The evil in ourselves - Part 2 of 2
November 10, 2013
The Lion took the Hare with him:
they ran together to the well and looked in.
The Lion saw his own image:
from the water appeared the form of a loin with a plump hare beside
him.
No sooner did the Lion espy his enemy
than he left the Hare and sprang into the well.
He fell into the pit which he had dug:
his iniquity recoiled on his own head.
O Reader, how many an evil that you see in others
is but your own nature reflected in them!
In them appears all that you are --
your hypocrisy, iniquity, and insolence.
You do not see clearly the evil in yourself,
else you would hate yourself with all your soul.
Like the Lion who sprang at his image in the water,
you are only hurting yourself, O foolish human.
When you reach the bottom of the well of your own nature,
then you will know that the wickedness is in you.
(adapted from Selected Poems of Rumi,
translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, p. 27)
***
The overwhelming majority of humans have some Lion and Hare in us. Only the rarest of persons, who have surrendered to be purified of all good and evil, transcend duality to be brought to that “field” of Oneness. Yet we embrace the “journey” to this field from the realm of duality. The wise teach although there may be evil within us as we make this journey, it is wise to restrain the evil.
Imagine, if you will, the sight of the Lion as it stared into the well to see its own reflection with the Hare upon its back. In this image, what is predominant: the large, intimidating Lion or the small Hare acting as if it is scared? Then, if you will, look at the well of your own life and see what is predominant in the reflection? The presence of evil looms large even in the lives of saints who refrain from acting out the evil tendencies within and beyond them.
Until we transcend good and evil, the Lion is here. Always hungry to hunt and live off the lives of others. Feeling it is entitled to the fruits of others’ service and subjugation without any inclination to serve others. Easily offended when it feels others have taken what it feels it is entitled too. Ready to attack others to maintain its domination and oppression over others. These traits loom large in most of our lives. And just one instance of indulging these is enough to unleash a flood of evil actions.
Restraint of evil actions is essential and appears as small as the Hare in the well’s reflection. We sometimes underestimate the impact of such restraint, particularly when temptation and its apparent fruits seem so big. Even many well-intentioned good people feel the need to do something rather than just refrain from committing evil. But if we humble ourselves to be as the Hare that sits upon the back of the Lion, this “small” restraint impacts the whole of our lives. Such humility places us above the Lion and its tendencies, even if the Lion carries us upon its back to move through periods of life. Restraint from evil actions sets the foundation for becoming free from the suggestions / influence of all evil, within and beyond us. Without such restraint, we are only treading a painful path that leads to drowning in a well -– even if the painful steps feel comfortable for now.
It is no coincidence that the Hare appears to be scared of the Lion in the reflection. The wise, who know and trust in the grace of the Beloved, know there is nothing to fear of evil; but until we settle into an unending restraint from evil we should exercise great caution regarding it. As stated above, one evil act is enough to unleash a flood of evil in our lives: if fear of such protects us from the possibility of such a flood, then let us be afraid for now. We should not be casual with the evil within us. We should not underestimate how this can turn our lives away from goodness and the field beyond good and evil. Ultimately, as we settle into living goodness, we’ll come to realize for ourselves that we need not fear evil if we remain steadfast in restraining from it.
There is another reason to fear the Lion: because the evil we do recoils upon us. The consequences of such actions are not always immediate but they do come. In the Qur’aan it is said: “And whoso doeth good an atom's weight will see it then, And whoso doeth ill [evil] an atom's weight will see it then.” (Surah 99, Verses 7 - 8) These verses are reflected in the following statement by Jalaal ud-Diin Rumi: “All the saints and prophets have said that good is the reward of good, evil the reward of evil. And whoever does an atom’s weight of good shall see it. And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it.” (A.J.
Arberry’s translation of Fihi Ma Fihi, p. 124 - 125) What are the consequences of evil: suffering, disharmony, disturbance, chaos, destruction. These prove to be powerful veils that distract from the path of goodness and the field beyond good and evil. Although these may be inflicted upon others by our actions, the wise proclaim these always come back to those who commit evil: [The Lion] fell into the pit which he had dug: / his iniquity recoiled on his own head.
Yet this life is not written to be a tragedy. Jalaal ud-Diin Rumi states: “if Allaah had approved those evils, [It] would not have issued commandments and prohibitions against them. This proves that evil is willed for the sake of something greater.” ( Fihi Ma Fihi, p. 322, emphasis mine) By refraining from evil, we fulfill the commands of the Beloved to be good. And by using the reflections of others’ evil in our lives we can become better aware of our own (unseen) evil tendencies. This allows us to further expand our refraining from evil to deepen our living in goodness. Jalaal ud-Diin says: “Allaah wills both good and evil, but only blesses the good.” ( Fihi Ma Fihi, p. 320) The life that is blessed by Allaah, and the peace and joy that emanates from such blessing, is better suited to “journeying” (being brought) to the field beyond good and evil. Consider for yourself which is more likely to be open to Love drawing him beyond good and evil: the Lion who is drowning (or treading a path to its own demise)? Or the Hare who, after doing what the Beloved commands, rests in protection from the Beloved?
Many Sufis ascribe to the approach of “die before you die” (annihilation of the ego), so one can come to realize the fullness of the opportunity of life while still living. Many fail to realize the precious opportunity this life offers because they are so consumed with living this life -- it’s a peculiar paradox. In the same vein, many Sufis look to transcend the duality of goodness and evil while still living this life and use goodness (refraining from evil) as a step in this “journey.” By sincerely seeking to be aware of all the evil within us, we can take complete refuge in being that small Hare the Beloved guides, protects, and blesses. Using the reflection of the evil we see in others allows us to see the looming presence of the Lion within before we, in the midst of confusion, dive into a well to drown. Instead of drowning in the consequences of acting out evil, we can “drown” the evil tendencies in us by being fully aware of these within ourselves and then be the Hare that remains small in restraint from these.
Jalaal ud-Diin warns against trying to purge evil from ourselves: “People think they can drive away evil by great effort and striving. After struggling and exhausting all their powers and means, they fall into despair. Then Allaah says to them: “You thought you could achieve this goal through your own power, action and work. This is the law I have laid down: Whatever you possess, spend it in Our name. Then Our grace will supervene.”” ( Fihi Ma Fihi, p. 141 - 142) It is not for us to be a lion taking on the Lion of our evil tendencies: that’s a recipe for drowning in a well chasing our own reflection. See the Lion for what it is and as big as it is, yet take refuge in the smallness of restraint as the Hare. It is in being the humble Hare, who surrenders to the commands and will of the Beloved, that we are blessed by diving grace. And resting within such blessing and grace, the Beloved will eventually bring us beyond duality to the field of Oneness. Where words fail to convey this, look within to the heart, look for the grace the Beloved grants as rewards to your goodness. It is from this “place” that the Beloved will bring you to that field beyond good and evil, where even the lover dissolves into the Oneness of the Beloved’s Love...
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase each other
doesn't make any sense.
(from The Essential Rumi, adaptation by Coleman Barks, p. 36) ˜ ˜ ˜
