Self-Sacrifice Of Evil

Even Villains Sacrifice To Their Ideal

By NICHOLAS ROERICH

Every step of constructive good calls forth also special attention from the dark forces. We have often noticed that in daily life the dark forces turn out to be even better organized than the forces striving toward Light-this is very deplorable. At the time when those who consider themselves servitors of the Good shamefully permit themselves every kind of destructive disunion, the spiteful entities act very unitedly and are well organized. This is a very sad spectacle. but yet one may observe it rather often, beginning from small every day questions up to affairs of the State. And the energy which is being developed by the dark forces sometimes even leads them to a peculiar form of self-sacrifice.

No doubt every one can recall a great many instances when an evil-doer, a slanderer, a traitor, began to act even to his own disadvantage, and yet, in the name of enacted evil, he could no longer stop himself. He was ready to put his reputation at stake, he was ready to challenge the powerful enemy, he was ready to face ridicule--only to continue the evil sowing, which he had once commenced.

The psychological reasons for such an apparently abnormal manifestation, as the self-sacrifice of evil, are difficult to formulate. Of course, first of all, they have their roots in the limitation of evil. Evil, after all, is always ignorant in something or other, and can never reach a high state of consciousness. The methods of evil are in the majority of cases rather primitive, and sooner or later this circumstance must come to light; which is by no means a self-consolation for those who have been subjected to the attacks of evil. It will be but the confirmation of the immutable law of limitation, and thus of the impracticability of evil.

But if one can speak of a self-sacrifice of evil, which even risks its own destruction in order to commit a crime or some evil then how much better should the forces of good be organized in order not to abase their neighbors and brother-warriors! It would seem that all fellow-travelers should automatically be considered desirable friends. People very easily pronounce such words as "friendship," "amity" and "cooperation." But all this in its very essence is easily subjected to the influence of evil.

By way of self-consolation, it is said that this is not the fault of the seekers for good, but that of the zealous soldiers of evil, who, as if by their resourcefulness, with much ingenuity, sever the knot of cooperation. And when giving such praises to evil, people do not realize at all what a disgraceful weakness they attribute to the potentiality of Good. For the acknowledgement of the power of evil is already the best praise.

And the problem is not only in the self-defense of Good. Every good is already in itself active and fills the immeasurably far-off space. If evil strikes and infests the atmosphere, then Good is a true healer and renewer of injured tissues.

It would also seem quite natural that constructive Good should be especially sharpened and vigilant in the moments of the so-called Armageddon-at the hour of attack of the dark forces. Yet we see that at this hour, which is so important because of its consequences, the good forces become permeated with unbefitting timidity, leaving the field of action to the forces of darkness.

Besides, the liar will not even go to the trouble of basing his cunning devices on facts, but on the contrary will by every conceivable way hasten to evade such connections. Whenever confronted with facts, he even falls into a state of physical convulsion and trembles, seeing that his malicious machinations are in danger of becoming disclosed. Perhaps, sometimes, the liar himself does not believe in his innermost self, his own slander and its obvious untruthfulness, but some inexpressible process compels him to slide down the incline. And then his formulas of definition become especially rich and before them the timid hints of the defenders of Truth often become pale. Fortunately, there are many who at least can find the courage to say: "Do not speak of what you do not know! " For if to some one the measures of Good are not clear, then at least a clean, sound adherence to facts should be the primary condition of human standards.

It is also regrettable to observe another variety of volunteers of evil, who often do not even support a lie in words, but who silently rejoice. They do not even try to warn the slanderer of the consequences of his lie. On the contrary, by their quiet smiles they encourage the doers of evil. Thus, between the conscious forces of darkness and warriors of active Good, there is a legion of volunteers of evil, who, in most widely varying degrees, secretly assist and back the infection of the atmosphere.

The discipline of spirit, the inherent consciousness of responsibility which is inseparable from human existence, do not worry these malicious evil-doers. One can give them no other name, for they travel without any chosen path, and in their ignorant licentiousness are ready to join in any destructive infection.

All these qualities are neither national, nor are they subject to other classifications. These manifestations are purely "all-human," and prove once more that the often forgotten ethics of living are necessary first of all-beginning from the first days of education.

Pondering over the self-sacrifice of the forces of darkness, symptoms of which people see so often, they should sooner or later think of the practicability of the same active self-sacrifice on the part of the Good. The examples of wonderful heroes are, it would seem, sufficiently real. It would also seem that-not for abstract and hazy, unreal problems, but for a true constructiveness these great souls labored here on our earth, affirming their thoughts and words by daily incessant actions.

The history of the self-sacrifice of Good is indeed beautiful, and by far more complete than casual and conventional encyclopedias have yet had time to record. Becoming saturated with these telling examples, people--and mainly the younger generation--can so easily turn away from even the unconscious support of evil, as well as from closest cooperation in malicious destruction. It is an old-known truth that children in their first years usually respond easily to Good.

It is also usually true that the sad examples of the family awaken in the child's soul for the first time a leaning toward evil, and then, later on, active participation in it. But now if in the whole world the tension reaches its climax, if even the cosmic forces respond to these destructive infections, then it is indeed high time to become ashamed that the activity of evil has reached a stage of self-sacrifice. For the very definition of "self-sacrifice" in connection with evil should awaken, even in very ignorant people, the desire for similar action in the name of constructive Good.

Evil's connection with self-sacrifice is indeed a serious reproach to humanity! After the terrific effects of the atomic bombs it became very fashionable to declare that atomic energy will be used solely for "beneficial" purposes. Let it be so! Nevertheless, in the memory of mankind forever will remain a shameful recollection that the highest energy was first brought to the Earth for destruction.

Everybody is fully aware that those billions of dollars would never have been spent for educational and beneficial purposes! But will it not turn once again into the self sacrifice of evil? -Jins helping to construct Temples?

Maynard Hipley, in his Principles of Electricity, says: "Several eminent physicists are now specializing on the problem of how to liberate and control intra-atomic energy for man's uses- or abuses.

"Bearing in mind the present intellectual, moral and economic status of our 'leaders of thought' and remembering that one pound of common soil contains intra-atomic energy equal in destructive power to more than a million tons of dynamite, let us hope that the secret of releasing and controlling intra-atomic energy will not be discovered in our day and age."

Indeed, let us hope that eventually out of the greatest evil will come the highest Good.