The Danger of Becoming the Darkness When Fighting the Dark Side

    

The evil Sith Lord Sidious encourages Luke to fight his father using aggression and hatred. Sidious cunningly knows that even while Luke fights against evil, if he does so by using hatred, then Luke is already succumbing to the dark side because hatred and anger are of the very nature of darkness itself. The inter-dimensional entities behind the dark agenda taking over the world, like the Sith of Star Wars, tap into the power of the dark side of “the force”, which is light—the substance of the universe and creation—but inverted, using hatred instead of love (that’s why when you see symbols of the light inverted, you know black magicians are likely to be behind it).

Seeing dark global agendas stream rolling over goodness, truth, and freedom throughout the world is more than enough to make anyone feel angry, negative, and even enraged. We as a humanity, along with all our rights, are under siege and the most common response to being attacked is either through anger and aggression, or fear and retreat—which is based on a raw fight or flight reaction. While it sometimes seems there is no other way to respond, there is a danger of becoming the very thing we’ve set out to defeat if we act through aggression or hatred in any way.

Instead, there is another way of responding in which we are still able to stand and defend ourselves against darkness, but do so from a place of consciousness within. It has been taught since ancient times and even the Jedi knights of the Star Wars movie series used it. It requires an inner discipline and gives access to the intelligence and power of love, something crucial to defeating attacks from darkness.

Remember the famous scene from the movie Return of the Jedi in which Luke Skywalker faces his father Darth Vader in battle. Luke must struggle to contain his own rage and instead use the light side of “the force” which is love. Thus he becomes a true Jedi, as one who opposes evil but does so from a place of love, not hatred, and would rather die than go to the dark side.

A similar theme is used in the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien where characters are put to the test by being tempted with the power of the ring, which would give them access to the vast powers of darkness, enabling them to at last liberate themselves and their people from the evil that seeks to enslave them all. As in Star Wars, the heroes and heroines of the story must resist wishing to fight “the dark side” by using the power of the darkness and instead use the powers of light, such as love, courage, and true friendship. Those who succumb to fighting darkness using dark powers become the very evil they originally set out to destroy.

The character of Boromir in the movie Lord of the Rings, who is tempted by the dark powers offered by a supernatural evil ring. Each character in the story is symbolically tested by being exposed to the ring, which brings out the desire hidden within humans for greed, selfishness, power and control through force and dominance.

Both Lucas and Tolkien studied ancient religions and spiritual teachings, and brought into popular culture the essence of the struggle between good and evil found in the messages of Jesus, Krishna, and Lao-tzu.

Hatred eventually turns us against one another

While it can feel totally justified to be insulting, hateful and resentful to those who attack and hurt us, feeding ill will and hatred, even towards the most treacherous criminal on earth, feeds the energy of hatred within nevertheless, and that rage grows the more it’s fed like a beast that starts getting out of control. There can even be a sense of satisfaction in denigrating and hurting those who harm us; many, having a sense of powerlessness at those whose actions decrease the freedom of humanity, resort to taking their anger and frustration out in various ways.

As harmless as this venting seems, feeding anger within is ultimately harmful to the one getting angry and taking enjoyment from hurting others is at its core something demonic. Those demonic entities behind the dark global agenda take pleasure from the suffering of others, and anyone who feeds this goes into the dark side no matter how altruistic their aim. This rage can easily turn people against one another, even within those who are active in the struggle for truth, as anger becomes more easily inflamed and starts attacking anyone who disagrees, creating infighting and disharmony amongst those who are supposedly meant to be instilling higher principles in the world. Wherever this kind of division exists, there can be no effective fight back against darkness.

In one scene taken from Lord of the Rings, Tolkien shows how the power of darkness seems to feed off the anger between those who would do good. J.R.R. Tolkien wove an incredible metaphorical story about all the races of earth needing to work together to battle a growing dark agenda.

So, can we really win this battle, or any for that matter, with anger? If we pit ourselves against the hatred of those who enslave us through using our own hateful energy, it could turn us into the very thing we are fighting against. And what is the battle for anyway if we end up spending our lives in angry embitterment?

