Realization of Freedom from Evils

Gist: Self (soul) being a part of God is innately free from evils. Trying to get rid of evil in us is accepting them in us. Be indifferent to (be detached, become an observer of) evils rather than trying to wipe them out. Evil is distinct and apart from the Self. Evil is born only because of our affinity with the unreal (nature). Evils make their dream like appearance but have no existence of their own. Our inherent Self, like God is Pure, free of evils and ever attained.

Realization of Freedom from Evils

Man (Soul, Self) being only a part of God is identical with God in attributes. As God is totally free from evils, so is a man; and this freedom from evils is not acquired, it is innate and axiomatic. In the Ramacaritamanasa Saint Tulasidasa declares -

"Ishwar ansh jeev avinaashi, chetan amal sahaj sukhraashi." (Manasa 7:117:7)
[Soul being a fragment of God in its nature is sentient, pure and an embodiment of bliss.]

People have a strong conviction that they will attain God only after having freed themselves from evils. But the method of attaining God is quite different from that of gaining mundane material objects. Mundane objects are acquired, while God being eternally existent, is ever attained. The Self (Soul) is inherently free from evils and is ever attained. It is important to accept this fact, that purity is not to be inculcated. Be indifferent (detached, observer) to evils rather than trying to wipe them out. If we try to get rid of them by accepting them in us, we will rather confirm them. The reason is that our wiping them out supposes their pre-existence.

Every aspirant has the experience that evils were more forceful, more lasting and occurred more frequently than they do today. This reduction in frequency and intensity should encourage an aspirant that these evils are not inherent in him. Had they been a part of his nature, these changes would not have taken place. Though there is changes in nature (in frequency of evil acts), there is no change in the Self. It means that evil is distinct from the Self.

All evils such as desire, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and jealousy etc., are 'Asat' (unreal) i.e. they have no existence of their own and are born because of our affinity with the unreal. While sleeping, one dreams and forgets their wakeful state, similarly by assuming a relationship with the unreal, we become unaware of our inherent pure nature and feel ourselves to be impure. In the same manner, these evils make their dream like appearance but have no existence of their own.