must have an idea of where they as individuals are positioned in relation to these two polarities.

There are people who make statements such as 'I follow the right hand path', I am good, or I practice white magic etc etc

And conversly there are individuals who are down right evil and nasty.

And the majority of humanity falls somewhere in between. What I want to discuss is the concept that mankind naturally harbours both qualities and a balance should be sough. The middle pillar of the tree of life.

I only have a mugs understanding of it but as many readers probably know Freud identified three aspects of the mind. The ID the ego and the superego. Here I am going to discuss the ID. For those that dont know the ID consistis of the subconscious primal urges of nature. Somtimes called the reptilian brain. The ID demands instant gratification, yet is controlled by the ego and superego.

Ok within the ID there exists two polarities, the eros and the thanatos. The eros is the life instinct, urges for repoduction, eating and other important things. NOW... the thanatos (also know as the death instinct) is the oposing polarity. It controls urges of violence, murder, sadism and even self mutilation. The urges of chaos. Now consider that this exists within every human mind. Man is a struggle between good or evil right down to the simplest part its mind. In our world we see people expressing both polarities and many of us will satisfy the thanatos in some form during our day.

My question is a simple one, if both polarities exist equally within man than should mankind not embrace both? In that they cancel out. By following just the good or just the bad we throw the whole system out of order. When observing the natural world it can be seen that when a balance is broken it can return to equalibrium violently.

This is just a spare of the moment rambling not a deep set belief. What are some other views out there???

Regards to everybody

David