A New Perspective Beyond the Good and Evil Dichotomy: Insights for Today’s Era

The Change in Human Consciousness and Seeing Beyond Good and Evil

I have a deep interest in human evolution and the concept of good and evil. As a child, I believed that by the time I grew up, wars would surely be a thing of the past. However, what is the reality? Wars are still ongoing. So, are humans truly evolving?

From my current perspective, the evolution of human consciousness involves liberation from the polarization of good and evil.

A Story of a Monk

A monk found a small butterfly caught in a spider's web. Thinking, "I should help," he gently freed the butterfly from the web and let it go. For the butterfly, the monk might have seemed like an angel. The monk himself may have felt he had done something good.

However, let’s change perspectives. That spider might have gone days without catching prey and was on the verge of starvation. Just as it finally caught a butterfly in its web, the monk took it away. For the spider, the monk could have been perceived as a devil. This parable vividly illustrates the "violence of good intentions" and the "limitations of perspective" that we often fall into.

In this way, depending on one’s viewpoint, good can become evil, and evil can become good. This is the reality we live in. Of course, the concept of good and evil is necessary for living within society. Yet, at the same time, we can become overly bound by these categories. Humans needed to differentiate between "pleasure and pain" and "safety and danger" for survival. The labels of "good and evil" are extensions of this necessity. Our strong adherence to the dichotomy of good and evil may stem from the fact that, while it serves as a handy tool for maintaining social order, our brains love stories so much that we cannot perceive the world without "interpretation."

Transformation of Consciousness

True evolution is not about the advancement of external technology but about creating a small space between "facts" and "interpretation," which is the transformation of consciousness. So, how can we free ourselves from these bindings? My answer is "the power of acceptance" (SONOMAMA).

Good and evil are interpretations we attach to facts. There is nothing wrong with interpretation. However, we first need to understand the mechanisms of our minds. Facts simply happen. We overlay our values and experiences onto these facts, assign meanings, and interpret them. We then come to believe these interpretations as if they were the facts themselves. This is what occurs in our daily social lives.

Recognizing this mechanism—returning to the point of "just what is happening"—leads to a change in consciousness that transcends the polarization of good and evil.

The Quiet Point of “Presence”

Returning to the quiet point of "presence"—"just what is happening"—does not mean becoming cold and unfeeling. Rather, it embodies non-judgmental awareness. In other words, it is an intelligence that, while possessing a high interpretative capacity, steps back to observe how our minds color "facts" and create drama.

• Fact: A butterfly is caught in a spider's web.

• Interpretation: The butterfly is pitiful. The spider is cruel. Or, the spider is being saved.

Practicing focusing only on these "facts" is a process of diving from the surface of a tumultuous sea (waves of emotions and judgments) into the calm depths (pure observation).

A Practice for Peace

One reason wars do not cease is that both sides believe in their respective "justice (good)" and define the other as "evil." If we could remove the lens of "the polarization of good and evil" and adopt a viewpoint that sees what is happening as it is, the grounds for conflict would dissolve.

Inner peace does not arise when external conditions are favorable but appears the moment we cease to oppose the "facts that exist here and now." This practice reminds us that "acceptance," though seemingly simple, may be the key to the purest form of freedom we inherently possess.

SONOMAMA Practice

Understanding the mechanisms of the mind and daily practice is key in this complex world. Inner peace is always present. Seeing what is happening as a fact, as it is, embodies the SONOMAMA practice. Many of the conflicts we face are not about the facts themselves but about the "conflict of interpretations" layered on top of them. The dismantling of drama: In response to the fact (the butterfly is in the spider's web), we instantaneously construct "rescue stories" or "tragedy stories." The posture of "observing with high intelligence" does not suppress emotions but cherishes the process through which emotions arise.

Beyond Polarization

The clash of good and evil, or "justice against justice," does not require the elimination of one perspective in favor of another. Instead, by concentrating on the fundamental reality of "just what is happening," we can create the necessary space to lay down our weapons. In doing so, we may even discover common ground. This shift in awareness enables us to transcend conflict and engage with one another more meaningfully.

Training as Evolution of Consciousness

If humanity has built civilization through "stories (interpretations)," the next stage may be to "become aware that we are the authors of our stories and be able to set down the pen as needed." The SONOMAMA practice transcends mere mindfulness techniques and serves as a deeply essential approach for humans to break free from the "imprisonment of interpretation" and reclaim their inherent freedom.

*SONOMAMA means "as-it-is" in Japanese.

Words and Photo by K E I K O