There is a polarity to everything in life. The separation of good and bad is an illusion that we've all bought into, which has created judgment, attachment and conflict in this world.
There is a dichotomy in nature everywhere you look. There's night and day, black and white, sun and moon, male and female, hot and cold, lightness and darkness, life and death, etc. It is all a part of the same organism.
The perception of good and bad is just that, a perception. We perceive things to be bad because we fail to see the reality of how the universe actually works, which is in unity. It's this balance or homoeostasis that life is always striving for. So many people want lightness without darkness, life and no death. Do you know what would happen to the Earth if there was only light? The Earth would get so out of balance that it would get fucking scorched, because it wouldn't have the contrast of night to cool it off.
I'm not a religious person at all but I do find that religion has many great stories that can teach us valuable lessons, so let's talk briefly about the story of Adam and Eve.
Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden which was nirvana - heaven on Earth. It's not that the Earth was any different than it is today, the only difference was in Adam and Eve's perspective. They didn't judge or separate the good from the bad, they were in unity consciousness. This is why they didn't feel shame about being naked or labelled each other differently from one another, they just accepted the way it was. It wasn't until the snake gave them a tempting offer that they could not refuse. The snake told them that if they ate an apple from the tree of wisdom they could have the power of God. They eventually gave into temptation and ate from the tree of wisdom. Notice how it is called the tree of wisdom? It's not called the tree of evil or the tree of sin, but the tree of wisdom. The wisdom of knowing the duality of life. The wisdom of being conscious of good and evil.
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were in a bliss of ignorance and acceptance to what is. It wasn't until they munched on that apple that their eyes were opened and they were able to cast judgement on the differences between the duality of life. That's when they started feeling guilt and shame and labeling their feelings as good or bad.
Just like when a coin is flipped, it's still a coin. It may have two sides but it's a part of the same object. It's when we start labelling which side is good and which side is bad, when we start to create problems by separating the unity into a duality. You cannot separate heads and tails without destroying the essence of what a coin is, just like you cannot have a male without a female.
The whole point of this article is to help people look at the negatives in life with a new perspective. There is a blessing in every curse, just like there's a curse in every blessing. You hear all the time about people going through a major crisis in their life like a major depression, only for them to appreciate life so much more and come out of it a much stronger and happier person in the end. You also hear about people with millions of dollars in the bank who end up absolutely miserable and alone. No matter how bad or good your situation may appear to be, just know that that the tables will turn.
So be generous in times of prosperity, and be thankful in times of adversity. Notice the dichotomy? See how there is no separation of good and evil? How you can't get one with out the other? How it is all about perspective? The world would be one sick sad place if there was no bad. First of all there would be nothing to contrast the good, so not only would we not appreciate any of the positives, but imagine the boredom and the imbalance.
All I can say is to choose your perspective wisely. Heaven is not some afterlife in the clouds, it is the unity state of consciousness that brings the polarities of life together, whilst dissolving the illusion of duality.
Image source: http://www.deviantart.com/morelikethis/299989570