Passive observers stay calm but without growing

Acting from a point of integrity within, whilst in the thick of a war between good and evil, is extremely difficult to say the least, as the urges of the animalistic drives instinctively and compulsively arise, eclipsing consciousness as they do. Opposing evil can bring out some of the most raw and vicious psychological responses within a human being, including the wish to wreak revenge, to see others suffer, and to brutally kill. Many retreat from the opposition to evil and the responses it brings up, and instead hold onto a sense of peace by simply avoiding all conflict and by not getting involved. Well-wishing and praying for a good outcome, safely from the sidelines, is easy; likewise it is easy for people like this to look and feel superior to those going through the psychological responses actively opposing evil brings.

But the wish for a better world has to translate into action, which means that we actually have to get out and do things. If we value light, truth, and goodness we also have a duty to defend it against darkness, as without that defense, goodness would simply be eradicated from the earth by the plans of evil. By doing so, those who oppose evil must confront their true self as it is only in facing opposition that the dark side of our own psychology emerges and can thus be seen and changed; much of the battle is overcoming the darkness within and this is what leads to real inner change and spiritual growth.

Ancient sacred texts reveal the philosophy of action without hatred

One of the most powerful teachings in the world on this subject is the famous text the Bhagavad Gita in which Krishna reveals a series of profound truths to prince Arjuna on the nature of reality before they set out to battle in the Kurukshetra war. It expounds an incredible philosophy, found echoed in the Jedi of Star Wars, on opposing darkness from a place of compassion and detachment. In it, neither running away and avoiding it, or fighting with hatred and rage, is the right course of action—instead Krishna teaches Arjuna what is called the Path of Right Action.

“Anger induces delusion; delusion, loss of memory; through loss of memory, reason is shattered; and loss of reason leads to destruction. But the self-controlled soul, who moves amongst sense objects, free from either attachment or repulsion, he wins eternal Peace. Having attained Peace, he becomes free from misery; for when the mind gains peace, right discrimination follows.”
~ Krishna, the Bhagavad Gita

A similar philosophy is found in the ancient Chinese text the Tao Te Ching:

“Unevolved people are eager to act out of strength, but a person of Tao values peace and quiet. He knows that every being is born of the womb of Tao. This means that his enemies are his enemies second, his own brothers and sisters first. Thus he resorts to weapons only in the direst necessity, and then uses them with utmost restraint. He takes no pleasure in victory, because to rejoice in victory is to delight in killing. Whoever delights in killing will not find success in this world.”
~ Lao-tzu, Tao Te Ching

Jesus was also depicted in the Gospels as someone who opposed darkness, yet at the same time did so from a place of love.

“Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.”
~ Jesus, Matthew 5:43

Love is a state of being within; to feel love for those who hurt us, to harbor no resentments or ill will towards anyone, no matter what they have done, is difficult to achieve but something very worthwhile, as it then allows us to keep love as a permanent state of being rather than a feeling that arises only around selective people at selective times.

The power of love and consciousness

Sometimes it seems like there is no other way than to use anger, insults, and reactions in the struggle for truth, freedom, and justice. However, love and justice can’t just be the end goal to be accomplished by whatever means. If so, they will only ever stay as an ideal that cannot be reached—to be achieved they must also BE the means.

Being able to deal with those involved in harmful activities in a conscious, just and detached way allows the intelligence of love to emerge and for us to be more effective in our actions. Whilst anger and hatred makes us compulsive, reactive and violent, detachment and consciousness enables us to perceive a situation clear of the cloudiness of emotion and to act in the best way. It is possible to have a sense of love towards those who have hurt us, whilst still acting justly to defend ourselves against them. In this way love becomes a permanent state and way of being rather than just a fleeting feeling.

Love is often seen as something sappy and weak, whilst aggression gives someone the appearance of strength and courage. However, it can be surprising to find out that it is quite the opposite: true love comes from the consciousness within and gives real courage, strength and intelligence that does not depend on external things and gives the ability to endure even the greatest hardships, whilst aggression only puffs up someone who may ultimately be very weak within—controlled by the extremes of anger and fear that are completely dependent on outside circumstances.

To defend goodness against evil is so important and a wonderful thing, but ultimately, if we don’t free ourselves from our own anger, hatred and resentments, whoever they are held towards in our lives, then we will lose the war within. As found in many ancient sacred teachings, the battle in the truest sense, is the one against the darkness inside us, which is the purpose behind the timeless struggle between good and evil in the world anyway.