Man is bestowed with two personalities known as ‘good or divine’ and ‘bad or devil’. Recognition or realization
of good qualities ensures one freedom from bondage and suffering. Bad qualities, on the other hand will pave ways to bondage and pain.
Thus, the positive and negative attributes are prevalent pre-dominantly in us. The good qualities lead to happiness and peace among the people whereas bad qualities result in unhappiness sorrows.
This, we can this explain with few examples. When calamities like earthquakes, floods and like others occur you can witness how fast help is pouring from all quarters. People come forward to render timely services to the victims voluntarily and many lives and prosperities in such grave situation, even though such people are totally strangers to the victims. You can also see another scene here. Some other people taking advantage of the perilous condition of the victims start looting and robbing them of their valuables. Some other people even start physical violence on helpless women. What horrible scenario! Here, the good tendencies work hand to hand with bad tendencies.
Thus, we see something good even in the worst possible situation. We also see some unscrupulous elements resort to deprive the victims’ belongings. Both divine and devilish tendencies potentially present in us. What makes one a wicked person? Environment, association and circumstances greatly influence one’s character and behavior.
What is the remedy? ‘Satsang’-association of good and wise people, good literature, good books, good food habits and good entertainment programs will have a great impact on human attitudes which are the deciding factor of a person’s character.
Hence, we should adopt and positive (good) tendencies completely avoiding the negative (bad) tendencies in us. Even if there is the smallest measure of goodness in a person, we must come forward to encourage it. This applies to our enemies also in case; they have some goodness in them.
A good environment is one where good tendencies attract similar tendencies. The same logic is applicable to bad tendencies also.
Potentially we can not equate goodness with wickedness. Goodness or a single strong positive tendency can face any or all negative tendencies fight with them successfully.
Anger is the root cause for all the evils in the world. The anger and greed in human being is responsible for the down fall of persons, community, countries world over. Always negative or bad tendency will always lead to destruction of human beings and properties.
In order to overcome anger, one has to direct his love towards Divinity and such love is pure love. If one starts this process, he sees his anger disappearing gradually from his mind. A day will come when he will find out that he is a new person devoid of anger.
Goodness, when one directs towards the realization of higher cause, it gives him enormous strength and confidence. When people dedicate themselves to noble causes like alleviating poverty, to ecology and the like, they feel very happy and blessed. But, such goodness should be free from any ulterior motives and directed towards common good.
Goodness, when dedicated to Divinity helps the Seeker in achieving ‘God-Realization’. He will be directed to a path of higher ideals. Due to pressure from the Society and Law or for other reasons, if you appear to be good and philanthropic person, it is not sustainable.
Goodness emanates from within is permanent and everlasting whereas negative tendencies become rapidly insurmountable.
Goodness is not an action; it is a state of being.