Edward’s Diary Entry 46 – Virtue 25, Absence of Malice (Adroha)

Freedom from malice, ill-feeling; ill-will, hatred, including the absence of the desire to injure others. Mildness.

Take the thesis: “I” am the only important thing in the world. The world bows before “me”. Everything should abide by “my” rules. The universe is “mine”. This is not really so crazy. It may even be true in a sense. Because when you realise the whole “I” or “Self”, the universe may very well be all “you”, and  “you” may be the whole universe! But on the petty egoistic level, it is illogical and childish to place ego first. If in a world of 1000, 100,000, 100,000,000 or today’s world of 7.4 billion, everyone thinks of “himself” first and others only second, there will be (and there is, of course) constant strife, constant battling, constant competition. Very little cooperation. It is impossible for the world to give and produce for “one” only, to the detriment of all others. The world isn’t prepared for this. The world, we see today – thanks to increasing “world consciousness” – is FINITE. But the wants, needs and desires of the EGO are infinite. So something’s wrong. And it’s not the WORLD – because that’s what we’ve got: one world, finite resources. Compared to the immensity of the desires of individual egos.

So we take the opposite thesis: “Others” are the only important thing in the world. “I” bow before all others. “I” abide by the rules of the world. “I” only exist for the universe. It is crazy for the ego. But it may be true in a deeper sense. Abandon “self” and “I” and the universe may be all “yours”. But in the worldly sense, this is madness. How can “I” do something for today’s 7.4 billion people? I cannot reach that far. But I can do something for 10 people, 100 or even 1000. If I think of them first, these people will be pleased with this, and “I” will cause no strife. I cannot produce or give to all, but I can be less of a burden on the world, and give to the few I find around me. I can be prepared for this. I have finite resources at my disposal, but my benevolence is INFINITE. The needs of others may be overwhelming, but my gentleness and compassion can be increased to infinity. There is nothing wrong with this. It’s called building a new world. Because that’s what we have to do: regardless of what others may decide, we have to concentrate on serving and helping others – even in intention only – and in the end, logic tells us that we would wind up having all our needs met, at least our basic needs, as soon as others, too, do the same with their surroundings, with us. Logically, it has to create a better world than blindly following the wishes of the individual ego.

The middle road – neither one thing nor the other, or both in equal proportions – cancels itself out and we lead “lives of quiet desperation” and mediocrity, which is all too often the norm.

So let’s say the Universe is one. We are integrated somehow in this Universe, part and parcel of it. So wishing others ill, or feeling malice towards others, is based on wrong thinking, wrong feeling, negating the unity of the Universe. If one sees oneself in others, how can there be ill will? It is like wishing evil to oneself. And if we do wish evil to ourselves, as in self-condemnation, it is also based on wrong thinking. That is falling into an ego trap. A split ego criticises another splinter of the same ego… Is this not madness? You find a screw loose and just kick the machine instead of tightening the screw up. Because the machine is you! Yes, Wrong thinking is fuelled by the uncontrolled passions and desires, and when these are thwarted, they produce angry thoughts, malice and ill will. And if this anger and malice is expressed, it does ill to the expresser and to the receiver as well – if he or she is not self-aware enough to counter this.

So "ill will" can be conquered by the practise of the Virtue of Adroha, absence of malice or hatred. Malice is cancelled out by kindness. It must be reinforced by the conquest of the basic wrong thought in the mind that “I” am separate from the universe and have to “fight against” someone or something else. As with all the Virtues, there has to be some degree of Self-Awareness, of being conscious of your present moment, if this vice is to be conquered by a Virtue. If there is no awareness, there is no possibility of control.

Contemplate the look of the lady with the dove on her shoulder, where no ill will is apparent, malice conquered by a pure mind.