Like darkness and light, the human story is of evil and goodness. Not so long ago, when the dark of the night loomed, we gathered our perseverance in our unadorned sanctuaries. The first light of the day brought us great hope.
Since then, darkness and light have been prime symbols of evil and goodness. The duality of existence is reflected in our nature. Darkness is only the other side, there must be the other. They are not opposites, they are counterparts of one another, and so are we. We are all inherently good and evil by nature, not by our willpower, thus not by our actions. The darkness in us is not an excuse for evil to persist. It is very much within our control to effectively make use of the light and darkness in us. If we possess willpower, we can defy natural evil-goodness duality.
Being good involves having a good heart and a good mind. A good mind means being able to reason, harbouring good intentions, and being sound here and now, as we perceive near-present times.
Being good at heart is more about character; which is cultivated throughout a lifetime. We also call this one’s soul. The soul is a collection of virtues and vices. The mind plays a vital role in activating one’s virtues and vices, followed by corresponding actions.
In good times – when are capable of making a difference, when we have health and wealth, we should be careful not to lose our good intentions or goodwill. In good times we are absent-minded, we do not manifest ourselves as strongly as we do in dark times. Bad times show who we truly are. In dark times we truly meet ourselves and know our true intentions. The heart and mind are unveiled in darkness.
Goodwill enables us to use our qualifications such as truthfulness, and courage to bring goodness into this world. However, such qualifications can be used for bad purposes as well, when there’s no goodwill in us. Therefore, first and foremost, we should enquire about a person’s intention, not their abilities.
Human beings do not need to develop any skill or ability to possess goodwill. It is available to everyone. Truthfulness, for example, can be decomposed into qualifications such as the ability to differentiate what is true and what is not, and the will to communicate the truth. Bravery, likewise, is the will to defy our fears, and also, having the capability to act accordingly. Goodwill requires no ability. Good Will is the only pure virtue.
We can say that: Goodwill or good intention is the foundation of good character.
So beautifully written! Had a good read.
Thank you Bhaia. ♥️