Good or Good and Bad?

The Dalai Lama believes that all human beings are essentially good. "I believe that human beings are basically good. It is only when we become confused or fearful or angry, that we do terrible things," he says. "So we must watch ourselves very carefully, and not allow negative states to influence us."

Vietnamese Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh thinks that we have both good and evil in us. "We know that if we water the seeds of anger, violence, and fear in us, we will lose our peace and our stability. We will suffer and we will make those around us suffer. But if we cultivate the seeds of compassion, we nourish peace within us and around us. With this understanding, we are already on the path of creating peace."

What do you think?