Sachchidananda 'The Life Divine' Book I,Ch.9, 10, 11, 12 - Track 1203

Now let us examine this argument more properly is it a fact that there is no evil in this world at all as against this is the fact that we do experience evil, there may be no evil in this world but there is no denial of the fact that we at least experience evil so the question is raised what is your experience of evil we find that the nature as it is is very beautiful in matter there is no consciousness and where there is no consciousness that can't be evil so the material world is devoid of evil at other levels the moment life begins to grow if there is any evil at all it is in the form of suffering and that problem we shall deal with separately. But what we call evil does not exist in the life-world. All plants, insects, animals, a tiger kills an animal of prey they don't say Tiger is evil it is the nature of tiger which works itself out and who knows the suffering that we think is in the experience of the animal of prey may not be when we eat food you're not sure whether the food is not very happy that it is being devoured by us you might even say that all devouring is happiness actually intense love wants to devour the object of love completely without remainder. So it may be said that actually speaking life world has no evil and even suffering does not exist because what we call suffering may not be there at all in any case we do not have any record of any animal saying that there is a suffering it is so that higher levels of animals do have suffering here seen so many animals even land suffers with the Thorn in his flesh and so on so suffering may be granted that in the animal world there is some kind of suffering but in plants and in ordinary insects which are not able to report we do not know whether there is any suffering at all or not. But even as we understand does not exist in the animal world even in the human world where suffering is evident then of course we do have the reports of evil the children even experience evil they report evil we see ourselves evil in our lives so we must ask ourselves in what consists evilness of evil how to define evil what is evil in this world? Because we are dealing with the proposition that there is no evil in the world. As against that we're trying to bring all evidence where evil can be seen so we must be able to tell the proponent of the theory there is evil in this world. Not even among all lower levels of humanity even in infants for example you will find there is no evil if a child beats you; you don't think it is wrong. If that child does something you don't think it is wrong. Children do spontaneously something you do not intuit evil in the intentions of the child actually speaking evil starts when you are able to make a judgement that you ought not to do what you do not want others to do unto you this is the basic definition of evil. (37.10) evil is that which you do not want to do unto others what others would like to avoid in doing to you. That is the story of Rene a girl was adopted by a family and a visitor comes a very hefty lady and as soon as he sees this girl in this family; she says what an ugly girl, this is a statement that she makes. And in this girl says supposing I I told you you are ugly how would you feel, this is the example of the primitive sense of evil when you want to avoid something and you cannot avoid it from others when you start the sense of evil evil is that which you feel should be universally accepted as evil this is the second step of the argument. Do not do unto others what you want others not to do unto you this is the first formulation of evil in the second is that you are here erecting a universal law that there is something like a universal good which is good for everybody concerned there is a universal evil which is evil for everybody. I don't like to be insulted therefore insult is an  experience of universal evil and nobody likes insult their universality about it. It is only when you arrive at this judgement that you speak of good and evil in this world soon you'll answered to this proponent who says there is no evil in this world. How we can say that there are experiences of evil which we can judge has to be evil there are certain experiences certain actions which are universally attempted to be avoided evil is that which is attempted to be avoided this is one definition of an universally not only me not only you but universally where any action is universally conceived to be desired to be avoided and that is evil. So there is evil in this world. Not the proponent of the idea that there is no evil in the world he says it is true that there are certain judgements of this kind we cannot refute because they do exist he says stealing is an evil, why because when something is stolen from me and I feel very bad about it and even the thief who enjoys this stealing is that thing is taken away from him he also feels hurt about it so basically you find stealing is an evil because everybody agrees it is universally recognised that it is some thing that should be avoided. Not the proponent of the theory that there is no evil in the world says is that basically every action has to be placed in the context in which it is taking place, whether it is evil or good go into the details of it when you go into the details of any action you will find that that the action was a necessary part of the whole it was a part of the whole and it made a contribution to the whole time if you saw the whole you will find that it made a good contribution to the goodness of the whole. It is true from a personal point of view, from that particular point of view, you are hurt therefore, you say it is not good even if you say that it hurts everybody he says that you examine each act in its own right generalised immediately let every action that you call evil examine it and you'll find and you will find that it was only a part of the whole. And if you know the whole you will find out that that particular thing contributed in such a way so that the totality was benefited therefore how can you say is that this is the argument. If you look at anything that is happening in the world the totality benefits and is it not a fact that what you call evil certainly contribute something to what to call good yourself.