Does Evil Exist?

Welcome to Part 16 of The Seeker’s Story, where Namit continues his exploration into yoga philosophy. This week, he discusses whether or not evil exists and how it relates to light and dark.

Previous Chapters:

Chapter 1 & 2 – Yoga Sutra – A Seeker’s Story Part 1.

Chapter 3 –      What is Yoga?

Chapter 4 –      Yoga’s Theory of Creation 

Chapter 5 –     Happiness and Oneness 

Chapter 6 –     Does Magic Really Exist? 

Chapter 7 –     Who is God?

Chapter 8 –    What is Karma?  

Chapter 9 –    What is Spirituality? What is Spirit? 

Chapter 10 –   What is Prana? Is it the Same as Breath? 

Chapter 11:    Why do We Do Postures in Yoga?

Chapter 12:   What’s the Point of Meditation? 

Chapter 13:   Why a State of Balance is Important for Enlightenment 

Chapter 14:   What are the Eight Limbs of Yoga? 

Chapter 15:   Is Yoga a Religion or a Philosophy? 

Chapter 16:   What is Maya, or Illusion?

Yoga Sutra – The Seeker’s Story

By

Namit Kathoria 

Does Evil Exist?

I came across yogi ji today at the normal time. He was standing with one leg in front of the other and his front knee bent. He had his upper body twisted to the side and his hands in a prayer position. I remembered my rudeness of the previous day so I waited for a while. Yogi ji repeated the exercise to the other side of his body before he came down and started talking to me. 

‘Good day yogi ji may I ask my question?’ 

‘Good day Jake yes you may.’ 

‘Does evil actually exist yogi ji?’ 

‘We have talked about something similar before Jake, the day that we talked about the creation. Evil is only the darkness within every one of us. We each have some light and some darkness. No one is totally evil and no one is totally good. The trick is to just see the light within. Have you heard the Indian greeting Namaste?’ 

‘Yes yogi ji it is a word that a lot of people in India use to say hello.’ 

‘That is right Jake. It means the light within me bows to the light within you. Recognise the light in everyone including yourself. If you treat someone as if they are bad then they will act as if they are bad. But once you realise that the bad in them is just a consequence of what has happened when they are attracted too much to matter and that deep inside they have a conscience and that they have feelings and have goodness, once you start relating to this goodness inside them then you will truly see, relate to and open up the goodness inside them. Once you relate to the good side of a person Jake then your relationship with that person changes so much for the better.’ 

‘So this is it yogi ji? I must see the light, the goodness inside everyone I come into contact with?’ 

‘Yes.’ 

I could really see how with this attitude my life would be so much better. I was determined from then on to focus on the good in others. One thing I did know though is that when people are too negative I like to keep my distance from them because I do not like to feel drained of energy. But when I am distant I find that I can see the light in them too.

I felt that I had learnt so much in the last few days. I was much stronger now spiritually and was ready to go home.

I told the Rai’s that evening that in a couple of days I would be leaving the village and making my way to Delhi in order to fly home. I was definitely going to miss them, the people in the cafe and everyone else I had met in the village but most of all of course I was going to miss yogi ji. 

[Stay tuned for Chapter 18: Pride next week]

About Namit Kathoria

Namit Kathoria has a Bachelors Degree from King’s College London in Pharmacy and a Masters Degree in Clinical Pharmacy from Queen’s University Belfast. He is also a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and has worked the Pharmacist Advisor to NHS Direct. He hence has a vast knowledge of health which he applies to his yoga teaching. He has studied yoga across the world including various parts of his native India including Dharamshala, Rishikesh and Mysore. He currently teaches yoga retreats in Spain at Yoga Sutra Shala in Sayalonga. To read more please visit www.retreats-yoga.com.