The Second Principle

I was discussing the precepts of the order with a good friend. She took slight issue issue with the second precept: "Just for today I will not be worried and fearful: I will trust in the goodness of the universe." She felt that there is true evil in the world and that the universe does not hold only good. We need to exercise the discernment to know the difference.

Is the universe all good? I think in the larger sense, yes. But in the sense in which we live our daily lives, she is correct. There are people and beings who live in darkness. Who are bent on doing ill to others. Sometimes they just don't understand. Sometimes they do understand and take great delight in causing harm and suffering. Sometimes they are deluded and believe that the harm they do is for the greater good.

This serves as reminder to me to be, as Jesus said, "wise and serpents and gentle as doves." It takes great skill to meet evil with compassion in a meaningful way. I recently read a skilled meditation teacher discussing the need to make those who do harm stop - forcefully. He wasn't advocating war or even violence but simply putting out the idea that we must not ignore evil, ignore the harm to others and the suffering of innocents. It is incumbent upon to to say stop. To use our skill to bring an end to the evil. If we see evil and just shake our heads and say"tsk, tsk, what a shame. I'll send some healing energy" are we not like the person who meets a man without a coat on a cold day and, instead of giving him a coat, stretch out our hands and say "be warm and go in peace"? We have done nothing. The man freezes to death when it was in our power to help him.

Of course, none of this really addresses the question, "what is evil?" That's a whole other discussion. Keep in mind as you recite the second precept, that you are trusting in the "good" in the universe not in the "evil." And you are responsible for doing the "good" in the universe as well.