Practically speaking, however–that is, looking at the result of manifesting those natures–it is just that simple. An entire chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is directed to this manner of divine (devic) and demonic
(asuric) nature as it manifests in human beings. I know it is pretty lengthy, but it is so insightful and complete that it merits inclusion here. Sri Krishna speaks:
“A man who is born with tendencies toward the Divine, is fearless and pure in heart. He perseveres in that path to union with Brahman which the scriptures and his teacher have taught him. He is charitable.
He can control his passions. He studies the scriptures regularly, and obeys their directions. He practices spiritual disciplines. He is straightforward, truthful, and of
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He is not greedy. He is gentle and modest. He abstains from useless activity.
He has faith in the strength of his higher nature. He can forgive and endure. He is clean in thought and act. He is free from hatred and from pride. Such qualities are his birthright.
“When a man is born with demonic tendencies, his birthright is hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, anger, cruelty and ignorance.
“The birthright of the divine nature leads to liberation. The birthright of the demonic nature leads to greater bondage. But you need not fear, Arjuna: your birthright is divine.
“In this world there are two kinds of beings: those whose nature tends toward the Divine, and those who have the demonic tendencies. I have already described the divine nature to you in some detail.
Now you shall learn more about the demonic nature.
“Men of demonic nature know neither what they ought to do, nor what they should refrain from doing.
There is no truth in them, or purity, or right conduct. They maintain that the scriptures are a lie, and that the universe is not based upon a moral law, but godless, conceived in lust and created by copulation, without any other cause. Because they believe this in the darkness of their little minds, these
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The ends they work for are unclean. They are sure that life has only one purpose: gratification of the senses. And so they are plagued by innumerable cares, from which death alone can release them. Anxiety binds them with a hundred chains, delivering them over to lust and wrath. They are ceaselessly busy, piling up dishonest gains to satisfy their cravings.
“‘I wanted this and today I got it. I want that: I shall get it tomorrow. All these riches are now mine: soon I shall have more. I have killed this enemy. I will kill all the rest. I am a ruler of men. I enjoy the things of this world. I am successful, strong and happy. Who is my equal? I am so wealthy and so nobly born. I will sacrifice to the gods. I will give alms. I will make merry.’ That is what they say to themselves, in the blindness of their ignorance.
“They are addicts of sensual pleasure, made restless by their many desires, and caught in the net of delusion. They fall into the filthy hell of their own evil minds. Conceited, haughty, foolishly proud, and intoxicated by their wealth, they offer sacrifice to God in name only, for outward show, without following the sacred rituals. These malignant creatures are full of egoism, vanity, lust, wrath,
To prefer supremely the glory of God and the public good, to the promotion of his own interest; and whenever this preference is changed, we see of course a corresponding change of
Why things are what they are?’ ” (158). This revelation made by the author confirms that the true beast, the evil, is a component found in humans. It is not something that can be slayed, instead it is an invisible force in which all people are part of, or have in
Demons were thought of as beings that did not physically exist, thereby allowing them to easily get into the bodies of humans. Humans were thought of as being very penetrable and having many openings for the devil to gain access inside them. The demons attack the body, especially the brain, where they take over the person's "...memory, imagination, and reason" (Levack 20). 8. The New Testament solidified for people the true existence of demons.
The Evil Within “All things truly wicked start from innocence,” Ernest Hemingway, (A Movable Feast.) The nature of evil lies within all human beings whether they realize it or not. Both Lord of the Flies and A Long Way Gone have main characters who struggle with the temptation of evil, and eventually give in to their dark side. Under harsh circumstances, the evil within all people comes out as an attempt to adapt to their environment. Authority figures are one of the major components affecting the development of evil within their followers.
He shows this when he rips up the paper that shows that he did witchcraft. They were going to put it on the church but he rips it up because he is too proud of his name and family. I also have a lot of pride in everything I do. I try my hardest in my sports so every time people play my team they know they have to watch
“Declare your jihad on thirteen enemies you cannot see- egoism, arrogance, conceit, selfishness, greed, lust, intolerance, anger, lying, cheating, gossiping, and slandering. If you can master and destroy them, then you will be ready to fight the enemy you can see.” - Al-Ghazali. These enemies are the evils that lurk within humans, yet we see more in others than ourselves.
This idea of noble selfishness makes him go as far as denouncing the word we as “a monster”, and worshipping “This god, this one word: I”(97). His transition is complete with this refocusing of his mind from worship of the group, to his new god,
What once was considered scandalous was now a normal activity. “C.S. Lewis was signally aware of spiritual warfare. He explored this in many of his writings, but it was especially The Screwtape Letters that fired the imagination of personal spiritual warfare” (Potgieter). How can mankind fight against the devil and his temptations? He cannot do it alone.
He also demonstrates compassion and generosity towards those in need, such as when he gives his food and provisions to the famished men of
He saw that transcendental lifestyle as the perfect way to live, and to live it he had to be simplistic. Also he
Although giving in to temptation and discovering the power of the potion is amazing and “prodigal” it has negative consequences suggested by the words “Satan”. Soon after,
1. “‘The ancient teachers of this science,’ said he, ‘promised impossibilities, and performed nothing. The modern masters promise very little they know that metals cannot be transmuted, and that the elixir of life is a chimera. But these philosophers, whose hands seem only made to dabble in dirt, and their eyes to pore over the microscope or crucible, have indeed performed miracles” (74). —The word “he” refers to M. Waldman, a man who the narrator refers to as “short” and his voice as “sweetest I ever heard”.
In closing, the book lord of the flys is an excellent book that tells of the lenths man will go through when left alone with their own survivival it shows the way man has been and always will be with evil in their hearts. No matter how you were raised how you have lived or will live your life you will always have evil the only thing that controls whether you express that evil is you, as only you can control how you live your life much like how the boys let the seetbacks and overall bad situation get the best of them letting the very evil that resided within them since birth break their moral, and ethics, letting their evil consume them. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” (Psalm
The devil in the story is the subconscious and innate desires of humanity because he reveals that, “Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness. Welcome again, my children, to the communion of your race” (Hawthorne 8). Once a person comes to the realization of his or her own personal
Unsurprisingly, people are inspired to follow him and believe he will lead them to a better