Note from Suzanne: Just before walking into my study to meditate, I read the blaring headlines that 10 years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the attacks, had been killed. My immediate reaction was very human. It was relief, not joy, but still it flew in the face of all I have been feeling spiritually recently. I sat to meditate, and the following words from Sanaya came at me before I even asked the question …
In a world of duality such as yours, you have what you do know as good and evil. These are both ends of the same spectrum. There are varying degrees of each. Where does good end and evil begin? It is a matter of perception, and perception varies with the perceiver.
When is it justified to rejoice over the death of one who perpetrated evil? We would say that first you must understand that death is only the end of the physical body. You cannot kill the soul. The soul always pays the price for its acts. It is the Law of Cause and Effect.
Is it justified to take the life of another in retaliation for the taking of lives or to stop the taking of yet more lives? You do this for what you call “justice.” Know that justice is an act which rides the path between good and evil, sliding the bar toward the center. What is the motive? Always study the motive. If love is behind the act and not power, gain, or glory, there you will find peace. These are difficult choices and thoughts you face in this world of duality, but always you have love as your litmus test.