All violence originates in suffering.

The concepts of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ which we apply to our world fail to understand the true nature of violence. In fact, these concepts provide us with easy explanations that comfort us briefly but only assure continued violence. In truth, there is no good and no evil, only suffering and the end of suffering. Until the causes of suffering are eliminated, violence will continue.

Violence ranges from lack of consideration on one end to unkindness to insults to physical harm to rape to murder and to genocide. Violence can be directed against one’s own person or against others. Violence can stop in the mind, as so many angry thoughts do, when thoughts of should and should not enter the scene, but the damage is still done.

None of these abuses occur out of the willingness of a calm mind: when a person steals, he has reasons. When a President begins war, there are reasons which originate deep within, reasons which are based on suffering.