Maten
Evil and the Ying Principle
What is evil? The word evil is used as a name for really bad deeds, like killing. Evil causes pain on a high level. There are two kinds of pain. There's physical and there's mental pains. Not everyone who does bad deeds are evil. Some people do bad things because they have to survive, or they could be victims of bad deeds themselves, or they could be doing the deeds for someone else.
But what is true evil? That's hard to say really. It all depends on the point of view of the victim of the bad deed. Even the smallest of bad things can be viewed as just a bad or even evil thing. I believe that a truly evil person is someone who enjoys doing bad things that they lose their humanity.
How does it spread? Spreading evil is very easy. When someone is wronged they want to do it themselves to make themselves feel better, whether they do it to the original wrong doer or to someone else.
How can evil be beaten? There's no way of defeating evil. Bad and good are both the two sides of a coin. What we can do is prevent it from spreading. By not doing bad things ourselves. If we either ignore it or stand up to it then evil will not spread.
How to make up for an evil thing you've done? It all depends on the bad deed that has been done. You will need to work very hard, have lots of patients and do it with all your heart. But remember, the victim of the bad deed might not forgive you no matter what, even if karma will. If that happens remain peaceful. The victim might come around later on, or never will, just know if you remain this way karma will smile down on you.
What is the Ying Principle? The Ying principle is a name of a category that is everything bad and dark. Not just the evil deeds like killing, but even the smallest ones like stealing. It also includes things like the night and the moon.