Suffering is the result of evil and never of good. It may appear that a person is suffering because of good, but when we look deeper, we will discover that the cause of pain is because of evil. A man may be honest in certain ways yet suffer lack. A man may be dishonest in certain ways yet acquire wealth. Judging by appearance, it seems that one man fails because of his particular honesty while the other prospers because of his particular dishonesty. But to judge righteous judgment is to look into essence.

A dishonest man is not totally corrupt and an honest man is not entirely virtuous. The dishonest man may have some virtues that result in his prosperity while the honest man may have some flaws that result in his poverty. The honest man reaps good results from his virtues but also brings upon himself suffering from his flaws. The dishonest man likewise creates his own suffering and happiness. Good and evil exist in every person. The measure of good and evil is the measure of pain and joy caused.

It is erroneous to think that one suffers because of one’s virtues. The great law which is just, cannot give good for evil or evil for good. Ignorance is the only evil, awareness is the only good. Ignorance is what causes people to suffer because of wrong thinking. Awareness enables people to think correctly and therefore eliminate suffering. The most important thing to be aware about is how the universe works. Our beliefs at the universal level govern our beliefs, feelings and actions in all other levels of our reality.
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Conflicting results is cause by conflicting intentions. It might seem as if we are getting the opposite of what we intend. But we may unknowingly hold an opposite intention that conflicts with the intention we are conscious of. You cannot be rich if you have limited beliefs about wealth. You may be honest yet have a wrong mentality towards persuasion and selling. The more in vibrational harmony you are with all aspects of wealth, the wealthier you will become. The more conflict there is, the more you resist.

A dishonest person who is very good at persuasion and selling may acquire wealth. But ill gotten gains do not last for long. He may eventually lose what he has gained or experience pain in some other ways. A person who has both honesty and correct beliefs in other aspects of wealth will obtain wealth and keep it perfectly. The external conditions are only partial manifestations of the inner world at any moment in time. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it. Truly see by seeing the full picture.

In judging whether a person is honest or dishonest, we must also possess the correct awareness to define what is honest or dishonest about the person. We sometimes misjudge a person as dishonest when they are not necessarily so. Therefore while we think they are dishonest, they continue to prosper without any retribution or loss. Nothing can come from corn but corn and nothing from nettles but nettles. An evil tree cannot bear good fruit. By increasing our wisdom, we can make better judgments.

There are people who appear externally virtuous but entertain many evil thoughts within. They are empty in their so called virtuous actions. It is not just the act but the consciousness behind the act that has the creative power. A person may appear frank but is inwardly insincere. They may be doing good for display and not recognizing it to be so. It is an irony that some who think they are the most spiritual are actually the least spiritual. Those who have a holier than thou attitude are often not really holy.

True righteousness can only exist with wisdom. Awareness is the only good. The less understanding and wisdom a person has, the less good they can actually be. One must not seek to be good in order to be good. One must seek wisdom in order to be good. What is good is only a judgment. Without proper judgment, one cannot truly know what is good. One who has greater wisdom can make better judgments. Wisdom is insight. It is the ability to see into the essence and underlying nature of a thing.

Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results. Bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. Those who are truly good of heart have a wise mind. Those who think they are good of heart but do not have the necessary wisdom are being very foolish. They are deceiving themselves failing to realize how flawed they truly are. Your state of being is defined by your consciousness. The better a consciousness you have, the better you can truly be. Seek to work on your perception most of all.

Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction. It is an indication that the individual is out of harmony with himself, with the Law of his being. The sole and supreme use of suffering is to purify, to burn out all that is useless and impure. Suffering ceases for him who is pure. There is no more use in burning gold after the impurities have been removed, and a perfectly pure and enlightened being cannot suffer. The principle of mental alchemy is to turn our consciousness from lead into gold.

The circumstances which a man encounters with suffering are the result of his own mental disharmony. The circumstances which a man encounters with enjoyment are the result of his own mental harmony. Enjoyment, not material possessions, is the measure of right thought. Misery, not lack of material possessions, is the measure of wrong thought. A man may be rich and unhappy or he may be poor and happy. Riches and happiness only go together when riches are experienced with right awareness.[/hidepost]