[JHL]

The continuum of spiritual growth ranges from absolute seperation (pure self-centredness) to absolute connectedness (pure love).

"Evil" would best describe someone lower on the continuum who exhibits a lack of love to the degree that they would cause harm to others in the pursuit of their self-centredness. They do so because they are ignorant of the connected nature of things and do not realise that by harming others they simultaneously harm themselves.

Enlightement is the progressive realisation and integration of this concept.

So "evil" typically describes a lack of love to the degree that it is overt and we can recognise it as self-centred behavior and harmful.

We all suffer from a lack of love to some degree, therefore we are all "evil" to some degree...if you will.

"Evil" is not really a useful term to use. "Lack of love" is better, because it also defines the problem at the same time as it describes it.