why is there evil and suffering?

[roger]

I just want to share an interesting view on the purpose of evil and suffering, that I didn't come up with myself, but that I learned from a non-physical source.

 

Basically, the Universe is a place where ALL POSSIBILITIES exist. Every variety of evil as well as all "good" things exist in the Universe.

 

Why?

 

So we can have TOTAL SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.

 

Without anger, we couldn't experience forgiveness. Without sickness, there would be no such thing as healing. Without the illusion of separation, there would be no journey back to oneness. Without the crucifixion of Jesus, there would be no resurrection. Without ALL MANNER of "negative" things, we couldn't have TOTAL SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.

 

Negative things make certain KINDS of positive things possible.

[Bearded Dragon]

Yeah I would say experience in general. It's not a particularly spiritual thing.

 

If you do something good then you create evil by outdoing others. If you do something bad then in the same way you create good. Considering the continuum of good and evil is a playground of differences of potential it makes sense that your point of reference is the key more than anything.

 

In the realms of self you are referenced to yourself. You are a good person in your mind, so you are better than the other guy who is bad in comparison. If the reference point shifts then you start to think in any number of ways depending on where your point of reference is. You can pretty much take away the continuum of good-evil and see things with respect to the situation rather than a predefined dogma.

 

Perhaps some food for thought.

[Stosh]

If you have concluded that good and evil are arbitrary tems , I agree

If you feel you have opinions on what those are, I agree

If you think situation dictates what is right , I agree

If you think those things have some validity beyond opinion

I don't agree.

 

 

 

 

 

[alleswasderfallist]

Because there's good and pleasure. What goes up must come down.

[idiot_stimpy]

The Buddhist side say suffering and evil is caused by ignorance.

 

What causes ignorance, I have no idea.

 

Why do we exist at all. I don't know if there is an answer, just space....

[Rara]

Always two sides to a coin, yo!

[Seeker of Wisdom]

Reality isn't the way it is 'so we can have X'. It is just how it has to be. As we are expressions of reality, suffering is minimised by being in harmony with it from the source (Tao), as then samsara is just luminous empty creative expression no different from luminous empty stillness i.e. nirvana.

[Marblehead]

I just want to share an interesting view on the purpose of ...

Hi Roger,

 

I always seem to get in trouble whenever I attempt to define the purpose of anything so I doubt I will say much in this thread but I will follow it to see what others are saying.

[doc benway]

I really like and resonate with the OP.

Very Daoist perspective it is...

And I'd like to add that the very concept of "why?" seems to me to be simply a peculiar characteristic of the nature of conditioned human thought and doesn't otherwise exist in reality.