“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Part of what I am about to say may sound callous, but you should see that such is not the case. From the viewpoint of the concerned and conscientious ego-self, truly there appears to be great and disastrous evils that overflow like poison the cup of human existence.

Basically, all action is. Basically there is no evil action. All is unfolding. With the limited perceptions that the ego has itself adopted, the whole is not visible, and it sees what it will see. Within your field, within your moral field, you must indeed strike out against that which appears evil to you.

You see perhaps havoc within the physical field, and this is indeed to be faced and dealt with, and set straight, as aid is given to the victims of a hurricane. But you are familiar only with the results of action as they appear within the physical field, as long as you insist upon viewing your physical universe with the eyes of the ego-self; for the ego-self attempts to cut itself off from that action of which it is a part, and in so attempting it loses contact with this larger reality.

They seek each other out for many complicated reasons. This whole subject is difficult but I will not simplify matters, as I could. I would prefer to discuss it most thoroughly. Nothing here must ever be taken as a justification for evil, in humanity’s terms. For many practical reasons at this point, and please underline at this point, it is necessary that man fight against what he considers evil, for he strengthens himself immeasurably by so doing.

(Break at 9:34. Jane was dissociated as usual for a first monologue, meaning that she retained some idea of what she had been saying. While speaking aloud, she had the parallel thought that Seth felt this material wouldn’t make him very popular in some quarters, among people who might desire to use this material for their own purposes.

The health and psychic condition of an individual is not primarily determined by the ego, however. It is only when the ego is allowed too much power that the individual is deprived of much of the inner vitality of the whole self. For the ego is acquainted with only its role. It can find refreshment only within the limitations of the reality which it was formed to meet; and when it looks about with the best of intentions and sees disasters and terrors, it does not know that these others also play their roles, and that the roles are temporary.

This, temporarily, is something like what happened to you, Joseph. The inner self is aware of other realities. It is aware of the ego. Remember here the difference between consciousness of self and the ego, for the difference is important. The ego is but part of the self, part of the conscious self, but focused in one direction.

The inner self, feeling itself part of action, is aware of facets of reality of which the ego is ignorant. It knows that roles can be reversed. There is so much here to be explained, and so many questions that must be answered. For I tell you, at the risk of being misunderstood grossly, that there is only one reality, and value fulfillment, which you may, if you like, equate with goodness.

There is no such thing as evil, except for the phantoms which man has made. He sees hate in his own heart, what he calls hate, which is but fear, so he projects it into another man’s face and says the man hates him; and he may slay the man. But the hate never existed, that is, what mankind thinks of as hate never existed.

The inner self that knows its existence within action, has a firm foothold within reality. The ego can perform its function, fulfill its responsibilities within the physical field, and be free to know adequate joys and pleasures. But such an inner self must be renewed within action.

Your seasons, and the physical nature of your universe, is that part of action which is instantly renewing, and which automatically lets even ego feel its relation to that reality of which it is a part.

Your personal potentials, Joseph, are excellent. A knowledge of past lives would be most helpful to any personality, not only of lessons learned and of triumphs achieved; but also of problems passed and solved. We will have much more to say concerning what you may call moral problems, but such discussions will always be tied in with reality as it exists.

Ruburt will get his from me in due time. He is being directly helped in many ways through the mere fact of holding these sessions, for in speaking through him, he also to some extent partakes of my energy. The relationship between us, in fact, is one that we shall discuss most thoroughly in the very near future, for now you will be able to understand what you could not perhaps have understood earlier, concerning our communications in terms of actions involving actions.