A Reflection by Gururaj Ananda Yogi
The concept of evil has been deeply ingrained in human consciousness for centuries, shaped by religious doctrines and societal beliefs. Many traditions personify evil as a devil or a malevolent force, something external that threatens our purity. However, Gururaj Ananda Yogi challenges this notion, offering a profound perspective that dismantles the illusion of evil and replaces it with a deeper understanding of human consciousness.
Is Evil Real?
Throughout his teachings, Gururaj consistently emphasized that there is no such thing as evil. What we perceive as evil is merely a projection of our own conditioned thoughts and fears. He explained that every experience, every emotion, and every event in life is fundamentally beautiful, but it is our minds that impose a dualistic interpretation upon them.
“Everything in life is beautiful. Everything within ourselves is beautiful. Everything around us is beautiful,” he stated. Yet, when we allow fear to distort our perception, we begin to categorize experiences into ‘good’ and ‘evil,’ thus creating an artificial division within our own consciousness.
The Power of Will
Gururaj deconstructed the word “evil” itself, revealing an interesting insight:
“Evil” can be understood as E-will—a distortion of our willpower, a negative projection of our thoughts. Similarly, he analyzed the word “devil” as D-will, suggesting that by prefixing the will with “D,” we negate its true essence.
Divinity, he taught, is inherently pure and flawless. It does not impose evil upon us—rather, it is our own minds that will it into existence. When we look at life through the lens of love and acceptance, evil ceases to exist. But when we are conditioned to see faults, fear, and division, we create the illusion of malevolence.
The Fear-Based Illusion of Evil
The idea of evil, according to Gururaj, has been systematically instilled in human minds by religious institutions. He argued that organized religions have historically used fear to control people, keeping them dependent on doctrines and rituals for salvation.
“If God is omnipresent, where is the place for that which is opposite to Him?” he questioned. If Divinity pervades everything, then there can be no opposing force—only the illusion of opposition. Fear is a tool that institutions use to make individuals feel inadequate, leading them to seek atonement for an imagined wrongdoing. However, in reality, each person is already divine, already whole.
True Commitment: Finding the Divine Within
Rather than fearing evil, Gururaj encouraged individuals to commit to self-discovery. He emphasized that our essence is unblemished, and the path to true fulfillment is recognizing this inherent divinity.
“When you find yourself, what are you really finding?” he asked. “You are finding the Divinity that resides within you.”
The key, then, is not to search for evil to combat but to embrace the light within, which is ever-present and eternal.
Breaking Free from Illusions
People often feel trapped by their circumstances, desires, and the need for validation. Gururaj highlighted how the mind creates bondage by attaching itself to fleeting experiences—pleasures, fears, and sensory indulgences. The mind flits around like a bee, seeking nectar from various flowers but never finding true contentment.
However, true fulfillment comes not from external pursuits but from being—from stillness, from embracing the present moment. He compared this to the movement of a pendulum: while it swings back and forth, there is a moment of stillness before it changes direction. It is in that moment of stillness that we can find our true essence.
Freedom Through Awareness
Most people seek freedom, but few ask themselves: freedom from what? The attachments and impressions created by our senses bind us, yet we have the ability to transcend them. The moment we become aware of our deeper self beyond the five senses, we discover a profound inner stillness—a state where fear, doubt, and the illusion of evil dissolve.
Gururaj emphasized that experiencing this stillness requires commitment:
“Move the pendulum throughout the day, but become aware of that split second where it is still, and moves again, and is still, and moves again in a joyous stillness.”
Embracing the Divine Reality
Evil, as we commonly understand it, is a misconception—a product of fear-based conditioning rather than an absolute reality. The true nature of existence is Divine, and when we realize this, we no longer need to live in fear of malevolent forces. Instead, we commit ourselves to a life of love, understanding, and inner peace.
Gururaj’s message is clear: rather than battling an imagined evil, we should focus on discovering the inherent goodness within ourselves and the world around us. Only then can we move beyond illusion and experience the boundless joy of being.
This article is based on his Satsang US 84010
