Understanding the Relationship between Good and Evil...
The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow upon the sacred mountains as Shunkmanu gathered his grandchildren by a crystal-clear stream. Ella, Maya, Nahtayu, Oliver, and Alana sat on smooth rocks, their eyes wide with anticipation.
"Grandfather, what are we going to learn today?" asked Ella, her eyes shining with curiosity.
Shunkmanu smiled warmly at his eager grandchildren. "Today, my beloved ones, we will explore the nature of existence—both physical and spiritual. The world around us is filled with wonders, and it's time for you to understand the deeper truths that flow like the wisdom of this stream."
He began by explaining the two kinds of creation: physical and spiritual. "Physical realities are those you can touch, see, hear, smell, and taste," he gestured toward the smoothly flowing water. "Now, there are also spiritual realities—virtues, attributes, and perfections—that exist within, beyond the reach of the senses."
Maya raised her hand, "Grandfather, what are virtues?"
Shunkmanu chuckled, "Good question, Maya. Virtues are qualities like kindness, honesty, and courage. They live within us, in our hearts and minds, and you can't touch them, but you feel them."
He encouraged them to reflect on their virtues. "Think about your goodness, the kindness you show. Can you touch it? No, but you feel it in your heart and mind."
As the sharing continued, Shunkmanu moved on to spiritual realities, explaining that they are purely good and evil is their non-existence. "Ignorance, error, forgetfulness, and foolishness are the absence of knowledge, guidance, remembrance, and understanding."
Oliver scratched his head, "So, evil is just the lack of good?"
Shunkmanu nodded, "Exactly, Oliver. Now, let's explore physical realities. Blindness, deafness, poverty, illness, death, and weakness are not evils themselves. They are simply the absence of sight, hearing, wealth, health, life, and strength."
Nahtayu pondered, "But what about scorpions and snakes? They can be harmful."
Shunkmanu addressed their doubts, "Their venom may harm us, but in their reality, they are neither good nor evil. Evil is in relation to something else. The venom is evil in relation to our bodies, not to the scorpions and snakes themselves. It is their protection"
The sharing continued as the sun dipped behind the mountains. Shunkmanu concluded, "There is no evil in existence. What the Great Spirit has created is inherently good. Evil is simply the absence of good—death is the absence of life, darkness is the absence of light, poverty is the absence of wealth."
As the sharing circle ended, the mountain stream continued to flow, carrying the wisdom of the ages. Shunkmanu's teachings had taken root in the hearts and minds of Ella, Maya, Nahtayu, Oliver, and Alana, leaving them with a deeper understanding of good and its absence.
Shunkmanu He Me Yedo! Chanupa Sapa He Me Yedo!
