A Record of Meetings held by P.D. Ouspensky - HolyBooks.com

Thursday. March 19th 1936.MISS C. In answer to the question: why is conscious evil animpossibility—evil, that is to say, human evil, seems to be completelyunnecessary. It is the result of unnecessary mechanical functions, suchas unpleasant emotions. Does not the very presence of consciousnesseliminate the possibility of purely mechanical actions? Is not evil thelack of consciousness where consciousness should be? Just as lies are alack of truth?MR. O. Yes, you can put it like that, only I think there are too manywords to explain a simple thing. Evil can only be mechanical. Inordinary life there can only be a subjective idea of evil. Or, further,one can say that on the way to one's aim evil can only pass throughmechanicalness.MISS T . Would it be correct to say that evil cannot exist in a consciousstate because complete understanding and evil cannot exist together?MR. O. [Not recorded.]MRS. M. Is it right to say that in the state of consciousness there is noidentification? That without identification there are no negative emo­tions?MR. O. Psychologically you can say that, because you can verify it.Everyone can find it for himself if he tries to manifest negativeemotions consciously. He will see he cannot.MR. N. Would it be true to say that evil is either a negative emotion orthe result of one, and therefore cannot exist in a conscious state?MR. O. That is narrowing the question and giving it a special meaning.It may be, only it is only one form. Illness is evil, but it is not anegative emotion. Illness is mechanicalness.MRS. N. Does something once memorized remain with us always? If so,is our inability to recall it at all the result of wrong working of centres?MR. O. It may disappear; there are many different degrees. It may beforgotten and then brought up again by special methods, or it maydisappear altogether.