August 07, 2026
Let's take a moment and imagine a world full of light, where anyone and everyone you meet lives only by love, compassion, kindness, and goodwill. There are no wars. No violence. No jealousy. Left and right, neighbors help fellow neighbors, and nations cooperate in harmony rather than compete. Every decision, large and small, is made with the well-being of everyone in mind.
What might a world without evil feel like? How would you feel? How would your day look like? How would you treat the people around you if you knew that goodness was all that existed?
Okay, before you ask what are you smoking, have you ever wondered where evil truly comes from?
All the evil that exists in the world begins inside the human heart. Why, then, do we choose evil if all it brings is suffering to ourselves and the world around us? There are many reasons, yet one that hangs high on the list is the thought of separateness.
If you're a bit of an NDE (near-death experience) nerd like me, you've probably noticed that almost every recorded account describes what is called a "life review." After death, people often report being met by an angelic being or someone very close to them. Together, with a 360-degree panorama, they watch the events of their life, almost as if to ask, "How did it go?"
The amazing part is that you not only get to see what happened, but also how your actions affected those around you and, in turn, how those effects rippled out into the world. There is no judgment on the guide's part for what we did or did not do. There is only compassion and support, as this is understood to be a necessary part of our journey as souls.
If we truly knew that by hurting another person we were actually hurting ourselves, we would be far less inclined to do so. It is simply too painful.
If evil originates inside ourselves, it also puts the ball in our court. A great Indian saint, Sri Anandamayi Ma, once said, "It takes goodness to see goodness," and, "By making a practice of seeing the good qualities in others, the same virtues develop in you, too."
You might ask, "But what about all the evil in the world?" We cannot change other people, but we can change ourselves. The more we work on ourselves through meditation, introspection, and right action, the more the world, as it relates to us, will change.
Written by Jaidhara Sleighter
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